I should be writing right now. Okay, I am currently writing, or else you (my three followers) would not be reading this. I should be writing Cthulhu Confidential (Gumshoe 121), as the news recently dropped I am going to be in the core book with ROBIN LAWS and RUTH TILLMAN!!! The excitement has not worn off yet or the crushing weight that I should be WRITING! There is not enough time in a day but instead...my brain keeps replaying parts of The Force Awakens.
I really really liked the movie, liked the homage that it was to the original trilogy and happy about some actually diversity in the movie. I have even had a few talks with some other fans about it. Surprising? No, but I have noticed that it is harder to have these conversations having only seen the movie once.
SPOILERS from here on! Turn back or be forever spoiled!
So, my issue with the movie is that it feels like Finn fails his way through the movie. Every task he undertakes usually ends with him failing or being knocked out. Just look at how he drinks from the water trough like an animal, is captured by the tentacle monster, and gets beaten by the forcepike wielding storm-trooper. Kylo beats him (yes he did get to nick the dark force user, but...) and it looks like he's getting friends-zoned by Rey at the end of the movie. I would have like to have seen him succeed at something. All of that said, he was the force (see what I did there) that moved the plot along and was the heart of the movie which is excellent given his stormtrooper "conditioning."
Rey is not a Mary Sue. She is a chosen one; each chosen one is gifted beyond the pale and most come to terms with that responsibility. That is kinda the whole thing. Just look at little Anakin destroying a starship by sheer "luck," being an incredible pod-racer, building CP3O and . . . You get the general gist.
My predictions:
Here are my thoughts about what Disney will do for Episode 8, based on nothing other than speculation and having only viewed the movie once:
1) Rey will be Luke's daughter. There's also still the possibility that she will be the daughter of Leia and Han, which would follow the Expanded Universe story arc of their twins. Jace who falls to the darkside and Jania who has to kill her brother.
2) Finn and Rey will only be friends. *sad trombone*
3) Kylo will get his cyber enhancements and die in Episode 8.
4) The story will focus on a more personal battle, and not on the First Order and the Resistance which have suffered massive losses. My reasoning is that Snoke and Kylo are focused more on Luke. If they kill him, they will win. Basically.
5) Finn is not a force user.
6) Luke dies.
My wishes:
1) Rey is actually Nomi Sunrider or a descendant of hers.
2) Rey falls to the darkside after Kylo kills Luke and she kills him. During her battle with Kylo in Episode 7, I could have sworn she has flashes of anger and rage. We all know that anger leads to the darkside!
3) Finn is force sensitive and introduces some of the other amazing force traditions. My personal favorite is Warden of the Sky.
4) Episode 9 will be Finn pulling Rey back from the darkside, so that she can deal with Snoke in the later half of the movie.
5) Rey and Finn pull off a happy version of Han and Leia.
Just a few bullet points, as it churns away in my brain. OK. Back to my other writing.