Warning! Spoilers ahead for Obi-Wan Kenobi episodes 1 & 2.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi have premiered on Disney+, and they feature the titular Jedi Master repeatedly trying but failing to communicate with the Force ghost of his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson). As Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) ventures out from his exile on Tatooine and enters a brand new adventure 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, dangers are on all sides during the Empire's dark rule over the galaxy. Making it worse, Obi-Wan struggles to commune with the spirit of his old master Qui-Gon Jinn when seeking guidance.
Slain by Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn's dying wish was for his apprentice Obi-Wan to train Anakin Skywalker (then played by Jake Lloyd), the young boy he believed to be the prophesied Chosen One. Honoring his master's final request, Kenobi trained Anakin (Hayden Christensen), who became a Jedi Knight at the dawn of the Clone Wars. However, the end of the war saw Anakin's seduction to the dark side of the Force by Darth Sidious. After a final battle with his former master and friend, Anakin became Darth Vader and aided in the extermination of the Jedi Order with Order 66. After the fall of the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan went into hiding to protect Anakin and Padmé's secret children. Despite Obi-Wan's decision to seclude himself, Jedi Master Yoda revealed that he had new training for Kenobi that would allow him to commune with the spirit of Qui-Gon.
Taking place 10 years later, Obi-Wan Kenobi begins with Obi-Wan hiding on the desert planet Tatooine and doing what he can to survive and stay hidden, haunted by nightmares of the past and his perceived failure with Anakin. Struggling to sleep, Kenobi wakes up and calls out to his master, desperately hoping for a response. Unfortunately, Qui-Gon Jinn does not answer. This silence is likely due to Obi-Wan's major loss of faith. While his protection of Luke gives him purpose, Kenobi no longer believes in the fight or his role within the Force as a Jedi. His unbalanced nature is the reason he can't talk with his old master despite the training he received from Yoda a decade prior. Speaking to Qui-Gon's Force ghost requires focus and an uncluttered mind, and Obi-Wan's mind is nothing but troubled.
That said, Obi-Wan's decision to leave Tatooine and rescue a kidnapped Leia Organa indicates that Obi-Wan Kenobi will soon find his center once more. Digging up the lightsaber he had buried, this new adventure will no doubt reignite the spark in Obi-Wan that had nearly been extinguished after Revenge of the Sith. Believing in his role as a Jedi and the new hope that's to come, the possibility exists that Obi-Wan might be able to speak with Qui-Gon later on in the series. After all, it's been established in the existing canon that the old Jedi Master and his former apprentice also turned Jedi Master did speak during Kenobi's exile.
At any rate, Obi-Wan's inability to speak with Qui-Gon in these first two episodes is a brilliant way to highlight his struggle at the start of the new Star Wars series. It's an incredibly dark time in the Star Wars galaxy, and the losses Kenobi suffered a decade prior have taken their toll during his isolation. Now, Kenobi's new adventure will allow him to reconcile and move on as Obi-Wan Kenobi continues, rededicating himself to the Jedi way, which will hopefully come with an exciting conversation with Qui-Gon himself.
Obi-Wan Kenobi releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+