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#and we actually get to see how essential confronting your fears is to a Jedi and how their training helps them
meandmyechoes · 3 years
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reading early 2000s comics is like, every chill Jedi you met in tcw once tripped so close to the dark
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spinnenpfote6 · 4 years
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Idk if I’m taking it the wrong way but it bugs me how in the Prequels, Anakin’s love for his mother Shmi and his wife Padme are framed as his weakness and that his emotions are what drove him to the Dark Side when it was all just natural. They took little Anakin away from his mom and then shamed him for missing her and told him to “man up”, when he was concerned for her the Jedi told him to stop caring but he didn’t and he was right: his mom had been in danger. But his tears when she died are not him being sad that she died, but that he is “falling to the Dark Side”. As if grieving wasn’t appropriate and instead a sign of evilness.
And when pregnant Padme was dying in his dreams, Anakin wasn’t taken seriously by Yoda and told to just stop caring because “death is natural”. And what did we get? Padme did die in the end. There is a reason that he was trying to keep his love to her a secret and eventually turned to Palpatine: Because no one listened to him when he was expressing concern and emotions for his family members. Palpatine seemed to be the only one to care about his feelings and the only one to give him actual advice, but Anakin his still framed as the bad guy for listening to his feelings, especially his feelings towards women, as they are essentially “corrupting his pure mind and true self”. And I don’t care that this was some kind of shitty, self-fulfilling prophecy.
Luke is told similar stuff in the Originals: that he should shut off his emotions because they are “leading him to the Dark Side” or that he should “stop loving Leia” because the other (bad) men could see this as a weakness. Yet Yoda and the other Jedi are still framed as wise and right, while Anakin and Luke are supposed to come off as bratty and impulsive. Not to mention that fear alone doesn’t lead to hatred because experiencing fear is very much needed in a human’s life to prevent them from dangers. Especially fearing for your loved ones is not, as the Jedi put it, something bad that will turn you evil.
But still, it is shown that Luke being concerned and having intense emotions is what makes him fail his training and therefore something he should stop, to be “better”. But in the end, Luke successfully brings Vader back to the Light because he was thinking of him as a father in an emotional way and this is how he managed to reach out to that last spark of Anakin that was left in Vader.
Both Anakin and Luke are actually at their best when they are trying to save their friends and family, they are determined and compassionate, not evil, because they are right.
In the Sequels though, Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren is actually framed as good for staying to his true self and emotions in the end and his love for his parents and Rey is not something that corrupts him, but what brings him back to the Light in the end. (In addition, I wanted to mention that I firmly believe that Kylo Ren is a character who is coded as mentally ill). The good relationships with women in his life is what fuels his good side, not the other way around, like in the Prequels. Same with Luke at the end TLJ on Crait, where he is fueled by giving his sister hope.
 Especially in TFA, Kylo is constantly seen trying to put on an emotionless face and to deny his true feelings (”[Han] means nothing to me.”), which result in fits of rage because it is actually damaging him to mask his true self. We have seen Kylo/Ben at the end of TROS: the tantrum-throwing bad guy isn’t who he really is. He isn’t taken seriously by someone either, until Rey comes by and offers him support, what gives him hope and a reason to change. And regarding Kylo being a “crybaby who should man-up” - this is a dangerous thing to say as well. Kylo isn’t actually crying in the moments when he’s evil, but in the moments where he is allowing himself to feel his real emotions.
Take a look at the confrontation between him and Han in TFA for example: When Han approaches Kylo on the bridge, he is trying to talk him out of thinking that the “mighty Kylo Ren” whom Snoke apparantly values and teaches so well, is an illusion and that he didn’t destroy his son. Kylo still tries to be in his role until his true self breaks out: he starts crying and admits his true feelings (”I’m being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain!”). And we see that he actually is torn apart and thinking of going back to the Light side. But when he decides not to and commit the horrible act of killing his father instead, he stops crying and puts on an emotionless face,shutting off his true feelings once again, right in the moment where his father forgivingly strokes his cheek one last time.
And what happens? Kylo trying to cut off the bond with his father and telling himself to not feel a thing about the murder only results in backfiring, causing even more pain and confusion for Kylo and throwing him into an even bigger identity crisis. And he realizes that he cannot kill his mother and feels ashamed for what he has done to her life in TROS, believing that she will hate him, even if he comes back. He knew how bad his crimes were in the end.
But when he is vulnerable to Rey, actually crying out of compassion for her, he has a goal in life again: killing Snoke and starting a new order with Rey by his side. Not quite what is needed, but it is the next step in being himself again and valuing his actual wants again. No matter how much I hated how they trated the character in TROS, I will always cherish those 3 minutes of Ben Solo we got at the end. And in this movie we also see that Kylo isn’t even able to “ fully go back” to his fake identity from TFA. He obviously tries to, but fails. Rey knows this, calling it out to him how she can “see through the cracks of his mask”. The fact that the Knights Of Ren put his mask back together could imply that Kylo is again forced by others to literally and metaphorically “mask himself”.
At the end, Kylo/Ben was cherished for his true emotions and giving in to them, to his love and concern and having compassion and not to suppress his feelings because he was told that this was right. He wasn’t weak for crying, he was weak for thinking he shouldn’t.
Because this is actually a beautiful message that boys should keep in mind.
Telling boys and young men to be emotionless, to be careful with bonding with other people and staying to their true emotions on the other hand, is not a good message.
Also, for more information on this topic, watch “The Case Against The Jedi Order” by Pop Culture Detective on YouTube.
Thanks for coming to my pep talk
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duxhess-kryzewan · 4 years
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Prompt: perhaps something where Satine confronts him for never saying ‘I love you’ back? Can be as angsty/fluffy as you want
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The knock at her door startles her. It was much too late for anyone in her council to be seeking to consult her, and she's fairly positive her guards would not disturb her unless it were an actual emergency, which she was fairly certain was not the case. That only left one option of who it could possibly be.
"General Kenobi." She greets lightly. The word 'General' feels foreign on her tongue. Gone were the days that he was a young and rambunctious Padawan she supposed, and instead a hardened version of what had once been. War does not play favorites in who it scars.
"Your grace," he says, offering her a polite smile, "I just came to see how you were holding up. You've had quite the eventful evening."
She nods, "Quite the eventful evening indeed, but I am fairing out fine. Such is the territory when being the figurehead of the neutral systems. It's not my first brush with danger and unfortunately I don't think it'll be my last."
Something in his expression changes; it becomes softer, more concerned. The need to remind him that she's more than capable of taking care of herself nags in the back of her head, but she decides to keep that to herself. There was no sense in telling him something he already knew.
"I certainly hope it's the last time anything like that occurs. I don't even like to fathom the possibility of something happening to you."
A slight flutter surges through her chest at the admission. Oh how a sentence can be so simple and yet so complicated. Does he have any idea what saying that does to her?
"I'm sorry," she says, suddenly remembering that they were having this conversation in her doorway, "Where are my manners, please come in."
She can all but feel his uncertainty, or perhaps it was her own. Neither of them looked particularly certain about the suggestion, but she steps aside none the less. To her relief, he makes his way in the room.
"We haven't really had much time to catch up, have we?" She finds herself saying. It's more an attempt to fill the heavy silence the permeates around them than anything else, "Always as we have been; duty before anything else."
"Well," he says, "Not always before anything else."
The boyish smile he gives her is so reminiscent of their younger years that she can't help the blush that spreads over her cheeks.
"Forgive me," he says, clearly noticing the redness of her cheeks, "I didn't mean to embarrass you."
She shakes her head. Oh how he was ever the gentleman, "No, no, I'm not embarrassed, I'm just not accustomed to hearing you speak so brashly. It's fine, what's a bit of reminiscing between friends," she pauses, "We are friends, aren't we Obi-Wan?"
He takes slow and calculated steps around her suite, observing the various knick knacks and pieces of furniture throughout the room. She recognized the pensiveness in his walk. For all the things that changed about him since they had last seen one another, that had not.  
"Is that what we're calling each other these days?"
She had been reaching for her untouched glass of wine when he spoke; the words causing her to freeze mid motion.
"I..." she stutters, her mind working a mile a minute to come up with something to say, but she comes up blank. Is that what she would call them? They certainly were more than friends once upon a time, but now? She would like to believe they were, but believing in far off dreams has never worked in her favor before.
"I would hope so," she finally manages to get out, "I certainly don't trust anyone as much as you."
He stares at her so intently that she has the sudden urge to look away; as if his eyes could burn right through her. To an extent, they do.
"Friends don't reveal such confession at the threat of death. That insinuates a bit more than friendship."
She sighs. God, she was tired. So very tired.
"You never said it back, Obi-Wan." She says, "Then, I mean. Before when we were on the run. Friendship seems to be the extent of our relationship. And that's okay, I'm grateful for that."
His gaze drops to the floor, and for the first time since they boarded the ship she's able to truly look at him. Time had seemed to have worn away at her Jedi Knight.  There were lines peppering his face that hadn't been there before, scars that had been collected through the years decorating his body, a tiredness behind his eyes that said more than words ever could. He had seen so many of the horrors the galaxy holds. She want's nothing more than to run her fingers over the scars and ask him why he was doing this to himself, but she already knows the answer: his dedication to protecting the galaxy would always outweigh his own safety.
"Have I ever told you the story of how Qui-Gon became my master?"
She blinks. Of all things she had been prepared for him to say, that wasn't one of them.
"I don't believe so."
He paces the room, stopping only when he reaches the window looking out over the vastness of space.
"When Qui-Gon found me, I was tending to plants in the AgriCorps." He begins, "I had grown past the age of being a youngling and had not yet been taken as anyone's apprentice. It was what I consider the lowest point in my life. I was angry, and impulsive, and was essentially told I would never be a Jedi because of those emotions."
"But they were wrong," she says, "You're one of the most formidable and wise Jedi in the galaxy.”
He shakes his head, "Not then. It was only by sheer luck that Qui-Gon had stumbled upon me. Without him...well, I don't like to ponder the what ifs. He trained me, helped me become who I am. I learned how to control my temper and my impulses and how to truly become one with the force. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the stars that I able to be this; to be a Jedi."
A flood of sadness washes over her. How foolish she had been to ever believe he could love her as she loved him, "I'm glad he found you. You got to be everything you wanted."
Finally he turns to look at her, features soft and sad and for a moment she believes - fears, really - he's looking at her with nothing more than pity for the poor girl on the run that never got over him.
To say she was shocked by what follow would be a glorious understatement.
"Satine, when I said I would have left the Jedi order if you had asked, I meant it. Being a Jedi means everything to me, but I would have left. ,I would have left all of it behind had you said the word. That... that is me saying it back."
There's a tingling in her legs. A ringing in her ears. A pounding in her chest. Every part of her body was sent into overdrive and all she can do is stare dumbfounded at him. Surely he wasn't implying what she thought he was.
Right?
"I..." She begins, but struggles to find word, "I could never have asked you to do that."
He smiles sadly at her, "I know, such is the way you and I have chosen to live."
She glances down to her feet and nods, "Duty before love."
"Duty before love." He affirms.
Before she can think better of it, and before he had time to protest, she hastily makes her way to him and pulls him to her. Years may have passed since they last touched, but everything felt so familiar. His scent, his stature, the slight hitch in his breathing when they touched. She could even convince herself that no time had passed if she really wanted too.
She can feel him sigh against her as he presses his lips against her hair, her temple, her cheek. It's not much, nothing close to what may have been, but there and now it was enough. It was enough for her to know that he cared for her too.
In another life, perhaps they would have been.
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Inspiration for this story was from this post here!
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I take any and all Obitine prompts here!
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dinerkenobi · 4 years
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Fractals of Obitine & Anidala (Part 2)
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As I mentioned in the first part of this series of posts, the stories of Obitine and Anidala are more like fractals than rings. That is, the stories aren’t just “looping” around each other. Rather, they’re repeating in patterns--patterns that can be larger and sweeping, small and barely noticable. The idea that both Obitine and Anidala are tragedies is a large and sweeping fractal; the fractals I’m about to lay out, however, are much smaller. Some have been pointed out already; others have not. But whether they’re large or small, new or old, I believe every part of this story has something to say to the audience.
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One of the smaller fractals that I didn’t notice until recently is the parallel of confronting an injured or dying enemy. I’m not sure how I missed this before; looking at these screenshots side-by-side, it’s glaringly obvious that these are meant to be parallels. But just as in my previous post, the parallels go beyond just having similar visuals or similar scenarios. Rather, these scenes tell us about the characters themselves.
In scene depicting the suicide of the Death Watch bomber, Satine is the one who’s by his side, offering him what we can assume is some type of Mandalorian death rite (For a translation of the Death Watch bomber’s final words, check out the Mandalore Plot episode of the Mandalorian Watch podcast). She offers the dying man not anger for nearly taking her life, but instead gives grace, forgiveness, and compassion. Anakin’s scene is in complete contrast to this; he’s angry, overcome with the fear of potentially losing Padme. Instead of offering comfort, he demands to know who hired her, essentially making him stand out as an opposite to Satine--a foil. In fact, I think it’s quite telling that Satine and Anakin are playing the same roles in these scenes. It’s almost as if to say that Satine and Anakin are meant to parallel each other, even though most assume that Satine only serves as a foil for Padme.
And what meaning can be derived from this? Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I think that this fractal communicates that these two parallel stories are ultimately about the same thing: Fear and letting go. Satine doesn’t give into fear when she offers comfort to the dying Death Watch terrorist, doesn’t try to use his last words to extract information out of him. Instead, she lets go of her fear and offers compassion in its place. Anakin is the opposite: he’s so consumed with his love for Padme (which hasn’t even been reciprocated at this point) that he lets his fear turn into anger.
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In a similar vein, the next fractal also places Satine and Anakin as parallels. However, I also believe that it shows the parallels between Obi-Wan and Padme. Of course, others have already pointed out some of the parallels between Obi-Wan and Padme prior to this; for example, it’s often been noted that Obi-Wan and Padme both love Anakin but are unable or unwilling to see what he’s becoming until it’s too late. There’s even a scene in the Revenge of the Sith novel where Padme straight-up asks Obi-Wan, “You love him too, don’t you?” Obi-Wan has no response to this except to stand silently, looking suddenly very alone.
But in the context of the Obitine and Anidala relationships, Obi-Wan and Padme are similar in that both are the more resistant ones to a relationship. Padme wants to resist her attraction to Anakin because she knows how potentially disastrous it could be for them, and Obi-Wan, while he’s not as resistant as Padme is, appears to pursue the relationship less than Satine does. Likewise, both Obi-Wan and Padme put up a seemingly cold, detached exterior. Obi-Wan plays the role of the Jedi who’s phased by nothing, not even a war, while Padme must present herself as this formidable force in the Senate.
Neither of these ways of presenting oneself is necessarily problematic; as I mentioned in my previous post, people of all genders sometimes to need to embody the more masculine traits, like stoicism and resolve. But it can become a problem when these traits are expressed to the exclusion of the feminine traits. If people are never never vulnerable, never let anyone in--well, that can’t be much of a life, can it? That’s why it’s so important that Obi-Wan and Padme are given romantic storylines: each story allows the character to become softer, to allow their more feminine side to rise to the surface. For Obi-Wan, it means letting go of the “I’m a battle-hardened Jedi just doing his job” facade and allowing himself to be tender when he interacts with Satine, and for Padme it means giving herself permission to put her own desires before duty and succumb to her attraction to Anakin.
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One of the most interesting fractals, and the one that leads me down the most AU lines of thinking, is the reaction to these relationships. That is, I’m intrigued by the way Obi-Wan reacts to Anakin’s interest in Padme, as well as Anakin’s reaction to Obi-Wan’s obvious sexual tension feelings toward Satine. Obi-Wan’s initial reaction to Anakin is amusement; he seems to be hiding a smile under his beard when he notices how tense Anakin is, as if he finds it funny that Anakin is nervous around his crush. But then as the scene progresses, Obi-Wan grows progressively more exasperated. There’s not much patience in his voice when he chides Anakin for wanting to dream about Padme, reminding him plainly that he’s made a commitment to the Jedi Order--a commitment that isn’t easily broken. He even snaps at Anakin when Anakin wants to land the gunship to rescue Padme.
Contrast this with Anakin’s reaction to Obi-Wan’s obvious attraction toward Satine. In the scene in which they’re together on the elevator, Anakin seems genuinely intrigued by Obi-Wan’s anxiety surrounding the Duchess, as if he’s enjoying seeing a different side to his friend. Once he sees Satine and Obi-Wan together, his intrigue turns to amusement--not in a mocking way, but in the same way your friends might snicker and smile when they see you talk to your crush. This amusement, however, doesn’t disguise the fact that Anakin wants to open up with Obi-Wan about his feelings. In fact, in the following scene in which Obi-Wan opens up about his past with Satine, you can tell that Anakin really wants to open up as well. Why? Perhaps it is because, for the first time in their relationship, Anakin can see that Obi-Wan understands what he’s feeling, and that he may empathize with Anakin’s entrapment between duty and love. 
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But imagine if Obi-Wan actually had opened up to Anakin in Attack of the Clones. In the scene when Obi-Wan reminds Anakin that he shouldn’t be fantasizing about Padme because he’s made a commitment to the Jedi Order, what if he had instead been honest and let Anakin know that he’d faced similar struggles as a padawan? I’m not sure if it would’ve stopped Anakin from pining after Padme, but it might have strengthened Anakin’s trust in Obi-Wan--perhaps to the extent that he might have been willing to ask his former master for help in Revenge of the Sith. Rather than seeing Obi-Wan as a prude who blindly follows the Jedi Code, Anakin might have realized what I believe is Obi-Wan’s true intent in warning Anakin away from Padme: Don’t make the same mistake I did, or you’ll get hurt. 
To be continued...
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atamascolily · 4 years
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One of the exercises in Julia Cameron’s The Vein of Gold is to compile a list of favorite movies--or ones with images that resonate with you--and note any patterns that arise. Here are some of mine, with observations below.
(For the purposes of this exercise, I’m sticking with live-action films, but there’s no reason why there couldn’t be animated films.)
1. Star Wars Original Trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi)
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(Yes, I know this is technically three films, with three different directors and independent histories, but I didn’t feel like listing them all separately.)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
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Ironically, I love the first Peter Jackson movie, but not any of the subsequent ones. Which is not to say they’re necessarily bad movies, but they’re not the ones I’d want on endless loop. (Part of this is because The Two Towers and The Return of the King are essentially war movies, and also because I have to watch Faramir act OOC, which hurts my soul.)
3. The Secret Garden
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4. The Matrix
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I actually don’t have strong feelings about Reloaded and Revolutions--like, the actual plot is weird, but I am so not watching these films for plot.
5. Return to Oz
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6. Inception
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7. Labyrinth
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8. The Terminator
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Don’t get me wrong, Terminator 2 has a lot going for it, but it’s not the one that I can’t stop thinking about (except for that one deleted scene with Michael Biehn, which is a totally different story).
Thoughts and Themes:
So at first glance, it seems like I have two separate categories: ‘80s and ‘90s-’00s films. Or maybe it’s sci-fi and fantasy? The Secret Garden is the only one that even approaches some kind of realism, and even that is a pastoral kind of world that would not be out of place in the more peaceful parts of, say, Middle-Earth (especially Fourth Age). How about high-tech vs. low-tech, or cyberpunk vs. fairy tale? Or, even better, what about reality vs. illusion (or story vs. truth if you prefer)--which is also a major tension within every film on this list?
I’ll also note that most of these films have an epic color palette, with memorable landscapes that either serve as characters in and of themselves, or symbolize the mental states of various characters. These films are beautiful works of art, reveling in The Aesthetic, whether that’s the idyllic peacefulness of the Shire or the grimy back alleys of 1980s Los Angeles.
The thing that really got me when I laid it out like this--the thing I hadn’t noticed before--was that all of these involve a (sometimes literal) rebirth, transition, or journey from darkness to light (or light to darkness to light again, depending on the work). You could also substitute life and death here, and not change much.
This is, again, often quite literal: Sarah moves underground in Labyrinth, the Fellowship descends into the Mines of Moria, the secret garden comes to life with the spring, Dorothy confronts the Nome King in his underground lair. Neo wakes up to find himself naked and soaked to the skin, and flushed down the tubes like garbage, in a literal hellscape where the machines destroyed the sun (a motif that also appears in Terminator’s dystopian future), then literally dies and is resurrected at the end of the film. Luke goes underground to confront his own double--another recurring theme!--on Dagobah.
Duality and the exploration of one’s soul through another world is HUGE  big theme--or, to put it another way, The internal mirrors the external. This is a huge motif of Inception, which is a literal inward journey into a character’s psyche; and you could also make the argument that both Return to Oz and Labyrinth cover similar territory. Is Oz real, or is it in Dorothy’s head? Is Ozma a part of her, or is Ozma a separate entity? Is Jareth a real foe or is he the embodiment of Sarah’s fears and desires, a fantasy she concocts based on a story in a book?  And Frodo realizes he’s not so different from Gollum, that the sad shriveled creature is what he could become if he fails at his task--and, ironically, his kindness to Gollum is what allows the quest to succeed when Frodo finally succumbs to temptation.
Frodo in the The Fellowship of the Ring sees the world differently when he wears the One Ring, and it’s terrifying. Sarah Connor realizes that she’s left her ordinary world behind and crossed into Kyle and the Terminator’s reality in a moving speech, and The Matrix doesn’t even try to be subtle. Even The Secret Garden uses the eponymous garden as a metaphor for the blossoming of Mary’s own soul, and the souls of those around her (especially her uncle and cousin, but also Ben Weatherstaff).
These stories are also concerned with ecology, though it’s usually a background motif, since the main focus is on saving the world (or what’s left of it, i.e, humans). The Shire is paradise; Mordor is a desolate hellscape, dominated by a giant volcano. Kyle Reese breaks down over the beauty of the world, and Mary Lennox seeks to bring the lost garden back to life. Dorothy retreats elsewhere after the grey grimness of Kansas/the mental hospital.
There’s also a real tension concerning humans’ relationship to technology in these films. The Matrix is an illusion, and machines control the earth. Or the machines don’t even bother farming humans and aim to kill ‘em all. Saruman literally transforms Isengard from a tree-lined field to an industrial hellscape. The mental institution uses that freaky electrical machine on Dorothy. Star Wars is more accepting of droids and technology, but even there, there’s tension: Obi-wan calls Darth Vader “more machine than man,” and it’s not a compliment; the Death Star is built to obliterate entire planets and must be stopped twice.
I’d argue this theme goes deeper than human/tech--it’s really human/other, with technology providing one kind of other. There’s human-alien interactions in Star Wars and Labyrinth, not to mention Mary’s relationship with the robin in The Secret Garden, Dorothy’s friendship with Jack Pumpkinhead and the Gump. On a less friendly note, Frodo’s relationship with Gollum is the emotional crux of the Lord of the Rings.
These films also feature the classic hero’s journey, but often through a female lens. The protagonist usually has no special skills other than their strong moral character and determination--or even if they do have skills (like Ariadne*), they still serve as an audience surrogate or substitute, a stranger to the new worlds they visit. The protagonist has at least one faithful friend/companion/love interest to help them (sometimes even a team/found family), and often a mentor as well (who may or may not be a crusty eccentric). In the end, the characters must take control of their own destiny--Frodo chooses to leave the Fellowship, Luke throws away his lightsaber rather than kill his father, Sarah declares to Jareth “You have no power over me”. Sarah Connor yells, “On your feet, soldier!” and keeps going to the bitter end, and Mary Lennox is unafraid of her bratty cousin’s wrath and puts a stop to it when everyone else enables him.
*(As an aside, I know Ariadne’s not the main character in Inception, but I find the actual main character way less interesting, so she’s the one I focus on, just like I find Trinity far more compelling than Neo.)
Characters often have Meaningful Names: Morpheus, Trinity, Neo; Ariadne; Luke Skywalker, Han Solo. These films also feature a question of fate and inevitability - Luke has precognitive visions, Neo consults the Oracle, Sarah is told “there is no fate but what we make for ourselves,” with Kyle serving as an oracle of sorts with messages from the future to come. The Mirror of Galadriel shows possible futures for the Shire, too.
Another theme is that the protagonist must suffer and/or work hard for their transformation. Mary has to do the actual work of gardening; Luke has to sweat and do handstands (beautifully, I might add); Frodo has to walk to Mount Doom; Sarah has to walk the labyrinth, and Sarah Connor has to survive a fucking nightmare. Dorothy has to rescue the royal family of Ev and free Ozma; Ariadne has to design a dream-puzzle for the heist to work. Even Neo has to train with Morpheus--though he’s able to use cheat codes to download martial arts directly into his brain without having to sweat for it; his real journey is in self-confidence. 
In keeping with the stunning visuals, impossible feats are regularly featured, and excellent, cutting-edge-for-their-time special effects are prominent. Many also feature stunning fight scenes--the classic Luke vs. Vader duel on Cloud City; the “I know Kung fu” sequence in The Matrix; the clashes in The Fellowship of the Ring. Jareth has some excellent moves in Labyrinth, too, although he’s more inclined to dance than traditional battles.
I couldn’t resist contrasting my favorite moment in Return to Oz--rescuing Ozma from the mirror prison--with Ariadne shattering her own reflection in Inception, because that is such a moment for me, encapsulating all of the reality/illusion, internal/external, self/other dichotomies I mentioned above. (See also the Mirror of Galadriel above.) Inception and Labyrinth also share the motif of impossible Escher staircases, which I freakin’ adore.
It will probably come as no surprise to note that I also enjoyed films like The Dark Crystal, The Neverending Story,  and What Dreams May Come, which tap into similar themes and imagery. You’ll probably be able to guess that The Sword in the Stone is my favorite animated Disney film, too.
I also love a number of Asian films like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, all of which feature beautiful landscapes and color palettes, stunning fight scenes and special effects, along with a healthy dose of the fantastic, and a focus on story vs. reality (often with a plot twist or surprise reveal at the end). This is unsurprising when you consider the strong debt both Star Wars and The Matrix owe to Asian cinema in terms of style, plot, and aesthetic. In those films, the tension is more society vs. self, but duality is still very strongly present.
If you notice any other patterns or recurring themes, let me know; I’d love to hear them! Also, if you can think of any other movies I might enjoy based on this, let me know.
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emperorren · 5 years
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Do you think we're going to get more of ben's backstory in IX? The whole 'he thinks his parents were scared of him and gave up on him and sent him off to luke’s who confirmed his fears' is integral to understanding his vader worship and the “I am a monster. I’m kylo ren.” mindset he embraces, and why Luke’s perceived betrayal made him turn. Without it none of it makes sense. As of now one of the most common takes for movie onlys is that he’s a spoiled brat who’s angry that he didn’t (cont.)
(cont.) get enough attention. It sort of seems like everyone involved in the films assumes the general audience is on the same page but they’re not. If all we get in the films are the allusions we got in TFA it will ruin his character for the GA and a large portion of the SW fandom who don’t read the books and I’m really worried they’re not going to elaborate on it any further. I don’t know how’d they’d even do it, it’s the last movie, they’ve backed themselves into a corner.
I don’t think IX will delve into Ben’s backstory a LOT more than TFA and TLJ did, and to be honest, I don’t think it needs to. Ben’s backstory has already been told---in broad and extremely succinct strokes, but the picture they paint is very clear and effective. 
We had Han and Leia’s—especially Leia’s—guilt over what happened. Their strained relationship, tinged with regret and heartbreak; Leia’s explicit belief it was Snoke who manipulated Ben; Han’s /last minute redemptive gesture/ on Starkiller, when he decides he’s going to be there for his son at last, for real, and do everything in his power to rip him from Snoke’s clutches or die trying. We had Snoke treating Ben like a dog on a leash, displaying classic abuser behavior, keeping him as isolated and emotionally starved as possible, paralyzed in an endless praise/punishment cycle, giving him tasks that he knows will break him, forcing him to go down a slippery slope with every crime he commits so he’ll feel like there’s no going back, making him complicit in the murder of his own family, then sneering at him when he reluctantly complies. We had Luke’s fear of Ben’s dark side and his impulsive attempt to murder him in his sleep, which tells us two things: 1) Luke was most certainly not the only one in Ben’s family who was afraid of him, and 2) a familial environment in which being murdered by your own uncle is an actual possibility is NOT an ideal place to grow up in (and that, if Ben is a troubled adult, at least part of the reason is to be found in that particular environment). We had, well, Ben’s entire characterization—emotional instability/stuntedness, anger issues, vulnerability when challenged, deep desire to connect with someone who he thinks is like him, reverting to a 5 years old whenever he is confronted by a member of his family, being simultaneously afraid, resentful of, and eager to please Snoke.
Like, the facts are already all there, and very easy to read. A dysfunctional family that broke under the unresolved weight of its patriarch’s crimes and all the lies that had been told about him. A gifted but problematic child whose darkness was not dealt with properly due to said unresolved family issues, and festered and festered until a predator took advantage of it. At some point the problematic child was sent to his uncle, who tried to kill him, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The boy destroyed the entire place where he almost got murdered, left a few corpses behind, and ran to the predator—the only viable parental figure that was left to him by that point. There’s nothing strange or particularly complicated about this story, it’s a classic “neutral character is failed horribly by the good guys, so becomes the bad guy” narrative---the details might vary but the backbone is present in almost every sympathetic villain’s origin story.
Do we need some flashbacks? Of the Jedi academy, of Ben’s childhood? Maybe—I’d love to see more details about it—but I don’t think they’re essential to understand Ben’s character, or the story, or the basic aspects of his backstory, or why it’s important that he redeems himself. If a part of the audience is still not getting it, frankly, it’s their problem. It’s not Lucasfilm’s problem if people think Luke was justified in trying to mercy-kill his nephew for crimes he hadn’t committed yet, or that being mad that a close relative hates you so much that he’d almost murder you somehow equates to whining that you’re not getting enough attention. It’s not Lucasfilm’s problem if people straight up ignore what Leia said on screen, out loud, about Snoke (or Snoke’s own villain monologue in TLJ, for that matter). It’s not Lucasfilm’s problem if people look at Kylo’s relationship with Snoke and miss all the obvious marks that make Snoke the quintessential abusive dark side mentor, and Kylo a victim—a dynamic modeled on the Palpatine/Anakin pattern, that anyone who fancies themselves as a Star Wars fan should have no problem detecting.
In short, I think the picture is clear enough as it is, and any additional info would be expanding on it, not clarifying it, which isn’t necessary. I don’t expect IX to suddenly start spoon-feeding the audience with a dozen flashbacks of how increasingly difficult Ben’s childhood was, or the exact sequence of events that took place in the Jedi academy that night, or what led uncle Luke to conclude Ben was better off dead because he was too much of a threat, or what Han did exactly to alienate his son, and I wouldn’t want it to. The present story arc has the priority on whatever happened in the past. And Ben’s past is a) clear enough in its broad strokes, and b) not as important as his future actions, redemption-wise.
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I didn’t think I needed Force ghost Anakin then... I do now.
After The Force Awakens came out, so much of the fandom started practically campaigning for Hayden!Anakin’s Force ghost to appear later in the trilogy. And as a prequel-era kid and adult PT defender, I really loved and appreciated this sentiment. It gave me the warm n fuzzies (And just goes to show how much more of a voice us prequel-era kids are in the fandom now that we’ve grown up). But I also thought it actually happening was kind of a long shot, and maybe wasn’t even necessary. And if it did happen, it would mainly be for a bit of fan service, or a PT connection just for the heck of it. So it wasn’t an idea I was invested in, and I wasn’t getting my hopes up, although I’d obviously love if we got him.
But after seeing The Last Jedi, though…my hopes are up. I can’t help it. Because if TFA merely hinted at the similarities between Ben Solo and young Anakin, and the implication that Ben’s arc is going in the opposite direction, TLJ went full force with the parallels (for instance, Luke’s “I failed you, Ben” is a pretty blatant callback to Obi-Wan telling Anakin the exact same thing on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith) and how intricately connected Ben’s story is to Anakin’s and the tainted legacy he left behind. So at this point, not only do I think getting Anakin’s Force ghost in IX is a stronger probability, I think it’s almost a narrative necessity, in terms of Ben’s arc and tying all three trilogies together. It makes the most sense. I mean, talk about poetry and coming full circle… His father’s gone, his uncle’s gone, his mother’s about to be gone. I know we’re most likely going to get Force ghost Luke (“See you around, kid.”), which will be great, and somewhat of a resolution to their confrontation on Crait. But it won’t have nearly the emotional and narrative weight of Ben finally coming face to face with the grandfather he reminds us so much of, who he’s been written to directly parallel and contrast with, who he’s never met, but idolizes and has been defined by all his life for all the wrong reasons.
I know Force ghosts can’t and shouldn’t show up all willy-nilly, lest they lose their narrative significance and impact. So if Lucasfilm has been saving Anakin for Episode IX, I can definitely see why. After four years and two movies of deliberate paralleling, name-dropping Vader, fandom speculation, and dangling “the redemption question” over our heads, it would deliver the absolute maximum impact and catharsis for the audience, for the story, and for Ben. Especially since IX will most definitely likely include his final steps towards redemption. And you can bet an eye-opening encounter with his infamous grandfather’s “ghost”, in the form of a peer, who can relate to his grandson’s experience more than anyone, would be a huge part of that. As for the full circle-ness that is such an integral part of the Skywalker Saga, I see Ben’s TFA line--“Show me, grandfather, and I will finish what you started”--as becoming more and more significant, poignant, revealing, multifaceted, and quite possibly, prescient. I and many other fans, especially Ben Solo redemptionists and believers in the “inverse Anakin” arc, have already been speculating since way before TLJ that Ben will indeed finish what his grandfather started, just not in any way he initially thought. Because Anakin started a number of things, and most of them had nothing to do with the dark side, or the annihilation of the Jedi, or galactic rule. He started to bring true balance to the Force. He started a love story, that never got a proper ending--and in fact was partly responsible for leaving the Force and the galaxy in darkness. He almost started a family, but ended up making his children war orphans. Ben wants his grandfather to show him the way? Oh, Ani can show him a few things, alright.
I believe that the long-awaited--and, if it does happen, long-foreshadowed--meeting of my two favorite Skywalker boys would be one of the most poignant and satisfying catalysts in Ben’s redemption arc and the closing out of his ST story. Mainly because the root cause of Ben’s turmoil is the broken legacy “Anakin’s dark deeds” left for his progeny. Leia procrastinated telling her son the truth of his lineage until it was too late because of the hurt and shame it caused her. Han decided to believe his son was a lost cause because there was “too much Vader in him”. Luke got so freaked out by the darkness he saw in his nephew, and the possibility of “Vader” happening again, that he had a momentary lapse in all judgement and, just like his father before him, ended up self-fulfilling his own fear. And Snoke pretty much saw Ben as a fresh pile of powerful Skywalker genes to mold into his own Vader 2.0. The title and cover art of Bloodline is seriously so, so apt. Between the OT and the ST--the ST especially, since it’s so much about legacies left behind after previous generations are gone--there’s a very obvious “sins of the father” theme going on with the Skywalkers. Long dead and redeemed Anakin may be, but his lingering villainous reputation has not been kind to his descendants. So how completely and utterly appropriate would it be for him to show up for his youngest offspring and help him along the way to finally fixing what he, “the father”, broke? To finally healing the decades-spanning wound he inflicted on his family? Anakin owes his grandson, and any future generations of his line, at least that much. He can’t take back the past, but he can sure continue to atone for it.
If Episodes I through VI are “The Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker”, and the ST Skywalker plot concerns his grandson’s soul hanging in the balance, a by-product of being born into said tragic lineage, while they’re constantly being visually and narratively linked, then I’m just sayin… There should really be at least one scene with Force ghost Anakin droppin some much-needed knowledge on this boy! Especially because, as I mentioned earlier, Anakin is the only person who can really, truly, fully, deeply relate to Ben and what he’s feeling and what he’s gone through. Groomed, manipulated, and exploited for your power by an evil, power-hungry old man? Offered the woman of your dreams the galaxy only for her to turn you down and tell you, “Don’t do this”? Betrayed by your Jedi master and mentor who then admits “I failed you” after the damage has already been done? Yeah, Anakin’s been there, done that, bought that T-shirt.
And if the ST is doing another “Rule of Three” thing… Of the three OT father or mentor figures who’ve passed away, become one with the Force, and have the ability to Force ghost, two have appeared so far, one in each movie. Obi-Wan’s voice talking to Rey in TFA, and Yoda in TLJ. The only one left is Anakin. And seeing as this trilogy largely revolves around his grandson, who’s been severely and negatively affected by his jacked up legacy, him making an appearance to help complete Ben’s arc in IX just makes logical sense. Where before I could take it or leave it, now I want it. Badly. Where before I thought it would be nice but superfluous, I’m now firmly in the camp of believing it’s essential to closing out this story in the most compelling and emotionally meaningful way possible. Where before I was ambivalent about getting a scene between them, now whenever I think about it, them on screen together with their matching over-the-right-eye scars, a grandson who’s currently going through hell, a grandfather who’s already been there and back, a literal conversation between and visual fusion of the prequel and sequel trilogies right before our eyes…I mean, chills. Ben’s heard probably all he possibly can about Darth Vader, and spent way too much time desperately beseeching a melted helmet that was never going to answer. What he really needs in his life is some Anakin Skywalker. And what better way than straight from the source?
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thewillowbends · 6 years
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Thoughts on TLJ - SPOILERS
Now for some spoilery content!  Now that I've had a sleepless night going over some of my feelings about it, I can shuffle through what I did and didn't like.
- - - - -
TLJ Positivity:
-I liked the trajectory of Rey's whole storyline.  I had hedged my bets between two concepts - Rey as Anakin reborn (which, admittedly, I preferred because I'm an indulgent prequel junkie) or that she was a nobody, representing an entirely new generation to whom the Skywalker legacy was being handed to.  The wound up being the latter, but I'm not as disappointed as I expected.  While I have...many, many issues with some of the characterization in this film, hers felt like it progressed the most naturally.  This idea of legacies and prophecies going the way of the past, of letting a new generation start fresh but not at the expense of destroying it, of letting the PEOPLE take ahold of their destiny instead of the burden falling on a few "chosen ones" is not something I feel is necessarily a bad moral lesson for the audience nor fundamentally detrimental to the movies' previous material.
Note: I'm still writing that Rey-as-Anakin fic.  YOU CAN'T STOP ME DISNEY.
-Adam Driver has a really nice gym routine.  So does John Boyega.
-Kelly Marie Tran is adorable, guys.  She is literally the cutest.
-A film could never hurt for more POC and they could definitely use in the main cast, but I will say that the newer movies definitely feel more "casually diverse."  There are POC in the Rebellion, POC in villains, POC in the civilian culture, POC in the main cast.  It doesn't feel forced.  They're just THERE, which is how it should be.
-Adam Driver is also really good in this movie.  Considering we're not getting as extensive a backstory as most of us wished for Ben, he still does a remarkable job making the character engaging through his performance.  They essentially give him Vader's original plotline in ESB/ROTJ before the "Vader as Anakin" storyline came into fruition.  So he's sort of Vader's heir in a new and more devastating way.  Kylo isn't emotionally stable or enough of a visionary to really be the driving force of an empire, so it'll be interesting to see how that tension between Hux and Kylo works itself out in the last film.
- @ahollowyear  - I got a real kick out of how much of the actual storyline you accurately predicted vis a vis Kylo and Rey.  You wrote that fanfic, what, a year before the details of TLJ even started coming out?
-I am deeply relieved that we avoided the reductive light/dark balance the trailers teased at.  The dark side is still what imbalances the Force - it inevitably exists but is not necessary for balance.  Also, that the main cast's discussion of ~character complexity~ was not that open ended, since the film's protagonists actively reject more of the nihilistic viewpoints being thrown by side characters.
-Carrie Fisher is always and forever the queen. <3
-I liked the final scenes with Luke.  I really liked the choice of a binary sunset to bookend Luke's story.  Genreally, I'm not a huge fan of ALL POWERFUL JEDI, but I can deal with astral projected battles from a Skywalker because Skywalkers are special.  But he went out in a way that I found meaningful and touching.
TLJ Negativity:
WHERE THE HELL ARE RIAN JOHNSON'S EDITORS IN THIS MOVIE.
Seriously, what was going on with the writing process here?  Why is the plot all over the damn place?  (Answer: Because they didn't plot out this arcs in advance and it shows.)  Why do we spend 30-40 mintues on a casino sidequest that literally has NO ACTUAL EFFECT ON THE GODDAMN PLOT.  What are characters like Benicio del Toro's and Laura Dern even doing in this film?  We literally are trying to balance nearly two casts (OT/ST) worth of character development, the last thing you want or need is unnecessary characters distracting from the main development or wasted scenery.  And that's what literally the entire middle chunk of Rose and Finn's plotline - wasted action.
There are so many good ideas struggling to be communicated in the absolute muddled mess that is the middle of the movie.  We have a storyline about light and dark being natural opposite but neither being an inevitability outside of our personal choices.  We have the theme of the natural order of things, life begetting death begetting life, and the idea of legacies carrying us through strife so that we can become the heroes of our own making instead of relying on others to save us.  There's commentary about the significance of failures, how sometimes they're more important than victories because of what they reveal to us about ourselves and each other, and how we come to terms with them when they can't be easily remedied.  The casino is clearly meant to be a commentary about exploitative capitalism and the way the evil of fascism destroys culture and people from the top down.  All of these are great ideas, but you need to have that effectively communicated to your audience, and you need to communicate it meaningfully.
And the characters.  THE CHARACTERS.  The chaaaaaaaaaaaaraaaaacters.
Rey and Kylo I'm fine with.  Their development doesn't bother me.  I can even deal with Rose, though I wish her purpose in the plot wasn't so hamfisted.
But Finn and Poe?  Why did it feel like their character arcs literally rebooted for this film?  Poe is clearly inteded to be a kind of surrogate son to Leia ("mother of the rebellion"), serving as a foil to Ben, so I get why there's a general parallel there in the two progressing toward leadership roles - one who violently grasps at power, while the other faces some hard lessons about the reality and sacrifice of command as opposed to heroics.  I feel like that's a natural progression of what we saw in their relationship in TFA, but it still feels like a step back because the level of experience and confidence we saw in him in TFA doesn't mirror how Leia views him in TLJ.  If anything, he should have been growing into the position of command so that Leia can effectively and believably pass that legacy on to him.  Instead, what we get is a plotline that suggests to us that Poe isn't really ready for him, which is...regressive?  Like, all of these character should have been going through these changes at the start of the film, not ending on them.
(This being said, what the hell is wrong with Admiral Holdo that she can't understand the value of basic communication?  Like, she's meant as a lesson to the audience about mistaking reckless action for heroism, but it's hard not to agree with Poe when she's literally telling NOBODY UNDER HER NOTHING.  How easily could all of that drama been avoided if she's just said what the actual plan was instead of creating so much fear and uncertainty on the bridge?)
(I totally ship Leia/Holdo though.)
And Finn.  Oh my God, I feel so bad for John Boyega.  What a waste of his charisma and talent.  Most of TFA is Finn going from a deserter seeking *individual* salvation from the First Order and recognizing by the end the responsibility one has in the stand against evil.  So he basically...rehashes that entire character development here?  Wouldn't it have made more sense to see him struggling with his reputation as a hero in the Rebellion and then coming to terms with his new role?  Let him wrestle with the existentialist uncertainty of being able to make his own choices!  Explore the trauma of his experiences in the army by having him struggle with his fear and uncertainty while infiltrating the First Order - use it to emphasize the contradictions of his experiences with the freedom of his new life.
If you wanted to interject some moral ambiguity, why not have him address the issue that the New Order's army is essentially a SLAVE army?  Wouldn't that scene with Phasma held much greater power if he'd tried to appeal to his fellow soldiers about the destruction the New Order has wrought on their lives, about the potential they could have if they rose up against them?  If you're going to have Benicio del Toro nihilistically declaring that the war is endless and therefore moral standpoints are meaningless, why not have Finn reject that meaningfully to both the audience outside the movie and within it?  Legit y'all, my ideal ending for this man is to take his place in helping rebuild a newer, better system for all of them - and what better way than by helping to rehabilitate his fellow child soldiers?
Just ugh, out of everything that bothers me in the movie, Finn is the character that leaves the worst taste in my mouth.  He was my favorite in TFA, and his character development should be progressing beyond this point by now.
Also: GOD HELP ME if they kill off Leia in episode III.  It would be beyond heartless and irresponsible given the overall thematic trend of the movies.  The character who tells us dejectedly that she "went out fighting" is arguably the one who should live to pass the legacy on and die peacefully.
TLJ neutrality:
-I am on the fence regarding Luke's characterization, leaning towards finding it less problematic than others might.  He's pretty clearly suffering from severe depression, which can take a person to some pretty dark places.  Most of my struggles with his characterization center around his confrontation of Ben.  Do I feel that Luke is somebody who would pull the blade on his nephew?  Part of me violently rejects that, but there's another part that considers it from the perspective of somebody dealing with the horror of thinking he created another Vader, of knowing what Ben could become, of the Force showing him a horrific future...and giving into that temptation the dark side presents in thinking our choices are already made. I can dig the idea that part of nefariousness of the dark is in undermining our belief in full agency.  Could I believeably see him, in a moment of weakness, pulling his lightsaber?  I'm vacillating on the issue.  Ben Solo isn't all that particularly different from Jason in the old EU, and Luke toed the line of darkness dealing with his fall, too.
-I'd really like more EU exposition as to what exactly what down with Snoke and Ben when he was a child.  How was he already THAT damaged by the time of Luke's confrontation with him?  What was going on that Luke was either blind to or struggling to care for him without Leia and Han's help?
-I go between feeling like Leia was well used here to feeling like she could have done so much more, that we could have seen more emotional strife with her where Ben and Luke are concerned.  Instead, we knock her out partway through the movie, which is such a shame because we no longer have the option of the third movie to be her swan song.  Carrie Fisher was wonderful here, but I struggle with whether I feel like this story gave her the send off she deserved.
-The twins reunion.  It was touching and memorable, don't get me wrong, but it's sad to think that's the end of it.  I figured something like that was coming, but STILL.  God, Skywalker/Organa life depresses me.
-Speaking of, I'm a total idiot because it took me entirely too long to catch on to what was going on the astral projection scene.  Hurr hurr, I said, when did Luke build a new lightsaber?  And get sweet clothes?  And did he lift the X-wing out of the water to get there?  omfg, all of the hints were there, I'm just ridiculous.
-Yes, the scene with Leia saving herself with the Force is pretty cool.  Not sure if I feel it toes into ridiculous territory, though.
-SWEAR TO GOD DISNEY, if you give me a love triangle in the third film with girl fighting over Finn, I will flip my shit.
TLJ LOLs:
This movie practically made Rey and Ben canon, and I had a tremendously unkind moment of smug amusement at how the more obnoxious antis were going to react to this film. The histrionic discourse is the thing of legends, let me tell you.
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starwarsnonsense · 7 years
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The EW coverage: What it means for Rey and Kylo
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Lesson #1: Kylo Ren is fascinated by Rey
Anthony Breznican’s editorialising (EW): As we know, the young scavenger was ditched as a child on the hardscrabble junkyard world of Jakku by unknown parents and left for years to survive on her own. But lately, she has gotten accustomed to making fast friends, like BB-8, Finn, Chewbacca, and General Leia Organa. Even the murderous Kylo Ren became fascinated by her strength and resilience after kidnapping her.
This is a true ‘no shit’ observation to most of us, but since it’s often downplayed or simply ignored it’s nice to see Kylo’s fascination acknowledged by a mainstream outlet like EW.
Lesson #2: Expect the ‘bad’ guys to do good things, and the ‘good’ guys to do bad things
Daisy Ridley (EW): “What’s wonderful is it’s not so cut and dry, who’s good and who’s bad and that’s not me saying, ‘Oh, my God, some people are gonna go bad. There’s always room for bad people to make good decisions and vice versa. Again, that could be nothing to do with your parents and it could be everything to do with your parents.”
Kylo made the worst decision conceivable in the climax of The Force Awakens (patricide is not okay, kids!), so I don’t feel like I’m on shaky territory by suggesting that if anyone is going to make a surprising turn and embody the potential for good that Daisy refers to here, it will be Kylo Ren. I may be wrong and we may see Hux have a drastic change of heart and commit himself to the Resistance cause, but I consider Kylo the safer bet. It’s just a feeling I have, buoyed by numerous publicity photos of Kylo Ren looking mournful, tormented and puppy-ish:
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I also find it worth pointing out that while Daisy denies that any of the good guys will turn bad (“that’s not me saying, ‘Oh, my God, some people are gonna go bad”), she doesn’t exclude the possibility that a bad guy will turn good. It may mean nothing, but it may mean a lot. We’ll see in due course.
Lesson #3: Rey and Kylo are both going on a metaphoric journey through adolescence
Rian Johnson on Rey and her encounter with Luke (USA Today): The new film from the start will explore the relationship between Luke (Mark Hamill) and Rey, who shows up on his remote intergalactic island with his old lightsaber “both not knowing what’s going to happen and also having a lot of expectations in her head about how this is going to go,” Johnson says. “It very much feels like what we all go through in adolescence, the dawning of this new chapter of our lives."
Rian Johnson on Kylo (EW): “He’s definitely been knocked off base. The defeat that he had at the end of The Force Awakens, but even bigger than that, his huge defining act which, spoiler alert, is the murder of his father… that’s the more interesting thing to dive into. How has he dealt with that in his head? Where is he at in terms of that act and what does that mean for him?” 
Johnson said Ben Solo’s shift to darkness is symbolic of “the treacherous road through adolescence” that Star Wars often explores. 
“Kylo represents kind of the rebellious anger that you feel during that period. Honestly, sometimes it’s a healthy desire to push away from the place that you know, from the things that you came from. But he obviously does it in an extreme that’s not healthy at all.”
In these two separate interviews, Rian was essentially comparing the journeys that Rey and Kylo go on through The Last Jedi to the trials of adolescence. At the start of the film we see Rey starting out on a “new chapter” of her life, apparently filled with naive hope and optimism, as is the case with many young people setting out on a new adventure. Kylo, meanwhile, is in the pits of despair, clearly tormented by his decision to kill his father. In other words, Rey embodies the naive hope of early adolescence while Kylo captures the fear and existential dread of a young man in crisis - while reality hasn’t quite hit home for Rey yet, it has given Kylo a rude awakening and made him realise the gravity of his choices. 
By positioning them in this way, it seems that the film is reinforcing the commonalities between them - they are both, in a metaphoric sense, adolescents still struggling to define themselves and decide who they want to be. Situating them as adolescents is also about preparing them for seismic changes ahead, particularly changes brought on by their own choices. If we can be sure of anything based on this, it’s that neither character will remain static. Their stories will instead be all about growth, development and self-discovery.
Lesson #4: Rey and Kylo are two halves of a whole
Rian Johnson (EW): “[Kylo and Rey are] two halves of the dark and the light.”
This is part of a long line of Reylo-tastic quotes, including but not limited to:
J.J. Abrams’ commentary:
“This is the moment of course where Kylo Ren learns about Rey. And now, these two disparate pieces come together.”
“One of the new relationships that we were focusing on was between Kylo Ren and Rey. They’ve never met but he’s heard of this girl. And so, now comes a moment when their meeting is inevitable. […] And now we’re back to our heroine. And this moment where she is about to, for the first time, be confronted by Kylo Ren, a character who she’s going to have a very interesting relationship with moving forward.”
Star Wars Databank (Kylo’s gallery):
Landing on Takodana, Kylo confronted the young woman who’d escaped from Jakku with BB-8 – and found himself puzzled by a strange connection he felt with her.
Rey defeated him, and Kylo escaped Starkiller Base before its destruction. He sensed his destiny and Rey’s were somehow intertwined, but how?
Star Wars Databank (Rey’s gallery):
She rejected this call to destiny, but was captured by the dark side warrior Kylo Ren, with whom she shared a strange connection.
But to the surprise of both, Rey found Kylo’s own mind open to her as well¹. She saw that the seemingly fearsome warlord was vulnerable, filled with conflict and pain.
This is also a good point at which to remind everyone that the working title of Episode VIII was ‘Space Bear’, and the logo for the movie during production was a panda:
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I am far from the first person to make this observation, but I think it’s worth resurrecting because Rian’s description of Rey and Kylo as “two halves of the dark and the light” essentially confirms - for me, at least - that the panda imagery is about them. The panda is literally a combination of dark and light elements that form a whole (see also: ying/yang), and I strongly doubt it was chosen as a symbol of the movie arbitrarily. In other words, it looks like the concept of Rey and Kylo as complementary figures embodying the dark side and the light was deemed important enough to represent the film as a whole. Basically, the panda is the Reylo logo.
Lesson #5: Rey and Kylo have a high compatibility ranking
Anthony Breznican’s editorialising (EW): Among their shared interests: She is an expert pilot, and in this film well see him maneuvering his own starship, the TIE Silencer, which is a variation on his grandfather, Darth Vader’s old ship.
This may have just been AB contriving a way to work a reference to the TIE Silencer in there (boys and their spaceships, amiright?), but I find it hilarious that a piece on Rey and Kylo discusses them using language normally found in dating apps.
Lesson #6: Rey doesn’t get Kylo - but will she come to?
Daisy Ridley (EW): “She just doesn’t understand Kylo. When all she wanted was parents, why would a person who has parents do that? It’s so beyond comprehension, it’s ridiculous. So she has grief for the loss and then there’s anger. To be honest, she couldn’t understand doing something like that – let alone to your parents.” 
I have seen some people behave as if this quote is bad or somehow detrimental to Reylo’s chances as a ship. I find this very amusing, since if anything this quote presents the perfect foundation for a more positive dynamic to develop between Rey and Kylo in the future. Indeed, many of the most famous love stories start out with the heroine finding her future love interest impenetrable and impossible to make sense of - she considers him a frustrating and even offensive mystery rather than a romantic prospect. The exciting bit is what happens to develop the situation - the heroine, quite naturally, doesn’t remain baffled by the man. She learns more about him and comes to understand and even love him. Pride and Prejudice is the quintessential example of this trope, and in light of this it’s worth mentioning that Eddie Redmayne was given a scene from P&P to use as his audition piece for Kylo Ren:
Eddie Redmayne (Uproxx): “They gave me like a ‘Star Trek’ scene — or like something from ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ It was one of those films. With films that top secret, they don’t give you the actual lines. So they give you a scene from ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ but then they tell you you’re auditioning for the baddie. If you’re me, you then put some ridiculous voice on.”
In short, this is my mood right now:
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starwarsnonsense · 7 years
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The Last Jedi - A Hypothetical Breakdown
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The below is a ridiculously elaborate breakdown of the hypothetical plot of The Last Jedi. I basically set myself the challenge of incorporating all of the known leaks, rumours and spoilers into a coherent plot that made sense for the characters we last saw in The Force Awakens. In other words, it is essentially informed fanfiction that should not in any way be treated as a full synopsis for the actual plot of the film. Nonetheless, I don’t think you should read on if you are nervous about spoilers, since while most of this comes from my imagination there are elements (particularly the locations and the basics of which characters are where) that are based on reliable spoilers for the film. In other words, proceed with caution!
I had lots of fun doing this, and found it very enjoyable to come up with my own version of what The Last Jedi might be. I hope you enjoy it too! I get lots of asks requesting my predictions for how I think the plot might go, so this is basically my ultimate response to that curiosity. Naturally, I’ll adjust and update this as new information comes out and my understanding of the story develops.
Do let me know your thoughts, and let me know if you’re inspired to have a stab at your own breakdown after reading this! I’d love to read other people’s takes.
Act 1:
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A freshly healed Kylo Ren goes to Snoke, dressed in his full mask and regalia. Snoke reprimands him for his failure and for falling prey to his compassion for the scavenger. Kylo vows to destroy her - Snoke tells him that when Rey is dead by his hand, his training will finally be complete. Humiliated and angered by his experience with Snoke, filled with self-loathing, Kylo pulls off the mask in the lift and destroys it.
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Rey attempts to hand Luke the lightsaber, but he refuses to take it and rules out a return to the Resistance. Rey is dismayed and confused, becoming angry. Luke refuses to engage with her, leaving for another part of the island. Rey is left alone to search for him.
D'Qar is evacuated as it comes under attack from the First Order forces, including Kylo Ren.
As a result of the attack on D'Qar, Kylo discovers the location of Rey and Luke.
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Rey, alone on the island, stumbles across the Force tree and experiences a terrifying vision - she sees the past (the destruction of the Temple) and abstract glimpses of the future. When she returns to herself, Luke is there. He explains what happened to his attempt to restart the Jedi Order, and then directs Rey to some books written by the ancient Jedi. The Jedi weren't what he thought they were, and they need to come to an end. Kylo Ren - tainted by Snoke - in particular represents a corruption of the Force that has to be purged. Rey doesn't think she can do it, having failed to deal the killing blow to Kylo on Starkiller Base. Luke is displeased, saying nothing.
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The Resistance characters, including Finn, Poe and Leia, escape. Finn is woken up aboard the fleeing ship.
Leia and Poe brief Finn and send him on a mission to rendezvous with a source on Canto Bight. Rose, who has technical skills that will assist with the mission, is sent with him.
Kylo trains and prepares for his mission to Ahch-To. Even as he attempts to purge himself of sentiment and compassion, he is disturbed to realise that his weaknesses remain - he finds himself thinking of his mother, and feeling deep sorrow for his father. He still feels the pull to the light, and this is a source of anguish to him.
Luke won't train Rey in combat, but he will train her in the ways of the Force. He sets her tasks focused on communing with the natural forces on the island - so we get rock lifting, the sea monster interlude, and cute moments with the porgs.
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Finn and Rose have their adventure on Canto Bight, sneaking around the casino and ascertaining the location of DJ.
Kylo prays to his grandfather's helmet for strength before assembling his men and leaving for the strike on Ahch-To.
On Ahch-To, Luke and Rey both sense that Kylo is coming. Rey is panicked and frightened, conscious that she has had no real combat training and that Kylo will have had time to recover and prepare. Luke, meanwhile, is calm and passive - he seems unconcerned. He trusts in the Force to determine the outcome. It begins to rain as a storm gathers overhead.
Finn and Rose successfully break DJ out of jail, and they all flee on a fancy spaceship stolen from the 'parking lot' of the casino.
Act 2:
Kylo and his men turn up along the coast of Ahch-To after a difficult landing - both their ships crash on account of the storm. Filled with pent up anger, Kylo thinks of ways to draw Luke and Rey out. He then spots the Force tree.
Rey and Luke, who had been waiting on the other side of the island, are startled by the smell of burning. Luke orders that Rey stay put, but Rey is horrified - she has become deeply connected to the island and feels its destruction as a physical pain. She refuses to stand back and do nothing as Kylo destroys everything, running along the beach to confront him.
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Meanwhile, Finn and Rose - with DJ in tow - have regrouped with the Resistance, who have fled to the old Rebel base on Crait. After a power struggle Admiral Holdo has seized control from Leia (who was injured in a FO attack following Finn and Rose’s departure for Canto Bight), demoting Poe in an attempt to undermine his standing in the Resistance. Undeterred Poe goes behind Holdo's back to press forward with the original plan - with DJ's help, Finn and Rose are to infiltrate and plant bombs on the Super Star Destroyer. They have had no word that Rey and Luke are coming, so have had to resort to their own resources to try and bring down the First Order.
In the attack on the Resistance that injured Leia, Rose's sister Paige was killed. Rose is devastated but the tragedy strengthens her resolve, and convinces her to press ahead and help Finn despite her own self-doubt and lack of confidence. She wishes to honour her sister's memory by truly contributing to the fight against the First Order.
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Rey confronts Kylo, putting on a show of bravado and goading him to fight her, drawing him away from the tree. The rain intensifies, dousing the flames consuming the tree. Kylo orders his men to go and subdue Luke - he is intent on facing Rey alone.
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Rey and Kylo fight their way up the cliff edge. Kylo dominates the fight and clearly has the upper hand, being at peak physical strength and being utterly driven by his rage and determination to complete his training by killing Rey. At a loss for what to do, Rey - overwhelmed by her own frustration, fear and exhaustion - expresses complete bafflement over Kylo. She doesn't understand how two good people could have a child who went so badly wrong. She doesn't understand how a student of a peacemaker like Luke could enact a massacre. Kylo is made even more angry by what he hears, but he finds the focus of his anger shifting from Rey to Luke - as far as he is concerned, Rey has been grievously misled. He fights back against his doubt and continues pressing Rey towards the cliff edge. She is clearly frightened - Luke's lessons on tranquillity and trust in the Force haven't been fully learnt. Kylo falters but continues to push her towards the edge. Her feet slipping on the wet ground, Rey loses her footing and falls backwards from the cliff.
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Finn and Rose make it into the Super Star Destroyer with DJ's help, disguising themselves as officers taking him into custody. DJ and Finn and Rose separate to enact the further stages of the mission, which involves planting explosives in strategic areas in the hope of killing Supreme Leader Snoke.
Kylo is disturbed to realise he's horrified that Rey has fallen, tormented by the thought that she was lost before he could tell her the truth. He doesn't truly want Rey dead - despite everything, he still wants to teach her. Before he can dwell on it, Luke - having neatly dispatched all of Kylo's men - confronts him.
Rey is helped from the water by the sea monster who she befriended during her earlier trials, and she looks up to see Kylo and Luke fighting on the cliff - Kylo is clearly attempting to use his saber against his uncle, but Luke has no weapon but his mind. Luke, formidably powerful, subdues Kylo. When Rey appears Luke asks her to decide on Kylo's fate. Rey says that they should take Kylo prisoner and return to the Resistance with him in tow. Luke refuses to leave the island or allow Rey to leave without completing her training, but agrees that Kylo can be imprisoned. Wishing to keep Rey far from his influence, Luke asks the Guardians of the Whills to keep Kylo prisoner on the other side of the island.
Close to the completion of their mission, Finn and Rose are betrayed to the First Order by DJ, who, in a mercenary fashion, aligns himself with whichever side happens to offer him the best compensation. They are turned over to Phasma, who clearly has a particularly cruel revenge planned. She delights in telling them that their bombs have been deactivated - their efforts were all in vain.
Luke attempts to continue to train Rey, but she is sullen and less eager than before. Kylo's words to her on the cliff have filled her with doubt and mistrust, and she knows she needs to see him again and hear more about his perspective. Drawing upon her strong skill with the mind trick, she is able to get into the hut where Kylo is being held prisoner. A kind of parallel training is initiated - Rey hears more about Kylo's perspective on the Force, and is told his side of the story. His parents were well-intentioned but ultimately ineffectual and dangerous because of their misplaced idealism; his uncle was a warmonger and a zealot intent on following a false and perverted doctrine of the Force. He even teases that Snoke has knowledge of her background, and might know who her parents were. Rey still doesn't trust or fully believe him, but she at least has some understanding of him and his perspective. He seems more open than Luke, and the lessons he offers are more intriguing and seductive.
Phasma is intent on making Finn suffer by hurting those closest to him. She tortures Rose. Finn feels helpless and is wracked with guilt, wishing he had convinced Rose to stay behind and leave the mission to him.
With her frustration from their isolation growing, Rey uses the Falcon’s radio to contact the Resistance despite being forbidden from contact with the outside world by Luke - she finds she can't reach any of her friends, only learning that the Resistance have moved base to Crait. More worried than ever before, she pleads with Luke to be allowed permission to leave. He refuses yet again, and Rey realises she has to find an alternative solution. She will not spend another night on the island.
Driven to breaking point by Phasma's brutality, Finn draws upon his training and his resolve to fight back, overcoming one of his guards and seizing their weapon. Phasma and Finn fight, with the fight culminating in a victory for Finn as he takes Phasma's arm off. Finn and Rose, worse for wear, escape to Crait - the mission may have failed, but at least they're still alive.
Rey goes to Kylo and offers him a choice - leave with her and return to his mother and the Resistance, or remain at Luke's mercy in the hope that the First Order will appear and take him from the island. Kylo is shocked by the offer, unused to what he can only perceive as an undeserved act of kindness and trust. Despite himself, he feels more shame and regret than ever before. Rey attempts to justify the offer by saying that she had to at least give Leia the opportunity to confront her son again, but she also has her own selfish reasons for involving him in her plans - Kylo represents all the forbidden knowledge and training that Luke won't give her.
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Kylo agrees to go with Rey, but just before they can leave and enact the plan Luke appears in the entrance. He is incandescent with rage, and is clearly convinced that Rey is lost as a student of the true Force - she has been corrupted, as Kylo was. The walls of the hut tremble until it explodes completely from the sheer force of Luke's mind, with Rey and Kylo being showered with rubble. Everyone is tense and shaken, but before anything else can unfold the First Order arrives with a vengeance - reinforcements have been sent to retrieve Kylo Ren! Rey and Kylo flee towards the Falcon, but as he approaches it Kylo finds he can't step onboard the ship of the father he murdered - he loses his nerve and runs, leaving Rey feeling more alone and betrayed than before. Out of options, Rey and Chewie leave on the Falcon, battling TIE fighters in their escape.
Act 3:
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Rey finally makes it back to Crait, and enjoys a tearful reunion with Finn and the other members of the Resistance. She tells them that Luke wasn’t what they thought he was - he’s dangerous and unfeeling, seemingly unconcerned by their plight. She says nothing about Kylo Ren, too afraid of what the others might think, but her sense of betrayal over his failure to come with her is compounded when she realises that Leia remains unconscious from the earlier attack.
Kylo is returned to the First Order and Snoke. He explains the situation with Rey to Snoke, pleading with him for her sake by telling him that it would be a mistake to kill her. He explains that she is listening to him, and seems to like what she hears about his methods. Like Rey, Kylo also keeps secrets - he doesn't indicate that he is more conflicted and drawn to the light than ever before. Snoke orders Kylo to bring Rey to him, sending him to Crait with the ground forces that are being dispatched to demolish the last of the Resistance.
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Finn, Poe, Rose and Rey all participate in the battle of Crait, which is a desperate, hopeless scrabble against the odds. They all eventually become separated, and Rey in particular is isolated on the battlefield - surrounded by scenes of mayhem and carnage. Her bitterness is only increased - if Luke had actually taught her to fight beyond supervising some swings of a lightsaber, she might actually be able to make a difference.
Kylo lands on Crait, but as soon as he is on the island he is distracted by the tug of his mother’s Force signature. He realises that she is injured, unconscious - all thoughts of the battle forgotten, he goes to her. The few medics caring for Leia protest but can do nothing to stop him - they see him as a fearsome dark lord, not Leia’s child. Kylo kneels by his mother’s bedside and weeps, the full force of his regret and love for his family finally overcoming him. He presses a palm to her forehead, drawing upon old lessons on Force healing to strengthen her. He is himself weakened by this, but his efforts pay off - Leia is restored and regains consciousness. When she sees her son she acts on instinct, embracing him tightly and stroking his hair. This only makes Kylo sob more intensely as he clings to her, gasping out that he’s sorry. He is overwhelmed by his mother’s love for him - he didn’t deserve her forgiveness, but he received it nonetheless.
Luke, meanwhile, finally leaves Ahch-To - the island is littered with downed TIE fighters, the sacred landscape burnt and scarred with debris. He knows he can no longer avoid the fight, and lifts his X-Wing from the water.
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Finn, Poe and Rose manage a few minor victories, but it isn’t enough - they retreat back to the command base to find Kylo Ren with his mother. Leia - having firmly shown Holdo the door - is back in command again. Finn and Poe are appalled by Kylo’s presence, and feel betrayed by Leia - in particular, Poe had no idea Ben Solo was Kylo Ren. Leia angrily slaps Poe, pointing out that whatever their feelings might be, Ben might well be the only person left who can help them. They have nothing left to lose by accepting Ben’s offer to help them reach the command deck of the SSD, where they will be able to take the controls and bring the whole ship down - and Snoke with it. The ship is static - paralysed from an earlier Resistance attack over Crait - but it remains an active threat as long as its weapons are operational. Ben tells them that he will get them onboard, but makes it clear that he will not take Rey - Snoke wants her now, and it’s too dangerous to let her near him.
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Rey - wounded and bruised - struggles across the battlefield, trying to reach the Resistance base - she needs to find out whether any of her friends are still alive. As she gets closer she sees the Falcon departing without her. Only Leia watches from the ground as they go. Rey approaches her, utterly confused, and asks what is going on. Leia explains that Ben is helping them, and it takes Rey a moment to realise that Ben is Kylo Ren. Rey struggles to accept what she is hearing, and particularly struggles with the idea that Kylo - who betrayed her so abruptly on Ahch-To - has proven himself to be an ally. Rey voices her frustration and anger, with Luke especially, but Leia can only offer her comfort - she offers Rey her arms, telling her that Ben had said she was to stay, only for Rey to turn and run in search of the nearest transport. She doesn’t care to sit back while others fight for her - especially not others like the traitor Kylo Ren.
Onboard the SSD, Kylo leads Poe, Rose and Finn - all shackled, as if taken prisoner - towards the command deck. The corridors are mostly empty, and they go unquestioned until Phasma - wounded and limping, but still dangerous - sees them. She challenges them and takes aim at Finn, but Kylo kills her before she can fire - with this, Poe and Finn reluctantly realise that Kylo Ren might be trustworthy after all. They press on, only to find that Ren’s access codes to the command deck have been revoked - his betrayal is known. Rose sets to work on getting the doors open, with BB-8’s help. Kylo, meanwhile, vanishes to confront Snoke in the hope that he can buy them some time.
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Rey makes it on board the SSD, encountering minimal resistance until she is set upon by Snoke’s Praetorian Guard. Exhausted, she battles fiercely but struggles to hold them at bay - there are too many of them! Just when everything seems lost, Kylo appears and takes on the rest of the guards. Kylo dispatches them before angrily asking Rey what she is doing on the ship. Before Rey can answer, Snoke’s voice echoes through her mind, beckoning her to come to him. Trance-like, she moves through the corridors of the SSD towards Snoke’s throne room. Kylo tries to stop her, begging her to snap out of it, but cannot get through to her - Snoke’s grip on her mind is too strong.
Rose has cracked the door to the command deck - it is mysteriously empty. Rose, Finn and Poe race to the controls - they’re horrified to realise that a kamikaze protocol has been activated. The ship is going down with them on board!
Rey and Kylo find themselves before Snoke. Snoke gives Kylo a final opportunity to ‘redeem’ himself by killing Rey, presenting her as the perfect victim - she would be powerless to stop him, unaware that a blow was even to be expected. Kylo refuses, disgusted by the cowardice Snoke is asking him to display, tossing his lightsaber aside. He is confused when Snoke seems pleased, smiling as he releases his hold on Rey’s mind. Snoke never thought that Kylo would actually kill Rey - the plan was always to use Kylo to lure her to him. Rey comes back to herself and is terrified by the awful sight of Snoke, stepping back. Snoke soothes her and asks if she wants to learn the truth about her family. Rey can’t help but say yes.
At this moment, Luke arrives - he draws his lightsaber for the first time, and tells Rey not to listen to Snoke. But Snoke continues. The truth - the truth that Skywalker knew all along but wouldn’t tell her - is that Luke struck her parents down in his holy war against the dark side. Rey refuses to believe it, but Snoke enters her mind and draws to the surface a repressed memory - a younger Luke and his men fighting a clan, dispatching a young woman and a man. Rey herself is left sobbing in the snowy woods, all alone and at the mercy of the people trader who stole her and traded her for some scrap metal on Jakku.
Snoke asks Rey if she wants to learn further truths - this time, truths about the Force itself. She agrees, telling Luke and Kylo that they both betrayed her - as teachers and as people. Desperate, Luke and Kylo both attack Snoke together. Kylo, his mental strength weakened from his earlier efforts to heal his mother, is tossed aside easily, being left dazed and prone by a blow to the head. Luke is incredibly strong, but Snoke’s mental abilities are unparalleled - he holds Luke at bay as he beckons Rey to his side, and they both vanish through a hidden door at the back of the throne room.
The film ends with Luke and Kylo entombed in Snoke’s throne room, Rose, Poe and Finn trapped on the command deck, and Rey looking out at the stars through the window of Snoke’s private shuttle as she is taken to commence the next stage of her training. Iris out!
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