Warning! SPOILERS for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2 wasted a perfect chance for Obi-Wan to say, “Hello there,” but it’s for the best that he didn’t. With how popular the Star Wars meme has become over the years, it can be a little odd that the show wouldn’t invoke it at the first chance it had. With things the way they are, however, it’s probably for the best that the show didn’t make that reference--at least right now.
One of the biggest contributing factors to the Star Wars prequel trilogy’s rise in popularity in recent years has been fans making memes out of various lines and scenes, and it’s gotten to the point that even the shows and movies occasionally reference them. In The Rise of Skywalker, for example, Palpatine references his speech about Darth Plagueis the Wise when talking to Kylo Ren, and he later exclaims, “Do it!” when trying to get Rey to kill him. The Mandalorian also had Din Djarin not immediately go after Fennec Shand in episode 5 because she had “the high ground,” and in The Book of Boba Fett, he even describes his new ship as “wizard.” There’s a clear precedent for new Star Wars properties to reference prequel memes, so it would make sense for Obi-Wan Kenobi to do the same, especially when the titular Obi-Wan is the source of a lot of prequel memes, but when Obi-Wan met Haja Estree in episode 2, he didn’t say his iconic “Hello there” line, even though it would have been the perfect opportunity for it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2 missed a perfect chance to reference the “Hello there” meme, but this is for the best. While there have been plenty of lighthearted moments so far, Obi-Wan Kenobi has still been a largely serious show, so making a prequel reference would have been too jokey for the tone it’s going for. The reference would have only served to distract from the story, but thanks to its absence, episode 2 was able to keep itself focused solely on the characters and the struggles they’re going through, as opposed to trying to squeeze in bits of fanservice.
Beyond all of that, it wouldn’t have made sense for Obi-Wan to have said, “Hello there,” in his current state. The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi have made it clear that Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t in a good place emotionally to the point that he turned away a Jedi begging for help and almost refused to go save Leia, which is a far cry from the jovial personality he had when he jokingly greeted General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith. Obi-Wan making the same kind of greeting he made then would clash with his current personality and mental state, so avoiding it allows for the show to maintain its internal consistency with where his character is meant to be.
It would have been very easy for Obi-Wan Kenobi to have referenced the “Hello there” meme, but it’s good that the show hasn’t done so. Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi has been able to do a good job at not losing focus on the story and characters just to provide fanservice. Avoiding the meme also allows for Obi-Wan’s character to remain consistent. There are still plenty of opportunities for “Hello there” and other memes to be referenced, especially if Obi-Wan grows to be less melancholic throughout the show, but it just wouldn’t have been the right time for it now. It’s good that the show didn’t try to force it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.
