This week's episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi delivered several surprising plot developments, but it was the heroic demise of Imperial defector Tala Durith (Indira Varma) that came as the biggest shock for many fans.
While helping Kenobi and the (presumably) soon-to-be Rebel refugees mount a defence against Reva (Moses Ingram) and her approaching forces, Tala and her loyal loader droid NED-B sacrificed themselves in an effort to give their friends time to escape. After uttering her parting words to Ben ("may the Force be with you"), Tala detonated a grenade and took out a swathe of Stormtroopers with her final act.
Earlier in the episode, the former "Imp" explained her heartbreaking reasons for turning her back on the Empire to Kenobi, confessing to her part in the execution of four Force-sensitive families - six children among them.
After this emotional moment we probably should have seen Tala's death coming, but fans had generally assumed that the character would stick around for more adventure in the galaxy far, far away, maybe even as a love interest for the former Jedi Master.
While people have been known to come back from the dead in the Star Wars universe, Tala's end was pretty definitive, and Varma has now bid farewell to her character.
The actress responded to a social media post from a member of the show's wardrobe department, who revealed that "the whole crew was in tears when we shot tonight’s scene."
What did you guys make of Tala's exit and this episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi overall? How do you see next week's season finale playing out? Drop us a comment down below.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.