The Force Awakens -- discussion with spoilers

[wolfboy]

I think the movie needed more of Poe Dameron's character. I liked Finn and Rey, but Poe had the kind of "swagger" to his character that the series was devoid of in the prequels. That was Han's role in the original trilogy.

Oscar Isaac is a great actor. If you're a sci-fi fan, check out Ex-Machina if you haven't already.

[Joseph]

Who found Luke's Skywalker's light saber from Cloud City from ESB and gave it to Maz?

Lando of course. Who I'm sure is Finn's dad.

/tongueincheek

[Caveat Emperor]

I don't think she is Luke's daughter. I think she is simply strong in the force, or perhaps a descendent of Emperor Palpatine.

Just a gut feeling.

I think we're certainly meant to think she's Luke's kid given that:

- The line about "This was Luke's lightsaber, and his father's before him, now it calls to you" (close enough). Father - Son - Daughter lineage is the only way that line really makes sense.

- She touches Luke's lightsaber and sees visions from his life and then her own life.

- Kylo says she dreams about "oceans and an island" -- which is where she finds Luke.

- She's good at fixing things and tinkering with machines, like Anakin and Luke.

- She has a rebel pilot's doll in her home.

- She wears a Rebel pilot's helmet like Luke wore.

- She's at least as evenly matched in the Force as Kylo, who is a Skywalker.

It all fits, but it could be just set up to swerve us.

[WrongVerb]

I think we're certainly meant to think she's Luke's kid given that:

- The line about "This was Luke's lightsaber, and his father's before him, now it calls to you" (close enough). Father - Son - Daughter lineage is the only way that line really makes sense.

- She touches Luke's lightsaber and sees visions from his life and then her own life.

- Kylo says she dreams about "oceans and an island" -- which is where she finds Luke.

- She's good at fixing things and tinkering with machines, like Anakin and Luke.

- She has a rebel pilot's doll in her home.

- She wears a Rebel pilot's helmet like Luke wore.

- She's at least as evenly matched in the Force as Kylo, who is a Skywalker.

It all fits, but it could be just set up to swerve us.

Agreed. I'm expecting some sort of twist there.

I do think it's better than 50/50 that she is Luke's daughter though. But if that's the case then who is her mother?

Also, if Finn is strong with the force, then wouldn't it make more sense for him to be Mace Windoo's descendant than anyone?

[Caveat Emperor]

Agreed. I'm expecting some sort of twist there.

I do think it's better than 50/50 that she is Luke's daughter though. But if that's the case then who is her mother?

Also, if Finn is strong with the force, then wouldn't it make more sense for him to be Mace Windoo's descendant than anyone?

Rey's mother could be anyone. If she's going to be dead (likely -- as I still think Snoke is the "pupil who turned to evil" and not Kylo, and that Snoke killed her), then she could be anyone. Make it Mara Jade to throw the fanboys a bone. The power of the Force would flow through Luke's genes anyway.

As for Finn, he can't be Windu's kid. Mace has been dead for 50+ years. Also remember, the Jedi were a monastic order in the prequels / "Old Republic" era -- they were forbidden to love, form attachments, etc. It was suggested that Anakin would be expelled from the order if it was found out he had a wife and child. Unless they're planning on completely retconning the prequel trilogy (again, unlikely since they would've wiped it with the EU AND since they've already had Ewan McGregor do a brief voice cameo as Obi-Wan in THIS movie), I think it's doubtful anyone in these movies are related to any of the prequel trilogy Jedi (Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mace, etc.).

[WrongVerb]

Rey's mother could be anyone. If she's going to be dead (likely -- as I still think Snoke is the "pupil who turned to evil" and not Kylo, and that Snoke killed her), then she could be anyone. Make it Mara Jade to throw the fanboys a bone. The power of the Force would flow through Luke's genes anyway.

As for Finn, he can't be Windu's kid. Mace has been dead for 50+ years. Also remember, the Jedi were a monastic order in the prequels / "Old Republic" era -- they were forbidden to love, form attachments, etc. It was suggested that Anakin would be expelled from the order if it was found out he had a wife and child. Unless they're planning on completely retconning the prequel trilogy (again, unlikely since they would've wiped it with the EU AND since they've already had Ewan McGregor do a brief voice cameo as Obi-Wan in THIS movie), I think it's doubtful anyone in these movies are related to any of the prequel trilogy Jedi (Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mace, etc.).

Ah, yes, forgot about the monastic order thing. Makes sense there. And if they threw the Jade bone, what other concessions would they have to make to the expanded universe?

I have to admit, I've never been into the EU at all, so I'm kinda ignorant on that side. (I have heard of Mara Jade, of course. LOL)

[Raisor]

Ah, yes, forgot about the monastic order thing. Makes sense there. And if they threw the Jade bone, what other concessions would they have to make to the expanded universe?

I have to admit, I've never been into the EU at all, so I'm kinda ignorant on that side. (I have heard of Mara Jade, of course. LOL)

Read the Thrawn trilogy. Seriously.

[RedsBaron]

From my geek reading the last few days, apparently that's why Han was frozen in Empire. Ford had threatened to not come back for a third movie. I hadn't read that necessarily wanted to be killed but after ROTJ was released, he said he thought it would have been a more fitting end and the only reason he wasn't killed was because Lucas wanted to sell more action figures.

Ford said at the time Return of the Jedi was released that he thought having Han die would have given the character more "gravitas," but Lucas didn't want to kill him off.

[RedsBaron]

What I loved the most, aside from Ray, is how funny the movie was. Ford as grumpy old man Han stole ever scene he was in.

Absolutely. While the "new" cast was good, Harrison Ford totally stole every scene.

[RedEye]

Absolutely. While the "new" cast was good, Harrison Ford totally stole every scene.

Finn and BB-8 actually got the most laugh-out-loud moments from me. But yeah, Ford was top notch.

[Caveat Emperor]

Ah, yes, forgot about the monastic order thing. Makes sense there. And if they threw the Jade bone, what other concessions would they have to make to the expanded universe?

I have to admit, I've never been into the EU at all, so I'm kinda ignorant on that side. (I have heard of Mara Jade, of course. LOL)

They wouldn't have to make many, IMO. The bones of some of the Expanded Universe are still there. If I recall correctly, Han & Leia did have one kid go evil, Luke's first attempt at training new Jedi did go pretty badly, and at severs points Luke contemplated going into hiding and giving up because the risk of more dark side users was too great. The name "Ben" as one of the Skywalker kids is already part of the EU as well (though Ben was Luke's kid, not Leia's).

It'd just be a fun fanboy thing -- because whoever Rey's mother is, she's almost certainly dead.

[Raisor]

Maybe Rey is Han and Leia's daughter.

Ben= Jason Solo
Rey=Jaina Solo

They split them up for whatever reason

[Caveat Emperor]

Maybe Rey is Han and Leia's daughter.

Ben= Jason Solo
Rey=Jaina Solo

They split them up for whatever reason

Leia was so fixated on getting Ben/Kylo back that she basically encouraged Han to walk straight to his death in a vain effort to convince Ben/Kylo to come back. If Rey was her daughter, you don't think "bring her back" would have been priority 1C just behind "Destroy Weapon" and "Bring back our son?" Instead, she barely gets a mention.

[Joseph]

They wouldn't have to make many, IMO. The bones of some of the Expanded Universe are still there. If I recall correctly, Han & Leia did have one kid go evil, Luke's first attempt at training new Jedi did go pretty badly, and at severs points Luke contemplated going into hiding and giving up because the risk of more dark side users was too great. The name "Ben" as one of the Skywalker kids is already part of the EU as well (though Ben was Luke's kid, not Leia's).

It'd just be a fun fanboy thing -- because whoever Rey's mother is, she's almost certainly dead.

May be misremembering the details, but also the new weapon of the First Order was essentially Center Point Station wasn't it? I recall something in the books in which young Anakin [Han and Leia's youngest] used some sort of weapon to destroy a planet maybe. Been a long....long time since I read those tales so I could be completely coming at this from the Outer Rim, but that's a vague recollection. I know it certainly felt familiar.

[ac084c]

My complaint: Rey grows up on a desert planet among a bunch of scavengers and learns droidspeak (BB-8) and Wookiee somehow?