Warning: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Don’t read ahead unless you’ve already seen the movie.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot of buzz going on in the wake of Episode VII and in an effort to get some of it out of my head, I’m committing it to the page. I can’t guarantee that there’s going to be that much order to this, though, but I’ll try to keep it a step or two above pure stream of consciousness.

First, let’s start with my predictions before I saw the movie. I figured that Rey was Han and Leia’s daughter and then half-jokingly made the leap that Kylo Ren was Luke’s son so we could have a “No, I am your cousin” moment. Well, seems like I got it flipped. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it seems pretty clear that Rey is Luke’s daughter. Han certainly seemed to recognize who she was (and may even have been the one to leave her on Jakku on Luke’s behalf) and there’s the chain of succession with Luke/Anakin’s lightsaber. Some people hope that it isn’t that obvious, but it’s tidier for storytelling purposes and feels consistent with the series’ mythos. I mean, it’s still possible that she’s another of Han and Leia’s children, which would provide a closer connection to Kylo Ren and align more with Jacen and Jaina from the old EU, but I don’t think Han and Leia would’ve played keepaway with her if that was the case. Also, as undisciplined as Kylo Ren is, I think he would’ve been able to intuit she was his sister if that was the case.

Some people don’t like how Kylo Ren is tantrum throwing deranged fanboy, but I absolutely love it. Character flaws–when executed well–make strong characters. In fact, in many ways, Ren strikes me as more of what Anakin was supposed to be in the Prequel Trilogy. As one commentator had said, it was a canny move for the filmmakers to make their copy Vader a deliberate copy. It’s part of the larger sense of self-awareness that makes you buy a lot of the elements some people count as flaws.

Speaking of which, a common complaint is that this is just a rehash of Episode IV. I honestly don’t mind in the slightest. Episode IV is an archetypal story and using that as a framework for kicking off the Sequel Trilogy isn’t a bad thing. This is, after all, Star Wars for a new generation and the parallelism works for me. In particular, people think Starkiller Base was a little too much of same old. same old. I didn’t mind because Starkiller Base is just a continuation of Imperial policy. If the original Death Star was a one and done, I might’ve had more of an objection, but as the Death Star II was a scaled-up model, Starkiller Base represents the next stage in the program of imposing the Tarkin Doctrine as a means of rule. (So, ironically, for me, the fact that this is effectively the third Death Star makes it more acceptable than less.) I’ve heard some people say that it would’ve been better if Starkiller Base remained a persistent threat throughout the ST and I can agree with that, but we got what we got. Now, if we see Starkiller Base II in Episode IX, then I’ll join the chorus. ^_^;

On the subject of the subsequent films, I’m hoping that Episode VIII features Rey and Kylo Ren’s training in parallel, but I have a feeling that we’ll see Rey’s training and Ren will be kept under wraps until their next confrontation. (It would be a little too much of ESB redux for her to have her lose the next match, but that would help set things up for a final confrontation in Episode IX.) Presumably the B plot will have a newly awakened Finn joined Poe on some mission, possibly have them on the run when the First Order strikes at Resistance HQ (but this too would be a little too much of ESB redux). Maybe it does say something of the parallelisms that I’m essentially recreating the OT in my predictions for Episodes VIII and IX.

A lot of people saw Han’s death being telegraphed, but I didn’t realize he was done for until Ren refused to let go of his lightsaber after offering it to Han. I knew either he or Chewie (or both) was likely to bite it when they went in to set the explosives. Actually, until Chewie showed up in the Falcon to pick up Rey and Finn, I thought he killed himself when he hit the detonator. Anyway, going back to that moment, part of me actually wondered if Ren would go with Han. It could’ve set up an interesting plot in Episode VIII where he’s trying to overcome his addiction to the Dark Side and atone for his many crimes while being pursued by the First Order. Having him as the token evil teammate could’ve been interesting. At this point, I have a hard time seeing a redemption arc working for him (unless he decides to be just like Grandpa and chuck Snoke into a hole), but we’ll see. However, when I thought about it, parricide is only one of his many crimes. Just because Han is the character we care about shouldn’t blind us to the fact that Ren’s a multiple murderer. Han’s death shouldn’t objectively be any heavier than any of the others who died at Ren’s hand (or his order), so my initial willingness to see him cross back over when that carrot was dangled there isn’t justified, at least not in a larger sense. It’ll be interesting to see how his struggle continues over the next two films.

Some people have been calling Rey a Mary Sue. I disagree, but I’ll get into the details in another post. I will agree that she’s a little too good at what she does, but there are more elements to making a Sue than hypercompetence. Force sensitivity allows you to handwave a lot and her background justifies her mechanical proficiency and core competency at piloting. Her detractors complain about her becoming an instant Jedi, but she really doesn’t. She’s got a lot of raw potential and she’s receptive to the Force’s guidance. This was established in Episode IV, after all, that the Force can exert an influence over people. If Rey’s been selected as the Force’s agent for balance, then it stands to reason that it’s going to guide her more overtly. Also, it’s worth noting that her lightsaber combat isn’t that of a seasoned duelist. She already has a fair bit of martial arts ability and adapts as well as she can against a wounded and mentally unstable Kylo Ren. Going back to how she seems a little too perfect, I have a feeling that the filmmakers were afraid of putting too many flaws in her character. As I noted before, character flaws make for interesting characters but only if it’s well-executed. It’s a shame, but having a female lead is seen as a dicey prospect and it’s a bit of a tightrope act. Consider Sidney Poitier’s character from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. The filmmakers knew that they were going to be catching flak for featuring an interracial couple, so they had to make Poitier’s character about as perfect as he could possibly be to leave you with almost nothing to object to besides the race factor. From a storytelling point of view, a more flawed character is more interesting, but when you’re walking into a potential minefield, you don’t want to take chances. I mean, a female lead in a science fantasy shouldn’t be objectionable, but some people are dumb about that sort of thing. Whatever my personal biases, speaking for myself, so long as the character is compelling, that’s all I need. I enjoy Rey’s character, but the fact that her only really noticeable flaw is her temporary refusal of the call does somewhat hamper her depth. However, I’m willing to see where she goes in the next couple movies but even if it’s more of the same, I certainly wouldn’t mind.

I’ve also heard people muttering about confusion regarding the political situation in the galaxy (with a nontrivial subset not minding at all as the larger situation is secondary to the characters). I’m not the only one who was able to connect the dots to form a reasonable picture of where things stand. Following the Empire’s defeat, the First Order arose as the predominate Imperial remnant. It’s entirely possible that there are other remnant factions with their own territories. (After all, with the dissolution of the Imperial Senate, power was concentrated under the regional governors, which is a natural succession in the event of the Empire’s collapse.) The New Republic seems to have set itself up in the Core Worlds. I was one of the people who thought it was Coruscant that was targeted by Starkiller Base, but upon further research and subsequent viewings, I realize it’s the Hosnian System where the new Senate is based. Basically, the New Republic and the First Order seem to have reached some sort of nonaggression pact to head off open warfare (possibly used as a pretext for the First Order to sink more resources into Starkiller Base’s completion), but the Republic covertly sponsors the Resistance, which in turn is used as a casus belli by the First Order. It’s little surprise that veterans of the Rebel Alliance like Leia and Admiral Akbar would devote their experience to the Resistance rather than mire themselves in the bureaucracy of Republic politics. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Leia started out as a senator in the New Republic, only to cross over to the Resistance after Ben went evil.) It would seem that the Republic Fleet was concentrated in the Hosnian System, possibly as a condition of the nonaggression pact with the First Order. There are certainly other military forces of the Republic, but space assets may be largely limited to orbital guard. This greatly limits the support the Resistance will have in the next movie (but if there’s a deal with the devil with some rival Imperial remnant faction, that could be interesting). While the First Order’s been significantly hobbled by the loss of Starkiller Base, I imagine they have considerable space assets and may have secretly been building more warships during the nonaggression phase. The Republic certainly isn’t dead. I imagine they’re going to be in a similar situation as the Empire at the end of Episode VI. Regional governors are going to act with relative autonomy while a provisional government is formed to try to pull things back together. (We may even see the Republic taken over by a military junta that turns on the Resistance, leaving our heroes hemmed in on both sides.) I can be counted as one of the people who’s glad to see the politics take a back seat, but I can understand people who wish the situation was a little more clear-cut.

I think we’ll close with some speculation on Luke’s motivations. On the surface, it seems like a cowardly move to just go into hiding when things go wrong (though on that note, it would be in keeping with the fine Jedi tradition). My defense of Luke’s actions (which may not be the case) goes like this: Because Snoke and Kylo Ren are obsessed with hunting down Luke, the First Order is devoting tons of resources to the hunt, resources that could be otherwise be used to expand their territory and oppress a wider range of the galactic population. Yes, they still commit atrocities along the way, but it’s less entrenched and systematic. For one person, that’s not a bad bit of work. More than he could do from the cockpit of an X-Wing or swinging around a lightsaber, I imagine. Also, if the whole first Jedi Temple thing is real, perhaps Luke’s going back to the source in an attempt to find a way to overcome the challenge of the Dark Side. Obviously something went dramatically wrong in his attempt to restore the Jedi Order. Regarding Rey, if she is indeed his daughter, I only jokingly lay out Luke’s thought process at this: “Well, I grew up on a desert planet and I turned out alright. Maybe it’ll work out the same way for my kid.” More seriously, though, keeping Rey with him would’ve had a more concentrated Force presence to seek out and I imagine Luke figured he was a bigger target and keeping her away was the best choice for her safety. Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow’s character) may well have been on Jakku with all those Resistance fighters as her secret guardians, waiting for the day when either she matured enough for her powers to be cultivated or to draw the First Order’s attention. It’s even possible that it was intended for her to live out her life without ever getting involved, but this seems unlikely given Luke’s prescience (limited though it may be).

Well, that’s enough for now, I think. It’ll be interesting to see how things shape up for Episode VIII. I just looked an saw that it’s being written and directed by Rian Johnson of Looper fame. That’s promising. One of the things I was worried about is whether or not the writing can continue at the same level, but I think we should be okay. We’ll see. Stay tuned.

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