Disney Plus has finally aired the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Star Wars fans are already getting misty-eyed over the sweet callbacks to earlier titles in the franchise.
One particular moment that touched viewers in the premiere was when the titular Jedi, once again played by Ewan McGregor, leaves a toy starship for Luke Skywalker outside the youngster's home. The gesture backfires, though, when Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton) finds the miniature T-16 Skyhopper, gives it back to Obi-Wan, and orders him to leave his family alone.
Obi-Wan then suggests that he should teach the youngster a thing or two. "Like you trained his father?" Owen replies, referencing Obi-Wan's complicated history with Anakin Skywalker, later called Darth Vader.
Viewers took to Twitter to share their reactions to the scenes, and how it draws reference to a shot of Mark Hamill's Luke playing with a in Star Wars: A New Hope. As you can imagine, there were lots of crying face emojis...
"GUYS I'M NOT OK I'M NEVER GONNA BE OK THE FACT THAT OBI-WAN WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE THIS TOY TO LUKE I... I need to lay down," one person gushed.
"I will never mentally recover from Obi-Wan trying to give Luke a toy and Owen throwing it back at him," said another, as a third tweeted: "OBI-WAN SAVING UP TO BUY LUKE A LITTLE TOY STARSHIP?!??! TEARS STARTED FALLING FROM MY EYES HE CARES ABOUT HIM SO MUCH."
Nice little Easter egg I picked up in #ObiWan . The toy left by Obi-Wan is the same one Luke had in episode IV. pic.twitter.com/AEodyN8H2KMay 27, 2022
obi-wan gifted luke that toy i’m sick #Kenobi pic.twitter.com/AhrgaV9R8BMay 27, 2022
Dude you mean the toy of the Skyhopper that Luke played with in Episode I came from Obi-Wan? 🥺🥺🥺🥺 #ObiWanMay 27, 2022
Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow previously told Total Film that she took inspiration for the show from "gritty, poetic westerns", such as The Assassination of Jesse James and The Proposition. She revealed that her love of Akira Kurosawa movies influenced the TV series, too.
"There's such a strong correlation for me between the Jedi and the Ronin – particularly in this period where all the Jedi are being hunted. I was really looking at what you do if you're the last samurai," she explained. "You're more than just a warrior. There's also an ethical code that goes along with it, in a world that's vastly changed. That really had a pretty big effect on what we were trying to do."
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are available to stream on Disney Plus now. While we wait for the third, why not check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for everything else coming soon from the galaxy far, far away.
