SPOILER Stringing the Plot Thread

I apologize if this thread was already created. I know we have a lot of threads about specific plot points and rumors, but I was hoping to create a running thread of ongoing speculation/rumors that we can start to string together into a cohesive plot. So, feel free to reply your bullet points below, and I will periodically update this first post with the details and we'll try to get them in a workable order. Understandably, his will be a moving target...

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Spoiler: PLOT

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII
THE FORCE AWAKENS

- OPENING CRAWL -

- Shot of space pans to a lightsaber flying through space.

- The lightsaber falls to the ground in a savannah environment (presumably Tatooine)

- A farmer finds the lightsaber, accidently ignites and starts a fire. The farmer initially runs away from the fire, but then goes back to retrieve the lightsaber.

- The farmer takes the lightsaber to his village elder, who recognizes the weapon and contacts the Alliance.

- That night POE DAMERON arrives with his droid companion BB-8 to retrieve the lightsaber for the Alliance. This exchange is interrupted by the noise of an incoming Imperial transport. POE quickly hides the lightsaber in BB-8's secret compartment. The droid flees.

- A ship transporting Stormtroopers, under the command of KYLO REN, lands on Tatooine near the village. The Stormtroopers aggressively search for the lightsaber, while POE fights the Imperial forces, but is eventually subdued and captured. Poe's X-WING is damaged in this process. FINN's best friend is killed in this conflict, and FINN defects letting a few villagers escape. KYLO REN arrests FINN, who along with POE is taken to a brig onboard an orbiting Star Destroyer.

- FINN and POE escape the brig and Star Destroyer together in a TIE Fighter which gets shot down on Tatooine. FINN gets up suddenly on the desert

- An Imperial Officer instructs the The Chrometrooper, CAPTAIN PHASMA to track down Finn and Poe.

- REY observed the burning of the village and FINN's defection from afar. While on the way back from the run Rey comes across Finn and Poe and rescues them as they are on the run. She takes them to her hideout in the AT-AT Walker by hauling them and Poe's damaged X-Wing with her wagon-speeder. They are pursued by The Chrometrooper across Tatooine.

PLOT ELEMENTS & SEQUENCES STILL REMAINING TO WEAVE INTO THE THREAD

TATOOINE

- BB-8 races across a desert landscape with ships and a fence in the background, presumably on Tatooine near a marketplace.

- BB-8's hidden panel lifts to reveal a hidden compartment out of which pops out Anakin/Luke's lightsaber.

- REY, POE, and FINN meet a cyborg character who lived through the clone wars to ask about the lightsaber.

- REY shows HAN SOLO the lightsaber and he recognizes that is used to belong to LUKE SKYWALKER.

- The group (REY, HAN, CHEWBACCA, POE, FINN, and BB-8) head to the 'Pirate's Cove' to meet LEIA ORGANA, C-3PO, and R2-D2. This kicks off the race to find Luke.


THE PUB SEQUENCE


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- REY, FINN, and HAN go to a pub where they meet a short alien, codenamed 'ROSE'. The short alien also initiates a vision of the past events connected to the lightsaber. The flashback contains two segments:

The Academy - A battle takes place between the CLAN and THE SEVEN. KYLO REN approaches REY. THE SEVEN are looting and Dead bodies are on the ground an Luke appears.

The Savannah - flashback of the opening sequence of the film that shows the events related to finding and trading the lightsaber.

- After the flashback vision, the small alien presents the lightsaber to FINN, who ignites it, and REY has a strong reaction the weapon's presence.

- REY runs away from the pub into the woods. BB-8 follows.

- Massive shaking throws the pub into chaos and ruin, and KYLO REN arrives with Stormtroopers.

- While hanging out with ROSE, they run outside and see a moon blow up. Rey watches from the woods as KYLO REN and his gang of Seven descend on the Pub and castle.

- They run back into the Pub and through a secret passage underground.

- ROSE uses her special skills to fight Stormtroopers in the tunnels.

- The Pub blows up, and the castle next to the Pub blows up.

- The gang stays on the planet despite the siege, waiting patiently for something.

- LEIA shows up to collect the body of her pivotal Emissary, and has an awkward encounter with HAN.

- LEIA is very proud of her new superweapon, the Sledgehammer.

- Leia enters the lightsaber discussion by taking it for herself, but ROSE convinces her to give it to FINN, who is inexperienced yet eager to wield it. But this is really just to give it to REY, because she is the chosen one.

- Then they all go to the Rebel base together, when they realize they forgot REY in the woods.

FINALE

- A trio of X-Wings, one being piloted by a beat up POE, fly over a lake.

- Kylo Ren shoots down the Millennium Falcon

- On the ramparts of a castle, HAN SOLO confronts KYLO REN. HAN SOLO dies in this confrontation.

- KYLO REN walks through a snowy forest and hunches over to ignite a broad-saber with cross-guards.

- REY travels with CHEWBACCA, BB-8, and FINN on the Millennium Falcon to a location where she presents the lightsaber to LUKE SKYWALKER.

 

@Voxx, thanks for not nixing it right away! I also saw that thread in the lounge, but I was hoping this thread could be more "formal" if that makes sense, with a collection of plot rumors that we've all been discussing to try and fit things together.

 

@PoeReyMi and @TheFettMan, thanks for your contributions, I added them to the running list at the top.

 

@AGoodfriend I agree with you on this one, not sure I remember any rumor about a big action scene with the OT cast at the beginning...however, there have been a lot of rumors about a flashback, so I kept it in the list.

That rumor has seemed to die down without backing as @AGoodfriend noted and now most discussion focuses on the discovery of lightsaber itself by the new trio or at least Rey/Finn.

 

All, great discussion! I updated the post with a lot more details, and due to general consensus removed the flashback at the beginning. The connections between rumors about the beginning from both SW7News and Making Star Wars are still fuzzy, but I think with some solid logic work, we can get pretty close. I added a section with rumored plot elements that just don't seem to have solid threads stringing them together.

One thing I'm enjoying about this whole process is that even with all the leaks and rumored plot points, we still don't have a good idea how everything fits together. How is it established that Luke's hiding/ in captivity? Who is related and when is it revealed? How do we learn Kylo Ren's motives. What role do force ghosts play?....and the biggest part that missing for me. What the heck are C3PO and R2D2 doing this whole time? I'm sure they are there somewhere.

Before we move forward, I'd like to note that this thread focuses on making sense of the rumors we've heard so far, either through concept leaks or through "supposed" sources that haven't necessarily been debunked yet. So, I probably won't be including things we'd like to see if it hasn't been tied to a specific leak or rumor from a source.

 

Added some additional detail regarding a supposed Imperial Officer played by Domhnall Gleeson instructing the Chrometrooper to track down Finn. Did not put details about the Imperial Officer's lineage as it all sounds a bit fuzzy.

 

Updated with the big MSW reveal. Though I did not add the surrounding details about other characters in that sequence.