Can this trilogy be salvaged?

@FN-3263827

Wow, that was amazing. I totally wasn't expecting a full rundown. I've never been so good with subtext and ambiguity. I'll still hope for actual "text", but this does help a lot. Definitely worth thinking about.

 

sorry if that was a bit much, but i'm glad it's somewhat helpful!

i've had to talk my sister down off several ledges about all this (she was in a rage after the movie and still gets heated up), so it's something i've probably spent too much energy thinking about myself ~ hahaha

if you have any interest you might consider reading Foster's novelization. while it doesn't provide a lot of additional information about Ren and his distracted mindset, it does hint at how controlling/abusive his relationship with Snoke is and how "void" his sensibilities are with regard to his own behavior.

and sure, even though it's doubtful we'll get it, i wouldn't mind more "text" to work with as well given how complex this is.

 

Well, I tried to watch Fringe and Lost and they just didn't make any sense to me. And it's not for lack of imagination, I do have a philosophy degree after all, lol. Too many what the hell moments with no explanation.
There is such a thing as cause and effect, and the little things as well as big things need to make sense on some level. Even supernatural things like the Force have reliable characteristics. Wars need actual strategy, not just blowing stuff up. Etc.

You call it organic, I call it logic. Things should follow from antecedents, and have consequences. I'm not saying that there can't be coincidences or surprises, but the best ones have their roots in things we knew, but missed. That's why "No, I am your father," was brilliant. And conversely, that's why people uniformly hate mystery novels where they don't give you enough damn clues to figure out whodunnit.

There are not enough clues in TFA. Things just happen, and then we wonder why.

But I think Johnson can restore the logic to this trilogy. Having said that, I still prefer TFA to some parts of the prequels, because even though things made sense, it seemed like the life was drained out of it. So JJ restored the heart and some of the soul to the franchise, now what we need are the brains.

 

I agree entirely. I personally think the midichlorian debate sums this up.
For me, midichlorians were just a name given to something that has existed from the beginning of Star Wars.
Luke Skywalker (and later Leia) were believed to be potentially powerful because of who their father was/is.
It was genetic. It is true that this wasn't explored in the OT. It didn't need to be though. We just needed to know that Luke was the last hope for the Jedi.
But with the PT, Lucas had to take the story further. He brought in the Chosen One storyline and had to flesh out why it is that Luke was so important - when, if JJ's view was correct, anyone could just learn the Force and be used by Kenobi and Yoda to take down the Emperor.
And this is the issue with JJ. He goes with his heart - he doesn't like the science of midichlorians because as a kid the movies made him think he/anyone could be a Jedi. That you weren't born special.

I get that. But it's not factually correct and the idea that anyone can be as powerful as anyone else in the Force is just wrong.
Anyone can learn to use the Force - but not everyone can just learn to be as powerful as someone like Luke.

So where the PT actually had to explain these things and lose a bit of the mystery and heart, TFA has, as you say, gone with the heart and ignored the head.
It's this that leads on to other concerns I have - such as regarding Snoke's history. If JJ and the writers have just written something that sounds good and hits the right emotional notes but ignored what is actually correct within the Star Wars Universe then my view is the mythology will be diminished. They need to get the balance right.