You are moping on your island of self-imposed exile, and then this girl shows up.
She’s flying your best friend’s ship. The ship that Han thought he lost for ever. The ship that was stolen and passed through so many hands that he was sure he’d never see it again. The same ship that took you away from home for the first time.
She’s accompanied by your personal droid. The droid you left behind and abandoned. The droid that C-3PO was sure would never be the same again.
She holds out her hand and she’s holding your father’s light saber. The sword you were sure was lost forever. The light saber that you dropped down a bottomless air shaft on a gas giant thirty years ago. The light saber you knew you would never see again.
You look up and you see her eyes. Maz Kanata says that if you live long enough, you see the same eyes looking out of different faces. The girl’s face is different, but those eyes are the same. You know those eyes. They’re the eyes you thought you’d never see again.
And that’s when you know it.
You’re screwed.
They say sometimes the Force works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, the Force will send you little signs. Subtle clues.
Other times, the Force will just beat you repeatedly over the head with a gigantic neon sign that says: “You can’t run away from your past anymore, Luke. I won’t let you. Look, here is your past come back to haunt you. Now deal with it.”
How badly do you think the First Order fears Finn? Do you think they put a hit out on him, because he shows that brainwashing isn’t destiny, that it can be broken, that you can break free, that given half an opportunity 90% of their ranks, the tools they need to maintain control, can–
–change their mind. Strive for something better?
Jedis are terrifying, but they’re born. You either have the force or you don’t. You can kill them and they go away.
But storm trooper with a conscience is a virus that can multiply too fast to stamp out. It makes Finn the biggest threat to the First Order than any Jedi could ever be.
I bet this is like the basis of their relationship, though. Rebel command is like, alright go and face certain death doing xzy task. It will be difficult and you have to go fast. Luke is like “pffffff I did that at home so many times only the target was smaller. And moving. And I really couldn’t see that well because sand. This is gonna be cake, guys. CAKE.” Wedge’s reaction the first couple times, even after the death star, is basically that picture. But eventually he’s like sweet space jesus what terrible planet are you from that you keep telling me all these nigh impossible tasks are cake? Everyone’s like oh skywalker is a softie. He’s a squishy ball of love and sunshine, and wedge is like yeah. That is all extremely true but he is also MADE OF TEMPERED DEATH.
(After like the first 3 times Luke starts messing with Wedge. He’s like they want us do run these cables to the bottom of that extremely ominous cravasse? I did that one time when I was five, and uncle owen had me wire the relays with my toes because we had to shoot down this pack of anoobas that were trying to kill us and eat us. Wedge is just like that can’t be true, and yet…)
I really hope Wedge is still alive so that Rey can be all “On my crappy desert planet…” and Wedge can be all “OH GOD NOT AGAIN.”
One of the most important lines in The Force Awakens comes from Kylo Ren: “It’s just us, now.”
In a lot of ways, the movie is about that one line. Passing the torch to these three characters. In the future, they’ll be the ones telling this story. It’s just them, now. The three of them. And even before this point, the story ties them together:
Each is introduced with their face covered–linking them visually from the start.
Each was separated from their parents. They all lost something they can’t get back, by being alone in formative moments.
Each feels a deep-seated “call to the light”. Rey saves BB-8 simply because it’s the right thing to do. No one taught her to do this, she just does it. She knows how inherently. Finn, too, chooses to save Poe because he inherently knows right from wrong. Kylo struggles to express the same knowlege, in front of Vader’s mask–he knows what’s right, feels that call. He doesn’t want to listen, but he knows in his heart what he should do.
Each needs to decide for themselves who they want to be. No one can tell them what to choose–they choose for themselves. Their decisions shape the direction of this story.
As Kylo, Finn, and Rey stand together in the forest, Star Wars has changed forever. Han Solo is gone–and these three new characters have taken their places in a new story.
They’ve picked out roles for themselves–Finn chooses to go back and fight for Rey. He’s become a hero. Rey chooses to explore the force. She’s become a Jedi. Kylo Ren runs from the “call to the light.” He tries to become a monster. Whether or not he’s succeeded–well, that remains to be seen.
“It’s just us, now,” Kylo says. And in so many ways, he’s right. It’s their story. And we’re waiting for them to tell it.
