Having flirted with several Rey theories; I want to satisfy my own curiosity as to where the story is headed.
The opening scroll of The Last Jedi is going to be difficult if it is an immediate carry-on from the end of The Force Awakens. Apparently almost no time has elapsed and so the need for the scroll is dissipated. I can’t believe there wouldn’t have at least been a few weeks between the two. So what will the scroll then say?
A stab:
“Following the destruction of Starkiller base, the FIRST ORDER Starfleet has struck out from beyond the unknown regions of space, preparing to overthrow the NEW REPUBLIC.
To counter this sinister threat, the remnants of the REPUBLIC fleet have joined with the RESISTANCE under General Leia Organa on XXXXXX to plan their response.
On Ahch-To Luke Skywalker is discovered by the mysterious Rey. Meanwhile on XXXX Supreme leader Snoke is completing Kylo Ren’s training….
Therefore, I think the film will open with one of a few possibilities I’ve ranked in order of likelihood.
Cut to the First order fleet and a massive new Super Super star destroyer – Snoke’s flagship. And from there to an exhausted Kylo Ren being put through his paces.
A reversal of the above with the Millennium falcon leaving Ahch-To and then a cut to the surface and Luke / Rey’s encounter.
An almighty space battle between resistance fighters and the First Order.
The invasion of Crait aka mirroring ESB.
Not that it really matters how it opens – the key magic sauce will be how the plot unfolds over the few hours we’ll all be glued to our seats in the cinema.
For my own part, I think there will be a wonderful juxtaposition between Luke’s training of Rey and Snoke of Kylo Ren. The light vs the dark – obviously a key theme. Perhaps cutting between the two (the Rocky training montages!).
We will also see for why Luke is so aggrieved, beyond the slaying of his Jedi pupils (reason enough some might say) as to want to scurry and hide from the galaxy at large. The Jedi principals specifically warn against fear of loss (his pupils, Kylo etc), anger and desire for revenge, and of course fear. So it would be wrong to think he hides out of fear, but equally he couldn’t remain hell-bent on wishing to destroy Kylo or the first order for that emotion is a path to the dark side. My own take is that for him to be seen cowering would undermine his previous efforts and our view of a much loved character. Instead he must be there seeking something, albeit the insight as to the real nature of the original Jedi – which may convince him that the order was wrong about many things…. perhaps love for instance! It wouldn’t be the first time a film has sought to undermine the foundations of previously rock-solid foundations of religious thought. Or alternatively, the strength and insight to fight Snoke, knowing that the inevitable showdown looms eventually.
But where and what is the core likely story thread from beginning to end. There is a lot of action to squeeze in in those few hours:
A large Space battle between the First Order and the New Republic (maybe even the NR striking at the FO? One would have assumed the reverse).
The action on Crait. Which could mirror the both scenes as being an initial battle between the Resistance fighters based there and the invading First Order, who have located them.
Clearly there are sub-plots aplenty – Finn infiltrating the First Order and his showdown with Phasma. I would have said his mission could have come at the start ala Poe’s to Jakku – however with the director’s insistence that events take place immediately afterwards, that, and it would be difficult to square with injuries sustained at the end of TFA.
Luke and Rey’s trip to confront Snoke and / or Kylo Ren.
And it’s this last one that is the most interesting. We can’t assume that the big plot twist in this film is definitely centred on Rey, but rather on Kylo – after all, Disney does need to keep us guessing ready for Episode 9. It could also be that, Kylo’s hand being offered isn’t actually to Rey but rather to Luke? Could Kylo end this film having fought with Luke?
Could Rey end this film in Snoke’s clutches, setting up a Luke / Kylo rescue for Episode 9?
I have to put some chips down (albeit later to regret them) and so will go with this:
Rey is royalty and whether that means is in some way related to Snoke or that Snoke is the one who killed her parents I simply can’t tell. She is clearly of a certain parentage and that is significant. Her place in all this is that she clearly is destined for greater things and is a force user higher than any of the Skywalker’s. Having her inheriting a throne is probably a bit much for the republican american writers – although one could argue that the only throne worth inheriting would be to be Palpatine’s heir. Or a greater throne / source of power in the unknown regions.
We may learn some of her heritage in this film – but probably not all. It is also distinctly possible that her parents are still alive. But given the strong notions of parental redemption, this theory squares with the other more positive angle of her avenging (not a Jedi trait) her parent’s overthrow. My money has to be on the former and so her parentage is evil.
Which really leaves Snoke – who the hell is he? Rax, the inquisitor? Palpatine resurgent? Casterfo? A fallen Jedi? A new character from the unknown regions; the dark lord himself? An ancient Sith? I find him difficult to place. In some ways I think he is more fragile than we know – he looks too human and too damaged to be an all-powerful character, more dreaded than Palpatine himself. Yet, he must be – for the trio of Kylo, Luke and Rey to overcome him, he has to be a supplely powerful being. In some ways I quite like the notion that he was somehow discovered / resurrected. Especially if it was Luke that did it. It makes him responsible for putting him back where found. That said, he doesn’t appear to have the ‘look’ or motive to go on a galaxy-inspired domination; which at least Palpatine had in fulfilling the Sith goal of domination. Also to have sat out vast tranches of time in the unknown regions suggests either regeneration or actually weakness. And perhaps he isn’t as supreme as we think – after all it was Hux that coaxed him into using the Starkiller. So he listens to minions, Palpatine seemed more commanding. The fact he wants Skywalker found and killed suggests he is not more than a placeholder – which suggests in my opinion that Rey is his heir apparent and may well end this film with a choice to make. It would also mean Kylo is going to be enormously frustrated in that he is less powerful than her and if Snoke does indeed train her the dark side, she would be too difficult to defeat. In my heart I believe that Kylo is not totally lost, indeed has been playing a long game of overthrowing Snoke and destroying the dark side – finishing what Vader started with throwing Palpatine down a rather convenient access point to the reactor shaft.
Or of course Maz is the one orchestrating all of this – she is actually Snoke (via a smokescreen) put the wheels in motion and has a much larger part to play in bringing balance to the force… that’s the half time special 500/1 odds option.
Clearly it can’t be overtly complicated because this is a film for all ages and the lowest common denominator – i.e. children and those uninterested in cannon. I.e. the films have to be digestible to those – like my long-suffering girlfriend – who are dragged to the cinema to watch it – a stronger contrast between light (excitement!) and dark (eye rolling boredom) would be hard to find. It means that the films have to be ‘complete’ without cannon reading required. Quite a hard feat to accomplish to cater for hardcore fans who will happily digest every last facet and then those interested only in their toffee popcorn munching.
A gritty ending, with pain, suffering, darkness but that glimmer of hope (light) would cap off the film nicely. like think the ending be Poe’s speech about them being the spark that lights rebellion – the sort of speech that comes after the death of Leia and destruction of part of their fleet. Which sets us up nicely for a two year wait to buy loads more cannon books, try to tie together all the threads, miserably fail to do so and then in five years time – forget we even attempted to guess the outcome since by then it’ll all be known. Fun guessing though!
STRATEGY + tactics 