I’ve been thinking about this moment a lot lately….

The heartbreak on Rey’s face is devastating. A single second or two of film but you can feel the lifetime of hope and grief and longing that has defined Rey. In one tiny instance you see what Rey knows she is losing and her fear of what’s to come next.

And yet, there is no rage or hatred in her expression. She hurts for Ben. Again, she shows compassion that could only spring from an often disregarded depth of strength that few possess. It’s so incredibly powerful.

She recognizes the potential of the moment as well. She slowly raises her hand, perhaps to slow time before they together decide the path that is to come. It’s as if there is a moment in which she believes she can simply will Ben to be the person she needs, but all the while understands that he isn’t. In some ways, I think it’s a beautiful mirror to the moment where Luke stood over Ben as he slept.

I think part of what has drawn me into this story so fully are these types of moments. In just a second, you really feel the tension of knowing how much is balanced on the thinnest edge, in just that single moment before reality falls to one path or another.

There have been so many moments like that throughout this storyline. That kind of story telling engages the viewer so much more deeply, to be able to see those “if only” moments and to comprehend their consequences so much more fully. It creates a sense of ownership in the viewer, that burden of knowing the pain and loss that might have been spared but for the difference of a single second.

You have too much of your father’s heart in you, young Solo.

I had been convinced we were going to get a title announcement at the very least during the Super Bowl. We figured out a few days ago that that wasn’t going to happen.

The got me thinking, when would they do it? It seems pretty obvious the trailer will probably be released at the Star Wars Celebration in April but that’s SO FAR AWAY.

I really think they’ll do the title announcement before but something like that usually coincides with some other major event.

Seems like Valentine’s Day is the only “major event” or holiday between now and April?

At first I was like, “That would be weird.” but then I thought, “What if it was released on VALENTINE’S DAY.”

Be still my reylo loving heart…..

Does anyone else get a racing pulse when you think about how the title reveal for Episode IX might happen ANY DAY NOW.

So let me get this straight….

Rey, who:

Did not like having her hand held

Did not kiss Finn on the mouth when thanking him and leaving OR when finding out he came back to save her

Did not kiss Han on the mouth for a job offer

Did not kiss Maz on the mouth for helping her

Did not kiss Luke on the mouth for agreeing to train her

Did not kiss Chewy on the mouth for copiloting or letting her Fedex herself to Kylo

Did not kiss Leia on the mouth for reassuring, leading, or training her

Literally never showed any sign of such questionable personal boundaries

Was brought back from the dead by the person who:

She daydreamed about touching

Felt an electric shock for

Was literally the soulmate of

Got flustered when seeing half nekked

Begged and pleaded to join her

Called HER HOME

And immediately kissed him because:

That’s what friends do to say thanks?

She’d been an ungrateful bitch up to that point?

She’s clearly the biggest cock tease in the galaxy?

Of all the delusional, unsupported, nonsensical, unmitigated bullshit…

Is it just me

Or does Ben Solo going ham with a white cross hilt lightsaber feel like a HUGE missed opportunity to anyone else??

Dear JJ Abrams…

What if this made a baby……?

#Should have let Rian do Episode IX.

#NotMyEpisodeIX

I’m too young to have seen Return of theJedi in theaters so it’s nice of JJ to remake it

Also, CrossFit Jabba:

JJ Abrams sucks at Star Wars. ‍♀️

Two days to go and I’m just going to leave this little gem here:

#lowkeyhorny

I’m just going to leave these two, staring at each other, behind this line, here….

Does anyone else think the title of Episode IX might be referring to Anakin?

Hear me out:

I don’t think it’s only talking about Anakin. I think it could end up being a lot of different things when it’s all said and done. I think that could fit with JJ’s style.

Like most of you, I think Skywalker is going to become a title, the name of the next generation of force users.

I was thinking about the movies in terms of symmetry though. I could see the last movie tying to the first in some way to “close the circle” or show them as bookends to the plot.

Since we’ve seen most of Anakin’s origin story already there’s really only one mystery left to explore, the circumstances of his conception. That would take the last movie quite literally back to the VERY beginning.

The comic series revealed that it was Palpatine and not the force that created Anakin and it’s an interesting coincidence that Palpatine is going to play some roll in the final movie.

For an idea of how, here’s a fun fact from Aftermath: Empire’s End

Palpatine created sentient droids and infused his knowledge and memory into them which is so.creepy.

I’m wondering if Rey finds one of them in the wreckage of the Death Star?

I’d imagine it could have a pretty serious impact on how he views himself and his family too for Ben to learn that they had always been pawns in Palpatine’s greater plan. Maybe even to the point that Ben turns from the dark side? He’s felt pulled in different directions his whole life and learning of this level of manipulation might actually be freeing for him.

It would also be an interesting juxtaposition to the importance placed on Rey’s heritage throughout the sequel trilogy.

Just some thoughts…

The Stars Are Going Out?

Does it seem like the stars are dimmer and fewer in quantity on The Rise of Skywalker title page as compared to the other movies?

I see some but they seem way less pronounced and I don’t know if my screen is too dim or if that’s really the case.

If it is, there’s an interesting dream Leia has when pregnant with Ben that seems relevant

She thinks Ben wants to be free of her but what if he too senses whatever is invading her dream and wants to get away?

I think that idea is further confirmed here:

These scenes come from Aftermath: Empire’s End which primarily dealt with something created by Emperor Palpatine called the Contingency.

He had a plan in place, should his Empire fail, to allow the ideals of the Empire to persevere. This plan was launched from and greatly involved the planet Jakku, which any fan of the new trilogy would be familiar with.

In terms of the 9 movies coming full circle, it seems like an awfully big coincidence.

The Rise of Skywalker

I did a post similar to this a long time ago but I think it’s worth a revisit now that we have a title and the trailer has confirmed a few rumors.

I’ve always though the way Kylo was referenced in the movies in regards to his mask was interesting:

The Force Awakens

The Last Jedi:

There’s a progression from creature to child.

There’s an ascendency (a.k.a. rise ) in that progression from an animal or something inhuman (creature) to a person though a young, immature, or undeveloped person (child).

We see that Kylo’s helmet is repaired th Episode IX though we have no true confirmation that he wears it.

I’m inclined to believe he does because there’s this precedence set in the first two movies that shows his character development through his relationship to the mask and how people perceive him in it.

If the pattern holds, I think Ep. IX will show Ben becoming something beyond human. Going from creature to child to something like just man or Jedi to me isn’t a big enough pattern of growth when you consider creature to child.

He would have to become something mythical.

I think that Skywalker is going to become a title, not just a family and that Ben will be the ultimate example having both the bloodline and whatever quality will define the title.

Something like a legacy or a legend.

PLEASE tell me I’m not the only one who’s still tearing up every time you watch or hear or even think about the Ep. IX trailer…..

YALL!!!!

Rey’ family:

All three were on Jakku and it looks like all three GO BACK!!!

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the music in the trailer?

I tear up every time Leia’s theme starts playing, it’s always been my favorite.

This version includes a rising 5 note scale scale tagged at the end. The scale coincides with the footage we see of Rey, Finn, and Poe together.

The scale pauses on the fourth tone and we hear Palpatine’s laugh.

Here is where it gets really interesting to me: After the laugh, the fifth note plays over Kylo’s theme, which is slightly modified. It’s the addition of the 5th tone that allows his theme to be resolved to a major chord.

So we have what might be an addition, continuation, or modification to Leia’s theme that has a visual association to Rey, Finn, and Poe played over (Ben’s?) theme and it takes the elements of all of it to provide the triumphant final chord.

I am LIVING for that.

I’ve been out of music theory and composition for a loooong time though so I’d love to hear thoughts!

This was just going to be a sketch