The Force Awakens.

[flowrs4ophelia]

So it occurred to me that if the release of a new Star Wars movie isn't a big enough event to bring me back to LJ to write a real post, then nothing ever will be, and that would just be too depressing to let happen. Like most everyone I've adapted to the changing world of social media and gotten used to Tumblr being the main home of my fandoms, but

Comments

[ninety6tears]

I'm actually kinda surprised that I haven't seen hella more negative backlash to the fate of Han and his relationship with Leia, but I've never idealized them as the big happy EU family in my mind so the bittersweet treatment just makes sense to me. Plus there's something about the trio inevitably disbanding altogether and being (in some ways known, in some ways speculated) mutually devastated by the same tragedy that is so epically perfectly sad. I have seen the attitude that it practically ruins the OT by writing off the success of ROTJ as an eventual failure, but I think the idea that good gets a rest for very long can feel a bit naive with the fantasy treatment of good vs. evil. Not to mention, there's a very vague sense that something about the force is different this time, there's the never-quite-articulated reformation of what the force should be embraced as for the Jedi, and I love the idea that this trilogy can actually resolve the balance in a way that was only begun by Luke's revolutionary decisions to embrace his love for his father rather than turn his back on emotion, etc.

My favorite theory about Rey is she is definitely Luke's kid and he believes she's dead because when Kylo Ren betrayed everyone he took her and basically "should" have killed her but instead threw her on Jakku and told himself that was cruelty enough. Leia would have no reason to think the circumstances of her disappearance are ambiguous once Luke has reacted so drastically, there's no contradiction to some other great loss being the elephant in the room whenever Ben is mentioned, and while Ren probably would have a strong feeling about her when she shows up again and that doesn't totally fit in, I do wonder about his dramatic "WHAT. GIRL???" And if by some chance he's just not betraying his shock at this situation it would make sense for his violent insecurity if this long-ago decision to spare the girl has come back to haunt him and only adds to the aggressive need to sever his emotional reluctance about his family.

[flowrs4ophelia]

Well, the thing is the "big happy EU family" didn't last long, LOL. Though yes, as I understand it (as someone who never actually read more than a little EU material) the domestication of the characters really took away a lot of the canon's spark. I always found it so overly depressing what becomes of Jacen Solo in the novels, so it's hard to say why the new canon doesn't bother me the same way. I think the simple difference is that TFA is still a story about ultimately finding hope no matter what happens, which is so importantly in the spirit of Star Wars.

The more I think about it the more I'm really warming to the "Ren left Rey on Jakku" theory. Maybe he was reluctant to kill his little cousin (another stark contrast from Anakin who slaughtered a bunch of children) and told himself it's because he wants the Skywalker legacy to be carried on by someone after him if he can train her someday, but ultimately this would just prove consistent with the fact that his family is his weakness and it goes beyond just idolizing Vader.