dr-why

[dr-why]

Who is ‘The Last Jedi’? (spoilers)

Controversy swirled over this question from the moment this title of Episode 8 in the Star Wars series was released to the public. Regardless of the answer, it was a smart marketing move. The title’s ambiguity sparked numerous speculations and discussions. It effectively created its own buzz.

Nevertheless, it is a valid question. Given the build up to the revelation of Luke Skywalker who was arguably the “MacGuffin” of Episode 7, we knew that Episode 8 would somehow throw a giant spotlight on Luke. At the end of The Force Awakens, we saw an old and bedraggled Luke standing before a potential apprentice. Would he be like Yoda of the prior series? one who is old and on-his-way out? Is Luke the last of the Jedi? or will Rey take up the mantle? Who is the last Jedi?

There are basically 2 options: Luke or Rey. We will consider them in turn:

1. Luke is the Last Jedi. 

Two direct statements point to Luke as the possible fulfillment of the Episode’s title. 

First, we remember that it was Yoda himself who said to Luke as he was dying in Return of the Jedi:

“When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be.”

Did Yoda foresee something through the Force about Luke’s future as the “last Jedi”? Possibly. Then again, right after this, Yoda said,

“Luke, the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned.”

Could Yoda, then, have simply been saying that Luke would be the “last remaining Jedi” until he passed it on to others? It was not a statement of ultimate finality but relative solitariness. Luke would be all alone as a Jedi for the time being–not necessarily forever. It doesn’t follow that Luke would be the last Jedi ever if he was told to pass it on to others (and did).

The second statement that may point to Luke as the “last Jedi” appeared in the opening title crawl of Episode 7:

“Luke Skywalker has vanished. In his absence, the sinister FIRST ORDER has risen from the ashes of the Empire and will not rest until Skywalker, the last Jedi, has been destroyed...”

Some point to this as the definitive statement: Luke is directly called “the last Jedi”. Case closed.... Possibly. But again, at this moment in time, Luke was the “last remaining Jedi”. If “Jedi” refers to the good Force users, all of his good students were killed by Kylo Ren. He was the last of the Jedi. That doesn’t mean that state must last forever. It was just where things are at that point.

A third statement is one made by Luke himself when he tells Rey:

“The Jedi must end.”

Now we have something more than mere observations by others as to the state-of-the-Jedi. We see Luke having every intention of seeing the Jedi Order coming to an end. His disaffection and discouragement by his failure drove him to want to end the Jedi once and for all. He went to set fire to the Jedi Tree and Books. Though he hesitated, Yoda (!!) actually did it, perhaps affirming that his intentions to end the Order were correct.

Many also point to the lack of any true heir to the Jedi at the end of Episode 8. For those who’ve read the Star Wars “Legends” or Expanded Universe (the decommissioned part), the “Jedi” were not the only light Force-users in the galaxy. They were one group/ organization only albeit the main group. By this strict definition, Luke may indeed be the last of the “Jedi” as that specific organization. 

Whatever standards that existed to dub one officially a “Jedi” have passed with Luke’s passing and it didn’t seem that Rey had enough “training” to inherit the mantle. Remember that Darth Vader in Empire told Luke:

“The Force is strong with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet.”

When Luke self-affirms that he is now a Jedi in ROTJ, Yoda corrected him saying,

“Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then and only then, a Jedi will you be.”

The Jedi Order it seems has “requirements” that make one officially a “Jedi”. There was nothing stated for Rey by Luke or known to be fulfilled by her. At no time did Luke tell Rey, “Now you’re a Jedi.” nor did Rey come to that conclusion herself. The question never even came up.

So Rey may be a powerful Force-user but not officially a “Jedi”. And unless she finds another Jedi to train her (or a Force-ghost?), she may ever have the chance to ascend to the title of “Jedi”.

One more thing to note: “Jedi” can be singular or plural. In other languages like Spanish, “Jedi” in the title of Episode 8 is pluralized. This could refer to an end to the Jedi Order for good. We’re witnessing the last of the Jedi (plural) altogether.

Thus, Luke is the last Jedi, period.

2. Rey is the Last Jedi

Daunting, all of the above evidence is. 

Yet all of it can be potentially undone by a single statement by Luke Skywalker to Kylo Ren at the climax of Episode 8:

“The Rebellion is born today.... The war is just beginning.... And I will not be the last Jedi.”

Yes, Luke intended to end the Order. But this was motivated by fear and guilt. Luke shut himself off from the Force. He had no idea if the Force wanted him to end the Jedi or not. This seemed to be HIS intentions only. Even when Yoda destroyed the Tree, he counseled Luke that failure is a teacher, meaning that failure is not meant to end things but teach one in the ongoing process of learning. Neither learning or teaching (passing on the Force) was meant to come to an end. 

His statement at the end that he was not the last of the Jedi carried, perhaps, the greatest weight of all. Everything he’s thought and intended has been transformed (or repented of) after his conversation with Yoda. He’s reconnected to the Force and with that made this declaration of not being the last. This perhaps implied that the Force convinced him that the Jedi will continue.

Yes, Yoda who gave his counsel destroyed the Tree. But the Books were NOT destroyed. Rey secretly took them. Yoda probably knew this. Thus, the history of the Jedi Order will continue. Most religious/ spiritual organizations can continue as long as the Holy Books remain even if the leaders are all gone. Rey can potentially restart the Jedi without the baggage of its past.

So while one can still say that in a sense, the “Jedi” (of the old Order) is dead and gone with the passing of Luke, this does not prevent the rise of a “New Order” of Jedi coming through Rey. This out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new fits with the trajectory of Episodes 7 & 8 which are tearing down the old and ushering in the new. Perhaps it’s better for the Jedi this way–clean slate.

Even if it goes this way, I have to believe that the term “Jedi” will not continue. I can’t see them inventing a replacement term that will catch on. We will always see “Jedi” as the equivalent of “good Force-user”. Rey may simply create a “New Jedi Order” that will reinvent the organization as a whole. In the Expanded Universe, as Luke aged, a new generation of young Jedis took up the mantle, led in large part by the 3 Solo children, the eldest of whom turned to the Dark Side and took leadership of the Sith. The current series seems to be taking small cues from the EU, cherry picking as they please. 

In any case, it’s clear that Rian Johnson never meant for anything in Episode 8 to be set in stone. He gave hints, winks, nods, and possible trajectories knowing that whoever helmed Episode 9 will make the final decisions about the final destination. And I can see JJ Abrams, whose Episode 7 was a clear attempt to forge continuity with Episodes 4-6, continuing to link with the past while paving the way for the future of the franchise.

[dr-why]

Disappointment in Star Wars’ The Last Jedi: The Risk of Subversion

There is an underlying, visceral feeling of disappointment that courses through those watching The Last Jedi (TLJ). Many point to the in-story elements as the root of their feelings: misplaced humor, subplots that go nowhere, plot holes, the elimination of characters, and out-of-character characters. While these surely contribute, there is a deeper, more underlying sense that fuels this feeling of disappointment: subversion. 

Many expected Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi (TLJ) to follow in the footsteps of The Empire Strikes Back (ESB), which took the story and world of Episode 4′s A New Hope (ANH) to the next level. ESB amplified the struggle and dark turns for the Rebellion leaving them more helpless and hapless than from ANH. The Death Star victory seemed long since past after the state of things established by Empire.

Not only did Johnson’s TLJ decidedly not follow ESB’s pattern the way we expected but did nearly the opposite overall: it sought to subvert the entire story (perhaps even the whole SW universe). 

Star Wars is known for its epic, sweeping galaxy with grand worlds and a sprawling feel of a massive realm. TLJ gave us one wealthy city of Canto Bight and the salt world of Crait. Both were only briefly touched upon. The rest of the focus was on one-to-one interactions and the slow attrition of the Resistance Fleet.

Star Wars is known for its legendary characters. Episode 7′s The Force Awakens (TFA) reinforced the legend of Skywalker and Solo making them larger than life. In TLJ Luke and Finn discourage others from seeing them as legends and heroes. 

Star Wars is known for loose cannons like Han Solo who shoot their way out of every situation. TLJ slaps down their main “Solo-like” character, Poe Dameron, hard like he’s a rookie, making his efforts look immature and foolish in the light of the wisdom of those like Leia and Vice Admiral Holdo. 

Star Wars is known for crazy plans that somehow work out. A handful of X-and Y-wings successfully blow up a Death Star the size of a small moon. The Rebels manage to blow up the shield generator in Return of the Jedi (ROTJ) despite the Emperor planning and anticipating it. Qui-Gon manages to win young Anakin’s freedom despite the odds of winning a Pod Race being astronomically low. But in TLJ Finn and Rose’s crazy plan with Poe goes awry and ends up all for naught. 

Star Wars is known for the wise Jedi and its spiritual mysteries. This comes out in their training moments. But in TLJ, we see Luke dismissively tossing his old lightsaber away after the dramatic first-meeting and end to TFA. He consistently resists training Rey. And when he grudgingly concedes, all he does is give a few short lectures. He’s cut himself off from the Force. He tells Rey that the Jedis must end. He’s afraid, even cowardly, and almost a murderer. As Hamill himself has said, “This isn’t my Luke.” Right: it’s a subverted one. 

Star Wars is known for its shocking family revelations: Vader is Luke’s father. Leia is Luke’s sister. Anakin is conceived by... no father. When TFA came out, the Net was a-buzz with speculations about Rey’s parentage. Is she a Skywalker? A Kenobi? A Palpatine? Turns out that it’s “None of the above.” She’s a nobody, the daughter of junkers. All fan speculations are subverted.

Rian Johnson continues TFA’s moves to tear down the current state of the SW universe. But whereas Abrams did it slowly and with subtlety, Johnson takes a sledgehammer to it. The harder, darker turn of TLJ is not the same as ESB. While Empire’s darkness deepens the state of the SW world, TLJ’s dark turn strips away our entire worldview and perception of it. The former leaves us with a sense of fear wanting joy and resolution. The latter leaves us feeling empty and lost wanting purpose and fulfillment. We all knew that we were going to lose Han, Luke, and Leia to make way for the next generation, but while Abrams built up TFA to a critical climax of the loss of Han, Johnson blows up the bridge sucking out Ackbar and most of the leaders out into space just like that. The sledgehammer.

Thus, what lies behind much of the visceral feelings of disappointment in TLJ is this sense of bleeding, painful loss. Not only did we lose many beloved characters whether good (Ackbar) or bad (Phasma) and even those not-beloved but seemingly important to the overall storyline (Snoke), but we lost the usual ways that Star Wars stories “work out”. Poe and Finn’s rebellious plan failed. Rey did not get trained. Luke’s final showdown with Kylo was a trick. TLJ continued the loss-elements of TFA and stripped away most of its cool factor.

All of this was not a mistake by Johnson. It was intentional. It was preached to us in the movie from every conceivable angle. Characters said it. Characters did it. The story did it. 

Luke perhaps said it best: “This isn’t going to go the way you think.” 

The Last Jedi certainly did not. Johnson took a huge risk by subverting the traditional SW storyline. He did not have to go this route to get us to the state of things in Episode 4 with a scrappy Rebellion in place. But he did it. Like it or not that’s where we are. 

Now it’s just a question of where it will go. Personally, I think we will get a bit of a reversal in Episode 9. The subversion did its job and JJ Abrams will work with the state of things Johnson has created. Now, I don’t think we’ll get a “reversion” to the state of things at the beginning of Episode 7. Instead, subversion will lead to “conversion”, the full transformation into something new. 

Episode 9 will best be served by firmly establishing this “new order” on both Light and Dark sides. Thus, the SW universe will be fully converted to a situation we love and cheer for: a scrappy Rebellion with fresh, new characters all fighting for survival against an intractable, dominant foe while holding on to the barest of hopes of winning the day.

[dr-why]

Thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Spoilers, yes)

Those given the keys to the Star Wars kingdom had major uphill battles to face when scripting Episodes 7-9. The greatest of them perhaps being how to follow on from The Return of the Jedi. Not because ROTJ was such a great movie or even story. It was okay. The challenge was recapturing the deep rooted feelings we got watching Episodes 4-6. What was it, exactly, that made 4-6 so dear to us? Many think it was the coolness factor of the Jedi or the development of awesome characters like Han Solo. While these are important, they are not foundational. What is?

The Captain America Theme

The Captain America Theme is the idea of an unknown, perhaps downtrodden character, emerging or rising up against insurmountable odds, perhaps against an evil foe, to wind up on top of their world at the end. Captain America did this. Think also: Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, Rocky Balboa, even Cinderella. We all like the scrappy underdog story. We like the idea of the beaten down good guy getting the chance to rise up and defeat his foes or circumstances. 

In SW Episodes 4-6, we get this theme all throughout the series. From the opening scene, we see the scrappy Rebels on the run. The galaxy is dominated by an evil Empire. The Rebellion is the underdog trying to fight for freedom and justice. Luke is the main character and joins the already-established Rebellion to become an important cog in their machinery. Only at the very end in Episode 6 do the Rebels finally deal a death blow to the Empire by taking out the Second Death Star, the Emperor, and Vader all on the same day. Yay, Rebels win. The series ends with the Rebels on top but in 99.9% of the movie series, they were the scrappy underdog, which is what we love. 

This is why “a new hope” resonates well with the series. The ones who need “a new hope” are those who are under the thumb of an oppressive regime for years/ decades like the Rebels were. Hope is only powerful in the face of potential hopelessness. This is why “a new hope” theme also worked for Rogue One. They existed in that same scrappy, underdog-state-of-things.

Episodes 1-3

We all had our criticisms of Episodes 1-3. But even if all of its problems were “fixed”, the overarching storyline prevents it from being just as dear to us as 4-6. Why? Because it reverses the Captain America Theme. In 1-3, the Republic and Jedis (the good guys) are on top and in charge. Guess who are the scrappy underdogs? The Sith. For 3 movies, we have to watch as a “good” government crumbles and falls (sad), the Jedi Order is betrayed and wiped out (sad), and the Sith take over (sad). Moreover, the main character, Anakin Skywalker, is evil. Yes, he has a final moment of redemption in ROTJ, but for 99.9% of the movies, he’s downright evil. Yes, this was “necessary” as a prequel story to Episodes 4-6. But how can the rise of Darth Vader give us the same feelings as in Episodes 4-6? It can’t. It can be “good” to watch but won’t resonate with us and inspire us the way 4-6 did–ever–even if Jar Jar, whiny Anakin, bad love scenes between Anakin and Padme, and midichlorians were excised from the series.

Episodes 7-9

With this in mind, we come to the challenge of Episodes 7-9. The problem with a victorious, climactic ending to 4-6 in ROTJ, is that it leaves the good guys (the Republic) on top of the world/ galaxy and once again whoever the “bad guys”  are as the scrappy underdogs. Abrams and Kennedy could have engineered a Star Wars world where, in the intervening years between Episodes 6-7, there was a radical rise of an evil power and by the time Episode 7 happened, another “Evil Empire” was in place. But this would make the victory of ROTJ seem empty and an new evil power too artificially manufactured. So what did they decide to do instead, it seems?

Episode 7: The Force Awakens

While Episode 7 followed many of the same storyline patterns of Episode 4, remember that the state-of-the-galaxy is decidedly NOT the same. The Republic is on top and the First Order are the scrappy underdogs. Yes, they have a super weapon, but until they use it, they’re still bottom-feeders. Yes, there’s a scrappy minority group called “The Resistance” but they’re still allied with the majority-in-power, the Republic. They’re less hunted down and on-the-run and more the vigilantes of the Republic. 

In Episode 4, the death of the Death Star was important, because it gave the hapless Rebellion a ray of hope that they could defeat the massive Evil Empire. In Episode 7, the destruction of Starkiller Base was simply a retaliatory strike by the then-majority power (the Republic) against a small, up-and-coming group (First Order) who had a super weapon. At the end of Episode 7 who had “a new hope”? Not the Resistance, not the Republic, but the First Order. They succeeded in wiping out the Republic, though it cost them their primary weapon. Now they’re in a position to take over the galaxy and impose their order. They go from scrappy underdogs to being on top. The destruction of Starkiller Base did not have the same feel as that of the Death Star in Episode 4. It was a pyrrhic victory, if one at all.

So the feeling of coming out of seeing Episode 7 is “similar” but “not the same” as Episode 4. The wrong scrappy underdogs got the upper hand. The First Order has a new hope for their Empire. But it does pave the way for a new Rebellion to begin…

Episode 8: The Last Jedi

Episode 7 essentially used the entire movie to undo the victory of Episode 6. It paved the way for a new Rebellion, one rising up from the Resistance. One might think that by Episode 8, we’d have a return to the state-of-things we saw in Episode 4–a powerful Evil Empire opposed by scrappy, underdog, minority Rebels. But no.

Episode 8 started right after Episode 7–not a moment lost. There was NO time for the First Order to rise up and become the entrenched galactic oppressors. The Last Jedi simply continued the story from Episode 7: the wiping out of the old order and the ushering in of the new. The Republic government was killed off in Episode 7, as was Han Solo. Adding to this, in Episode 8, they killed off Snoke, Ackbar, Luke Skywalker, and a majority of the Resistance. The slow whittling down of the Resistance fleet to a handful of people was intentional. It was the final brushstroke in the grand picture they’re trying to create: a return to a scrappy Rebellion. Out with the old and in with the new. Beat the Resistance down to the bare minimum. By the end of the movie, the Rebellion was TRULY a small, scrappy group, on the run, barely getting by. Yet those are heroes we can root for.

Thus, Episode 8 felt more like Episode 7, Part 2. It was not epic in scope. It focused on the smaller, more intimate conversations and drama: Rey and Luke. Rey and Kylo. Snoke and Kylo. A tiny Resistance “fleet” picked off one by one. This made for some of the best SW interactions and character developments ever. But it was also unsatisfying, because it lacked that purpose and goal that we felt all through Episodes 4-6. Of course it did. Because it’s taking the time to get us there. 

Episode 9 and beyond

Episodes 7 & 8 have torn down much of the SW world created by 4-6. It’s taken 2 movies to try to return to the state-of-things in Episode 4. Our hearts won’t be satisfied until we get back there. Episode 8 ended with the rise of a new dark order (Kylo Ren) and the rise of a new Rebellion along with a new Jedi, Rey. Luke said it well when he told Kylo that the Rebellion has just begun and he is not the last Jedi. YET, we’re still not there, still not back to where things were in Episode 4. 

If the Episodes continue the way it seems they are, then Episode 9 should NOT see the downfall of Kylo Ren, the First Order, and the return of the Republic. They just spent 2 movies tearing that old regime down to put a new one in its place. And in 1 movie they’re going to undo that? No, what I think will happen is this: at the end of Episode 9, there will be a “victory” by the Rebellion but we’ll still have a First Order growing and thriving. Kylo Ren will not be dead but ruling like Palpatine. But the Rebellion will be thriving, too, slowly but surely. They will be gathering allies and strengthening their arms. The Jedi will begin to grow, too. Episodes 7-9 are sacrificing the immediate satisfaction (good guy underdogs winning) in order to build a long-term world that WILL be satisfying after it’s done. We’re getting 3 movies that are CREATING that evil Empire and the limping Rebellion–that scrappy underdog we want to cheer for.

Thus, Episode 9 should end with a complete return to the state of Episode 4. Thus, it’s NOT an end. It’s a beginning. It’s the creation of an open SW universe where the good guys are the scrappy underdogs again–hunted and on the run. Books and comic books can return to that storyline rather than the more boring problems-of-the-life-of-a-Galactic-Republic. 

However it gets us there, the end of Episode 9 should make us feel like the Rebellion is the light of the galaxy, one that gives us feelings that no matter what odds are against you, there is always a ray (Rey?) of new hope. 

#thelastjedi