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reylodriver · 6 years

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Reflections

A thorough examination of Rey and Kylo Ren and their scenes together in the Sequel Trilogy

This whole meta came about as a way to understand why Kylo Ren’s hunger for honesty in The Last Jedi was so goddamn sexy to me. Apart from the pornography that is Ben Swolo, why did the way he demanded Rey be honest with him and with herself feel so tense and sexual? Pondering an answer has led me to insights about their characters that I’m sharing here. It won’t be brief–I’m afraid I’m in over my head–but it is what it is. So let’s go!

DISCLAIMER:

A lot of the ideas I will mention have already been discussed within the fandom, but I couldn’t even begin to remember where I heard some of it or know who to give the credit to. Dissecting these characters is a collaborative effort. So building on the brilliance of others, let me add some of my thoughts–from a background in literature, creative writing and film–to the conversation.

Also, I will only be using the movies as a foundation for my claims. I realize that there’s tons of other canon material, but I think I can make my points using just The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Before a writer even begins putting words on paper they must first do some foundational character work. Following those steps, I’m going to take Rey and Kylo and whittle them down to their cores, and I’m going to use the first half of The Force Awakens to do it. What follows that will be a detailed breakdown of every scene they’ve shared so far in the Sequel Trilogy. Oh man, my typing fingers are already trembling!

WHAT REY AND KYLO WANT

I am a big fan of Lisa Cron and her books Story Genius and Wired for Story. Cron is known for her discussion of the storytelling elements that are hardwired into our brains. Among them is giving your characters the proper start. Cron says that a protagonist must begin the story with two things.

In each movie Rey and Kylo have specific desires. In TFA Kylo wants to find Luke and Rey wants to get BB-8 back to the Resistance. In TLJ Kylo wants to get rid of Snoke and Rey wants to bring Luke back to the Resistance. (Is Rey the freaking errand girl for the Resistance?) But this is a trilogy which means that what they really want is much bigger and their specific goals are just steps towards achieving their ultimate desires. So here’s what I’ve decided are Rey and Kylo’s deep-seated desires the first time we see them in TFA.

REY WANTS A DESTINY

KYLO WANTS FREE WILL

Deep-seated desires aside, now we must move on to misbeliefs. Cron compares the misbelief to the “fatal flaw” or “the wound the protagonist enters with.” She calls it a misbelief because the audience knows it is wrong, but the protagonist doesn’t. In fact, the protagonist must believe in it with all his heart. How he overcomes the misbelief is what the story is about.

Now for Rey and Kylo’s defining misbeliefs…

REY BELIEVES HER PARENTS WILL RETURN AND BESTOW HER WITH A DESTINY IF SHE IS PATIENT AND HOPEFUL

KYLO BELIEVES THAT HE MUST LET GO OF OR CONCEAL HIS PAST IN ORDER TO WRITE HIS OWN FUTURE

So let’s put it all together…

Rey believes that when her parents return for her, she will finally understand her place in the galaxy. They will give her a family name and a group to belong to–bequeathing her a destiny. Kylo believes that if he sheds the Skywalker/Solo name, then he can finally choose who he is and where he belongs–writing his own destiny. You’re starting to see where I’m going, aren’t you?

Since the Star Wars movies are always coming of age stories, Rey and Kylo are essentially seeking identity, but they’re going about it in opposite ways. It’s because these two characters were created to strengthen each other’s arcs. That’s what good writing strives to do, and you can bet that Disney knows this. He might not look it, but the Mouse is a master storyteller.

The very first time we see Kylo Ren he is decked out from head to toe in the costume he created to conceal his true identity. He goes by a different name, a name that recognizes him as the leader of a new kind of family, and this time it is a family of his choosing: the Knights of Ren.

Kylo’s first interaction is with Lor San Tekka who, with almost every line of dialogue, attempts to remind Kylo of his origin. “You may try but you cannot deny the truth that is your family,” San Tekka says, to which Kylo replies, “You’re so right,” and cuts him down.

Kylo is obviously referring to Darth Vader being part of his bloodline too. After all, in an act of rebellion against his family, Ben Solo created Kylo Ren–with Snoke’s guidance–as a sort of second Vader. (Note: Vader, not Jedi Anakin Skywalker). And let’s not forget that “Kylo” comes from SKYwalker and SoLO. So you could argue that part of Kylo doesn’t want to let go of his past, and at the very beginning of the story I would probably agree. But I would also argue that Kylo only wants to hold onto the parts of his past that suit him. He wants to choose which parts of it will define him and hide the rest under the mask of Kylo Ren.

The first time we see Rey she is alone in the hollow belly of a crashed Star Destroyer. The Destroyer is a literal remnant of the light’s triumph over darkness, as is the fallen AT-AT in which she lives. Even the Rebel helmet she puts on when she eats serves as evidence that good things happen if one remembers to keep hope alive. And that’s what Rey is busy doing from the very first moment we see her.

Rey’s life, as it’s presented to the audience, is built around the lie she created because the truth was too painful to face. Believing in the myth of her returning parents is easier than deciding who she wants to be in a whole galaxy of possibilities. Keeping her appearance the way her parents knew it and the wall of never-ending tally marks are just two of the visual representations of Rey’s misbelief. It’s almost as if Rey has put her life on hold waiting for their return. And perhaps this is why some fans infantilize her. She is a woman, but one that keeps everything as it was when she was a child.

As TFA goes on Kylo is continuously forced to confront his past. Characters like Hux and Snoke relish the opportunity to remind him of where he comes from like it’s a weakness Kylo must overcome. And he’s really trying. But the funny thing about Kylo is that the constant reminders keep him focused. Because he craves the truth. He needs it. As a child he listened in the shadows while his parents argued about his destiny. He was never told in brutal, stark honesty where he comes from. From Darth frickin’ Vader! Ben Solo believed that Snoke was honest with him when his family wasn’t–that’s why he sided with Snoke when everything fell apart. And that’s why Kylo invades people’s minds: because he doesn’t trust them to be honest with him. And why would he? Having a reliable route to the truth is a useful tool for a man who feels it was always kept from him. And while Kylo might not like the truth–which I think is made apparent by his frequent outbursts–he always demands it. It’s almost masochistic, but that’s our dark, beautiful space prince.

On the other side of things, we see Rey embark on a journey towards a destiny, but it’s not the one she imagined so she rejects it at every turn–from constantly telling Finn she has to get back to Jakku to turning down Han Solo’s job offer. She goes along with things for as long as she does because she is intrigued by the myth of the Jedi and Luke Skywalker. And we already know Rey prefers a good story to reality. It’s only when Rey becomes a part of this story, when she touches the legacy lightsaber, that problems arise. She experiences an incredible vision–one part troubling past and one part chilling future–but what it doesn’t show her is who she is or how she fits into everything. And that frightens her. So she runs.

Before I move on I want to point out how good of a foil Finn is for Rey and Kylo. Because Finn doesn’t want any kind of role. It’s no coincidence that all three are shown for the first time wearing masks. Finn’s is not a mask of his choosing, but Kylo’s is. And Rey’s is a mask of necessity. I could analyze Finn’s place in all of this, but that would probably tack on an extra thousand words, and I still haven’t gotten to The Last Jedi which, if you’re still with me, is where all of this is headed.

So there are our protagonists. True mirror opposites. Now let’s put them together, starting with the moment they meet. Or, actually, just before.

WHAT GIRL?

For many, the birth of Reylo occurred when Kylo laid into Lieutenant Mitaka. “What girl?” he growls. Kylo has felt an awakening in the Force and I think his curiosity has to do with that, but the question itself is meaningful. It’s as if he’s saying, “Who is this person? I’ve never heard of her before. She must not belong to a famous family.” This girl is already intriguing to him because she’s nobody. There’s no way he’s not exploring this further.

THE FOREST

The first time Rey sees Kylo for real, he is looming towards her–this scary creature from her vision. Oh no, the vision is coming true! She fires and he deflects, but he keeps coming, like the truth, persistent and undeniable. Kylo decides pretty quickly to take her with him and he even carries her in his arms. She is a curiosity, something to be handled with care.

THE INTERROGATION

When Rey awakens, she is restrained, but Kylo is kneeling before her, watching. Not looking inside her mind… just watching. Who is this girl? This scene has probably been analyzed more than any other, so I’ll try to keep my thoughts brief.

“You still want to kill me?” Kylo asks. “That’s what happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask,” Rey responds. Kylo wants her to see what this creature she imagines really looks like–he wants her to see the truth–so he takes off his helmet. But he is not what Rey expects. Her perception doesn’t match what she’s seeing with her own eyes and it makes her uncomfortable. It’s no mistake that this is the first time the audience sees Kylo Ren unmasked too. Our reaction is supposed to mirror Rey’s. Mine sure as hell did.

Kylo sizes her up as well, this scavenger, this nobody. Why is she important? He asks her to tell him about the droid, giving her the chance to avoid his mind probe. When she doesn’t play along, he peeks inside her head. But instead of finding the information he needs, he looks first for what her life is like. He looks for her pain. And, surprisingly, it’s something he recognizes. Why did he seek this information first? We all know it’s because, at this point, he is more interested in “the girl” than in finding Luke. And here’s why…

Kylo is envious of Rey

She comes from no great family. She has no baggage, nothing holding her back from her destiny–or so he thinks. And he soon discovers just how strong with the Force she really is. She is a blank slate. She could be anything, achieve anything. She is what he wants to be.

And Rey’s confidence grows as the Force inside her grows, and she is able to push back and see inside Kylo’s mind. When she does, she sees through the pretense of Kylo Ren to the scared young man beneath: Ben Solo. Kylo is shocked and chagrined. For all his respect for objective truth, he keeps his own personal, subjective truth closely guarded. But tit for tat, Kylo. Now two can play that game.

HAN AND BEN

This was the scene that caused me to leap with wild abandon onto the Kylo Ren pain train, and it catapulted Adam Driver to the top of my list of favorite actors. How layered this scene is. How tragic!

“Take off that mask. You don’t need it,” Han says. “And what do you think you’ll see if I do?” Ben asks, curious. “The face of my son,” Han replies. Like he did earlier with Rey, Kylo removes his mask, letting his father see what he has become. We all know how the rest of the scene goes. They squabble, Han implores him to see the truth: Snoke is using him for his power. Kylo knows his father is right and he’s a hair’s breadth from returning home with him… then he remembers his misbelief. Forget the past. But this time forgetting isn’t enough. Now he must kill the past.

As Rey watches this play out, she is seeing a parent return for his child and the child rejecting that love. It floors her. It goes against everything she has ever wanted for herself. Ben Solo had parents who loved him, he had a name, a destiny. And he threw it all away. Okay, it should be obvious by now what I’m going to say…

Rey is envious of Ben Solo

Rey and Kylo are reflections of one another, plain and simple. If you don’t believe me, perhaps Adam Driver will convince you.

THE DARK FOREST

There’s one aspect of this scene that I absolutely love but never felt like I understood completely. Reexamining Kylo as I have for this meta, I think I get it now. And it makes so much sense. As Kylo faces off against Finn and Rey, he keeps hitting his wounded side, spattering the white snow with blood. Why would he do that? He’s showing the enemy his weakness and perhaps making the injury worse. Here’s my take…

Kylo hits his side in an effort to stay focused on reality, on truth. He’s fucking delirious right now. He just killed his father and it hurt, it messed him up bad. But that pain is a reminder of what he is capable of if he lets his misbelief guide him. Perhaps it is also a kind of flagellation or punishment for his deed. If I could ask Adam Driver one question it might be will you whisper something dirty in my ear why he chose to have Kylo repeatedly beat his wound. I feel the answer would reveal a lot.

Now let’s move on to “the look.” You know what I’m talking about. It’s the moment right after Rey summons the Skywalker lightsaber, the moment that many Reylos believe Kylo falls head over heels in love with her. Perhaps they’re right, but I think there’s more to it. In this moment the Force has chosen Rey. A nobody, a scavenger! And Kylo is in complete awe. He is shocked, he is enthralled, he is jealous. Who is this girl?

But Kylo’s shock is Rey’s call to action. When she ignites that lightsaber, she is essentially accepting the destiny it showed her, whatever it may be. And as they fight, her new power becomes undeniable to them both. Kylo offers to be her teacher because she needs training, but also because he needs to know more about her. And as the Force awakens inside of her, Kylo stares in total wonderment. Something earth-shattering is happening here and I’m not talking about the ground splitting open.

At the end of TFA, Rey and Kylo’s deep-seated desires are still the same, but their misbeliefs have changed a bit. Understanding why she has the Force becomes more important to Rey than going back to Jakku. She may no longer believe her parents will return for her, but what she believes now is that in order to accept her destiny, she must know exactly who she is and where she comes from. And it is no longer good enough to forget or conceal the past for Kylo. Now the past must be completely eradicated.

So with these things in mind, let’s dive into The Last Jedi and talk specifically about the ways in which Rey and Kylo react to truth. And maybe along the way we’ll figure out why the whole thing feels so unbearably sexy.

As far as Rey and Kylo go, Rian Johnson wrote the perfect movie. The Last Jedi is perfection. Per-fec-tion! *kisses fingertips* Rian understood just from reading the TFA script that Kylo and Rey are reflections of one another and he built on that in an incredibly profound way. He is a brilliant human being and I love him.

At the beginning of TLJ we find Rey attempting to bring Luke Skywalker back to the Resistance. She says “we” when referring to the Rebels so in a way she has accepted them as her new family. But there’s another reason why she sought out Luke. We know that Rey’s deep-seated desire is to uncover her destiny, and she thinks Luke can help her. “I need someone to show me my place in all this,” she says, but Luke isn’t all that interested in the job. While he does eventually start training her, Rey becomes more attracted to what the Force itself–both light and dark–has to show her. Luke’s disapproval of her dark-side curiosity only compounds Rey’s loneliness. Cue the Force Bond! But not yet. First we have to talk about Kylo.

When we first see him, Kylo is trying to save face with Supreme Leader Snoke. But it’s not going well. Snoke berates Kylo and zaps him with his dark lightning all while, once again, bringing up Kylo’s past. “The mighty Kylo Ren,” Snoke says. “When I found you I saw … something truly special. The potential of your bloodline. A new Vader. Now I fear I was mistaken.” Even if Snoke was just trying to piss off Kylo because he’d connected his mind to Rey’s and blah blah blah… it worked a little too well. In this moment, Kylo digs his heels into his new misbelief. Kill the past. And guess who just became part of it? Kylo knows when he leaves that throne room that he will never be able to write his own destiny with a wrinkled old perv telling him what to do. Snoke is a goner and doesn’t even know it.

Now Kylo goes off and smashes his helmet. If he’s going to truly kill the past then the Vader costume has to go. The guise of Kylo Ren is already dissolving. And the great irony is that, like Rey, Ben Solo also concocted a lie to hide an uncomfortable truth. He created Kylo Ren to cover up his true identity and all the baggage that came with it. That’s why he must now destroy Kylo Ren. Not only does the dishonesty of it disgust him, but it’s no longer enough to simply conceal the past. Now he must completely obliterate it. He must become something new.

Even though it may not seem like it, Kylo’s outburst has left him laser-focused. “Prepare my ship,” he barks when the elevator opens. It’s time to blow up some Rebels! And he does blow up a few when he hits the hangar, but when it comes to killing his mother, unsurprisingly, he can’t seem to do it. Still, he is lost and in pain and lonely as hell. Now cue the Force Bond!

FORCE BOND #1

The first time they connect it is a surprise for both of them. Rey reacts with her gut, pulling a blaster on Kylo, but Kylo just stares in awe… again. He follows her when she runs and after an embarrassing attempt to control her with the Force he says, “You’re not doing this. The effort would kill you. Can you see my surroundings?” He is like a scientist, eager to discover how and why such a thing has happened. Rey interrupts him to scream, “You’re gonna pay for what you did!” Rey is less interested in the how-and-why and more interested in the way the story is going to play out. A bad man killed his father, so justice should be served. Kylo continues, “I can’t see yours [surroundings]… just you. No, this is something else.” While this strange new connection is a curiosity for Kylo, for Rey it is something to be wary of. Earlier, when the Uneti tree called to her, she fell to her knees, unable to deny the power of the Force. But what does the Force mean by this?

FORCE BOND #2

The second Bond starts with Kylo asking, “Why is the Force connecting us? You and I?” to which Rey replies, “Murderous snake! You’re too late. You lost. I found Skywalker.” Rey has already made up her mind about Kylo, so the Bond is a waste of her time. But Kylo wants her to have the truth, he needs her to see him as he really is. Because nobody else does. “Did he tell you what happened? The night I destroyed his temple, did he tell you why?” he asks. “I know everything I need to know about you,” Rey snaps and I think she says it out loud, to hear it, because she’s afraid she might be wrong. Right now things are pretty black and white. No need to visit the gray area between.

“You do?” Kylo says. Then comes the liquid sex, “Ahh, you do.” Can a voice induce an orgasm? Asking for a friend. Kylo studies her closely. “You have that look in your eyes… from the forest. When you called me a monster.” “You are a monster,” Rey affirms. Then Kylo does something that throws her way off. He looks into her eyes, into her soul, and says, “Yes, I am.” This is another moment like when Kylo removed his helmet for Rey back in TFA, only this time her perception doesn’t match what she’s hearing. He agrees? Why would he do that?

After the second Force Bond, Rey is more curious about the truth. Myth is no longer enough to satisfy her. So she asks Luke about the night Ben Solo destroyed his temple and Luke gives his version of the story. What I might not have mentioned before, but you already know, is that Rey is a very trusting person. She believed Finn’s lie about being in the Resistance and now she believes Luke’s story. They’re the good guys, so that means they’re honest. By that logic, Kylo is a bad guy and also a liar. The truth, of course, is that Kylo is the only person who has ever been completely honest with her. But Rey isn’t ready to confront that yet.

I should also point out that Rey is beginning to think about the way that Luke became a legend: by believing there was still good in Darth Vader and refusing to give up on him. Luke tries to tell her that it’s not that simple, but Rey trusts in the power of myths. “The galaxy may need a legend,” she tells Luke. She still believes it’s that easy. That’s why it’s no surprise when she decides to run off and save Ben Solo just a few hours later. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

FORCE BOND #3

Here it is… the most candid exchange in the whole movie. It’s open, it’s naked, it’s raw and it’s vulnerable. And it spurs a series of monumentally important events. All because Rey saw Kylo shirtless. Of course I’m kidding about that last part, but I do think the nudity has something to do with it.

“I’d rather not do this now,” Rey says and we hear Kylo respond, softly, “Yeah, me too.” But they’re gonna do it. They’re gonna do it till it’s good and done. “Why did you hate your father,” Rey asks and turns to see that Kylo is shirtless. Immediately she wants him to put on a cowl, but she just asked him a very personal question and, symbolically, to put on a cowl would be to answer dishonestly. Kylo’s beautiful, broad, glistening chest is the embodiment of naked truth here.

“Why did you hate your father? Give me an honest answer,” she says–as if he’s ever lied to her before. Kylo moves closer, ready to lay it on her. “You had a father who loved you, who gave a damn about you,” Rey says, speaking from a place of sadness and envy. Remember Ben Solo had a life she would have cherished. Why did he throw it away? “I didn’t hate him,” Kylo says, getting to the core of what she means. “Then why?” Rey demands. “Why what?” Kylo retorts. Even though he already knows what she means, he’s going to make her say it. It’s important to hear it out loud. “Why did you… why did you kill him? I don’t understand,” Rey says, sobbing. Kylo answers, “No? Your parents threw you away like garbage.” Kylo feels that his parents threw him away too, but Rey doesn’t quite understand that about him yet. “They didn’t!” she snaps, still clinging to the myth of parents that loved her. Justifiably, it’s difficult for her to let go of the lie that comforted her for more than a decade. “They did, but you can’t stop needing them. It’s your greatest weakness. Looking for them everywhere, in Han Solo, now in Skywalker,” Kylo says. Rey assumed that Kylo killed Han Solo because he hated him, but what Kylo is essentially admitting is that he killed his father because he loved him… loved him so much that it made him weak. It’s another contradiction, another clash between perception and reality.

“Did he tell you what happened that night?” Kylo asks. He’s still curious because he wants Rey to really see him, to understand him. “Yes,” she barks, teeth bared. But Kylo can tell by her vehemence that she doesn’t have all the information. “No,” he says and proceeds to tell her about that night, the way he experienced it. “He had sensed my power as he senses yours. And he feared it.” Luke admitted as much just a few scenes ago, but Rey likes to resist. “Liar,” she says in what comes across as the most unconvincing retort ever. Of course it was supposed to feel inauthentic. At this point Rey knows in her heart that Kylo is telling her the truth, has always told her the truth. But he’s a bad guy, so it doesn’t add up.

Kylo advances on Rey, going in for the kill. His eyes bore into hers as the light gleams against his hot, oily chest. Dear Jesus, help me! “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. It’s the only way to become what you’re meant to be,” he says. There it is: his mantra. It’s his deep-seated desire AND his misbelief all rolled into one. It’s the revelation that fuels him and he’s decided to share it with Rey–because he thinks she needs to hear it. He was envious of her “nobody” status before he understood that she was clinging to her past too. And now he wants to help her become something new, as he is becoming something new.

When the connection breaks, Rey is all stirred up. She finally sees him–not the façade of Kylo Ren or the abandoned Ben Solo, but Kylo as he is right damn now. The tension and intimacy of it is almost too much for me her, so she takes immediate action.

While this meta isn’t about story structure, I do want to point out that this scene occurs halfway through the movie. I know from years of screenwriting classes and dozens of books on the subject that all well-written films have a plot reversal midway through. Take a look at the halfway mark of any film you love and I can almost guarantee you’ll find that the story turns. Remarkably, around The Last Jedi’s halfway mark, not only does Rey’s story turn, but everyone else’s story does too. This is no coincidence. It’s just good writing.

THE MIRROR CAVE

I love Rey for a lot of reasons, one of them being her passion-fueled bursts of fearlessness. After Kylo’s truth bomb, she could’ve gone back to Luke and demanded to know what really happened. She could’ve probed the gray area a little more. But that’s not how Rey works. Her life is changing and it’s changing fast. There’s no time for gray. The darkness offered her something she needs and, dammit, she’s going to take it. The only change I’d make to this sequence would be to have her swan dive into that dark mossy hole. I’m assuming Rian decided against this only because Rey probably doesn’t know how to dive. Anyway, Kylo’s advice–and his nakedness–has driven Rey to confront her misbelief, and now she must find out who her parents are.

There’s something I want to get out of the way before I jump into (heh) this scene. And it’s the notion of Rey’s parentage. Full disclosure, I was a Rey Kenobi stan after TFA. In fact, I took it a step further and believed she was the reincarnation of Obi-Wan, but I am so relieved to be wrong. One of the reasons I think people still cling to Rey’s parentage is because TFA set it up in such an exciting and mysterious way. Like Kylo, we all wanted to know, Who is this girl? But Rian is smarter than me and ReySkys and everyone else. Rian knew what Rey required in order to grow. Okay, moving on.

Ah, the mirror cave! How rife with symbolism this scene is. Water, for instance, almost always signifies rebirth, especially when a character is submerged in it. And of course when Rey emerges from this symbolic baptism, her hair is down for the first time. Like Kylo destroying his helmet, Rey lets her look morph into something different. It’s almost as if she’s allowing herself to finally become a woman. I don’t think I have to say it, but I will: every single shred of symbolism here is intentional. Remember this.

The first thing the mirror shows Rey is a seemingly infinite line of Reys. And they copy her actions with a slight delay. What does it mean? Well, it seems to mean that Rey’s future is hers to write. She can be any one of these Reys, depending upon the decisions she makes. But there is more. A female voice speaks to her. Is it Mom? Rey approaches a mirror-like wall and says, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” No, that’s not it. “Show me the Beast.” Not right either. “Let me see them. My parents. Please.” That’s it!

It’s funny that the cave is supposed to be Ahch To’s place of darkness because it gives Rey the truth. It doesn’t dance around her request, offering her a perplexing Jedi aphorism. It shows her the reality of her situation: she is alone. Rey wants to see her parents, but the mirror doesn’t show them because they don’t exist anymore. They’re dead. So in lieu of sending two hobbling skeletons, the Force presents Rey with two shadowy figures. Mom and Dad, right? Sure, they’re probably supposed to represent her parents, but even the notion that it could be Rey and Kylo is enough to give that idea merit. And the fact that the two figures merge together could represent the union of Rey’s parents to create Rey or it could be Rey and Kylo merging to balance the Force. It’s all there. No interpretation is wrong. Many fans think they see Kylo in the lone figure–I see him too!–and we know from the concept art that they toyed with the idea of Kylo being in her reflection. But I’m getting a little sidetracked. The point, of course, is that when the image clears and Rey sees herself, she understands that she doesn’t have parents anymore. The female voice she heard before wasn’t her mother’s, it was hers. I know she goes on to tell Kylo, “I thought I’d find answers here. I was wrong,” but it’s only because she can’t yet admit what she already knows. We’re talking about Rey’s misbelief. If it were easy for her to move past it, then she would’ve done it a long time ago.

One final thought about the mirror cave. I wonder what Kylo would’ve seen if he had been there? Personally, I think he would’ve seen his parents clear as day.

FORCE BOND #4 / THE HUT

Now I want to present this scene to you a little differently than you’re probably used to thinking about it. I don’t want to talk about the romance and the beauty and the intimacy. I want to talk about the eeriness. Yep, I want to tell you why this scene has a creepy edge to it. Because it definitely does. Don’t be afraid… it’ll be fun.

Okay, okay, I know I said earlier this meta wasn’t about story structure–and it isn’t–but I want to really break this scene down in order to study it more closely. Shawn Coyne’s book The Story Grid describes the scene as a “mini-story,” meaning it must have a beginning, middle and end, a protagonist and antagonist, but overall it must have conflict. Coyne says the easiest way to add conflict to a scene is to make sure the value state changes as the scene progresses. It can go from a positive value expression (like love) to a negative one (like hate) or vice versa, but it cannot stay static. If nothing changes, you don’t have a scene. So keeping the creepy angle and the scene components in mind, let’s talk through the hut scene, perhaps the most important scene in all three movies (yes, including Episode IX). Because I think that in two years’ time we’ll be able to say that this was the midpoint reversal of the whole trilogy. This was where everything started to change.

So the beginning of the hut scene is really the end of the mirror cave scene and it reveals that Rey has been talking to someone about her experience. “I’d never felt so alone,” she says, staring glassy-eyed at the fire. We wait with anticipation. Who’s going to answer her? Thunder sounds outside, the spatter of rain mingling with the crackling fire. The music here is quiet but creeps like a dark vine twisting around your ankle. Then we hear a voice, an oozing throaty whisper, “You’re not alone.” Rey looks up and finally we see who she’s talking to. Kylo sits in the shadows of his room on the Supremacy, untouched by the fire’s orange glow. He stares at Rey, intent and focused. So here’s the conflict… Rey is vulnerable and lonely, needing someone to lean on. Kylo is there, but he’s the villain, right? Now the scene becomes all about answering one very important question… What will happen when the good guy and the bad guy connect? What, indeed.

The middle of the scene has Rey making the decision to (literally) reach out to Kylo rather than pushing him away as she has always done before. “Neither are you,” she says, committing to her decision. The eeriness builds as we go out into the storm, to Luke. Lightning illuminates the dark clouds. Perhaps evil is coming for our heroes. Back inside the hut Rey says, “It isn’t too late.” The music is hesitant and unsure, uncommitted to a melody, just as we are unsure of what will happen. But Rey extends her hand to Kylo anyway. She doesn’t know if she can actually touch him through the Force Bond, but she knows that she must try. Kylo looks at her hand, curious, but moved by the honesty of her gesture. The only way that he can match her honesty is to remove his glove, but he is also dying to know if they can touch each other across light-years. Why is the Force connecting us? What does it all mean? A scene is a mini-story, remember? And this is the climax. Kylo’s hand slides into frame, moving towards Rey’s. The music swells, finding that note of tension and lingering on it. As their hands come together the firelight brightens Kylo’s face. Close on their fingers…

BOOOOOOOM! The whole universe explodes. Rey inhales sharply, stunned by the Force’s revelation. The scene’s question has been answered. What will happen when the good guy and the bad guy connect? I’ll tell you what will happen, the fucking Force Theme will play is what will happen. If the TLJ script is ever released, I bet my life savings the action line here will say “FORCE THEME BEGINS” because the song’s presence is more important than just about anything else. The Force Theme is the music of the good guys, of larger than life power, of destiny and goodness and love. I don’t think Rian would’ve left such a vital story point up to John Williams. Anyway, trembling and crying, Rey and Kylo both understand what they are experiencing: a genuine connection to another person. Have either of them ever lived a moment like this one? I highly doubt it. So, like Kylo, you might be wondering, What does it all mean? It means the Force connected them for a reason. Even when we find out later that Snoke bridged their minds, it was still the Force that brought their fingers together and it was the Force that showed them each a vision. This is where everything turns.

The hut scene ends with Luke (the scene’s antagonist) barging in and losing his mind. But he doesn’t understand–he can’t hear the Force Theme! Personally, I’m glad that Luke spoiled the fun because if he hadn’t, then Rey or Kylo would’ve had to. Luke being the scene’s antagonist means that Rey and Kylo both got to remain the protagonists. And honestly, we all know that if there’d been more time, Kylo probably would’ve said something kinda tone-deaf that would’ve made Rey second guess going after him. Breaking up their union leaves it unfinished, leaves more questions to be answered. It keeps the story moving. And for the record, the value state of this scene went from loneliness (-) to unity (+) to confusion (-)… or something like that.

After the connection is broken, Rey chases after Luke. “Did you do it? Did you create Kylo Ren? Tell me the truth!” she says. Girl is all about the truth now. She’s visited the light side and the dark side, but more importantly, she’s been to the area in between. She sees now that things are rarely black and white and the only way to understand what’s really going on is to demand the truth. She’s becoming more like Kylo. After Luke tells her the Jedi temple story again, she says, “You failed him by thinking his choice was made. It wasn’t.” She realizes that Ben Solo was never allowed to choose the person he wanted to become and that is the reason he turned into Kylo Ren. It’s funny that she seems to grasp this now because in just a few more lines she confidently explains to Luke that Kylo will choose to come back to the light. The Force showed her a vision (what the fuck did she see seriously I can’t get over this why couldn’t we see it we needed to see it Rian) and she believes in it. She believes in it so much that Kylo’s own free will is overshadowed. “If I go to him, Ben Solo will turn,” she says. As if it will be as easy as calling him “Ben” again. Han Solo tried that and it didn’t work out real great for him. But besides being all high on Force power, Rey is beginning to understand what she thinks is her destiny. Like Luke, she will turn the villain and end the war. It’s a good story, and this time it is Force-certified.

REY’S ARRIVAL

The first time I saw TLJ this was one of my favorite moments. It’s like Snow White being awakened by Prince Charming with true love’s kiss. Admittedly, I am a sucker for stories like that. But this one is better.

Clutching the legacy lightsaber–a kind of peace offering–Rey climbs inside the escape pod and launches toward the Supremacy. Luke didn’t want the saber or the hero’s title so Rey’s bringing them both to Ben Solo. She looks so pretty inside the coffin-like pod, her lips pink and full and her chest heaving. Fog clouds the air as the pod opens. Will Kylo be there? And then he is there and he looks just as beautiful as Rey. Her eyes widen. For all she knows he’s going to reach down and scoop her out, carry her like he did once before to a shuttle he has prepared for their departure. But stormtroopers stand behind him, and one opens a pair of binders, binders meant for her. “This is not going to go the way you think,” Luke said, but she hadn’t believed him. If you were afraid Kylo wouldn’t return to the Resistance with Rey, this was red flag number one.

THE ELEVATOR

I’m not going to say much about this scene because I already have in my first meta titled LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ELEVATOR SCENE. In it I analyze every line of dialogue and explain how they foreshadow what happens in the throne room. I wrote it sometime in January and shortly thereafter Rian answered a fan question that actually confirmed one of my points. If you want to read it, you can get to it by clicking on the link above.

I do want to point out a few new revelations I’ve had about this scene. Rey calls Kylo “Ben” here because she thinks she’s appealing to his true nature, but remember that Kylo is changing. His misbelief is that he must kill the past. And Ben Solo is past. Also she says, “You will not bow before Snoke. You’ll turn. I’ll help you. I saw it.” When Rey saw Kylo’s future, did she see him standing up to Snoke? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that she did because it would make sense as to why she would think they could end the war. Then Kylo tells Rey that he saw something too and what he saw means that she will be the one to switch sides. We all know that he saw her parents when they touched hands and he believes that knowing their identity will free her up to follow her destiny. It’s ironic that the Force showed them what the other wants. Why didn’t the Force show Rey the identity of her parents or show Kylo Snoke’s bisected corpse? It’s because the Force wants to bring them together. Their union is kinda the whole point. Rey has something Kylo wants and Kylo has something Rey wants. Make them work together to get it. And oh boy, do they ever work together!

THE THRONE ROOM

I don’t really want to talk much about Snoke because, well, he’s unimportant. Rian was right: Snoke was an obstacle in the path of Kylo’s transformation. He had to go. But we have to start at the beginning of the scene, so I’d better get going.

Kylo brings Rey to Snoke, playing the dutiful servant, but all along he’s looking for a way to overthrow the old man. Make no mistake, Kylo has already chosen Rey. She is precious to him because she is his reflection. There was never a question of allegiance. Kylo does let Snoke torture her a bit, but he doesn’t have much choice because he hasn’t figured out how he’s going to defeat Snoke yet. When Snoke confesses that he bridged their minds, Kylo’s head shoots up and his expression wilts. The question he’s been asking himself since the first Force Bond has just been answered. It was Snoke? But we touched across spacetime, the Force showed us visions. It was real! You know anger is building in Kylo to the point of exploding, but he does a remarkable job of staying calm. Our boy is growing up!

One bit of symbolism in this scene worth drawing attention to is the magnifying glass apparatus that Snoke uses to show Rey the Resistance fleet. Like a mirror, a magnifying glass is a tool to better help one see the truth. Rey doesn’t care much for this particular truth, so she Force grabs Kylo’s lightsaber to attack Snoke. Her attack is easily thwarted, but when Kylo’s lightsaber returns to him spinning at his feet he figures out exactly how to kill Snoke. The look in his eyes here is so hot resolved. The rest of the trio’s interaction just serves to pile on the suspense and, goddamn, it does a good job. When Kylo finally kills Snoke and brings the legacy saber to Rey, the Force Theme starts up again. Why does the Force Theme always play when these two join together? It’s amazing how many self-professed fans can’t even answer this question. Anyway, we all know what happens next… I lose my fucking mind when that red glow hits Kylo’s face and his lightsaber purrrrrrrrs

The fight that follows is a thing of beauty. It’s a painting in passionate reds and harsh shadows; it’s a dance; it’s lovemaking… it’s actually a whole lot of murder which, if you think about it, makes the sexiness of it feel a little wrong. But let’s not kid ourselves. When the fight was over, we all wanted them to tear off each other’s clothes and raw dog it in the middle of all those dead bodies, their sweat streaking the hard black floor, their moans echoing in the hot air as fire whirled down around them. Jesus… time out.

Okay, I’m back. Let’s move on. As much as we might like to fantasize about things going differently, the conclusion of the throne room scene is exactly what the story and characters demanded. Kylo is finally free. He has followed his misbelief and killed his past–well, not quite, but close enough. Now he has the freedom he’s always desired. Now he can decide who he wants to be. His transformation is almost complete. “It’s time to let old things die,” he says to Rey and to his credit he thinks it’s good advice, he thinks it will work for her because it has worked for him. Kylo goes on, listing all of the things they should let die, “Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels… Let it all die.” All of this is in keeping with his desire to become something new, something the galaxy has never seen before. And, of course, Rey is part of his new vision. Why wouldn’t she be? They are bound now and to tear apart that bond would only cause them both pain. “Rey, I want you to join me,” he says. “We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy.” You can almost see the boner in his pants as he considers this new life. And it’s so close to happening… so close! If Rey says yes, then he will have everything he wants.

But Rey knows that it’s not that simple. The past can never be erased. It will always be there. It will always matter. Even though she understands that her own parents are never returning, it’s okay because she has a new family now: the Resistance. And Kylo wants to let them blow up. “Don’t do this, Ben. Please don’t go this way,” Rey says. But, again, she’s not talking to Ben. I’m sorry, folks, but Ben Solo is gone. Even if he eventually reclaims the name–and I think he will–he’s been through too much to ever be that hopeful young man again. And if he’s to learn his lesson, then he won’t be able to conceal or kill his past anymore and that will include his past as Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader of the First Order. He’ll have to transform again. Perhaps into Ben Solo, but a new Ben Solo.

Kylo understands what’s going on with Rey and seeks to remedy the problem. “No, no. You’re still holding on. Let go!” he shouts. You’ve gotta admit, it’s a sexy idea. To forget everything that has ever caused you pain, to fly off into the stars with a person who has looked into your soul and accepted that it is broken. To heal together. It’s all still possible because Kylo has one last card to play. “Do you want to know the truth about your parents? Or have you always known? And you’ve just hidden it away. You know the truth. Say it. Say it.” Kylo isn’t being manipulative or dishonest. He’s seen inside her head. He knows about her misbelief. And Rey does say it because she does know the truth. She’s always known the truth. “They were nobody,” she says. Yes, this is the hardest thing for Rey to hear; yes, it will help her character grow; yes, it means that anyone can be a Force user. But do you know the number one reason Rey’s parents had to be nobodies? Because Rey would not have been Kylo’s reflection otherwise. She would not have been his mirror opposite. If she were a Kenobi or a Skywalker, then the yin-yang wouldn’t balance. And if this trilogy isn’t about balance then just kill me now because I won’t survive Episode IX.

Anyway, Kylo lays it on thick. “You have no place in this story. You come from nothing. You’re nothing. But not to me.” He’s not the most suave conversationalist, but that’s because he speaks the truth. He doesn’t sugar coat it–that’s dishonest. The truth is the truth is the truth and now it’s time to move on. “Join me,” Kylo says, offering Rey his gloved hand. “Please.” If only he’d taken off his glove! It was a genuine appeal, so whipping off that glove should’ve occurred to him. But perhaps Rey would’ve seen that as a small manipulation. The real manipulation, of course, is when Rey reaches out to Kylo to throw him off. Look at his face here. The life he wants is so close to happening… it’s just within his grasp! But then Rey goes for the saber instead. It’s heart wrenching.

We all know that the lightsaber hovering between them means that they are equals now. There’s really no denying it. But the way it’s all shot is also quite enlightening. Remember in TFA when Kylo calls the legacy saber, but it flies past him to Rey. We didn’t see her reaching for the saber, we only saw her as its destination. It’s filmed in such a way that the audience shares Kylo’s surprise. In TLJ we have something similar. Rey reaches for the saber and it moves to her hand… but then it stops. The camera pans around and we learn why: Kylo has equal pull now. Like Kylo and Rey, these scenes are reflections of one another. Filmmaking is cool, huh? Of course, the riven Kyber crystal is significant too. Kylo and Rey (but mainly Rey) are bending the will of the Force, pulling against gravity, until the lightsaber splits in half. It’s considerate of the Force to separate them before the explosion. They definitely wouldn’t be “uniting” in the future if they were both missing half of their skin.

SUPREME LEADER

Here it is, friends: the big transformation scene. When Kylo wakes up in the throne room with Hux, he is no longer Kylo Ren or Ben Solo. He is Supreme Leader. He wanted Rey, but he didn’t get her, so whatever he might’ve transformed into before (Partner, Husband, Co-Supreme Leader) is lost. What’s left is Supreme Leader of the First Order and he accepts the title with breathless (heh) enthusiasm. He has followed his misbelief and achieved his deep-seated desire. His future is his to write. And, likewise, Rey has followed her own misbelief, discovered her origin and accepted her destiny. Her destiny, she thinks, is to help the Resistance (her new family) defeat the tyrannical First Order. Rey and Kylo have both gotten what they wanted and the only real sacrifice required was a potential future together. So what now? If the movie ended here, I might be worried.

THE BATTLE OF CRAIT

Lucky for us, TLJ has a final chapter, but it almost feels like the first chapter of a new movie. That’s because our two protagonists have achieved their goals and accepted their new roles. Now let’s see them in action!

The new Supreme Leader is a hot mess, but this is his chance to prove himself and end the Resistance once and for all. He’s set on doing just that until his uncle struts onto the battlefield. Of course Kylo takes the bait and uses an inordinate amount of firepower to finally end Luke’s life. Hmmm… he’s gotten what he wanted, so why does his past still bother him? When it turns out that Luke is alive, Kylo goes down to see what’s really going on, but also to face him. We all know how that goes. Lucky for Kylo, he doesn’t even have to kill Luke, but Luke’s presence as a Force projection really shakes Kylo’s foundation. For once the truth is more complicated than what his eyes can see or his hands can touch. Even though Kylo is free now to be the person he wants to be, something isn’t quite right.

And wouldn’t you know, even their transformations mirror each other. Rey’s transformation scene comes when she lifts the rocks to save the Resistance heroes. She is no longer Rey of Jakku, now she is Jedi Rey of the Resistance–the last Jedi. She has a destiny and a family. It’s time to fly off into the stars… but not so fast.

FORCE BOND #5

Aw shucks, the Resistance lived to see another day! But there’s only like twenty Rebels left. The new Supreme Leader really shouldn’t be all that worried. Why then, as he kneels down and scoops up his father’s golden dice, does he look so unsettled? Not a great time to connect with your ex-girlfriend. Rey stares down at Kylo with crushing disappointment, as if he has betrayed her. But she never really understood his misbelief. And he never understood hers. When Rey shuts the door of the Millennium Falcon on Kylo, she is essentially committing to her new role. She thinks that the Force will choose her path now. She did a better job than Kylo in the heat of the battle, so it seems like Rey is going to be okay. But, like Kylo, she’s arrived at her goal through her misbelief. Rey thought that she needed to know herself before she could act instead of acting first and letting those actions make her into the person she’s meant to be. If the end of a scene is supposed to answer a question, then the disappearing dice does a hell of a job at it. For both Kylo and Rey, there are still illusions left to conquer.

LOOKING AHEAD TO EPISODE IX

Kylo and Rey got what they wanted through a mistake in thinking. This is why they won’t be happy at the beginning of Episode IX. Their new lives will feel inauthentic and fruitless. And all they’ve really done is traded one set of misbeliefs for another.

Rey’s new desire is to fulfill her destiny and her new misbelief is that in order to do it she has to fill the role of Jedi Rey for the Resistance.

Kylo’s new desire is to fulfill his destiny and his new misbelief is that in order to do it he has to fill the role of Supreme Leader for the First Order.

They’ve got a lot to overcome. But it had to happen this way. If Rey had stayed with Kylo she would’ve always regretted not saving her friends. She would’ve resented Kylo for allowing this to happen and ultimately rejected him in favor of their untainted memory. If Kylo had gone back to the Resistance with Rey he would’ve become Ben Solo again, reverting back to a persona he had grown beyond. He would’ve always wondered what he could’ve been on his own two feet and eventually he would’ve resented Rey for luring him away from his destiny. Let’s all be glad it didn’t happen this way. The story that is left to tell will be much better.

I really hate to say it, guys, but Baldo Ren is a real possibility. It makes more sense than the Kylo Ren mask returning. Or any mask for that matter. Kylo has transformed and his look should reflect that. Personally, I think a leather, form-fitting Supreme Leader’s outfit will check this box just fine. But make no mistake, a new look won’t bolster Kylo’s mood for long. He’s going to discover that even with all the power in the galaxy, he can’t create the life he really wants. There has to be another way. Looking for another way, he’ll see the folly of his misbelief and move beyond it. To atone for trying to kill his past I think he’ll decide to safeguard the future and work with Rey to end the war. But if I’m not being clear enough, I’ll go ahead and spell it out: R-E-D-E-M-P-T-I-O-N. It’s going to happen, but it has to happen a certain way. If Kylo is redeemed but dies, then he isn’t Rey’s reflection. If Kylo lives but isn’t redeemed (which wouldn’t happen) then he isn’t Rey’s reflection. Their fate must be exactly the same. So the only two options I see are: Rey and Kylo achieve self-actualization and live, saving the galaxy in the process, or they achieve self-actualization and die, saving the galaxy in the process. Those are the only two ways to achieve true balance. Otherwise, the audience won’t feel right. We’ll leave the theater feeling that something was off. But I wouldn’t worry too much because, as I said before, the Mouse is a master storyteller.

Like Kylo, Rey is also going to acquire something that indicates her new position. We all know what I’m talking about: she’s going to construct a lightsaber. Yep, she’s going to play the role of Jedi Rey even though it won’t feel right. I have a hunch that the Jedi texts she stole from Ahch-To will really emphasize balance, forcing her to make a few decisions that seem unconventional or against the will of the Force. She’ll meet resistance from the Resistance, but she will overcome her misbelief and choose right this time, even though her choices will be hard. And one of those choices will be saving what she loves instead of fighting what she hates. This is why Rey will be the one to initiate “the big kiss.” It has to be her. It’s her destiny because it’s this impossible union with Kylo that will redefine the Force forever. It’s the way they will achieve self-actualization and save the galaxy. I just hope Rey doesn’t mind Kylo’s bald head.

WHY’S IT ALL SO SEXY?

Oh, Jesus… after 10,000 words I don’t really want to start psychoanalyzing myself. You don’t want it either. So let’s just say all the honest-talk is sexy because it’s basically seeing things as they really are and then admitting that you just don’t care… you still want to fuck the bad guy. I’ll add a picture to help you see my point.

IN CONCLUSION

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Doesn’t that sound like something one of the old Jedi texts would say? Some ancient, fundamental law that must be obeyed in order for the fabric of the universe to hold. Perhaps this is the missing piece, the key to finally balancing the Force. The battle between good and evil will never end so long as both sides keep fighting. If only they could cast aside their differences and accept that life is a quagmire of opposing forces. It is possible to feel love and hate at the very same time–and it happens often! How could this be? Sounds impossible, right? But to balance the Force, this impossible truth must be faced. And accepted.

Thanks for sticking with me for more than 10,000 words! If by some fluke you want to read more, you can check out my fanfic THE MIDDLE PLACE. It’s essentially my headcanon for Episode IX, but it also correlates with a lot of what I’ve discussed here. (And there’s some universe-altering sex, if that’s what you’re into). I’ve also written a companion meta to my fanfiction titled REY AND KYLO’S UNION WILL REDEFINE THE FORCE. And, of course, I’m always down to answer questions or chat with anyone about this stuff. It’s the air I breathe right now. But you guys know how it feels.

Peace!

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