Dexter: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

 "This is a deliberate insult against me and my people!"

Another superb episode, needless to say- with the theme embodied from the start. This is an episode about predators, literally in the sense of the utterly depraved proclivities of Dexter's victim of the week, but also in the sense of the predatory Dexter himself, whose freedom to do things (and murder people!) is so very limited by his stifling and unwanted friendship with Miguel.

Because Bail Organa Miguel is dangerous for Dexter. He's powerful, he knows Dexter has killed at least once, he;s a shrewd judge of character and he may end up putting two and two together. Worse, he's a gregarious extrovert and an over-sharer, a difficult person around whom to stay guarded. He can turn on a sixpence. And this situation can only get worse. Will Dexter eventually have to kill him, in defiance of the "code" of Harry, from which he seems to be drifting in any case? Or will the Chicky Hines conviction be Miguel's Achilles' heel?

Dexter continues to grapple with the prospect of fatherhood, with Deb as overjoyed as we might expect upon hearing the news. She's right that Dexter needs to step up- loved the slap!- but is she right about Dexter being a good dad? She has wise words about parenting though.

This is a typically subtle. character-based episode. But I can't help but see this as setting up potential causes of future chaos...

Dexter: Finding Freebo

 "Some people just shouldn't have kids, you know?"

Another strong episode here and, following last week's bombshell, there's a strong theme of having kids. Dexter and Rita have to decide whether to have a kid... although, of course, Rita ultimately decides to keep it, as was always going to happen or this plot point, like Chekhov's Gun, would not exist otherwise. 

Still, we get lots of fascinating musing from Dexter as he ponders the possibility of bringing another monster like himself into the world, and how we can never know the kind of little person we'll be bringing into the world. And the theme fits into the wider cast of characters, too- Bail Organa (ok, Miguel...) and his wife struggling to conceive; Angel's unbridled joy at Dexter's news showing how good and guileless he is beneath his flaws. A proper appearance from Harry for the first time in a while.

Yet the episode is also about Dexter's need to find and kill Freebo to protect himself, as well as to get the bad guy- and yes, still, his values are evolving and moving away from Harry's. He's calmly musing on the kind of monster he now wishes to be, and because he's the protagonist it's easy to forget what a monster he is, a trick the show constantly and cleverly exploits.

And Dexter's need to get Freebo, of course, puts him at odds with Deb, who has become single-mindedly focused on policing and needs this case to go right. There's other character stuff, too. The fact that Maria and Miguel have some kind of history, hinted at for now. The fact that Angel is struggling with the weight of his promotion... combined with his excessive drinking.

But that ending, with Miguel catching Dexter killing his brother's supposed killer "in self defence"... and actually being grateful. Deeply ironic, considering what actually happened. And Miguel is a character with real depths, not all of them yet explored. I'm excited to see where all this is going... 

Dexter: Our Father

 "God created pudding. Then He rested."

New season, and it's fascinating to see how they handle it. Because, well, from Dexter's perspective, there are no dangling plot threads or problems. Life is fine. In fact, the opening episode even leans into that, making it very clear that Rita is really, really into him, and the kids are starting to see him as a real father figure. Even Deb has given up "men, booze and cigarettes", although she soon quite sensibly changes her mind about the middle option. One can go too far, after all.

But then something happens... things get chaotic, and Dexter accidentally kills someone he hadn't intended to, someone who is perhaps no angel, as we soon find, but being a junkie wouldn't make him deserving of death according to Dexter's code. And yet Dexter seems not too bothered by this, and is pondering changes to the code. He seems to be distancing himself from the memory of Harry...? It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

Oh, and said accidental victim has ties to a very influential local family, one of whom is Bail Organa. And Princess Leia's dad seems to have real "permanent new character" energy.

What else? Angel is getting promoted, but is also drinking a lot. This is clearly a character arc. There's that internal affairs lady, too, and her suspicions around a new character that have Deb very curious. And, yeah, we have a dentist's surgery that's shot very interestingly, with lots of glaring white and not going for realism. It'll be interesting to see where that sort of thing goes, too.

A promising start. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part VI

 "It's not about us, is it? It's about you and him."

This is the perfect finale to a series which, well, has no pretensions to greatness in the same way as The Mandalorian, and could be fairly well described as what we Doctor Who fans call "fanwank", in that ot's the sort of thing that a talented fan might do as fan fiction, only on Disney Plus. That's what this is. It isn't high art. 

But there's nothing wrong with not being high art. Not being a clever pastiche of a Western like The Mandalorian is no crime. This isn't great, but it's bloody good fan service, and that's ok.

So I'm going to sing the phrases of this awesome final episode. It's jolly good, after all. The fight scene between Obi-Wan and Darth is superb, despite how predictable ot inevitably has to be in a serial where the scaffolding of continuity already exists. The scene where Vader's mask is punctured, and Hayden Christensen's voice replaces that of James Earl Jones, is effective. Somis the late moment where the Emperor (77 year old Ian McDiarmid) rebukes Vadervfor his obsession with Kenobi, conveniently enabling to eke out an existence on Tattooine until Star Wars.

Reva's redemption arc is touching: I hope we see her again. Unable to kill Anakin's son Luke as revenge, she is freed from the prison of her past, and able to be who she wants to be. This is a powertful message; abuse as a child or young person need not define you as a person.

The parting between Obi-Wan and Leia is lovely. And it's incredibly predictable- as is much in this episode, not that it's a bad thing- that Qui-Gon Jinn's ghost shoud appear at the very end.

Ah, thos is fanwank, pure and simple. But fanwank doesn't get better than this.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part I

 "It's been ten years. I'm not who I used to be."

We begin with a"previously on" showing us a succint summary of the events of the three Star Wars prequels. I would comment about this being the perfect alternative to going through the horrors of actually watching these films, but I won't. Partly because, while they are certainly very flawed and downright bad in many places, that would be a little harsh.

Well, I said "a little"

But mostly it's because I'm blogging this first episode three days after it dropped, and I know for a fact every single blogger who got there before me will have made that quip.

I'm sure I'm not the first, either, to raise an eyebrow and warily point to the fact that yet another Star Wars spin-off on Disney appears, so far, to be Tattoine-based, even if the premise sort of justifies this rather well. Nor will I be the first to lightly remark at the lack of Mandalorians, or the actual non-involvement of Jon Favreau. 

I think, for now, I'll confine myself to expressing satisfaction. This is a logical seam of continuity for a mini-series to mine. Yes, it's all very Joseph Campbell as the episode is all about an ageing ex-hero in Obi-Wan, jaded and reluctant to do any further heroics after the shock of losing Anakin and the horrifying drudgery and poverty of his current life, which is shown extremely well in the many repetitice factory montages. The whole thing is exquisitely directed by Deborah Chow, and Ewan McGregor is outstanding.

The Inquisitors are a superb creation, too, and the last minute revelation that the kidnapping of Leia (who is awesome, and the daddy in me loves the touching father/daughter scene) is a big trap for Obi-Wan by the nastiest Inquisitor is nicely done. Flea is excellent too.

It's all a bit of fun, nothing original and nothing new. But it's extremely well-executed, so far, in every way. I'm enjoying this.