#also no one was really talking about lukes fatal flaw in this scene

[just-another-turkey]

Man, I love the reactions both Percy and Luke have after Percy cuts Luke.

Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty. He still considers Luke his friend, and he just hurt his friend. He's 12 years old, he's new to this whole world of gods and monsters. He's just a kid, and when a kid accidently hurts their friend, their first instinct is to apologize.

Luke has been a part of this dangerous world for years. He had been on the run for years before camp. He's fought monsters then, he fought monsters when his dad sent him out on a quest. And the kid he took under his wing, thought was a kindred spirit in their hatred of their parents and the gods, taught him how to use the sword, just cut him. Luke was going easy, but now he's been injured. In a world where you fight to survive, where you kill or be killed, you don't go easy on your opponent. You fight to kill, and when you do it so often, it's instinct.

But Luke's fatal flaw is wrath.

Percy has refused to join him, refuses to turn against the gods. They're fighting, Luke is going easy because Percy is a kid who just learned how to hold a sword. But he draws first blood, in Luke's mind, it now marks them as opposites in the upcoming war. Despite everything Luke has done for Percy, despite thinking that his own betrayal wasn't truly a betrayal, this is Percy's betrayal.

He's pissed, he's wrathful, and just like how he wants to strike down his Father and all the other gods, he knocks Percy down, cuts him, and nearly kills him.

Only Annabeth stops him. The girl he sees as his sister defends Percy, stands against him. And after a moment of hesitation, after the rage starts to fade, Luke runs.

[ride-thedragon]

How I'd Write Rhaena Targaryen in Hotd.

(as someone who wanted to see her plot adapted)

I keep seeing people saying Rhaena fans will be excited for the rumoured change she will experience this season.

Spoiler here

I won't speak on that here without a spoiler warning because I want this to be about her book character and my hope as to how she would've been adapted this season. I wanted to see Rhaena Targaryen as played by Phoebe Campbell and adapted to the world of Hotd, and so far, I haven't. These are the issues I've had so far:

1. Mourning Luke.

The reason we don't have a scene about her and Luceryes after he dies in my opinion is because seeing as they send her off in episode 3 it would make Rhaenyra look odd to not grieve her son at the same time as his fiance. But respectfully, I don't care. We deserved dialogue about the loss she felt. It's a serious issue where her grief and reactions past Laena are overlooked entirely.

Even following her arc this season of feeling resentful, have her feel blamed for not claiming Vhagar, for bring engaged to Luke. Anything to give us that connection.

2. Her reaction to Rhaenyra.

I found it to be really well done the brewing anger with Rhaena then. She seemed like a child fighting for some agency for someone to consider her, and she's met with Rhaenyra’s fatal flaw of refusing to acknowledge and give validity to her children's emotions. I didn't like how the dragon eggs were meant to operate as a catch-all in the narrative so we don't make Rhaenyra look too bad. It was a great attempt and one that I was shocked by because Rhaenyra is wrong.

3. Give her Morning.

If Rhaena nearly died last time she tried to claim a dragon, why not give her her book egg and future dragon before she leaves. This was another failing of the egg scene for me. Not only would adding that pink egg give some mystery to the audience, we would have book lore. Even let Rhaenyra apologise for her original approach and give Rhaena the egg personally, not as a beacon of hope for the house alone but for herself. It's an easy moment that plays into the book narrative better. For those unaware, the eggs were Dany's 3 eggs plus Viserys'.

4. Jeyne Arryn.

No, I did love the they were both angry but not ill mannered. They are talking out of anger and mutual frustration, and by the end, they have a shared interest. My issue is that this is the scene Rhaena finds out about Rhaenys dying and that she isn't with her very young brothers. She deserved another scene later on.

5. Baela

I love that they spoke together and that they addressed actual issues, that's it. I don't like that they don't have more, and that Rhaenys could be with Rhaenyra but not her grandchildren. I wish we got that dynamic.

Moving on to my part, how I'd reconstruct her arc for the season:

Episode 1

1. We let her be the character carrying the emotional weight of losing Luke. They seemed close enough to make it work and were supposed to be married. She carries it past episode 1. She throws something into the fire as well, like a model ship of some kind, or what can be seen as a token she meant to give him when she returned.

Episode 2

2. We give her and Jace a scene. This is like a huge missed opportunity. Unlike Baela, they grew up alongside Luke. Have them discuss the grief and talk about what Jeyne Arryn demanded. That way, it's exercised as an expectation amount to the house that someone will have to go away. Let them talk about who they think is the best option. These are two kids, but they are also supposed to be two politically driven characters, give them that moment.

3. Then we have Rhaenys be the one to tell her that she will go. Rhaenyra seemed so heartless in that scene to me because it wasn't her scene. Rhaena was dismissed and pushed over to fulfil that role when they could have her grandmother tell her. They have the Laena connection. They have the care of her growing up too fast and them needing her to go away. They get to say goodbye in their own way because Rhaenys wouldn't be callous with her, she'd be comforting but tell her to be strong.

Episode 3

4. Baela Scene. Let this be the resentment scene, and allow them to confide in each other. Have baela remind her that unlike the shows chosen narrative, both their parents are dragon claimer who claimed their own dragons late in life. Have Rhaena bring up the fact that she failed last time and let them comfort each other. Hell, let them have a Daemon conversation.

5. Now we can have that scene with Rhaenyra. Let it be a combination of their two conversations where she gives Rhaena the eggs by herself. Tell her it's a great service and have Rhaena still lash out because she doesn't want to do it, because it's something being forced unto her. But have Rhaenyra give her the eggs personally, explain the story of the Conquerors and the dragon eggs of the any let her tell Rhaena she will carry that legacy. Because of all people, Rhaenyra knows what it's like to not be taken seriously and be underestimated in a position. It doesn't have to be courteous, but it also shouldn't be as angry due to Rhaenys.

Episode 4.

Let this be the episode she leaves.

6. She gets to say goodbye to everyone while the plot is unfolding, and Rhaenyra is nowhere to be found. Let Rhaenys, Jace, and Baela send them off to Jeyne Arryn and have their final goodbyes as the eggs go past her. She's scared but she knows what she has to do.

7. She is received in the Vale, not by Jeyne but by some of her banner men who are confused about the dragons. She's holding one of the boys and scolds them for questioning her. And they go off.

Episode 5.

8. Jeyne Arryn conflict. Jeyne expected more dragons, Rhaena asserts herself, and they have a brief heart to heart.

9. Set a scene later in the day to let Rhaena know that Rhaenys is dead and killed by Vhagar. Guilt fester yet again, and Jeyne gives her some advice about that relating it to Rhea because that's her cousin or something.

Episode 6.

I have no idea where the show will be but what I can say is how I'd write her arc from this point in my canon and adaptation

10. Rhaena takes up training Joffrey and Tyraxes, she's comforting him because he misses home but continues her work, she has to prove something to herself and Jeyne.

11. Have her question Jeyne about the men she promised to send, great time to introduce Corwyn. Show her trying to find her footing in the political conversation and win.

12. A scene later on with her and all the boys and Jessamyn Redfort makes an appearance. Tells Rhaena Jeyne is impressed by her audacity if nothing else and let her be a kinder alternative to her partner. (I will not erase lesbians)

Episode 7.

13. Small conflict in the Vale with raising banners because Jeyne actually has a lot of people who have issues with her. Rhaena sees how she uses her discerning to work it out while people attempt to undermine her, and we see Rhaena looking to her for leadership.

14. Rhaena picks up the eggs and starts to show that she is tending to them herself in the hot basket things, that she's made it her personal mission to get one to hatch. We also see her send the letter to the Prince of Pentos.

Episode 8.

15. Jeyne gets the Vale men to rise in a smaller number than promised but a large enough one to send. She checks with Rhaena, and we get our first Corwyn and Rhaena interaction with his two girls. Rhaena had grown a bit in confidence. She's taking her role as seriously as ever.

16. She sees back and gets a letter of acceptance from the prince and a warning from Rhaenyra. Basically, they have to hide the fact that the boys are princes and send them off by themselves.

Why? Vhagar has been seen in the Riverlands, and they have no idea where she's heading past Harrenhall. Whether they send the boys off or not can depend, but I think not yet. Let Rhaena take it into her own hands and plan accordingly. The way Jace does in the books.

And that's the way the season ends. The march to the battle from the perspective of Rhaena Targaryen. Happy tidings, and let's see how well (or not) they land with her character.

[lukecastellanshandholder]

Ok so, as I said yesterday I'm rereading Sea of Monsters and I've gotta admit, there are a lot of parts that I didn't remember from it that deserve more appreciation.

(Long post incoming! 😅)

One of them that I really want to talk about is after Annabeth listens to the siren song and learns that her fatal flaw is hubris. When she was listening to the sirens, she saw a scene of her father and Athena happily together, along with Luke all sitting in central park. Surrounding them is a new Manhattan that Annabeth has built and it looks so much better than the western civilization that the gods have built.

When she's telling Percy about her fatal flaw, she talks about how the west represents a lot of the greatest things to ever come from mankind, but how your view starts to change when all you can see are the bad things. She says that would make someone start to think more like Luke. That if she could tear everything down and start everything a new, that she would be able to run and build things better. That if she could rebuild it, the world wouldn't be as messed up. There would be no more war, nobody homeless and left on the streets to fend for themselves.

And this is absolutely correct, this is essentially why Luke is doing this all to begin with. This is his core goal (purely Luke's and not Kronos). To make a better world for everyone. Where no one would have to go what he and countless others had been through. So that maybe others would be able to see the good in the world after all his life he had only been shown the bad.

But then there are these couple paragraphs after that. Those are super interesting to me and it gives so much insight on the universe and how certain people think.

"She (Annabeth) gazed into the distance. 'I'm not sure. But we have to save camp. If we don't stop Luke...'

She didn't need to finish. If Luke's way of thinking could even tempt Annabeth, there was no telling how many other half-bloods might join him."

First thing to remember, this is all from Percy's perspective. These are all his own thoughts and how he thinks about things. So I think the way Percy speaking about Annabeth in the last paragraph kinda shows how he tends to think of her as strong for not thinking like Luke. Like Luke is kind of weak for thinking the way he does about things needing to change and rebelling against the gods. But also like Luke's way of thinking of his envisioning of a better world without the gods in control is, in itself, something dangerous.

Now, to the other demigods, if the gods were to fall and those demigods were to join Luke's/ Kronos's side, then... It really wouldn't be that dangerous for them. At least not much more dangerous than it is for them now with the gods ruling over everything. Because the gods and Titans are very much the same.

But ultimately, my main point is, Percy seems to have this underlying fear and aversion to anyone doing anything to go against the gods. But why? Why when we see that he is to his core, more on the rebellious side? Much like the ocean, Percy doesn't like to be restrained.

Because, he's been influenced by the gods and camp (especially Chiron). He's been steered to believe that even the thought of going against the gods is wrong and shouldn't be done. He's had Chiron who's been telling him that the gods falling out of power would be the worst thing to ever happen. One god in particular (ahem, Hermes) has used Percy's strong sense of loyalty and family to lead him, to manipulate him farther and put in his head that turning his back on his family (in this case the gods) is something that you should never do.

And it's not just Percy who has been raised to think this way, it's a lot of the other demigods at camp who stay loyal to the gods until their final breaths. Who stay loyal to them even as they watch their siblings die left and right before their eyes.

And Kronos is doing this exact same thing to Luke. It's the same thing that Kronos would've done to his subjects if he would've won the war. There is no difference between the gods and the Titans and, once again, Percy and Luke showcase that perfectly.

And people who believe that the gods are better than the Titans like to bring up the line from TLT when Luke says something along the lines of "the ones who serve Kronos will be treated well and be powerful, the others who don't will be killed."

Yeah, the gods do the exact same thing. They kill or torture anyone who defies them, and gives power to the ones who serve them. We have plenty of examples of this, two major ones are right in the last chapters of The Last Olympian. Luke rebelled against the gods, as he was fated to, and he died as he was fated to, along with most of the other traitors. And Percy, the one who had served the gods the most, he was offered godhood. Power. So yeah, there really is no difference between them.

But I just think it's so interesting how those two paragraphs can give so much insight into how Percy views things. And this is just from the second book. And the book that tends to be most people's least favorite book in the series.

[algumaideia]

The scene where Nico told Percy he had a crush on him was so terrible. I mean the entire arc was a dumpster fire in my opinion, but this is one of the few aspects I can tell everything that bothered me.

Also those are just my opinions.

Nico and Percy's relationship

In my opinion the beginning of their relationship is marked by Percy's sense of responsibility for Nico. He promised he would try his best to keep Bianca alive, he saw her dying, Nico put all the blame of her death on him. Percy decided to be the child of the prophecy so Nico wouldn't be. One of the reasons Percy entered the labyrinth was because Nico was in danger. Throughout the battle of labyrinth, Percy constantly tried to help Nico, be there for him.

For Nico things were a little different. One of the few things (maybe the only thing) I think the cupid scene got right was how amazed Nico was by Percy the first time he saw him. Percy was like a fantasy hero coming to real life. He was so excited. Then it makes sense Nico would trust Bianca with Percy. Percy was a hero, he fought monsters, Nico saw him in action and he was incredible. When Percy told Nico about Bianca's death, Nico put all the bad emotions he had about his sister's death and abandonment into Percy. It was an easier way to deal with the situation. After that Minus fomented the resentment Nico felt for some time.

Basically Nico was very antagonistic towards Percy and Percy was very protective of Nico. But after Nico talked with Bianca and then processed his feelings, he and Percy bonded. Percy encouraged Nico to feel more free to be a kid, he made it clear he was on Nico's side.

I believe Percy started seeing Nico as more than a little kid to protect on his birthday when Nico came with the information about Luke. I mean, the sense of responsibility and protection was still there, but it was like Nico gained more agency in Percy's eyes?? He was more than just a child who liked cards and lost his sister. He was traveling alone in the world getting information about a war.

And I just would like to say that I'm aware that Percy wasn't really good at this thing of being there to Nico (like when Nico told Percy he didn't belong and no one wanted him and Percy was like: you're right) but Percy was also a kid.

In the last Olympian we see their relationship have a problem: Nico lied to Percy. This obviously hurt and angered him. The war was about to start and Nico made the deliberate choice to lie to Percy, to fool him. And of course that Percy, whose fatal flaw was loyalty, would have a problem with any sort of betrayal (that is why i think he should be angrier about Silena).

For Percy, their relationship couldn't go back to what it was, they needed to be apart. Percy didn't trust Nico anymore and for him that is an integral part of a relationship.

As for Nico I think he was already preparing himself for the consequences. Again, he made the deliberate choice to lie to Percy. He could've told the deal so he and Percy could come up with something together, so Percy would go to Hades voluntarily. But he didn't. So I do think Nico was ready to deal with the consequences although he didn't expect such an emotional response (or his father fooling him). I also believe that if Hades had stuck to the deal, Nico wouldn't regret his decisions. Just like what happened in the books, he would accept Percy didn't trust him and try to gain Percy's trust again.

I think in the end of pjo, their relationship was on good terms. We don't get closure, but the set up to a future where they become close friends again. Percy also asked Nico to convince Hades to help them and saw Nico courageously and fiercely doing so. Besides, when Percy, Nico, Annabeth and Rachel interact in the end they kind of feel like a team to me, like Grover, Annabeth and Percy are.

The ending was written in a way that a happy ending would be the natural progression of their relationship. Actually that was the case of everything related to Nico, his arc ended with him not being alone, deciding to be at chb, having support, and being in a place where he could deal with his trauma properly. The ending was tied with a bow in a satisfactory way at least for me.

And then hoo comes.

For me when it is about Nico and hoo, it feels like Rick killed all arcs Nico had and then spit on their graves. It is not different with Percy and Nico's relationship.

The build up pjo had and what we should have explored was their journey to be on good terms again. But no Rick decided to make Nico lie to Percy again (I don't understand Nico's behavior on son, someone please enlighten me bc it makes no sense) and cause friction on their relationship again. But in my opinion he just remade it worse (like all of the other arcs Nico had).

I don't have much more to say about their relationship because it involves the crush storyline and I'm gonna talk about it later in the post.

I just would like to end this part saying that Nico and Percy's relationship is complicated and complex. It is important and impactful for both characters, although in different ways.

The traumatic outing

My problem with the outing scene is not that Nico is outed, but how it didn't have a purpose and the impact it had on Nico wasn’t explored. 

In the Cupid scene Nico was physically assaulted, Cupid forced him to talk about his crush when he wasn’t ready in front of someone Nico didn’t want knowing about his feelings, made it look like it was Nico’s fault he was lonely, called him a coward, mocked him.

I don’t see how after an experience like that Nico would be able to talk about his feelings again without problems. It seems it was his first time talking about it and he did it while being attacked. It was obvious Nico was struggling to admit to himself he liked Percy.

After this experience I believe the weight of Nico’s crush on Percy should go heavier. The interaction with Cupid was marked by violence because Nico liked Percy and how he felt about his feelings. How could he feel secure talking about it again if even the Love god was so aggressive? 

That was just another unnecessary traumatic event Nico experienced who wasn’t written well in the story.

Nico's love for Percy

I’m aromantic and it is not like I understand much about romantic love and crushes but I guess it makes sense Nico had a crush on Percy. He was a person who was friendly, his support, nice, and well a hero, someone Nico looked up to. But I deeply dislike how the crush became such an essential part to Nico’s decisions and his relationship with Percy.

For example Hades commented how Nico talked a lot about Percy when he was trying to convince his father to help in the last olympian, and, for me at least, it is implied that Nico’s crush on Percy was a key factor on how fiercely he tried to convince Hades. And that bothers me because before it was about Nico trying to regain Percy’s trust. When Nico decided to guide the crew to the Death Doors the impression was that Nico said yes because of his crush and not because of the complicated story he had with Percy or because it was the right thing to do.

It is like the love story corrupts Percy and Nico’s relationship, at least on Nico’s side. Because, yes Percy is important to Nico, but reducing this importance to a crush diminishes their complicated story.

Percy was the first real life Greek hero Nico saw, Percy was linked to Bianca’s death and Nico’s negative feelings about it, Percy was linked to the end of Nico’s toxic relationship with Minos, Percy was linked to Nico improving his relationship with Hades. Percy was nice to Nico, supported him, and tried to help him. Percy is the only person we see Nico bonding with in pjo the rest are just off screen scenes.

Nico having a crush on Percy is not the problem, but making his relationship with him revolve around the crush is ridiculous.

Why those things make the confessing scene horrible

Considering how important Percy is to Nico, how traumatizing his outing was, how Rick tried to reframe many things to the crush, how Nico was barely able to admit to himself he liked Percy, this scene being treated as a joke is a punch in the stomach. Not only his arc of getting over Percy was terribly done, but considering all the story Nico had with Percy and all the things Rick did on hoo, it just doesn’t make sense to it be treated so lightly.

Why is Nico suddenly totally okay with talking about his crush to Percy? In public? Nico, who has a problem with rejection?? With people not wanting him?? Who had such a traumatic outing?? Why was his crush being treated as a small thing when Cupid said it was the reason Nico was lonely and didn’t stay at Camp Jupiter?? Why Nico and Percy did not even talk about the situation?? When their relationship was in such a bad place in hoo and had no closure or nothing near to it?? 

It was just such a bad way to end the arc that didn’t respect or paid off neither the things established on pjo nor on hoo.

[tremendouskoalachild]

Star Wars (1977) #06: Is This the Final Chapter?

Roy Thomas, Sep 13 1977

To answer the title question: no.

Listen I know that comic covers have to be sensational and all, but isn't this just false advertising? And what is Leia doing??

We are entering the part of the story that will be a relatively straight adaptation, with lines not even changing between different drafts of the script and the final product. Sadly that gives me less to talk about but whatever, I'll find something.

For example, I really like the pilots' introduction:

The colors are admittedly a bit confusing with them being the "Blue Squadron"... But they're distinct! Introducing them in the correct order is also a plus (why did the movie jumble the numbers? I get they wanted Luke to go last but you could have just given him the highest number, right?). The comic goes on to confirm that "Blue Squadron" has indeed 6 members only (the movie Red Squadron has Red Eleven and skips some numbers - pretty sure there are eight pilots reporting in plus their leader).

We get some dialogue from imperial grunts:

Hey why does this rando look like a shaved Fidel Castro? I don't recall the imperial uniforms looking like this.

Stop flirting, you two.

These next panels are appropriately dramatic:

this issue makes me want to reread the X-Wing novels so bad-

We check in with Darth Vader and see he's being kind of defeatist about this (or is more tactically aware, your pick). The fatal flaw specifically seems to be comic specific.

Though with him recognizing the station's flaw in now sort of looks as if he used the excuse of destroying the X-wings himself to abandon ship. (In the movie the walls only explode in the stormtroopers' faces, so that might have factored into his decision as well.) He even seems to go alone instead of drafting two pilots with him:

Meanwhile, Luke is thinking about his new friends!

The comic has retained the very short scene of the rebel monitoring of the battle switching to audio only (I also believe this is the first instance of text outside the panels in these comics):

So long, Blue Four! Sorry we don't learn your name in the film or comic (it's John D in the fourth draft of the script and in the novelization - pretty sure D was supposed to stand for a surname but you got a different one in 2006 anyway). Sorry your lines got cut from the movie so you just kinda exist to die. Sorry fans confuse you with Fake Wedge (not even the real Wedge). Oh and sorry you don't get a send-off.

... but someone else does!

Luke what do you mean you only know him as Blue Six. Even if you weren't introduced you just heard his name. It's cute that Biggs knows it even though the first name gets retconed to be his middle name later but I don't get the timeline at all. Has it been months since Biggs sought out the rebels? He wasn't with them at the beginning of the movie. Are we meant to understand that he and Porkins defected together? Did they fight against the rebels, then?

(Also sidenote irrelevant to this comic but I'm glad the "Piggy" nickname was retained as a badge of honor in the X-Wing novels.)

Darth Vader joins the battle in his little ship and yeah, he knows exactly what the rebels' plan is. If you knew about the vulnerability why didn't you bring it up before? Your coworkers all seem clueless in the film. This also looks like a comic-only characterization and I honestly kind of love it? It accidentally matches up with Anakin's tech enthusiasm, as well as the popular fanon that Vader was against the Death Star and was secretly glad it blew up. And again, turning his completely coincidental survival at the end of the film into a calculated contingency plan is amazing, even if totally unplanned - Star Wars in a nutshell.

I like how the comic utilizes Darth Vader's eye reflections. Like in Blue Leader's death:

So ominous.

Then Luke's targeting computer gets broken? Alright I guess.

Biggs gets blown up and Wedge has to get away, like in the finished film. Vader is about to do Luke in, when we get this fantastic panel:

Not sure why Vader isn't flying in the middle but whatever, the composition is better like this. Vader yelling what appears to be a religious curse is hilarious. I am always fascinated by what the Sith were assumed to be in the early years of Star Wars, too.

Like in the film, Vader spirals away and Luke makes the shot. The explosion is great:

M A J E S T I C.

Luke lands:

I guess my pet peeve of star wars writers misspelling the word "hangar" extends beyond fanfic then. Also is "technicos" a typo or what? Wookieepedia says it's a used term but doesn't distinguish between different words for technician. What is up with this.

Some of the banter gets a bit expanded too:

I also want to include this panel, not because of any important continuity/goofs/whatever, but because it returns Luke to his natural form: pretty boy.

In the ceremony scene we learn that many worlds are supporting the rebels (and this line is present verbatim in the novelization, though not in any script I've seen). I assume this support is covert in the "actual" Legends continuity - not sure that was the intent though. The early material, the comics especially, portray the struggle against the Empire as a lot less asymmetrical.

I love this next panel because the interpretation of the whole Chewie medal situation is so creative and cute.

It doesn't work quite as well when you remember they are standing on the stairs below Leia but shhhh.

And in the final panel Han looks as though he's about to shoot someone. I get it man, we all hate long official ceremonies. Fully in-character as far as I'm concerned.

[ohmydamgods]

Riordanverse Opinions I refuse to budge on:

Hot takes part three?? Ig?? These aren’t hot takes at all at this point and if you know me you’ve probably heard me talk about these points multiple times

The punch line for Leo in ToA was atrocious. There was nothing funny about it and the entire scene was just uncomfortable not to mention down right stupid.

Calypso should’ve joined the hunters instead of Reyna. She didn’t necessarily need a romantic relationship, just connection. She clearly has a strong sense of family and it would’ve done her good to see the world while in a sisterhood

Rick literally made Calypso almost stupid and helpless for absolutely no reason?? I’m not sure if anyone else remembers in the dark prophecy when she kicked that metal monster and got hurt and then immediately punched it and broke her hand but why. Then she literally was forced to hobble with her boyfriend and Lester. Literally why would she do that. I’m not really a giant fan of her, but Rick giving one of the most feminine characters no fighting ability and then removing her powers gives me the ick.

He probably did it to make Leo seem like a better, caring boyfriend. which is also stupid. Despite all the many issues with Caleo, we know both of them care about each other. Calypso didn’t need to look stupid to show that Leo cares about her

I like the idea of having a Greek version of New Rome. I had no idea that some people were so strongly against it but I think it’s cool and fun

People who go into whole rants about why Annabeth is so much smarter than Leo are annoying 💀

I think the fact that Annabeth was afraid of Percy in Tartarus was dumb. I’ve heard so many arguments against it because ‘it reminded her of Luke’ or ‘she was scared for him’ etc, but I still think Annabeth would never be scared of him considering their history and his fatal flaw

I really dislike the whole little plot with Percy and Annabeth being uncomfortable with Tyson. I get how it was supposed to be read, but it came off really weird

This isn’t really an opinion but we should look into why so many Annabeth anti’s ship Lukercy or Pernico. If you hate Annabeth whatever I disagree, but the Annabeth anti to Lukercy/pernico pipeline is weird

I like widely beloved Camp counselor!Annabeth much better than widely beloved Camp counselor!Percy. Annabeth is the camp sweetheart and Percy is that one counselor who only a select few trust because everyone finds them intimidating

It’s very interesting to me that people widely disliked Lester x Reyna (as they should) but are still okay with Calypso x Leo even though it’s practically the same thing

When criticizing characters theres so much to think about. Yeah ig you can say Piper has internalized misogyny but then you have to remember Piper might not like dresses and makeup because the way native women are over-sexualized. Same with other characters. Call out Leo’s gross behavior but remember that the way Rick wrote him includes lots of gross Latin stereotypes

Chiron is annoying as hell 💀 pisses me off now that im rereading

[timelesslords]

⭐️⭐️ i have one!! chapter 28 is probably my favorite one, and i just would really love for you to explain further your thoughts of that chapter. the amount of emotional depth shown is amazing, and i would be so happy if you talked about it, mainly from “"I'm sorry," she said, choking back a sob, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have—"” to ““Seize the girl,” Kronos said, his voice so sharp Annabeth could have sworn it cut her across the face.” that whole interaction between percy, annabeth and kronos was the peak of literature

I would LOVE to talk about chapter 28!! Especially that section (which mostly consists of Kronos threatening/bribing the two of them to get them to join him).

I knew going in that I wanted to play into the fatal flaws from the books. I had sort of a hard time with Annabeth because I feel like because of the circumstances she’s in in this fic, her hubris doesn’t show as much. I think because she spent so much time trying to hide who she was and what she can do she lacks the sort of ballsy confidence that OG book Annabeth has. So trying to put a trail of characterization breadcrumbs leading to this moment was trickier.

In the end I had to go back and add more stuff about Luke. She really truly believes that she can fix him, which def demonstrates her hubris to a certain degree because he has ten years of brainwashing/conditioning under his belt and that’s not going away with one conversation lol (which Percy tries to tell her and she ignores).

Annabeth’s temptation was also harder because I had to straddle the line between making it both something she would reasonably consider and something she ultimately had to refuse. I still don’t know if I fully succeeded on that front, there was at least 1 comment being like “I don’t understand why she didn’t do it” which was honestly fair. I kinda debated the implications of the whole thing for a while— like was it fair of me to assert that destroying a colonial empire was unethical, even if what happened next was worse but in different ways? I didn’t love how the choice sort of forced the “lesser of two evils” type rhetoric. I tried to mitigate the issue a little by adding that bit to the Athena conversation about how destroying the gods at their roots would also destroy a part of Annabeth; I wanted to make it more clear that it wasn’t freeing Greece from a colonial empire but rather blowing literally everything up and starting from scratch. I think that’s a fundamentally different choice and it made more sense for Annabeth to make it, knowing how much she values her heritage.

Percy was much easier— he’d already demonstrated multiple times that he was willing to risk both his own safety and the success of the quest to protect Annabeth, so playing into his fatal flaw to make Kronos’s threat effective was super simple lol. Originally I didn’t even have the thing about Percy assuming they’d meet again in Elysium, that was actually a last minute addition I just randomly thought of while editing. I’m glad it came to me though, because it’s one of my favorite details in the whole fic!

As for why Percy refused, we never actually get to see what’s going on in his head, but originally I had a couple snippets of conversation in chapters 31 and 33 about Percy admitting that he thought Kronos was bluffing about only needing to kill one of them. I think the choice still absolutely destroyed him (hence the very convenient earthquake he caused lol) but he made it with the hope and assumption that at least half of the threat was untrue. Those bits of dialogue ended up getting cut because they ruined the flow of the conversation but I kind of wish I had found a way to include them lol.

The last thing I have Big Thoughts about is the “I love you” scene. Honestly I wish I had included more about language and the role it plays in the rest of the fic, like it’s never really explained how Percy knows Latin, or even how Annabeth does considering she grew up Greek. I considered having Percy have an accent or misunderstanding a few words here and there but it ultimately felt distracting. I think it would’ve made this moment more impactful though. There is still some discussion of language— Annabeth randomly recognizing Greek words and understanding Greek is partially how she figures out the truth about herself, and that was definitely important. Most of the themes of this fic were inspired by post-colonial migrant literature, so a lot of common tropes in the genre (the idea of a homecoming, language as a connect/disconnect to heritage, etc.) were really heavy influences when I was writing.

That’s all I’ve got for that chapter!!

Send me a scene/chapter/something I wrote and I’ll explain my thought process behind it! Send me a ⭐️ and I’ll pick something to talk about :)

[wolfhowlingdragonflyingsirensong]

spoilers

Since I recently played Life is Strange, which whoah, is totally an experience that I recommend to everyone, I’ve come to appreciate how well the game handles choices. It’s interesting how choices can seem meaningless good acts, like helping Alyssa avoid being hit, translates to her trusting Max enough for Max to save her. But, the game also points out how we can’t control consequences, since good deeds are done with nothing but good intentions can have fatal consequences, such as warning Victoria (and her believing you) leads to her murder, or the biggest good deed of them all, saving Chloe, leads to a storm that (can) kill lots of people. And ultimately, what’s cool is that every choice is canon, since Max it’s not a blank slate, meaning every choice the player makes is something Max considered. What do I mean with Max not being a blank slate? I mean regardless of your choices, Max likes waffles AND bacon and eggs. This is a minor example, but it serves for many things. Max can comfort Victoria or not, and later when they talk at the party regardless of your choice, Max at first is pretty angry, so she’s completely capable of standing up for herself and others. Max loves Chloe regardless of the player's feelings towards her. Max can be pretty uncaring or a literal angel, by Kate. And all of this is canon because even nice people contemplate not being nice all the time, even if it’s only a thought. This brings me to the ships topics. First of all, I’m glad that this game has non-ambiguous, non-sexualized, soft wlw romance (actually two counting BTS!) without the canon protagonist being turned evil or something, and I think that’s incredibly important. If the game had only Chloe as a love interest, I would totally get it and have no problem,  because the game is pretty much focused on their bond. Not that it matters to those who do, I personally don't ship it because I self-project (and I totally recognize it) on friendships I had in my youth that were a bit like Chloe and Max's friendship in the first episodes, and they were toxic. Don't get me wrong, I loved my friends and they were (are) good people. I like Chloe a lot, and there's no denying that there are strong feelings on Max's part for Chloe that are romantic, and it's up to the player to determine if Max is going to pursue Chloe. Denying it means that is both not reading Max's diary and erasing her sexuality. I write this because I don't want to seem like I don't ship them because I like Grahamfield, it's not that, I could very well be into both, and I think Chloe develops so much at the end of episode 5 that, while before I thought she was only in love with Rachel, at that point is totally understandable for me. If you ship Pricefield then that's awesome! You have all the canon content to back you up and a beautiful story of love with the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, can't get much better. Plus, the whole game is about their bond. It's incredibly well developed at the end mostly when you see Chloe growing out of her initial angry phase, and maturing in a beautiful way. So, shipping Grahamfield in this fandom sometimes feels like hey, you are a giant dick. I don't like hate on any ship or character (especially dunking on Chloe, because she's a representation of how trauma is not nice while actually being cool and kind, as well as being one of the few wlw canon protagonists), because both choices are completely canon, it's entirely up to the player. Again, if Chloe was the only canon love interest then that would be totally cool. Buuuut Max can choose to go on a date with Warren, write on his slate that he is cute, raise his grade (which can be done as a friendship thing only), help him in his experiment, kiss him, and if she does, she writes in his diary "I wanted one kiss from a boy I cared about", that to me, reads as having a canon interest in him too. And since Max is bisexual from what I understand, erasing that part doesn't sit well with me. Both Chloe and Warren have flaws, which hey is what happens with characters. Can you imagine having perfect characters? That would be so boring. He is a realistic 16-year-old boy to Max's 18 and Chloe's 19 years. He is extremely awkward, dorky, a little cringy, a boy with a harmless boy with a crush and that's normal at that age. He's helpful almost to a fault, and while some argue that's because he feels entitled, let me tell you, no niceGuy I've ever met has been so helpful if you don't give in, they don't back out after someone lets them down nicely, and he states his interest in Max clearly, and niceGuys don't tend to do that because they like to pine away and be angry that a girl didn't read his mind and magically fell in love with him. He believes Max from the get-go and helps her all the time, regardless of his feelings, which is like, basic decency, so if you want to call him a piece of shit I think that's going a little too far. If you want to take the words of others, Kate says he's a smart and silly cutie-pie with a good heart, suggests they take him with them to their tea-shop tour of Portland after everything and supports their date (besides them being friends, he brings her homework and is shown worried about her). I don't remember that part well, but I think Alyssa and Dana also support Grahamfield (and Brooke is very jealous!) so I think if he was an asshole they wouldn't be so supportive and Brooke wouldn't be into him, or Stella in another reality. My only point is that hey if you don't like him that's fine, but to call him a pervert or entitled or assholery is kinda uncalled for, to be honest, and using the nightmare sequence, in which EVERYONE is out of character (except Jeffershit) and shown being assholes, as a canon that he is bad seems to me like going out of your way. It's a nightmare for a reason, do you really think Kate would have said those things to Max if you save her? She's incredibly grateful. Or do you think Chloe would have done those things??? She would NEVER. Then why is Warren being treated as someone who would do those things for a nightmare? I don't get it. There are two myths regarding him: that he spies on Max and that he photoshopped a photo with them. First one, you can verify with mods that he can't see SHIT, he is merely waiting for her outside. Second, the photo is developed, not photoshopped, Max doesn't say hey we never took that photo, she merely is surprised he kept it. Now, he's a bit pushy when it comes to the drive-in (he acknowledges he's a pain in the booty), says like a stupid joke (a 16-year-old making stupid jokes, what a crime), and has that photo, which for some is crossing boundaries, and hey, that's fine. I, personally, just think a 16-year-old having a photo with his friend and crush is not creepy or bad. So, now that I'm over the ship discourse, which I hate but had to write to explain, I'm so glad this game brought so many interesting characters. My only complaint is that it felt a little too short when it came to other characters, I guess it's because the literal theme of the game is about abandoning youth and growing up as well, so that's because it's very focused on Chloe and Max's relationship, besides the romance. I adore Kate! I’m so happy we were able to save her, it was seriously one of the best moments I’ve ever seen in a game, I would have liked to see her future children’s book with Max’s photos, their tea sessions, and her coming back to school. I would love to have seen more of Stella, (a POC I think) that according to her words, faced an abusive home and poverty to end up studying in a prestigious school like Blackwell, busting her ass to work and yet being super cool and kind! I would have loved to see more of Daniel, how he faced bullying, how his home life is, his budding romance with Brooke, his future drawings. I would have loved to see more of Dana! How she dealt with abortion, a heavy topic, and yet she's super happy, nice, and in a loving relationship apparently. I would have liked to see more of Juliet's reporting skills, I feel like she could have been more important to the plot, or at least more exposés on bullying and the Prescotts. I would have loved to see more of Alyssa, what she likes, her relationships, etc. I would have loved to see more of Taylor! How her mom was doing, what steps was she going to take in not falling with the Vortex Club bullshit, her love for fashion, like Courtney. We didn't get to know Courtney at all I feel and I would have liked to! I would have liked to see more of Victoria, her insecurities, her relationship with her parents, her inner thoughts (she's totally bi too I bet), even her friendship with Nathan seemed deeper. I would have liked to see more of cool hipster Evan, or good skater boy Luke. In short, I would have LOVED to have them all hanging more with Max. The ending, oh man, what an ending. It's incredibly hard, and I hate that saving Arcadia Bay seems to go into "bury your gays" trope, because if there was a way to save them both I would. The writing is very powerful, ending the way it began. This leads me to my initial topic, choices. I love that the game gives us choices, and considering there are other alternative realities, maybe both choices are canon in different universes. If I was in Chloe's shoes I couldn't choose to sacrifice my mom, and Joyce dies if Chloe is saved, as well as many other innocents, so I can't choose that ending, I just can't (and I understand that's totally personal for everyone). A really tough choice, at least for me, and hey, if it wasn't specified that practically everyone died, I would have saved Chloe no questions asked. I do love, however, how Chloe matures so much in the course of 5 days and her bond with Max. She sacrifices for Arcadia Bay, and a lot of it is because of Max, because she doesn't want her to make that choice. So now if you excuse me, I'm still playing the funeral scene in my mind and the bathroom scene (totally broken) and had to write this as cathartic, so feel free to disagree with me or whatever you prefer, each one of us experiences a different game because of our different experiences in life. Next step: BTS and LIS2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9uy4V8SvPk

[michaelyew]

In an adaptation/rewrite of tlo I have some changes I'd like to make. Aside from the obvious. And I really like this book, it's my favourite from the main series, but it needs some updating!

**********

Firstly in order to fix The Last Olympian we need to fix some things in The Battle of The Labyrinth.

I want Beckendorf to have a bigger role in this book. He was introduced in the second book, but here is where he could really shine as a son of Hephaestus This whole quest is about his dad! He should be able to get more screen time in this story so that we can care about him on his own merits instead of as one of Percy's friends or the tragic love interest. For that, I think he should be a part of the questing trio. 

"But what about Grover!"

What about Grover? He has his own reasons for going into the labyrinth, he doesn't need permission from Chiron to look for Pan. He's a smart boy with some brains, he can see the maze as a lead and go in after them on his own. This also creates the same conundrum of Threes that came up in the book before, which we'll come back to later. Percy can intrust Tyson's care to one of the other demigods set up to be his friend in TLO: Michael Yew to establish their friendship and trust, Lee Fletcher to give him some purpose besides dying, the Stolls to once again affirm that the Hermes cabin takes on responsibility for other campers, ect. When Tyson later sneaks off into the Labyrinth after Percy, this sets up a later conflict that establishes whatever choice more. This also fixes something else that's always bothered me, which is that it kind of felt that Percy only truly accepted Tyson once he showed how useful he was. Plus he always seemed to feel responsible for him. By having Percy take the time to make sure Tyson is being taken care of outside of his talents, that establishes more concretely how much Percy cares about him as a brother without painting him as a burden.  

So Charlie goes on this quest and sticks it through to the forges. Grover in this version still goes off with Tyson for that sweet sweet character development, but the questing party stays at three. It's here that the parallels set in, because in being burned alive by the volcano and being yeeted to Calypso, Percy is not only saving Annabeth but also Charlie. Saving him from certain death by explosion and flame. It does have the unfortunate side effect of there being TWO incidents of Percabeth having emotional kisses in front of their friends, but we can fix this by having Charlie fight a Telkinhein or something it's fine. Beckendorf drops out of the main story from here to make way for Rachel but he still has one good scene of protecting camp at the end. Plus, I want him to be present when Amnabeth tells Hera she only cares about perfect families and I want him there to defend his dad. 

So for those counting that makes three counts of narrative consistency stacked against Charlie's life (which makes a lot more sense than just killing him off because you needed a martyr). With this we go into The Last Olympian. 

I wouldn't change much about the plot line from here on out. We have the setup of Charlie returning the favour to Percy by saving his life, we get some sweet last scenes of him being a demigod and a hero, the setup to TLO is bomb and it's fine. I'd like more scenes with Michael because if you're gonna set a character up to be front and center then kill him off you could at least give him more than 35 lines.

What I do want to make a point of here though is that Percy lives in BoTL. What happens to Beckendorf specifically from that moment doesn't actually matter so long as it makes a big enough impact on Selina to drive her to reach the conclusions that she does. He could live or die or be yeeted to Calypso, lose a limb or two, it doesn't matter so long as he's put down for the count for the rest of the book. Percy lived, and the rule of threes doesn't actually make an impact again outside of Bianca's death (because if it did someone should have died in Sea of Monsters but they didn't). So I like to think he lives, but I'd be more ok with him dying in this scenario than I was in canon.

However on to Selina, who still needs to die. And it's at this point that I will make people angry by saying that I think Charlie's impact on her is much more meaningful if they were best friends instead of dating. I want a scene in the earlier books where this is established so that we know that they are close. And I want them to be friends because the point of Silena's ark should be that she hurt her friends and she feels awful about putting them in danger and got them killed, not that she's changing herself for a man (or dying for one that's possibly still alive). I just think this would be much more powerful if romance wasn't the main emotion involved. 

That being said I want her to be 50% gayer for Clarisse because we were given Patroclus and Achilles parallels with girls and by GD they will be gay. I will stand for nothing less. I want them to have a relationship that's established at the end of BoTL in the background and I want it officiated in TLO because if you're going to compare them to one of the great mythic queer relationships of antiquity then they WILL BE QUEER. 

Again it would be neat if Michael lived because the alternative is that Percy killed his friend and then never talked about it again and it's never brought up again and it just exists as a thing everyone quietly knows until he snaps in Tartarus. Which I'm not saying that having that conversation instead wouldn't be cool, but the ending kiss is very iconic and I don't think that strong of a tone shift could work. 

Now I want Ethan to live not because I'm bitter and not because almost every person of colour dies in the main series but for one very important reason. Through the entire series, every time we see him, Ethan never actually did anything wrong. He was forced to fight in the arena by Luke, he didn't directly hurt or kill anyone, in fact he's never actually aggressive in any of his later appearances. Yeah he joined Khronos, sure, but it's not like he had any other options. That was his tragedy. Ethan was a son of a minor goddess, a goddess usually seen as evil by other demigods to boot, who was neglected and mistreated by the place that was meant to keep him safe. He had to join Luke because the alternative was being killed or recruited anyway. And he didn't deserve to die for it, the price of his redemption was never that steep. It makes much more sense for Ethan to return to camp and have a hand in rebuilding it with his own hands and making amends for the minor gods with his own power. His fatal flaw was the desire for justice at any means, him being killed when he's so close to freedom and respect doesn't jive with that.  

Additional notes: 

- The romantic subplot between Annabeth and Luke was creepy and we didn't need it. He was a big brother figure to her, that's enough betrayal drama on its own. 

- In general we need more canon ethnicities. In a TV adaptation this is easier obviously, but honestly we shouldn't have to assume things based on names or how little they're described. We should just get to know. 

[ibizase80]

Chiron the Centaur: PJO meets mythology

I was thinking about that scene of The Lost Hero when Jason describes the picture of Percy, Annabeth and Grover which Chiron has in the Big House. Chiron is depicted as really worried about what happened to Percy.

 It made me think about Chiron between mythology and Percy Jackson world. (Please, forgive my bad writing...)

 So, let’s start!

- Chiron is, basically, the main trainer of Greek Heroes: gods and mortal parents decide to send their sons to his “camp” to educate them. Firstly, Chiron teaches them how to fight, but that’s not all: what made Chiron’s education programme different was his aim to raise wise, prudent, sensible and educated men. Some of his pupils were Achilles, Heracles, Jason. 

- Except Perseus (fun fact: Chiron didn't train him), really few Greek Heroes lived happily after succeeding their quests: they usually die complaining about their mistakes or after losing control, especially because of their determined Fate (I’d say “men with special powers can’t live normal lives”, and this is what Parche and Gods would have said too). Chiron probabily knew it, and he simply tries to save heroes physically and mentally as long as he can, but he can’t control their hybris, rage or their “human” feelings - or fatal flaw. And heroes always fall because of their fatal flaws.*

- Then we have PJO, starting with Luke Castellan. Luke is probably one of the most powerful demigods Chiron educated in a long time: when Chiron faces Kronos, Kronos thanks the Centaur for Luke’s perfect body and athletic training.  Personally, I fully understand Chiron’s grieving when he comes to know Luke has joined Kronos (at the end of TLT): it seems he has failed, as a parental figure and as a trainer. Did Chiron know about what was going to happen? Probabily not, but he educated Luke such as he did with Heracles or Achilles. And we know how it ended.

- Annabeth Chase: she’s the hero Chiron always tries to create. She’s smart; she’s not so keen on fighting but she learns how to deal with it. She’s also human - her fatal flaw just reminds it (and Chiron can’t resolve everyone’s personal issues), but she embraces her humanity (especially after meeting Percy). And Chiron looks at her with respect and admiration.

- Percy Jackson: Chiron always says Percy is not ready to fight and that he would have been more trained to join his quests, but I feel like Chiron reached his aim: especially because of Sally’s education, Percy can learn the best from Chiron and ends up being a wise, prudent, sensible and educated men. He is also an unconventional hero, maybe the best hero mythology could had. No doubt about why Chiron is attached to him and fears what is going to happen to Percy.

I’d talk about Chiron and Mythology for hours, but I’ll end up saying this: Riordan gave life to Chiron in a gorgeus way. Homer, poems or greek litterature barely mention Chiron - they only describe how heroes come out from his training. But Chiron is a mentor, and he’s worried about what happens to all the demigods he is educating. He also knows he can’t do anything against Fates, except training demigods and help them finding theirselves and their strenghts. 

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, Chiron loves you.

Let me know what you think about it!

*I’m referring especially to authors of tragedies (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides).

[butchgwenwhyvar]

The Star Wars Prequels are a Greek Tragedy

Ok folks, buckle in because this classics nerd has made some Connections™

One of the main themes in the prequels (and by extension, the clone wars) is the inevitability of it all – I know it’s because it’s a prequel and as such, we know their fate, but that’s why it works.

(For the purpose of this meta post, please assume that when I say ‘the prequels’ and proceed to talk about Ahsoka or Rex, I mean ‘the prequels and the clone wars’ – it’s all part of the same story)

 (Important fact that relates to this meta post but doesn’t have much bearing on the actual argument #1: Anakin’s name comes from the Greek Goddess of inevitability, Ananke.)

 But the main argument is this: the prequels follow the format and pattern of a Greek tragedy. A Greek tragedy always has the audience take part in the form of the ‘chorus’ on stage – the chorus keep the story going and tell the audience what’s up, but they also provide an insight into the characters and question the characters on behalf of the audience (most tragedies are set in populated cities and palaces but a theatre troupe was traditionally around 5 people, so they had to get creative with extras and stuff). In the prequels and the clone wars, the role of the chorus is directly on the audience because we know what’s going to happen. We know about order 66 thanks to the start of season 6 and the end of season 7. We know that the sweet nine year old we meet in the phantom menace will become Vader. We know that Padme will die and that the Republic will fall and Palpatine will take power.

 To us, the chorus, it’s inevitable. But we also know the future of the characters, so there’s a thread of dramatic irony woven in (dramatic irony is a central part of the format of a Greek tragedy) because we know about the original trilogy and the fact that Luke will save Vader and the Empire gets royally fucked up by the rebels.

In Greek tragedy, the dramatic irony is a little less on the nose though. In Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex in Latin), the chorus and the audience know what’s going to happen from the start. By the time Sophocles had written down the play it had already been performed at least once at the Dionysia, an Athenian play festival where everyone got very drunk and people ran play contests – Sophocles was a common contributor to the contests, and it was recorded that he never got below second place. So as this play is being performed in the late third century BCE, it’s been around for around 100 years. The audience knows what’s up – they know that Jocasta is actually Oedipus’ mother, they know that Oedipus is actually the one that killed Laius and is bringing down the gods’ displeasure on Thebes. So when Oedipus and Creon are talking to Tiresias and saying ‘well, someone has to be cursed because that’s the only way we’ve pissed the gods off enough,’ the audience (and to an extent Tiresias, because he was a prophet) get a sense of dramatic irony. It’s similar to the scene in Attack of the Clones when Dooku’s talking about the sith in the senate – we as the chorus and the audience go ‘It’s Palpatine!’ because we’ve seen the originals and we know about the fall of the republic.

The sense of dramatic irony really helps to build the inevitability of it all because as the chorus, we know the future of these characters.

 Another thing that characterises the prequels as a specifically Greek tragedy is the use of fatal flaws and how they relate to the character’s virtues. Anakin’s main character traits are his general mistrust of authority, his sense of personal loyalty and his need to help others – he’s proven that he’d burn the galaxy down for his family and the people he loves, and there’s quite a few poignant scenes in the clone wars EU novels where he’s mourning the clones and generally caring a lot about them (if you want specific novels, Karen Miller’s ‘Clone Wars: Gambit – Stealth’ is excellent and is the source of that excellent ‘blind me and I’ll tell you who laughed’ quote, and Karen Traviss’ novelisation of the clone wars movie has lots of scenes with Anakin being a good bro to Rex and caring about the 501st). Padme’s main trait is her belief in human decency (we’re using human in this case because I’m relating it back to humans) – she cares deeply about seeing the good in people, up to her dying moments. Obi-Wan’s main trait is his dedication to the Order and their rules.

However, if you turn these traits on their heads, you get their fatal flaws and their ultimate downfall. Vader’s issues with authority and his need to save those he cares about lands him in the suit and as the Emperor’s attack dog. Padme can’t see the problems in the republic and all the things going wrong with Anakin until it’s too late because she’s so focussed on seeing the good in what’s left. Obi-Wan fails as Anakin’s mentor because he was too focused on the way things should have been (let the record show I am not shitting on Obi-Wan, this is just my thoughts about the narrative and this part of the Skywalker debacle).

In Oedipus Rex and Antigone (written before Oedipus, set after Oedipus – it’s about his daughter), the same thing happens. Oedipus’ loyalty to Thebes and his unwavering sense of duty makes him an excellent king – he listens to his people and takes their complaints into account. Creon’s ability to stick to the rules and provide a safe kingdom makes him the perfect second choice as king (this will make more sense when I talk about Antigone because Creon is a main character in this play as well – his character arc spans the two plays). Jocasta is kind and sees the best in everyone (I’m sensing a theme). But if you turn that on its head, all the ugly details come out. Oedipus has inadvertently committed one of the worst sins that the gods can think of a punishment for, and he’s promised the people of Thebes that whoever has cursed the land will be banished for life. When he finds out that his wife is also his mother and he murdered his birth father years ago, he blinds himself in shame but asks to stay in Thebes. This is where Creon’s flaw starts to appear – Oedipus asks to stay and Creon casts him out. Oedipus keeps his loyalty to the Thebans by maiming himself and marking himself as the cursed person, but he doesn’t think his actions through. If he’s banished, his four children will also be banished with him and will suffer for the rest of their lives. Staying is the only option. But Creon is too obsessed with placating the Thebans and the gods, so Oedipus and his children are cast out because of Creon’s determination to stick to the rules. Jocasta’s need to see the best in everyone leads to her denying that her husband is also her son, even once she’s put the pieces together – there’s a scene where she’s talking to her main and her maid asks and she refuses to acknowledge it. This leads to her killing herself in shame once the news has gotten out. It’s inevitable. The audience know and love this play. They know what’s coming.

And then Antigone happens. Antigone is Oedipus’ eldest daughter. Her siblings are Ismene, the youngest, Eteocles, and Polynices. Eteocles and Polynices have declared war on each other (Eteocles is fighting for Thebes, where Creon is the king now) and have killed each other. Eteocles is to be buried with full honours, while Polynices’ body is to be left in the dust (the Greeks believed that being buried in the dirt was the only way to get into the afterlife). So Antigone tries to bury Polynices over the course of the story – her main character trait is her loyalty and her persistence. Creon is still too wedded to the rules, but now he’s also stuck on his own idea of power – the king’s word above all else, even the gods.

The play ends with Antigone’s suicide after being banished  to a sealed cave for the rest of her life (she keeps covering Polynices’ body in dirt until Creon gets sick of it and sends her to the cave). Her loyalty and her tenacity have become her downfall and led to her death (for those interested, Antigone’s death led to Creon burying Polynices properly). Creon’s virtues of being a rule-following king lead to him essentially going mad with power, which leads to his son killing himself after he hears of Antigone’s sentence, his wife killing herself after she hears of Haemon’s death, and Creon’s apparent suicide (he gets an open ending but it’s widely accepted that he dies as well).

 Relating this back to Star Wars and the point I made earlier: the prequels are pretty much the only Star Wars media where the character’s virtues become their flaws. It’s very hubristic and I love it. Ahsoka’s virtue is in her persistence and her drive to survive while trying to do what’s right – turn it on its head and she’s unleashing Maul on a bunch of 66’d clones to escape. On first watch, Rex’s virtue seems to be his loyalty to the Republic, but that’s brought into contention in season 1. His actual virtue is his loyalty to his brothers but that’s turned on its head in episodes 11 and 12 when he’s forced to shoot and stun them and know that they’re going to die and there’s nothing he can do to save them, which almost leads to him giving up entirely in episode 12.

 And that leads me back to my main point. George Lucas wrote the prequels and most of the clone wars like the archetype of the Greek tragedy on purpose, to show the inevitability of the story.

The main parts of a Greek tragedy are as follows: Hubris (personal pride leading to a downfall)

The Chorus and the use of dramatic irony

Virtues as fatal flaws

Catharsis

 The main parts of the prequels are as follows:

Hubris (the Jedi and the Republic’s pride lead to their downfall, Anakin and Obi-Wan’s pride leads to Mustafar)

The Audience and the use of dramatic irony

Virtues as fatal flaws

Catharsis

Hope

 Back to inevitability: the use of virtues as flaws leads to the inevitability of the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker. He can’t not be loyal and caring to the point of obsession, jealousy, and overprotectiveness. Padme can’t not deeply believe in the power of human kindness and their ability to believe in a better system. Obi-Wan can’t not be wedded to the rules far too much. To take all of this away from their characters is to leave them as completely different people. An Anakin that doesn’t care as much is an Anakin that’s closer to the ‘perfect Jedi,’ a Padme that doesn’t believe in a better system is a Padme that lets even more atrocities fly under the radar in the senate. An Obi-Wan that’s not wedded to the Code and the Order and the Rules is an Obi-Wan seen in the early Jedi Apprentice books – a Jedi always on the brink of snapping, falling, or expulsion from the Order. So you see these character traits and you see what’s coming and it’s inevitable because these virtues and therefore flaws are what makes the character them, which progresses the story.

 The use of dramatic irony also highlights the inevitability within the stories of the prequels and the tragedies. The audience of the films and the chorus/audience of the plays know what the characters don’t. They know that Oedipus is Jocasta’s son. They know that Antigone and the rest of Creon’s family will kill themselves. We know Anakin will fall. We know Padme will die. We know about the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. But they don’t and that’s why the dramatic irony works so well. We’re on the edge of our seats, waiting for the moment when it all clicks – when someone listens to Fives about the chips and takes action – when Anakin gets help – where Padme survives – where Obi-Wan puts aside the Order and tries to help Anakin and reassures him. But it never happens, and we know that.

Every time we watch the prequels or the clone wars, we think ‘maybe this time it will turn out alright’ but it’s inevitable that it won’t because it’s written like a Greek tragedy and those always end in the darkest possible way.

 There’s another common thread between the prequels and Greek tragedy as well – catharsis. It’s the breaking point and the aftermath, where consequences are dealt out. The catharsis in Oedipus is obvious – it’s when Oedipus blinds himself and is banished. The catharsis in Antigone is subtler but infinitely more painful. Creon is punished for disobeying the gods and as his punishment, Antigone (his son’s fiancée), Haemon (his son), and his wife are all dead, all by their own hand. This brings him shame and it’s widely accepted that he goes off and kills himself, which is even more of a punishment (suicide was not welcomed in the Greek afterlife – they’d often go to the Fields of Punishment or the Fields of Asphodel). The catharsis in the prequels is glaringly obvious in comparison. Anakin faces massive consequences for his actions, which stay with him for the next 25 or so years. He can’t go back to the way everything was, because he’s burnt it all down around him. He’s punished psychologically and physically until his death, as punishment for his mistakes and his actions. The audience feels catharsis here as well, as Anakin doesn’t get away with his actions. His end is especially cathartic, not just because he got his comeuppance, but because he dies to undo a little bit of the horrors he’s committed.

 So the prequels and a Greek tragedy always end in tears, and the quote at the start of the Revenge of the Sith novelisation (thank you Matthew Stover) sums this up perfectly. ‘This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it. The inevitability of all of these stories I’ve talked about is woven into it’s very fabric, and nothing can be done to change it.

 However, there is one way in which the prequels are different to a typical tragedy – the prequels end with a shred of hope. Tragedies have to finish with the catharsis and complete and utter bleakness and the destruction of a heap of lives – Creon’s family dies, Oedipus loses his wife and his sight, Anakin and Palpatine destroy the Jedi – it’s one of the hallmarks that makes it a tragedy and not just ‘some play by Sophocles.’ The prequels finish with Bail and Breha and Leia in the palace on Alderaan. They finish with Luke with Beru and Owen on Tatooine, where Shmi and Anakin were from. They finish with hope, which is a complete turnaround from the tragedies that the story is written to fit in with.

[alextriestowritestuff]

Blood Of Olympus Read W/ Me

This was the worst book of the series by far. I almost didn’t finish it. I think my thoughts are going to be rather short but they’ll still be below the cut for spoiler reasons. There will also be Trials of Apollo spoilers so I highly suggest not reading this if you haven’t caught up with those books! Let’s get into it.

I’d like the start by saying what I like: Nico/Reyna POV. I loved their relationship (which I didn’t see coming at all) it was very big sis-little bro vibes. I love that Nico finally found a place and his budding relationship with Will. What’s funny is though I knew Will would be his love interest (You can’t avoid them in fanfic at all) I thought he’d be more like super sunshine/super happy and that would contrast with Nico’s emo nature. But he was just chill and was like Nico, stop being a dumbass, we’re friends. I think fanfic gave me a different impression of what he’d be like (Granted I never read the fics, just summaries) and I was surprised that he was not like that. It’s not bad or good, just pointing it out. 

Oh and Nico telling Percy he liked him and Percy just being like ‘say what?’ I didn’t expect Nico to actually fess up to that one but Percy’s reaction was gold. 

The best moment in this book is Reyna taking down Orion by herself. She was that BITCH. Correct me if I’m wrong but the only other person who defeated a giant by themselves was Percy right? In the Battle of Labyrinth when he fights Antaeus? I think Antaeus was a half-giant though because Percy, a demigod, managed to kill him without the help of a god. Anyway, Reyna was everything in that scene. Oh I lied, he took down Polybotes too. They’d be unstoppable together (though I love Percabeth). She was about to sacrifice herself too!! What a queen. I respect the crap out of her. UM Jason you really picked the wrong girl lmao. 

I appreciated the Thalia cameo (because again, I didn’t re-read the Lost Hero so I haven’t seen her since the last time I read the PJO series) and the mention of Zoe. I hope Kenzie didn’t really die though, I liked her. 

And that’s all the good I have to say about it. Now for the bad...so much bad.

So after thinking about it, I realize that what makes HoO so different from its predecessor series is that there’s no consequences. The closest we got to consequences was Annabeth and Percy falling into Tartarus because they weren’t saved in time. No one important (protagonist/good guys side) died. Leo was resurrected (And I looked it up and found out that he came to Camp in the Trials of Apollo series so everyone knows he’s alive). Even for the Tartarus one, we didn’t even get a PTSD arc. It would’ve been helpful to have Percy or Annabeth’s POV in this book to wrap up that subplot. Instead we get two lines about their time in Tartarus and when Percy brings it up, Annabeth tells him not to mention it. So no PTSD arc. Got it. But we can just casually mention that Octavian committed suicide (which I don’t care for that ending at all).  Right.

The HoO books are boring because there’s no consequences. I never felt true fear apart from Percy/Annabeth being in Tartarus. In the Last Olympian, mortals were put to sleep, Annabeth was gravely injured, Silena and Beckendorf died. Luke and Ethan died. There was no magical save for them. Blood of Olympus had NO stakes, coupled with a weak, slightly developed new characters made it a bad series imo. It also doesn’t deliver on the questions posed in the book.

Hazel’s curse is still active, no descendant of Neptune has taken it away. I read the wiki summary for every book of the Trials of Apollo (The last one isn’t out yet) and there’s no mention of her curse being lifted. I think Frank’s stick is resolved imo being that it’s safe in the fireproof pouch but for some readers, they don’t think that’s resolved. Kym told Percy he’d have to face his fatal flaw. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t feel as though he did. Percy also never helped Leo find Calypso but Ig that’s null because he never got the chance to. Also is Black Jack, Frank’s grandmother, Hylla okay? Orion said Hylla got away but I was hoping for another cameo. 

Let’s talk about the villains/the entire quest of the Seven. The quest was boring, Nico/Reyna/Hedge’s quest was 100x more interesting and they were transporting a freaking statue. The quest of the Seven was fight this minor god/villain who is working for Gaea who promised them something (Even Jason has a line where he makes fun of this), outsmart/fight them, get to Athens where all the monsters are. Percy and Annabeth’s blood awakens Gaea. The gods come down which makes me angry because most of them weren’t helpful throughout the series. Poseidon wasn’t in this series at all. He didn’t even send a symbol or talk to his son who went missing. I’m pissed that the battle against Gaea wasn’t even in Athens! I’m pissed that they got slapped to New York, like what? The gods really couldn’t poof them back there, they gave some excuse but it was still bs. But I guess Rick needed Argo II to get back to NY so Leo can turn festus back into a dragon. But anyway, the gods come down, the demigods work with to defeat the giants in less than two pages. The giants that were poised as a massive threat for four books straight. Defeated in mere minutes. We don’t even get a cool battle description, they just hack and slash at them and they’re dead. Huh? 

Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, and Frank were reduced to background characters and I understand they don’t have a POV but I never felt that characters who didn’t have a POV in a certain book were ever forgotten/not utilized. They didn’t really get to do anything. 

We also don’t really see the Roman and Greek gods all that much. I know they’re the same people, different Greek and Roman personalities. But like I thought their Roman side could be seen a bit more but they were having difficulty maintain one persona throughout the whole series. I can tell you what the Greek gods are like and how they interact w/ each other based on the throne room scenes/anytime they help demigods in PJO/HoO. But Roman gods as whole? I can’t tell you how they even interact with each other. 

But wait, it gets worse. There’s not even a formal recognition thing like there was at the end of the Last Olympian (where Percy is offered godhood and Annabeth is given position of architect) there’s a little meeting with the gods and the Seven in which Jason is like give minor gods shrine and the gods aren’t really all that interested in what he has to say. There’s no thank you demigods. No, thanks Annabeth and Percy for literally going through Tartarus and Hazel for sacrificing yourself at 13 back in the 1940s. And the rest of them sacrificed something too. Like damn, no wonder why Luke was always like the gods don’t care about their kids. 

Gaea was built up to be a big bad (honestly not really, she talked trash the entire time/sent people to do her work) and the woman is easily overpowered by the three demigods. She’s not even awake for 20 minutes and she goes down. WHAT?? 

Overall, it was anti-climatic and totally did a 180 on everything else established in this series-the fact that Gaea was such a major foe and turned out not to be (that SEVEN demigods had to take her down, not just 1 like Percy’s prophecy) and the giants were to be feared too but they get taken down. At 200 pages in, I dead ass wanted to DNF, it was so boring. I gave it a one star because although the good I mentioned was really great, it doesn’t save the book. So for me, this series had every book be 3 stars or under except House of Hades. 5 books and I only really was able to like one and get through it easily and it still had issues. Like what?

Lastly, I want to touch on Jason. I still think he’s bland though I appreciated him giving Nico a hug at the end there. Again from ToA/being spoiled over the years, I learned that Jason died and I won’t be reading ToA but I read the summary of the book where he died and um, wow. I don’t feel anything for his death but the fact that he and Piper broke up sent me into a laughing/anger rage. Laughing because they really said ‘I love you’ at the end of BoO and they didn’t even make it a year lmao. And the fact that PIPER, miss always insecure in her relationship with him, McLean broke up with HIM. WOOOOOW. But it made mad because I listened to her complain/fawn over Jason for 4 freaking books (not counting tSoN) for NO REASON cuz they ended up breaking up. Overall, I appreciated what Jason, Hazel, Frank, and Piper did in the HoO series because they were helpful but I couldn’t connect with their characters. I’ll admit that in BoO we got a little bit more bonding between characters which is what I asked for in my last read with me and I like the Percy/Jason scene underwater and Piper/Annabeth scene from the beginning. I do think some relationships were summarized when they could’ve been shown--i.e. Annabeth/Reyna/Piper friendship but they have potential. 

The bonding was good, it was just too late. It should’ve happened in MoA/HoH as well. Random but I also hate how Leo was treated (esp. by Jason and Piper) throughout the series and I’m glad he got out of that mess. He was reduced to a deus ex mechanic and that wasn’t cool. The Seven wouldn’t have been able to do this quest without him. 

Sooo I guess this is it. I don’t think I’m going to read another Rick Riordan book again unless I hear something drastic happens to Percy or Annabeth/Any of the PJO characters and Reyna. I’m strongly reconsidering removing him as my fav author. I still love the PJO series but this one was not it. I don’t know if Rick was on a tight deadline for these HoO books but it was just poorly executed. I don’t regret reading the series, I think reading HoH was worth all the time I spent reading this series. I wish I had just read a summary of tSoN and MoA, especially because I already read them years ago and knew I wasn’t into them from my first read. I wasted my own time by doing that. So if I had done that I would’ve gotten to just read HoH and then only be disappointed by BoO as opposed to three books. It is what it is. It’s nice to be in the loop because I always see these things about HoO characters and spoilers so now I know how it went down. 

But that’s it guys, thank you for reading this entire thread and the ones before it. I have a lot of opinions and I don’t think I’m in the minority by saying I didn’t like this series overall. I will get back to my writeblr content and I will leave you guys with my final ratings for the series (My rating system may seem generous compared to my read with me thoughts but I personally don’t give less than 3 stars to books that plot wise made sense. It may not be the most compelling plot or have the best characters but if it made coherent sense, I have to give it at least a 3.) :

The Lost Hero: This score is based off of my original reading in 2012/2013 and my thoughts on the main characters in that book, I give this a 3/5 stars

The Son of Neptune: 3/5

The Mark of Athena: 2/5

The House of Hades: 4.5/5

The Blood of Olympus: 2/5 

Worst book of the series: Mark of Athena (Blood Olympus is a close tie but the Nico/Reyna really saves it from this spot) and best book- House of Hades. 

[jackiestarsister]

My thoughts on “The Rise of Skywalker”

I just saw The Rise of Skywalker with my friend @ewoking-on-sunshine. I’m still processing it, but I have many thoughts. Spoilers below the cut.

It’s not a perfect movie. But I enjoyed it and am, for the most part, satisfied. All I wanted was for it to be enjoyable and make sense and bring some resolution to the story. I think it succeeded overall.

I feel like I can’t complain too much, because the biggest things I wanted to happen did happen: we got Ben’s redemption, a freaking Reylo kiss, and Ben smiling. We even got beautiful things I wasn’t expecting, like Han’s scene, and the revelation that Leia trained as a Jedi for a time. I think it can stand on its own as a story in itself, though The Last Jedi may remain my favorite installment as far as story craft.

Here are my miscellaneous thoughts and opinions:

~ Much of it feels like fan fiction. Whether that is good or bad, I’m not sure. It could just be that the fans were particularly good at predicting possible developments and the general direction of the story.

~ Nothing was revealed about Kylo’s style/method of governing, or whether he did anything to expand the First Order’s power as Rey predicted they would do in TLJ

~ Palpatine’s return could have been set up better

~ The symbolism and significance of Kylo killing his abuser is changed, if not completely ruined, since Snoke was Palpatine’s puppet, and Kylo seems to enter Palpatine’s service after learning that he was the one who manipulated him throughout his life. Maybe Kylo thought if he refused he wouldn’t be able to get away alive?

~ Palpatine’s plans are as confusing as ever. Just how much he controlled, what he was aware of, and what his true intentions were is unclear. In particular,  I’m confused about the fact that Palpatine made Snoke, who seemed ignorant of Rey’s origins and told Kylo to kill her, and the fact that Palpatine told Kylo to kill Rey when it turned out he wanted her to come and kill him. Were Snoke and/or Palpatine using reverse psychology in giving Kylo those orders?

~ Palpatine probably had the means to prolong and/or restore Padme’s life the whole time Vader was trying to find a way to do so

~  It is unclear whether Rey ever told anyone about her bond with Kylo or how he killed Snoke (which is pretty relevant information for the Resistance).

~  It’s unclear whether Rey and Kyko have seen or felt each other through the Force at all in the past year. Each movie shows several Force bond connections in a short period of time (one or two days each), and that would add up to a lot in a year, so I’m guessing they didn’t have any for that interim. It seems that although Rey closed the door, Kylo opens it. I don’t really like what that implies.

~ The beginning revealed so much and moved from one set of characters to another so quickly that I wondered whether the story was going to continue following the hero/heroine’s journey(s). Eventually it did, but it felt like the strangest beginning for a Star Wars movie, especially compared to the brilliant opening sequence of The Force Awakens.

~ Rey and Poe’s bickering was fun to watch

~ They did pretty well using those bits of Carrie Fisher footage and making Leia’s death play a role in the story. I’m sure if Fisher were still alive they would have had more justice for Leia.

~ I wish Rose had played a bigger part in the story, and that her relationships with other characters had been clarified and explored more.

~ I wish Ben had interacted with other members of the Resistance. He and Finn had so many parallels in their arcs, and the two of them actually had a couple scenes together, but they were always distant, with Finn watching as Rey interacted with Ben.

~ What was Finn going to tell Rey? What was their relationship about when it came down to it? They had such a wonderful dynamic and intertwined arcs in The Force Awakens, but in this installment it felt like they were running parallel to each other.

~ Giving Poe a shady past as a spice smuggler contradicts his canon backstory revealed in Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka.

~ Hux’s death was disappointingly anticlimactic. Seemed like a waste of his character. I’m not sure how I feel about the twist of him being the spy. He seemed so much less the crazed man who fired Starkiller or the calculating menace who considered killing an unconscious Kylo. Before TROS, Hux’s motivations seemed more political and ideological, a contrast to Kylo’s motives which seemed personal.

~ In what capacity did Pryce serve Palpatine in the previous war?

~ The fact that Rey is a Palpatine raises all kinds of questions about her family. There could be a whole trilogy about what kind of relationship Sheev and his child had. I wonder if the mother of his child was Mara Jade or someone like her who worked closely with him. But the mention of cloning and other strange techniques for making or passing on life makes me wonder if his child was even “natural” or somehow made.

~ Rey’s Dark Side heritage makes her affinity with the light side even more ironic and miraculous. Or maybe the irony is that someone as dark as Palpatine could come from such an idyllic utopia as Naboo. Maybe they are trying to show that it is our choices, not our origins, that define us.

~ The fact that Rey is descended from a powerful established character takes away from the idea that Rey represented for me and many others, that a great person can come from humble, unimportant origins.

~ Finn’s arc was opposite of predicted stormtrooper rebellion. The stormtrooper paradox still holds.

~ The hunt for Sith clues doesn’t make sense. It makes even less sense than the search for Luke in TFA, which was full of holes and unexplained coincidences.

~ The way Ben stands on the Death Star looking out at the horizon was 100% Byronic hero, but also similar to Luke’s posture when looking at the Tatooine suns.

~ Seeing Kylo talking to Han and Rey talking to Luke underscored how Kylo and Rey are co-protagonists.

~ How long did Ben stay at the Death Star ruins contemplating his and Rey’s situation? Apparently long enough for Rey to go to Ahch-To, talk to Luke, and go to Exegol, because he arrives there later than her. Time and distance in these movies have never made much sense, but I wonder if there might be some deleted scenes involving Kylo at this point. Did he realize he had lost control of the First Order? Did he ever think about ordering them not to follow Palpatine?

~ Regarding minor pilot characters: Happy to see Wedge Antilles back, sad to see Snap Wexley die.

~ Poe could have had better resolution for his arc as an emerging leader

~ Finn tries once again to sacrifice himself despite what Rose said to him after he tried to do that in TLJ. (While I don’t think it was necessary, Ben’s death was in keeping with her words because he died to save what he loved.)

~ We finally got a Reylo music theme! If I’m not mistaken, it had the Force theme sort of underlying it but there were other things going on too. I look forward to hearing the What the Force podcast’s discussion on this.

~ Rose was right that they would win by “Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.” Rey refused to even hate Palpatine. Ben came to save Rey and that enabled her to save everyone else.

~ My favorite moments of each sequel involve Rey, Ben, and a light saber passing between them.

~ Everything that was said to Rey and Ben about home, family, coming home, coming back ... it was all leading up to their teaming up. Palpatine was wrong when he said he was Rey’s only family. Ben became her family, and that was part of the reason why she took his family name. Whoever wrote the caption “The belonging you seek is in Ben Solo’s arms” was right.

~ We still don’t know what, if any, ideology Ben held, how he felt about political power and different forms of government. That pretty much reinforces my belief that for him this has never been about politics, it’s all been personal for him.

~  Ben’s death is problematic if he is supposed to represent people who have been abused and made poor life choices. It’s a beautiful sacrifice, but did Rey really have to die and necessitate it? She could have been mortally wounded, and he could have healed her without dying himself.

~ If passing his life force to Rey cost his life, Ben should have died before Rey kissed him.

~ Ben’s death is tragic, but not technically a tragedy in the literary sense, because it’s not about learning how to avoid making mistakes like his. For all his faults (narcissism, anger that manifests in violence), Ben didn’t have a particular fatal flaw. He fell because he was a victim of circumstances and forces beyond his control. He died saving the woman he loved, which sounds like a good thing.

~ I’m surprised the Lars homestead was still standing after it seemed to have burned to ash in A New Hope, and I find it difficult to believe that on a planet like Tatooine someone else would not have claimed it.

~ The title refers to both Ben and Rey, since Rey becomes a Skywalker

~ From a certain point of view, Reylos and Rey Skywalkers were both right, and both wrong.

~ Why didn’t Ben become a Force ghost like Luke and Leia? Can he become one in the future? I find the matter of whether a Jedi/Force-user leaves behind their physical body or fades away to become one with the Force, and whether they become capable of manifesting as a ghost, sketchy and inconsistent.

~ What is Rey going to do now? Was she moving into the Lars homestead? Will she raise a family of her own? I think it unlikely that she would fall in love with anyone as deeply as she did with Kylo, and I think she might be hesitant to have biological children who would inherit her (Palpatine) Force abilities, but I can picture her adopting and/or mentoring children.

~ The theme of IX seems to be “You’re not alone,” the way 8’s was “Failure is the greatest teacher.” It is the lesson Rey, Finn, Poe, and Ben each learn. But in the end Rey does seem alone.

~ Rey’s greatest fears were being alone and being insignificant. Is the takeaway supposed to be that she is okay with being alone? That would go against the movie’s overarching theme. Similarly, Star Wars is about family, and while that theme definitely comes through, it would have been so well punctuated if the story ended with the main characters starting families.

~ Nothing was resolved regarding the government(s) of the galaxy. Is it in a state of anarchy now? Were they able to learn from the mistakes of the past two republics?

~ Did Rey, Ben, the Jedi, and/or the Resistance bring balance to the Force? Is the corresponding rise and fall of the light and dark finally over? Will this peace last? Will Rey be the last Jedi or will she pass on their legacy?

~ What was the point of this trilogy as a whole? What message are we supposed to take away from it? Is it still a Prodigal Son type of story?

Now I’m going to spend time thinking about how this will impact my fan fiction and my essays on the Christian themes of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. I will look forward to reading the (apparently expanded edition) novelization and having good quality screenshots and one more Shakespearean parody by Ian Doescher.

[winnipegpatty]

We’re Fatally Flawed | two | s.m. series

a/n: feedback is very much appreciated, okay? 

warnings: mentions of child abuse, absolutely nothing graphic. 

“The safety that you're selling me

One day be the death of me”

Turns out playing for We the Kings really is life changing. In the following weeks of their three shows, Terminal had been asked to open for 4 more shows of other various artists. They were in talks with two other bands looking for an opener too. Thanks to the help of Aaliyah, their instagram presence was better than ever, and for the first time, it felt like they actually had fans. There were people dedicated to listening to and loving their music. Downloads of their EP had increased some, and their Spotify listens were the same. We the Kings had publicly thanked them for opening in Toronto on their social media accounts a couple days ago, which started a whole new round of fever. It was chaos. A beautiful chaos.

Shawn couldn’t say they’d “made” it, sure. But they were well on their way. If the band could keep this momentum, they’d be able to make something of themselves. Shawn had been writing constantly when they weren’t practicing, gearing up to produce another EP to hopefully gain more traction. Afterall, only have 6 songs to your band’s name wasn’t much of a selling point if they wanted to make it on a real tour circuit.

Mandy was thrilled. Seeing Shawn’s smile every day when she came home from school was invigorating. She’d never seen Shawn like this before. His curls were fluffier than normal from over wear of his Harvard sweatshirt that he’d worn into the ground. He’d forget to take his earrings out before he went to bed because he was so exhausted, it didn’t even matter than he hated sleeping in them.

As much as Mandy wanted to say she was fully invested in Shawn’s continued success, that wasn’t entirely the case. Shawn’s happiness meant the world to her, but she also had a lot going on with herself. Kindergarten was a handful. Twenty one five year olds was a lot to take care of. It was only the second week of school, and so she was still learning the little quirks of each kid. She was deciding where the kids would be best sat in the classroom. She had to figure out who needed extra help or motivation and who could work well alone. She’d learned that Lilly really hated going out to recess. She’d rather sit inside and look at books. But she also learned that Milo would start crying for his mom everyday around lunch time. Luke was so sweet and would want to hug anyone who entered the classroom, while Lucas was a complete handful and dealt with a lot of sensory overload.

What she was trying to say, was that there was a lot to her job. There were so many details involved that no one really realized went into being a teacher until they were actually a teacher. Like how every month she had to have a new door design. Or how her one hour a day of “lesson planning” was never enough to actually plan lessons, so she’d spend evenings and weekends planning until the sun came up. She was constantly tired and didn’t see Shawn very often. But she was so happy. This had been her dream since she was a young girl. She’d always wanted to help little minds become great. To teach them what it meant to learn and to be kind to others.

Mandy was happy. Shawn was happy.

Everything was great.

“Hey, Em,” Shawn hollered as he walked in the door on a Thursday evening. “What are we doing this weekend?”

Mandy laughed, “Well, I’m not doing anything particular.” She walked down the hallway to see him pull off his leather jacket and throw it over a chair.

“Good,” Shawn answered. He reached towards her to pull her into a kiss. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”

Mandy smiled up at her boyfriend, “What are we doing this weekend then, Shawn?”

“I was thinking I’d like to take you out on a date.”

“I’d like that.”

___

“I want to go to the beach,” Mandy whispered to Shawn in bed later than evening.

“What? Mandy, it’s freezing.”

“Yeah, but I just want to see the water. Please, Shawn? We haven’t seen the beach in so long.”

Shawn rolled his eyes at her. “Yeah, because it’s fucking freezing,” he reiterated.

“Please,” She pouted, and god, Shawn hated it when she did that. She jutted out her bottom lip and her eyes held this manufactured sadness that he knew wasn’t real, but could fool even her closest of friends.

He sighed, “Fine, but the second you start complaining because your fingers are going numb again; we’re leaving.”

Mandy smiled brightly before squealing. “Yes, thank you babe!” She kissed Shawn’s sweet lips excitedly. Popping her lips on and off his, before moving down to sweetly kiss his neck.

Shawn’s breathe caught a bit in his throat, feeling her lips press sensually against his neck. It was already well past midnight, and he knew that if they started something now, Mandy would be angry in the morning when she was exhausted and headed to school.

“Babe,” Shawn whispered. “Mandy.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed against his jugular, moving down towards his collar bone.

Shawn groaned at the back of his throat, “You gotta stop. You need to go to sleep.”

“I don’t need sleep, Shawny. Just need you.” She smiled against his skin.

Her words sent a rush to his heart, and he felt like he was melting. He really fucking loved this girl. With his whole goddamn heart, huh? “That’s really sweet, babe,” Shawn struggled, trying to pull away, but Mandy only pulled him closer. “You’re gonna have other things to say when you have to wake up in five hours and got no sleep.”

She shook her head, “Mmmm, nope. Don’t think so.” She popped off his collarbone and moved back to his lips. “I just wanna be with you tonight. Nothing else matters.”

And with that, Shawn officially gave in, tomorrow morning be damned.

__

Shawn had been right, of course. It was fucking freezing. But so far, thirty minutes in, Mandy had stayed true and hadn’t complained once. Much to Shawn’s dismay because frankly, he wanted to leave. It was too cold for this shit, and his leather jacket was doing nothing to keep him warm. Water was pretty and all, but he didn’t find it awe inspiring like Mandy did. He’d much rather look at Mandy and find his inspiration, inside in the warmth of their home.

“There’s this little boy at school…”

They’d been sitting on a couple of beach towels in silence, Mandy mostly just staring off into the sea, and Shawn figured she needed some time. She did this sometimes, when she had a lot going on. She’d just stare off, and Shawn would wait until she was ready to talk about whatever it was that had her thinking so hard.

“And, he’s unique,” She glanced over at Shawn. “I don’t know, Shawn...I think there might be something going on at home.”

Shawn hummed quietly, “Something?”

“I mean like, I think he might be getting abused?”

“What makes you think that?” Shawn questioned, his lips pulling down in a frown.

“I mean, I’ve never seen marks or bruises or anything. Not on what I can see, but it’s just the way he acts? Like he’s scared of adults. Not just his parents, but anyone that’s bigger than him. And when his mom dropped him off the other day, her eyes...Shawn,” her breath caught in her throat. “Shawn she looked dead inside. And the little boy, Jack, his name is Jack. He’s usually sweet and kind and just really good to have in class, but when she was around. He looked like all he wanted to do was crawl in on himself.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“Well, not about that…” Mandy sighed, “That’s just such a big accusation. And...it’s not like I have any proof. Maybe he’s just timid? Maybe his mom just didn’t get sleep that night before? Maybe I’m seeing things? I can’t accuse someone of something so horrible and not have any idea if I’m being right or just overreacting.”

Shawn splayed his hand gently over Mandy’s leg. “Maybe,” Shawn contemplated. “Maybe you could just get to know Jack. You know, make sure he’s learning well. Have some time with him where you’re just focused on his work. And, if he begins to trust you, he might let you in to see other parts of him. Make sure he’s okay, at school and at home, eh?”

“Yeah, yeah like maybe I could do a weekly tutor session with him or something after school. Work on his letters...he’s already a little bit behind the other kids.” Mandy bit at her nail bed, worrying herself.

“Just go slow,” Shawn smiled, pressing lightly again on her thigh. “Don’t scare him off.”

Mandy nodded, “Yeah, that’s good.” She looked up at Shawn before gently leaning over to kiss him, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Em.” Shawn smiled, squeezing her leg a final time before lightly rapping a little beat on it, “Now can we leave. It’s freezing, and I’m starving.”

Mandy laughed before nodding at him and whispering an okay. Mandy decided, at least for the night, that she’d leave her concerns about Jack here. Let them wash away into the sea. Let the wind carry away her words. At least for now, so that she could enjoy the rest of the evening with Shawn. It was rare that they got such uninterrupted alone time as of late. What with Terminal really hitting the ground running now a days.

At dinner, conversation had flowed nicely. That was never a problem with Shawn and Mandy. They may have only known each other for four years now, but they shared secrets with each other like they were lifelong best friends. Like they’d played together in the schoolyard as children. But Shawn loved that about his relationship with Mandy. It’s how he knew that she was all he’d ever need. How he knew they were perfect for each other. Mandy truly was Shawn’s other half, as much as he hated the saying. It was completely, not cool. The band members constantly berated Shawn about being whipped for Mandy, but Shawn figured it was okay for at least one area of his life to not be punk approved. Besides, it’s not like Mandy couldn’t get into the punk scene when she wanted to. She fit into concerts just as well as any other groupie. She had the dress and the disposition to match the part, but yet at home and at school she was the perfect working girl. Shawn loved that about her. She had class and attitude.

“I don’t know...but Julia is just a total snob. Two weeks in, and she already hates me for no reason it’s ridicul-”

“Excuse me,” Shawn felt a tap on his shoulder, looking up to see the girl who’d interrupted Mandy’s sentence.

“Hello,” Shawn said in a sugary sweet voice.

He didn’t really appear to be confused by the interruption which came as a stark contrast to Mandy’s bewilderment.

“Hi, you’re Shawn Mendes, right?”

A smile bigger than any other Mandy had ever seen spread across Shawn’s face, his eyes squinting as he looked up at the blonde.

Shawn nodded, “Sure am.”

“Oh wow,” the girl blushed. “Wow, wow. I am such a huge fan of Terminal.”

Really? Mandy wouldn’t have pegged this girl, clad in a plaid schoolgirl shirt and a button up, as a punk band kind of gal. Her bleach blonde hair showed no signs of dye, which was not punk. And her nails were painted pink. Pink.

“Thank you, hunny. I’m so glad to hear it.” Shawn smiled pressing his hand against the girls arm.

“My name is Sev.” She introduced herself. And okay, Mandy didn’t know they were going to get all the way to introductions.

Shawn leaned back in his chair, gazing up at this girl like she owned the entire fucking world. And Mandy felt like her blood might begin to boil. It’s not like she didn’t know they had fans, but she certainly didn’t know that he had fans who’d rudely interrupt her only alone time she’d had with her boyfriend for three weeks. She wondered if he’d been recognized before. Did this happen often? Why had Shawn never mentioned that?

“Shawn, it’s nice to meet you Sev.” Shawn reached his hand out to shake the girls hand, and Mandy was just happy he hadn’t gone in for a hug or something. Anything that would make the girl linger any longer.

“Do you mind if I got a picture?” Sev asked excitedly, “I don’t want to interrupt or anything…” As if she hadn’t already completely cut off Mandy’s sentence and inserted herself into a private gathering.

“Of course, sweetie.”

It was odd hearing Shawn call other girls hunny and sweetie like that was a normal thing he’d do. Mandy had heard of a customer service voice, and hell she knew for a fact that she had a teacher voice at school, but she wasn’t aware that Shawn had a fan meeting voice. Or that the voice sounded entirely too close to the sound of his sweet I love you’s that we’re supposed to be for her ears only.

“Oh, great. Wow. Thank you so much,” Sev smiled.

Shawn stood up quickly as Sev pulled out an iPhone, readying herself to take a selfie before Shawn stopped her, “Oh, no. You don’t need to take a selfie. Here,” Shawn turned toward Mandy. “Babe, could you take it?”

Shawn smiled at Mandy, who most definitely did not want to take the photo. But she smiled and nodded curtly anyway, grasping the photo and taking two pictures as quickly as possible. She handed the phone back to Sev before returning to her seat and waiting for the interaction to end.

Finally, Sev and Shawn hugged before she finally departed, leaving them alone in an uncomfortable silence.

“Well, that was cool.” Shawn smiled, hunching over in his chair. He let out a breath, almost like a sigh of satisfaction.

“Yup,” Mandy answered with none of the enthusiasm to match Shawn.

The popped ‘p’ at the end was enough for Shawn to pick up on Mandy’s annoyance. And when he finally looked up at his girlfriend, he wondered how he didn’t see it earlier. She hadn’t been this way the whole dinner right? Her crossed arms over her chest, her downturned lips, and the annoying flickers of her eyes away from his while he tried to make eye contact, all clued him in.

“What’s wrong?” Shawn asked, all hints of his previous happiness gone.

“Nothing,” Mandy muttered, pushing around some of the leftover food on the plate.

“No, no. What happened. This was all going fine, what changed?” Shawn pried.

“I just didn’t realize you had fans recognizing you,” She huffed, taking a sip of her wine.

Shawn ran a hand through his curls, “Well, not constantly, but sometimes.” He wasn’t entirely sure how that would lead to Mandy’s sour attitude, but he decided he’d let her work through it if that’s what she needed.

“And do you flirt with them all like that?” She said quietly, refusing to meet Shawn’s eyes.

Shawn coughed, “Excuse me? I wasn’t flirting with her.”

Mandy laughed, “Really? Shawn, I’m cyour girlfriend. I know exactly what it looks like when you attempt flirting.”

Shawn rolled his eyes, “I was being polite, Mandy. The fans are the people that let me do what I’ve always dreamed of doing. Without people like her Terminal would be nowhere and would be in the garage for the rest of it’s life. So sure, if she wants a moment of my time and a photo, I’ll give it to her. Because she allows me to follow my dreams.”

“Doesn’t mean I wanted to give her a moment of my time,” Mandy muttered under her breath.

“What? Mandy, so what she came over during dinner. She came, she left, and now we resume. It’s not like its some big disruption.”

“Well it felt like one to me, is all,” Mandy answered.

“Well I’m sorry it felt that way but—”

“I’m ready to go home.” Mandy interrupted him, not allowing him to finish his thought.

Shawn balked at her for a moment, unsure of what to make of this new festering side of Mandy that he’d never seen before. “Fine,” is all Shawn uttered before asking for the check.

They left in silence and drove home in silence. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d ever sat in uncomfortable silence. And Shawn was just left wondering when he’d fallen in love with a girl who might not even support his biggest dream.

tagged: @fourtristattoos @peacedolantwins2 @rosecth @unhealthyobsessionwithmarvel @shavvnmendcs @justanotherfangurl272 (let me know if you want to be added) 

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[storytellerren]

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

Don’t worry, we’ll talk a lot more about their desires, but for 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 his 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 are reflections of one another, created to strengthen the other’s arc. 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 TAKODANA 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 her blaster 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 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 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, 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.

But 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 fully 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--no need to chop those lush black locks--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. And if you’re wondering which of the two above options I think the Mouse will choose, just remember that Star Wars is about hope. (psst... they’re gonna live).

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!

[these-are-the-first-steps]

An objective, uninfluenced review and discussion of TLJ after just leaving the theatre- mileage may vary

THIS SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW IS UNDER A CUT. IF YOU SEE A TON OF TEXT AND NO CUT, SCROLL LIKE HELL. 

OK, so, some initial take-aways:

-This was a really busy movie

-I feel like they crammed three films into one and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

-This did not have the standard feel of a star wars film and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

-Too much comedy. Sorry. It was a bit much and ruined the mood in a lot of places imo.

-Holy shit, that was the hottest, most sexualized hands-touching I have ever seen in my life

-My life literally flashed before my eyes when Finn went to kamikaze. They had him get so close to the end, and that tear— jesus fuck I genuinely thought that was going to be the end and I was a mess. God bless you, Rose.

-My life literally flashed before my eyes when Leia was ejected from the ship- they had me going thinking this was how she was gonna go. The force flying was hokey as shit, but you know what? Fuck it. Carrie Fisher can cheat death and fly- it's fucking canon now. Deal with it.

-The music did not blow me away on TLJ as it did in TFA. Most likely because the movie was so damn busy.

-Too many climaxes. Yes, there is such a thing. I was worn out by the end of this film and there was no real catharsis at all because of it.

-I don't know how the fuck they're going to do 9 without Carrie after that ending. Well…I do have one idea, but I kinda hate it.

The Meat:

The scroll this film was interesting, in that its last sentence broke the mold of previous star wars crawls- that was my clue right off the bat that this would not be following the standard 'feel', for lack of a better word, of star wars films. Honestly, I don't expect the off-shoot movies like 'Rogue One' to follow whatever standard 1-7 do, but like I expect it from the main series, and like I said at the beginning, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet. At the moment I'm a little disappointed that it deviated so much, but we got so many juicy tidbits and moments to have and to hold that that's kind of outweighing the minor point of format. So, I'll be seeing the film a few more times in various formats before coming to a hard conclusion on this.

Anyway…

HAHA POE GOT SLAPPED! THE SLAP HAPPENED! And it was pretty underwhelming honestly. And then out of nowhere Leia's all charm and kindness again? That really made the whole moment meaningless to me. Like she was never mad enough to slap him to begin with, so why? The moment was ruined by Leia's sharp U-turn and that sucked. They had a real opportunity to bring home just how severe and serious Leia's despair over so much loss has been, but the really watered it down every time, usually with comedy.

There was too much comedy in this film. I get maybe they were trying to lighten it up for the kiddos, but they did it in alllll the wrong places. It really botched the mood of the film repeatedly. The timing was just terrible. I mean right off the bat- sure, Poe's exchange with Hux was hilarious, but man it did not need to be in there. At least not first thing in the film when you're trying to set the tone. What a waste on all ends. That part really frustrated me.

I'm surprised at how soon Kylo bashed his helmet to pieces. That was really soon. Sadly the shock of it just wasn't there for me since I'd seen the trailers, but whatever. It was still a great moment done by Adam exceptionally well.

Mark Hamill was A+++ in this film. Everything about him was great. Absolutely stellar. While TLJ was mass confusion, Luke Skywalker stayed consistent and made linear sense throughout- the only exception being the very end. Why….why did he die again? I'm seriously confused? He looked pained, and I kept waiting for the camera to pan down to explain what was going on- did he actually have a giant saber hole in him from Ben or something? But no- he just flounders on a rock for a bit and then kicks it. I still just do not understand. I don't understand it at all. Also, Rian promised us some big compelling monologue from Luke that would be oscar-worthy and it wasn't there. Where was the monologue? Three sentences strung together do not a monologue make. Sorry, kids. I think Mark did a stellar job, as I said, and they've put him up for an oscar nom, but honestly….I don't think it was oscar-worthy simply because there wasn't enough there due to the over-taxed storyline, and if he does get one, it's gonna be earned out of sentiment more than anything, which….I mean, an oscar is an oscar, but still. You know? Also, we had stills and BTS footage of Luke down in that dark side hole with Rey and we never saw that. I hope Rian releases his director's cut so we get those scenes back- otherwise there's a good chance we'll get them in the novel or something.

Canto Bight was super unnecessary. What an unnecessary, overly-busy, budget-draining side romp. Maz was unnecessary. The whole 'let's get the codes' thing was unnecessary, although Benicio del Toro stole the fucking show with his character- that dude was great, and we'll definitely be seeing him again in 9. He's clearly going to be the side-character replacement for Phasma (RIP gurl). Canto Bight achieved only two things: 1. The FinnRose romance. 2. The stable kids, or at least one of them, has the force. Yep! That kid at the end- when he reaches for the broom, the broom jumps into his fucking hand, y'all. That kid has the force. The force is clearly back with a vengeance in the young babies of the galaxy. And that was it. I feel like they could have achieved both those things in better, more meaningful ways. But no, they wanted to do a casino(?) bit that will likely never be heard of again except in extended merchandising because fuck disney's money-grubbing ways. Oh, I DID like DJ's 'Rogue One' call-back reminder about how literally both sides of this war suck and everyone's trash, especially the warlords growing fat off the profits in the middle. I appreciated that bit. It was also a nice social commentary for a young audience that will hopefully stick with them. It was a cool moment that del Toro played beautifully.

Two words: PORG BABIES. Also, is Chewie vegetarian now? xD I don't think a whole colony of porgs should have come along in the falcon- that was a bit much. Again, comedy in places it didn't need to be. Whatever. Moving on.

Laura Dern's character dying was a waste, but you know what? That move she did was fucking brutal. It was amazing. It reminded me of 'Farscape' 's wormhole-popping maneuver immediately, plus extreme bonus damage. Just a beautiful sight.

Rose was great- Kelly Marie Tran knocked that shit out of the park. Laughs, tears, she ran the fucking gamut. I know we were all expecting more from her character's sister, but I guess it was the necessary setup to give her the impetus to go take risks. No complaints at all about Rose- I thought she was lovely.

Wow did Poe get a lot of screen time. He got a lot of screen time. I feel like Poe maybe learned some shit, but I honestly don't feel like Finn learned a whole lot which was disappointing. Even on Canto Bight he was like 'No, we're not doing this! Stop enjoying it!' Growth for him would be to start letting loose a bit, and he just doesn't. I also feel like we were deprived of a closing moment with him at the end of the film- we just get the tender moment with him and Rose, which was sweet, but it felt unfinished. I felt like Finn was more along for the ride in this film than actively moving it, and again I think that's the fault of this film being too damn busy and there not being enough time for things to go smoothly, linearly, and in ways that flowed naturally. There just wasn't time for it, clearly, and so character development suffered- unless you're Poe. Because damn Poe got a lot of screen time.

I felt like we should have spent more time on the salt planet. That felt like another over-done thing that, while the location was necessary, was it necessary to make it so busy? As I write this, I think I'm starting to realize that the backdrops are what have really distracted from the story. The backdrops haven't aided the story at all- they've just severely diverted attention from what's important- i.e. the struggles both literal and emotional happening to our characters. The casino was a riotous mess, visually stunning but constantly pulling my attention away from what was going on. The salt planet had tons of unique features but it didn't serve any purpose to the film. None of these backdrops serviced the story, and I think that's a HUGE problem. With an already busy, intricate web of storylines to keep up with, having all these non-contributing, busy-in-their-own-right backdrops just made it even harder to keep up and stay focused on what was going on. You don't leave the theatre feeling like all the threads came together in the end. You leave the theatre going "Well that was cool…but I feel like I've missed something", because you probably have. Here: YOUR BACKDROP SHOULD NOT BE COMPETING WITH YOUR STORY. Ok, I said it.

Snoke made some comments about Hux that were interesting and then promptly never talked about again. Why's that? Because there was no time. Pity. Anyway, the bit about him being easily manipulated because of his personal issues was great, and I was hoping we'd get to see more of that struggle with Hux, more of that fatal flaw at play- his daddy issues, insecurities about acceptance, etc., but it never came. Instead Hux was wasted on comedic moments. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Once again, unnecessary comedy fucking ruins the mood of this film.

Snoke's demise was shocking but also anti-climactic. They pulled all the power from him in one fell swoop and took this amazingly built-up character, this character that had SUCH cool potential, and Rian just threw it in the trash. I'm pretty disappointed. Actually, I'm really disappointed. No wonder Pablo was so disinterested in Snoke questions- Snoke was made ultimately irrelevant as a character. While the psychological effects of Snoke will continue to be a MAJOR issue, killing him was wasted potential, and now Ben’s lifelong struggle with this creature has been belittled and minimized because of it. That is terrible.

So now we get to the juicy bits- Rey and Ben.

We didn't get to see Rey hardly at all in this film. That….fucking sucked. Poe got more screen time than Rey. Fuck you, Poe. I'm pissed off about this. The only moving, worthwhile moments Rey had were opposite Ben. And boy did Daisy and Adam make the most of very limited screen time. Force Bond ahoy, y'all! We called it and it exists! However, it was really crazy abrupt. There was no lead-up of voices, of the connection establishing itself. One tiny teaser of it would have been enough, but no- suddenly it's just THERE, and the music and sound cuts, and if you weren't us and expecting this kind of force bond communication we've all been writing about prolifically for two years, I'm sure you were like "What the fuck- this is out of left field", because it was. Story-wise, it was. And that's disappointing. You want to see something you love executed well, and while you love and I love the connection, it wasn't executed well. It could have been done better. Again, any kind of hinted lead-up- since it was a surprise for both of them, maybe like a whisper of his voice calling to her in surprise? Or something. Instead we get them both right away, which was a bit blunt. I think it could have used with a bit of finessing. Oh well.

From a story analysis standpoint, I think Snoke's claim that he personally established the connection between them is bullshit. I think he was talking out of his ass, frankly. I think him claiming he forged the bond was back-peddling to try and continue to related all roads back to himself because while he certainly played the all-powerful omnipotence card, he clearly knew he wasn't and worked actively to maintain his illusion to keep Ben in check. But it was all a farce, as we could see, and even Ben knew where all the cracks in Snoke's observational skills were. He didn't really have 24/7 Ben TV. When Ben played him like a goddamn fiddle with that sneak attack, Ben showed that he could cloak and twist his intent in front of Snoke's face all day if he's focused enough, and felt he had enough purpose. He certainly did feel Ben becoming resolved alright. He felt him begin to prepare his saber. But how limited he was in what he could see! How limited, whereas Rey on the other hand….oh, he and Rey have something so much more than Snoke's clearly tenuous hold. Ben was only under the yoke as much as he wanted to be, and that realization is very much a doubled-edged sword. On the one hand, it meant he could find the strength to break free when he found a new purpose in Rey. But on the other, it also means he could have peaced out whenever he wanted and taken the FO with him but clearly he chose not to, which is awful and frustrating. But you know? When you wake up to your uncle looking like he's about to kill you in your goddamned sleep after you've spent years arguing against that sort of thing with the voices insisting your uncle will actually kill you, and suddenly the voices are right and your world is fucking shattered? When the voices become the only viable option in your life? I can get that. I may not agree with it, but I get it. And that's plenty.

Also, can we talk about the story of the school's destruction? So Kylo DID leave with some of the students. Let's make an educated guess and say they are the other Knights of Ren. Nice predicting, y'all. I'm sure they'll become major players in 9 as Kylo attempts to step into his role as supreme leader- while Snoke had the red guard, Kylo will have his knights. Cool. Very cool.

To back-track a little, I enjoyed the force chats between Rey and Ben a lot. I feel like more of them happened that we weren't shown. Even as Rey was recounting her brush with the dark side cave, you can tell she'd already been telling the story for a long while and he'd spent a long while listening. But again, with little finessing with all this, for those not expecting reylo the care they begin to have for each other seems really abrupt. Sorry, general audience- I wish it could have been better, too. But let's take what we can get, shall we? Kylo debases himself in front of Rey- admits he's a monster and then cries about it. I love it. Then he gives her the answer she wants in the form of advice, which was a fantastic bit of writing. After that, she inexplicably mellows out to him quite a bit and there's storytime in the stone house, the exceptionally warm lighting, as their hands achingly, hesitatingly touch- an insane amount of effortlessness in making yourself physical in a force-induced manifestation that, for Ben and Rey, resulted in the sexiest finger-touching I've ever seen, and for Luke became such a strain that it killed him. Powerful in the force are these two, indeed. I can't get over how warm that lighting was- literal love by firelight. And then….and then Rey cried it felt so good. And so did Ben. And when Rey recounts what she saw of his future in the elevator when their hands touched, she does this sweet look down at his chest before looking back with care into his face…I was feeling it so hard, man. That is a loving gesture. *I* have acted that way with someone I love. That's a tic that only belongs to lovers, not friends. What kind of 'solid' future did she see for him? With that kind of tic, it makes me wonder if she hadn't seen herself in it, too. Goddammit, ben! Get your shit together, boy!

Rey's lack of social skills, however, really fucking botched things between them, too. Surely there had to be a better way to reason with him than pulling out a goddamned saber. Bad move, sweetheart. And in one fell swoop you broke that man's heart. Everything after Rey's rejection was just bleeding-heart Kylo vomiting his emotions all over the place. I mean he was seriously torn up about it. And what about Rey running off? How come we didn't get that scene? Did she just straight-up split? Or did she stop for a moment to look at Kylo's unconscious, likely peaceful, face? I'm mad we didn't get to see it because it would have said a lot- instead once Rey rejoins the resistance, we get a TON more relationship-dodging. A TON of dodging. Because you know what? The relationship is there, man. Finn's got his gal, and Rey looks on acceptingly at this turn of events. Kylo and Rey have experienced a lot of emotional stuff together at this point- he's the only one that shares her secret about her parents. But you'd never know anything at all had happened to her at the end of the film. It's just business as usual. And that's really weird to me. That's not character growth. A bit of longing there, for what Rey almost, almost, let herself have with Kylo reflected in Finn and Rose's moment, but no- just plain old start-of-tfa Rey apparently. I mean….Rey didn't even ask him about his scar. He never brought up his scar. Was that a scene that got cut? Because how do you avoid that conversation? How do you avoid that? OH! The fight scene- and where she rolls her back onto his back to fight the red guard I WAS LIVING! It was so good, and they kept checking on each other during the fight. I loved it.

I've just been reminded of the shirtless scene- it didn't come off naturally, but I get that they're trying to establish that the bond is manifesting at 'inconvenient' moments, ok whatever. And then Rey goes and spoils the moment with more unnecessary comedy schtick which rolled off Adam beautifully- thank you, Adam. She totally checked him out, though. Maybe she was reliving that moment a little in the elevator when she looked down at his chest. Makes me wonder again just what exactly she saw in his future. I'm here for it.

Why did Rey fucking sail to the FO in a coffin? That made no sense. Although it was cute that Ben came to pick her up like "Hi." but then "Here are some shackles. Sorrynotsorry." I love how she was clearly expecting something else but NOPE.

Also, Rey really does come from nothing, although I don't fucking know how her parents can be in a potter's field in Jakku when Rey last saw them sail off into space. Sounds like hasty writing after being fed up with fans to me. Although Adam rattled it all off beautifully. And I love how Ben loves her regardless of it all. I loved the whole "You knew this the whole time so who cares because I don't? PS: come be my empress, it'll be great." Adam did so well in this film, but I can't help but think, like every fucking thing else, that his screen time was radically choked and that there's TONS more on the cutting room floor that give his acting more of the credit it's due and that flesh out so many more things to help them make more sense. Ugh.

In conclusion. I liked it. I cried when Leia's old holo projection played. I cried like a bitch. But I didn't leave the film feeling like my mind was blown like it'd been with TFA. I don't know if it's because I just felt overwhelmed in more of a bad way than good due to how busy everything was or if it's because I've been analyzing stuff for two years. It's probably a bit of both. Because I avoided the spoilers like the plague, you know? So everything was still new and a surprise, and while I think the film was a total trip that I'd recommend, TFA just felt cleaner, more impactful, and left enough space for all its characters to fully realize themselves instead of the cram-fest that this movie is. And most importantly, TLJ didn't leave enough space for John Williams to create any stand-out moments like in TFA- "The Starkiller" is a piece that gave me fucking goosebumps and that, to this day, will be one of my favorite moments in movie history. To choose a quiet dirge piece for a moment of bloody chaos was absolutely brilliant and shook me to the core, but there was no time for a moment like that in this film and that really bums me out. I was hoping for another moving experience like that.

Reylo's a thing now, but the kids have a lot of work to do on their relationship, because Kylo's in full spurned-lover mode and he's not handling it well. He's now a kid who's been handed all the power in the universe, and if Rey thinks that's not going to backfire, especially with their direct phone line to each other, she's got another thing coming. She's going to have her hands full trying to talk that boy down, and any next encounter between them is going to be incredibly tense and fraught with emotion. He finally outrightly pleaded with her to be with him. And that fucking means something. And Rey's not dimwitted enough not to see that. She knows the implications. She saw his good-ending future, remember- one that, as she recalled it, her eyes drifted to his chest in a very, very affectionate move that was well played by Daisy. In fact, I was so focused on Daisy's performance in that moment that I missed Kylo's reaction so when I see the film again, I'll have to remember to focus on him next time.

And Leia….Carrie was right that 9 was supposed to be Leia's film. I mean…that ending makes it indisputable. How do you work through that? Especially with Luke copping out? Essentially my prediction for what's going to happen is this: Lots, and lots, of Ghost Uncle Luke times. It's the only option they have. Luke's gonna come back, haunt the shit out of Ben and give him terrible girl advice, and then visit Rey and try to teach her some more. It's the only option they have, really. Mark thought he was finally done, but then Carrie just had to go and die- isn't that just typical. I also love how Billie plays such a bigger role in this film. Her performance was great, too, and there were moments where she really sounded like a young Leia that had me tearing up. I love them all so much.

So that's all I got for this initial objective general review of The Last Jedi. I plan to see this film at least once more in standard 2D (my preferred mode), and also in 4DX because why would you not want to be on Star Wars: The Ride for 2.5 hours? It's worth the ticket price. Plus seeing these films in 3D adds a whole new perspective to things, I discovered after seeing 3D TFA. So I'm open to that, too. I had a lot of technical complaints with this film, but otherwise I like the direction it went in, it was a direction I anticipated (minus snoke being wasted as a character- that still sucks), and I'd say as a shipper we got a good 75% of what we wanted. As a shipper, I'd say full steam ahead for the good boat Reylo and I look forward to a hopefully grittier, more distraught atmosphere to really bring shit home in 9. JJ Abrams gave us a very, very solid, coherent story for 7, and I look forward to having that back again for the grand finale. These characters deserve coherency. I love Rian, but he tried to cram too much in too small a space and lot really suffered for it- this was a problem Rogue One had that I hoped wouldn't repeat itself, but here we are. But even Rogue One navigated its complicated story better than TLJ did, I think. I don't know. Again, I need to see this film a few more times before I can really throw the gavel down. But now that this objective review is out, I'm happy to go back to putting my shipper glasses on and appreciating what we do have: Hot hand touches, shirtless Ben Solo, Rey saying 'Ben', Ben saying 'Rey', both of them crying over each other, both of them ogling each other, and the category of Emperor Ren fiction absolutely fucking exploding (and laughing maniacally that my own 'Exigence in force majeure' is now fucking canon-compliant can you believe this shit what is life).

Ok- enjoy the film, friends! TATFS out. PS: Oh yeah, haha, the jedi books were saved- ok. Also, I would love to get my hands on a director’s cut and all the deleted scenes so that I could try my hand at cutting my own version of this film- eliminate or better time 90% of the comedic bits and create a film that’s really darkly compelling and profound. Ok, I’m really gone this time bye.