#i feel like i have bad standards when i see opinions about the prequel online when pepple are like it's cathartic and stuff

[paper-n-ashes]

I... am probably going to get some kind of hate or backlash for this but... it’s kind of been sitting on my mind and I think it needs to be put out there.

This is going to be an essay. And I am not a confident or confrontational person so this is real scary for me.

I know how easy it is to take this - all of this blogging, writing, any creative outlet really - a little too seriously. For a lot of us, it’s a lifeline of positivity and a wonderful distraction to the shit show of daily life in 2020/2021. Certainly saved my ass last year. And I spend a lot of my waking hours thinking about it, because it’s my hobby and I adore it.

But (and I remind myself to do this CONSTANTLY) can we collectively take a breath and chill a little bit?

Let me explain.

I’m just seeing little hints poking through of toxic judgemental attitudes regarding how ‘legitimate’ someone’s fanfiction or writing is. That there’s somehow this divide between ‘real’ writing and ‘fast food’ fanfiction. I, for one, really dislike the term but I’m using it here to prove a point.

All of it, every piece put out into the public space, is valid. And I think it’s good to be reminded about that concept every so often.

We are all different people. With different experiences and preferences. We all seek out and consume different things, sometimes surprising even ourselves when we discover something new we didn’t think we’d enjoy.

Some people like more plot heavy and meaningful fanfiction. Those pieces or series’ that effect you and move you, play on your emotions in any and all ways. Some are short, some are 300k novels written over long periods of time. Some are canon, fix it fics or prequels, some are brilliantly imaginative AU’s involving our favourite worlds and characters we know and love.

Others enjoy (sometimes) quicker, sexually charged fanfiction. Fantasies played out in written form. Explorations of sexuality on a vast spectrum of more ‘vanilla’ (whatever that means to you) and more hardcore themes outside the regular realm of sex you might be used to. Characters we find attractive in places of canon or AU territory to thrill ourselves and others, or even just simply to scratch an itch.

Some enjoy both, on differing days. Dependant on moods or needs at the moment in time.

No matter what - All. Is. Valid.

None is better. None is worse.

When you read something you consider exactly or close to what you’re looking for from fanfiction, it is absolutely normal that you consider the piece, and the writer, of a higher standard. But this standard is subjective. Please remember this.

Don’t look down on others who enjoy something you don’t consider as having this standard. And certainly don’t have a lower view of the writer who put themselves out there to write it and post it.

We’re all judgmental fucks at times. I’ll easily admit I am, and have been. I’m in my late 20’s and still learning to be an emotionally intelligent human. I definitely have moments I’ve had to catch myself out. There are things I could rant on for days because of how much they irk me. And I believe it’s healthy to express your emotions about anything. But I do not put it into the public arena. I try my absolute fucking hardest not to let it colour any of my online interactions.

(This is the first time I’ve really put out a significant opinion in my own post and it’s fucking frightening. Seriously.)

Anyway,

If something is bothering me enough in terms of irks, that are completely subjective and my own, I speak to a trusted friend, to get the thoughts out and move on. And even then, some of those thoughts I’ve eventually pondered over and regretted the judgments I made.

But I will ALWAYS defend the right in this fanfiction realm for every writer to write about whatever the hell they want and not be looked down on or belittled for it.

If you are annoyed that certain pieces or writers get ‘popular’ or receive adoration you don’t believe they deserve - STOP YOURSELF RIGHT THERE. You can be annoyed. Go for it. Let yourself feel. But do not spread that negativity. Do not make yourself feel better by bringing others down in public view. It is not an appropriate coping mechanism.

Popularity is a whole other concept I do not have time to fully delve into. But it seriously happens by a decent combination of hard work that people don’t see, the right timing and LUCK. You cannot control it, and it will seriously help your mental health to not attempt to pursue as your goal. I speak from experience.

Whatever your reason for reading or writing fanfiction is, take a moment sometime to remind yourself we are at the end of the day just... fans. Fans of characters, actors, movies, TV shows, all of it. To be a fan is to be an enthusiast of anything that truly captures your interest. We just... like something or someone so much we read more about it, talk with others about it, even create more content about it.

Fandom is one of the coolest things I think humans have ever brought into fruition. People from all over coming together to love and discuss something that brings them joy or challenges their mind. And I’m sorry but I’m just getting a little tired of the competitiveness and superiority complex that works to make fandom a fucking shitty place to hang around in sometimes.

I am not saying everything has to be sunshine and roses, because there are lines that can be crossed and every good thing has it’s bad side. But... this is for happiness. At least, for me it is. Some days, writing out somewhat incoherent, horny thoughts and shorter stories brings me happiness. Sometimes writing out emotional turmoil and long, plot driven novel work brings me happiness. It’s just how my brain gives me that serotonin I crave, and I can’t excessively control that.

When people like one and not the other, I don’t care. I really don’t. I don’t need an explanation. It’s not personal. It’s just what brings THEIR brain serotonin, and I will never judge them for that. I’ve at least brought them a little bit of enjoyment in whatever way and that is just... fucking cool when you think about it.

Can’t it just be as simple as that? Fuck all the ‘popularity’ and legitimacy and notions of what is ‘better’?

Just do what brings you happiness, and give love/support/whatever to others who have done the same for you in what they’ve written.

That’s... it really. That’s all I needed to get out.

Okay. Anons. Yes feel free to counter me and make me feel poopy for my opinion because this is Tumblr and I’m not naive. Just know I probably won’t answer any hateful messages because I’m a wuss and can’t think of good witty replies.

[coltonllenos-blog]

The Last Jedi is the Best Star Wars Movie Since ‘Empire’...What?!

Film is subjective, you can like or dislike any movie you want and you are not right or wrong for it. I am not here to tell you that you are wrong in disliking The Last Jedi, it is naive and futile to argue against someone else's subjectivity.  I am writing this because I am seeing the same reasons for why people didn't like the movie over and over again. Some of these reasons I agree with, some I disagree with, and some I feel are invalid altogether. I also feel that none of these reasons are sufficient enough to warrant the absolute vitriol, accusations of childhood murdering, personal attacks on Rian Johnson and crew, and complete chastising of every positive opinion on the movie. I also feel like a lot of these points are inconsistent with our treatments of the other Star Wars movies. In this article, I am going to approach every MAJOR problem (Sorry Benicio, your stutter didn't make the cut) with this movie, as well as expand on them and why I think they are invalid, unimportant, and even sometimes right. I will do this by doing my best to put aside my bias for Star Wars, and against detractors of the film. Instead I will focus on VERY basic screenwriting concepts, logic, and evidence. I am imperfect though, so if I screw up please forgive me. This is not a paper full of apologies for the movie, it is a compilation of arguments against claims against it. I feel like that is an important distinction to make. Feel free to skip to sections relating to you if you deem it necessary.

I began this writing excercise by giving myself a few rules:

1. I will be using the original trilogy for most of my comparing and contrasting. I like the prequels, but they are easy targets and there aren't many examples where I can use them to give weight to my argument. So I'm focusing on the "good" ones. 2. I am familar with a majority of New Canon novels, comics, tv shows, etc. But I will not be citing them for ammunition either. While I believe that the ancillary material does add to the viewing of the movies, it is not and should not be necessary. Therefore, I will not lean on the easy out of "If you've read the books..."

Without further ado, let's get started.

1. Time I will begin with some outside influences that may have affected some people's view of the movie, with the first one being time. The Force Awakens left us on a cliffhanger, and with it came with two years of speculation about what would happen next. Over two years we all placed our bets on Rey's parents, who Snoke is, what is Luke going to say, what will Luke do, etc. Remember that episodes 7, 8, and 9 are telling one story. When you can watch all three consecutively, your personal expectations will no longer be an issue and a lot of people's problems will become moot points. If you hold onto your initial hopes for the movie every time you watch it and let it ruin your view of it, well, that's not my problem. I will address this aspect as it becomes relevant further into my thesis.

2. Marketing If there's one thing you can count on to whet your appetite without spoiling anything, it's Disney's marketing department. In an age where all trailers are either too spoiler-heavy or just plain bad. Disney for the most part is batting 1000 in the marketing department. But with that there are some setbacks. With both TFA and TLJ we saw in the marketing an emphasis on things that were not important, the biggest example being Captain Phasma. The marketing also played into the fact that Star Wars fans love to speculate and intentionally stoked those flames. The Last Jedi's final trailer had all kinds of teases that got everyone talking. My grand point in bringing up these two issues that exist independently of the movie is that The Last Jedi is a two and a half hour movie and it should be watched as such. It is not 2.5 hours+ two years of guessing and it is certainly not 2.5 hours + the marketing leading up to it. As time passes, the marketing, all your speculating, and bad Snoke theories will become irrelevant, and you will be left with the movie.  The Last Jedi works a lot better without all that baggage.

Now this is not to say that your own expectations hurting your view of the movie is completely your fault. If all the time and marketing leading up to The Last Jedi didn't completely define your expectations, it certainly gave you all the tools needed to make them yourself. And if you fell into that net there is a fair share of blame to be spread around, but none of it goes on the movie itself. Rian Johnson made the best movie he could and the time and marketing have no place in between the opening crawl and the closing credits. So don't put them there. If you feel like you should, that's fine. I wholeheartedly disagree and I've made my case for doing so. Now into the actual movie itself...

3. Killing Snoke Snoke. Was. Not. Important. He never was, and The Force Awakens did not say he was. The only thing that was even remotely interesting about him was Andy Serkis' excellent performance, and the fact that we didn't know anything about him. He is treated exactly as Palpatine was treated in the original trilogy and no one seems to have a problem about that. Palpatine didn't even have a name in the original trilogy. He was introduced as a hologram in Empire, and killed off in a cartoony fashion in Jedi. Art is subjective, and if you want to hate that we didn't learn about Snoke that is your choice, but be consistent and hold the original trilogy to the same standard. Sure, the prequels explained how Sheev Palpatine came to power, but they also did not tell us why he is strong or where he came from. It is not The Last Jedi's fault that we latched onto Snoke's two or three scenes and blew them way out of proportion for two years. Not only was Snoke not supposed to matter to us, he never mattered to our heroes. I don't think Rey cares where he came from, how he knows the force, or why he's so strong, and to bring the movie to a screeching halt in order to explain it would have been the bad kind of fan service because there is no one in the movie who cares. If Luke had stopped to explain he might as well have just stared at the camera while he did it. Snoke was a plot device to further the character of Kylo Ren, who is this trilogy's real antagonist. The fact that he didn't feel like a plot device proves that he was a good one. If you care that much to know everything about Snoke, there will be plenty of supplementary material around the corner. But Episodes 7-9 are not Snoke's story, they are Rey and Ben Solo's. Speaking of which, let's look at the character of Ben Solo and why his murder of Snoke was, in my opinion, the absolute perfect choice. Ben's character arc in TFA and TLJ are pretty similar if not the same. He is learning to step out from the shadows of having legends for relatives and be his own person. We are lucky enough to get to watch our main villain actually become a villain throughout these movies. Kylo Ren is an immensely more interesting character than Snoke because we get to see him become who he is. Kylo Ren's character arc could not come to a satisfying end if he was always answering to a master trying to turn him into a new Vader. By killing Snoke, Kylo Ren removes all subserviances to other people's expectations of him and puts our villain on the top of the tower where he belongs, as well as eliminating the tired Master-Apprentice dynamic we've seen in 6 Star Wars movies already. Now we have an Episode 9 where the most complex villain of the entire series is now the sole and very unstable commander of the galaxy's greatest military force, and I believe that is the most compelling status quo to bring into our third act.

4. Too funny I can agree with that. I'm not going to defend every joke by saying that comedy has always been in Star Wars so you should just get over it. Personally I think there are a handful of jokes that, while they may be funny, I would rather not have in the movie. Luke throwing the lightsaber was a little too meta and made a gag out of an intense moment, Poe's prank call was good, but ran a little long, and I think BB-8 driving the walker would not be as bad as it is if it weren't followed by Finn and Rose doing a Statler and Waldorf impression in the midst of a destroyed ship. I think some of the jokes were badly timed and actually did halt the flow of the movie. Remember in Cloud City when our heroes were running for their lives from the Imperials and they stopped so that R2 can electrocute himself in a power socket? Same problem, it's not new. Other than the jokes I pointed out, I think all the comedy was well placed, funny, and not at all to the detriment of the movie. But comedy is so varied and subjective that I'm not going to sit here and type out why something was funny or not, you already know. Instead I'll ask you to think if you are letting one or two misplaced or unfunny jokes ruin all the comedy in the movie, or even the whole movie for you.

5. Rey's Parents Rey's biggest weakness is her parents. How satisfying would it be if the one thing she thought she needed was handed to her on a silver platter? I prefer my characters to have obtacles to overcome and internal struggles that they need to come to peace with. She tries to pass on her destiny to Luke, and when he refuses multiple times she tries to pass her destiny onto Kylo. She never wants to take the responsibility on herself. By telling her she comes from nowhere, that she's nobody, she is forced to accept who she is, and not where she comes from. In a Q&A online with Rian Johnson he says it best. He says that when Luke hears that Darth Vader is his father, it is the hardest thing he could possibly hear. That is one of the reasons it is so impactful. If it was easy for him to accept, it wouldn't be compelling. So why do we want to give Rey the easy way out? I think that when all a character's struggles are external: Man v. Man, Man v. Nature, etc. it can make for an interesting story, but not an interesting character, at least not one with depth. Rey's parents being nobody furthers the theme of Star Wars that heroes can come from nowhere, punctuated by Broom kid at the end. It also challenges our character's sense of who she is. This is also apparent in the cave sequence. Rey begs the cave to show her parents, and the cave responds with a subtle "It doesn't matter." And when we see her after the throne room sequence we see a new sense of purpose as she saves the Resistance from the TIE fighters on Crait. She is now no longer held back by her own past, and she becomes strong enough to lift the rocks to free them from the base. Our character's only get stronger by struggling. I cheer for that, and I'll be severely disappointed if they go back on it in Episode IX.

6. #NotMyLuke If you didn't like how they treated Luke Skywalker in this movie, I understand. No one wants to see their heroes broken and deconstructed. But saying that Luke wouldn't do that is not the most valid argument. The last time we saw Luke was 30 years ago, people change. You can be biased all you want, I am. But explaining your bias does not make it an objective truth. This whole article is my opinion and should be challenged and possibly debated, just like I'm doing to your opinion. It's subjective, there is no right or wrong. So let's jump into the pivotal moment first, Luke wouldn’t have tried to kill Kylo. In the flashback, Luke only had a moment of doubt, which is completely excusable in the Star Wars version of the Baby Hitler scenario. Luke saw the future, and saw Ben destroying everything he ever held dear. He instinctually thought that he could stop it, then immediately regretted it. In doing that, he pushed Ben over the edge. So could he be saved? Based on everything that everyone tells us in this movie, as well as the failed attempt at redemption by Han Solo, no. He is too far gone. Vader was a tragic villain who only listened to his own son. Ben is a psychopath who is not going to be convinced by Uncle Luke. Even Leia realizes this, and when Rey ignores Luke's advice she is wrong.That trumps any argument for Ben's soul to me. And Luke still doesn't try to kill him. If anything, that is IN character for him. Then he ran, Ben joined The First Order and Luke left to hide in his own shame and failure. He held himself to too high a standard because of his status as a legend, the same standard that we as fans are holding him to, by the way. So when it went south for him it hit him really hard. It broke him. As he learned about all the flaws in the Jedi teachings of old, he thought it was time for the Jedi Order to die, so he hid, cut himself off from The Force, and waited to die. It is heartbreaking, but above all it is human. It also gives us a reason for our favorite hero to learn one final lesson. Failure is the best teacher, and he uses that lesson to give him the strength to move forward and embrace who we all thought he was. That is so much more interesting than if we had another wise old master training a naive young student. To me, it would have been closer to a disservice to the character to make him this infallible wise old Jedi because then he can't be a significant part of the movie without forcing him into it. Not to mention Luke comes in at the end, and completely redeems himself. He becomes a legend and the hero you wanted. So what's the problem? It took him longer to get there than you wanted? That there were struggles along the way? That's what all stories are. If you didn't want that, then I think you wanted Luke Skywalker the plot device, or the deus ex machina, but not Luke Skywalker the character. I'm interested to talk about it though. His projection of himself across the galaxy may not have been your favorite way to show just how powerful Luke had become, but it does show it. It also showed it in a manner that was the best example for the Jedi teachings being for knowledge and defense, which was a fatal flaw for the original Jedi Order. Luke had a truly heroic moment from a place of pacifism, and instills a new sense of hope in the Rebels who are able to escape because of him. It overexerts his body and he dies. I loved it. I cannot imagine any kind of X-Wing battle, lightsaber fight, or other blaze of glory scenario that would have been more respectful and reverent to his character than in the movie. He dies echoing the beginning of his story, in front of a binary sunset, with The Force theme playing, alone, calm, and completely at peace. That's just me though.

7. Why Didn't Holdo Just Tell Poe the Plan Let me ask you a question. Why would Holdo tell Poe, an impulsive, hot headed liability of a soldier, the plan? Sure, Leia likes Poe, but Holdo doesn't have to. Holdo did not answer to Poe and saw no reason to let him or anyone else in on the plan. I've never been in the military, so if I'm wrong let me know, but I'm pretty sure you can't just confront your superior about their orders. Not to mention Holdo's plan was a gamble and playing it close to the chest was obviously the right answer. If the survival of the entire Resistance depends on sneaking away, you're going to make sure that information doesn't go anywhere that you aren't in complete control of. However, I think that argument falls apart whenever Poe takes over the ship. I've heard and made up plenty of arguments for why Holdo doesn't come clean during the mutiny, and while some of them are pretty convincing, I'm not sold on them. I feel like it's worth adding that when Poe takes over the Raddus, Holdo has no reason to think that not coming clean would lead to the destruction of 24 out of 30 transports (I counted). The fact that someone else found out about the plan led to that. Doesn’t that prove her right? Maybe Holdo knew that Leia was awake? These arguments are shaky at best and I know I'm reaching, so I'm gonna chalk this one up to a mark against the movie. If you've heard a convincing argument or think one of my aforementioned ones work for you, that is fine and it works for you. For me it's a plot hole, but certainly not the first one in the history of Star Wars. For example, why did our heroes wait a year before rescuing Han from Jabba's palace? They knew where he was. How did Luke complete his training without going back to Yoda? How did Boba Fett beat The Falcon to Cloud City? Insignificant plot holes are par for the course in Star Wars, therefore it cannot ruin only one of the movies to me.

8. Canto Bight Canto Bight is a little bit of a mess. I will admit that, from a plot standpoint, it has little bearing on the story. The whole sequence is basically a pickup mission. There is some lazy writing, with the convenience of finding a second codebreaker, some bad dialogue from Rose, (We get it, we need to find a Master Codebreaker with a red Plombloom, and get out of here. Stop saying it.) and the infamous parking ticket. Additionally, it is not set up very well in an odd sequence with Maz Kanata who, albeit entertaining, feels very much like a plot device. However, it is absolutely pivotal in Finn's character arc. At the beginning of the movie, Finn tries to run away with the beacon that Rey will follow in order to bring her to safety and stay out of the war. He cares about Rey. He has no attitude toward the war, he just wants out of it. In TFA, he lied his way to Starkiller base just to save Rey. His arc in TLJ is his journey from that person, into being an actual revolutionary and caring about The Resistance. This is an arc that is more subtle than it needs to be, at the fault of the movie. This is my mini-thesis statement for the whole Canto Bight sequence: The Canto Bight sequence cuts out effective character development for pleasing visuals. However, it is not devoid of all quality and depth. Instead of arguing for it, please allow me to instead recontextualize it in the hopes that you will enjoy it more on your next viewing, and then tell you the one change that I think would have made a big difference in the whole sequence. In order to learn that he does not want to stay outside of the war, he travels to a planet where the economy thrives on that very concept. When they first arrive, Finn loves it. It is only when he sees the kinds of people that its inhabitants really are, that he starts to see the first crack in the armor. This point is further expanded on in Benicio Del Toro's character who has the same attitude as Finn, and shares his most interesting scene with Finn on-board the ship on their way back to the fleet. They speak about staying out of the war, war profiteering, and how it is all just a business. This also has an effect on Finn, and he is still wrestling with himself at the time of Del Toro's betrayal. Seeing the kind of people that he was trying to join turns the tide, and he decides to align himself with the Resistance. He sees the evil of The First Order exercising itself on his friends in the fleet, and uses that anger as fuel to battle against them, even attempting to sacrifice himself for it. But He still has much to learn, as Rose makes apparent. I would have rewritten one aspect of this arc. I think Finn should have kept the beacon and taken it to Canto Bight. Then he should have tried to convince Rose to stay there, or at least let him. That would further cement his starting point in this movie. I would have loved to cut out the dumb chase scene for a better look at the inhabitants of Canto Bight and conversations about Finn's decision to desert. Then the next few scenes would be much better contextualized, and make the whole sequence more compelling.

9. Rose The love story was forced, but I think Finn realized that too. I'm going to withhold judgement until Episode IX on that. Other than that, Rose was a great character who helps to craft Finn's character. Rose teaches Finn that saving what you love is more important than fighting what you hate. I think that moment was badly written, but necessary. Rose loses her sister at the beginning of the movie, and it is almost to no avail. So we know from the start that Rose has a problem with the idea of martyrdom. She is about compassion and heroism, not anger and spite. She's a defensive character, shown by her role in The Resistance being not a soldier, but a mechanic. The one positive thing I will say about the fathier chase scene is at the end she puts emphasis on freeing the animals. While Finn is focused on destroying the city, Rose shows him what it is really about, and it sets up her saving him at the end quite nicely.

The last two sections were rife with my own bias and I recognize that. I am not making excuses for or invalidating what I see as legitimate problems with the movie. I am simply explaining why I can enjoy it anyway. If it doesn't work for you, no judgement here. Moving on!

10. Rey is too Strong That's the point, Rey is really strong and it scares the hell out of her. This one can't really be talked about without getting extra nerdy about it so here goes... They establish in this movie many times that The Force is a supernatural power that naturally balances itself out. If you look at the previous movies you will see that it is self-evident. When the Sith come out of hiding and make themselves known, the Chosen One is discovered on Tattooine. When The Empire takes control of the galaxy, Luke and Leia are born. When Luke starts a Jedi Academy, Ben Solo is seduced by Snoke. When The First Order strikes its first major blow against the New Republic, The Force AWAKENS in Rey. The Force is a power that is harnessed by training, but can also implement itself instinctually and automatically. Anakin's podracing skills, for example. When did Luke even get the idea that he could pull his lightsaber out of the snow with The Force? With little-to-no training how did he manage to blow up the Death Star without his targeting computer? How did he survive for even a second against the most feared figure in the galaxy with almost no lightsaber training? Rey fended for herself almost her whole life, she was definitely more capable than Luke was when his adventure started. She is so strong with The Force because Luke went into hiding and cut himself off from it, and there was nothing to balance out the growing evil in the galaxy. And I'm not making this up to win an argument. Snoke says "Darkness rises, and Light to meet it. I warned my apprentice that as he grew stronger his equal in the light would become apparent." that quote may not be verbatim, but my point still stands. Luke says it too, "powerful light, powerful darkness," You don't have to like it, that is up to you. It does make sense though, they told you repeatedly. And they not only explained it, but they explained it in a way that expands the lore of The Force, and fits in rather nicely with the rest of saga.

11. Leia The scene where General Leia saves herself in the vacuum of space is a place where we are going to be able to find some more common ground. I think it looks a little ridiculous and I can totally understand why that would ruin it for a large number of people. However, I am able to look past it fnd see it for all the amazing things that it is. First, it is a great character moment for Princess Leia who has the same, if not more potential than Luke. Secondly, it is an appropriate use of fan service and gave us something we've been wanting to see since we found out she is also strong with The Force. Lastly, to see Carrie Fisher's final performance have a moment where she uses The Force to save herself from certain death can only be good. For me, it is pitting all that against the fact that it looks weird, and I think it's no contest. If you disagree with me that is fine and I have no argument against it, save for the points I just made. For those of you arguing about the logistics of The Force and how she could do it without training, or how she can fly, or survive in space. The Force has precedent for being instinctual and in a life or death situation it can take the wheel to some extent. In a weightless enviroment it would not take very much ability to pull yourself through it. And Star Wars has always played fast and loose with space physics anyway. There is precedent in the prequels and OT of surviving in space for a limited amount of time. It is not some new sacrilege unique to The Last Jedi.

12. Phasma Not A lot to say on this one. I don't think the problem was that she was underused or misused as much as she was over-hyped(Refer to 2. Marketing). In the context of the films it's a non-issue to me. J.J introduced a lot of characters in The Force Awakens, and I am glad that Rian Johnson focused on the important ones. Imagine the pacing issues that would come with giving every new character a great moment, character arc, or badass death. At least Phasma got to kick Finn's ass before she died. Yes, she kicked Finn's ass. Finn got a lucky shot when she wasn't looking. Up until that it was a very one-sided fight. She did more than Boba Fett ever did and her death wasn't framed by an accident, a whiny scream, and a burp. There's only so much time in a movie and spreading it too thin would hurt every single storyline. She was misused in TFA though.

Conclusion Personally, after 6 viewings I can say that I put The Last Jedi behind Empire and maybe A New Hope. So it's 2nd or 3rd. There is nothing in this movie that is more offensive than Jar Jar Binks, Leia's sporadic British accent, Luke mourning his only family for about 5 minutes, Ewoks taking on the Imperial Army, either of the musical numbers in Jabba's Palace (The old one is way better, but I hate them both), whiny Anakin, whiny Luke, Luke's idiotic plan in Jabba's Palace, the nauseating writing of Anakin and Padme's love story, the cringeworthy shot of Luke swinging at air while Vader throws things at him in Empire, and I can go on. I have no problem saying that The Last Jedi is better than the messy Return of the Jedi, the awkward prequels, the overly familiar but still great Force Awakens, and the very messy Rogue One. I'm not trying to bash all of Star Wars to spite the haters, I'm trying to plead with them to realize that we as fans don't love Star Wars because they are technically perfect movies. They aren't. I can probably nitpick almost every single one to the same extent that I'm seeing The Last Jedi being torn apart in the garbage fire that is Youtube comment sections. We love them for the characters, the action, the fantasy, and so many more reasons. I don't have a problem with you if you didn't like the movie, but it does bother me greatly when I see people ignoring the problems in the movies they like and then all of a sudden not tolerating them in this one. If you want to compare The Last Jedi to other Star Wars movies, then compare it to to the actual Star Wars movies and not the perfect versions that you have in your head. There is no such thing as a perfect movie, and The Last Jedi doesn't break that streak. But it's not binary, just because Rian Johnson's Star Wars movie wasn't perfect doesn't make it an absolute atrocity. I think the characters, the stellar action sequences, some all-time great Star Wars moments, the overall story, the fact that it takes Star Wars someplace new, the multi-layered villain, the score, the cinematography, and the treatment of some of our favorite characters far outweigh any problems that I just expounded upon. And I think the same case applies to every Star Wars movie.

[dyspfanblog]

Post #131 ~ Post-Series Depression

Mental health issues can impact everyday life in a countless number of ways and it is quite easy to fall into its jaws. The real world can be dark and daunting, which makes it a difficult battle to maintain a positive attitude. However, the fictitious universe(s) can also have an affect on handling mental health too. Whether it’s something that correlates to the real world or simply getting to the end. Post-Series Depression (PSD) isn’t a topic that’s openly discussed, at least outside the individual fandoms. There is a stigma around getting depressed from books, games, film, and series. It is often faced with comments like “Oh, it isn’t even real.”

But Post-Series Depression is quite real and should be tackled respectfully

Of course, it’s not limited to just post-series depression as you can get post-movie depression, post-game depression, and post-anime depression. Just for ease, I’ll refer to it as Post-Series Depression as it’s all connected.

Post-Series Depression has the potential to be damaging if not handled correctly. Most of the time the feeling will pass in a short period of time (few days). Depression itself is difficult to talk about and power through. So, if the cause is from something that seems trivial like getting to the end of a TV series, it can be extremely difficult to open up. Not exactly an easy discussion that the thing that’s got you down isn’t work, money, friendship related but something in a fictitious world. While I haven’t faced such comments, mainly because I haven’t openly discussed this type of feeling, I feel it’s something I want to address.

Why does Post-Series Depression happen?

I don’t believe there is a great mystery behind it but I everyone will have their own thoughts and opinions. My interpretation is getting an odd empty feeling after finishing a book or series is a natural occurrence, because you want more than what was presented. As a side note, credit to the creators for creating an extremely amazing piece of fiction.

One of my gifts, and curses, is an ability to get absorbed into the world of fiction. Growing up with anxiety and depression, it’s a nice comfort to get away from the harshness and find a reassurance in a different world. In short, it’s good to forget myself for a little while. Using fiction to escape is a juvenile way of dealing with problems, but it can be extremely effective if used right. If used wrong, it can cause problems to worsen, so finding the happy medium is difficult. For me, I try to always stay in control and never run away from my problems. The escapes are to help empower me to tackle the issues head-on. However, a piece of media can strike a certain cord within and it just lingers on and on. Getting invested into something can leave a void once it’s all over.

How to shift the feeling of Post-Series Depression

The fact remains, post-series depression is a thing and maybe there’s more to it than getting to the end of the fiction itself. There’s many different ways you can connect to a piece of media and I suppose the more connections you make the more of an impact it can make on you. The first course of action is to self-reflect, is there a reason why this feeling has come about? Could be there was something within the fictional world that resonated with you or reminded you of a real-life issue you’re facing? Perhaps it’s a chance to sort out a real-life issue? Regardless, there are tactics to getting clear of Post-Entertainment Depression if self reflection yields no results.

1. Take a break

 Finishing off something that leaves a powerful void within you isn’t easy to replace. In fact, I would argue that if you find something equally or more powerful to replace it straight away, you may find you’ll end up with a stronger feeling of post-series depression afterwards. The danger here is you may end up simply chasing something to fill that void which doesn’t exist. On the other hand, it may just work if you choose something that leaves a great impression but does so in a way that you don’t feel empty at the end.. All in all, maybe best to try some different hobbies for a little while.

2. Talk about it

 Like with standard depression and anxiety, talking about what’s on your mind is a great coping mechanism. People who have either gone through a similar situation or know the franchise well can offer words of wisdom or support. Sometimes all that is required is just a little help to process everything.

3. Write about it

Something that crops up regularly is to write fan fiction (and by that extent read fan-fiction) to help overcome the emptiness. Perhaps there wasn’t a sufficient enough ending for you or there were loose ends that didn’t get tied up. Writing out new scenarios can help ease the sadness. You could also write a review (for yourself or make it public online) as that could help too. If fan-fcition isn’t your thing then you could simply read other people’s reviews and opinions on it.

4. Re-watch/Re-play/Re-read

Giving the franchise another go through can help ease the burden. You may find little details you missed first time around and it’ll help process everything. Throwing yourself into a franchise for the first time can be daunting and by giving it another go can help with the processing of it. It also reinstates that even though you’ve completed it you can come back to it and it’s not gone.

5. Look into prequels, sequels, spin-offs, and alternative adaptations etc.

Sometimes these pieces of fiction are spread across different types of medias or gets expanded on in certain ways, so there’s potentially more for you to discover. Dedicated fans may have created their own extension to the franchise such as game mods/fan games, fan-fiction, soundtrack covers, animations, and live action videos etc. People may have also created memes which will help lighten the burden. Plus, you could create something in celebration of the fictional world.

6. Extras and behind the scenes

Watching behind the scenes can help too and can even bring you back to reality how it is just a fabrication. For example, if you’re stuck on a character’s death then you probably can see interviews with the actor/actress, which may help that really they’re not actually dead-dead. It’s little extras that keep the magic of the world going.

7. Join a fandom

Many of the fictitious universes out there have a following and joining one is an excellent way of getting over the sadness. Rather than this is the end of something, it’s the beginning. If there isn’t a fandom for what you’ve just witnessed, then you could set one up. You can make friends with people who like the franchise and the feelings of bitter and emptiness are filled by making these new connections. You can’t be left feeling too sad if as a result you make new friends or acquaintances!

8. Purchasing goodies/soundtrack/extras

When it comes to these elements of fiction there is also a market to sell goods from it. Having a little physical reminder like the soundtrack or figurine can immortalise the fictitious world. They’re no longer lost to the digital world and become more accessible to your eyes and ears, so to speak. Instead of having to load it up to enjoy it you can glance across to your shelf or put on the music as you’re doing something else. Also, by supporting the creators it may convince them to create more. For me, if something leaves an impact I save an image of it and add to my desktop wallpaper slideshow – occasionally one of these epic shots will pop up to give me a bittersweet reminder.

9. Moving on and finding something new

When you feel it’s about time to move on find something new to jump into, go for it. Who knows whatever you’ll pick next will have a similar affect on you, but that’s all part of the excitement and fun. If something powerful can linger on inside you, then that is something special. All forms of art and entertainment whether it’s paintings, music, games, films, series, books, manga, anime etc. are there to provoke the emotions and if something can have a profound effect then it’s done a powerful job. While the sadness is an awful feeling, I personally love the bitter-sweetness of it. I tip my hat to any creation that isn’t easily forgettable, if at all. At this point it is a challenge; can what you produce leave a lasting impression on me or will it simply get forgotten?

What sparked this post off?

It would be fair to assume that I’ve fallen into the trap of Post-Series Depression recently and yes you would be right. Probably only fair to share what it was. An anime called Your Lie in April (Japanese title: Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso). There are so many things within it that has resonated within me and left a lasting impression. Anime is one of my unsung hobbies and I keep it on the down low. It’s a planned topic for another day.

Getting back, there were certain key things I wanted to happen in the series as I was watching. Some of these never came to fruition, which is probably why the series has lodged itself in my head. The fact it didn’t turn out how I really hoped it would doesn’t make it a bad series, in fact quite the opposite in this instance. In case you’re interested in the series then here’s a link to where you can watch it: https://www.crunchyroll.com/en-gb/your-lie-in-april (includes both the English Dub and English subtitles version).

Rounding off Post-Series Depression

Post-Series Depression may not be as serious as depression and anxiety itself but it still is important to tackle. While it normally disappears within a few days, that isn’t guaranteed and if there are any other underlining issues like anxiety or depression then it can add to it and not shift. Which is why something like Post-Series Depression is important to deal with as it can be dealt with much easier than other mental health issues. When suffering from mental health issues the last thing you want is any more burdens weighing you down. But as a final thought, if something leaves a profound impression on you it can help keep your mind off any other negative thoughts.

In fact, I’m interested to know has there been any pieces of entertainment that caused you to have a post-entertainment depression?

Extra Links

Depression: The Internal Fight

Dark Games as a Source of Light

Until the next time, take care!

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