So I finally finished my Rogue One rewatch and here are some final thoughts
Cassian telling Jyn that the Council would never have believed her hits harder because he encountered the exact same problem when he first told them about Luthen's intel. It also makes his decision to believe her more significant because he knows what it's like to not be believed and to fear that someone important to you (for him, Luthen; for her, Galen) might have died in vain
I think most everyone knows that famous saying about love being a verb, but hope is just as much of a verb too. The actions of everybody from The Bad Batch onward prove this - without the combined effort the galaxy would have been lost to the Empire forever. Also, the Rebellion isn't incentivized to fight in the last act of the film until Rogue One takes the first step and begins that fight. Before that they all feared that hope was lost. Rogue One gives them hope by making an active decision to take initiative when the Council isn't willing to. That inspires everyone else to follow in their footsteps because if Rogue One is willing to risk it all, then it's not only their duty to fight alongside them, but there's also a chance they might win
Once again Bodhi is the MVP of this film. Without him they wouldn't have known how to get past Scarif's planetary shield and land undetected
The moment where Cassian catches Jyn looking at her kyber crystal and seemingly communing with the Force hits different now because of the Force healer plotline in Andor. It reframes that moment as him recognizing that Bix was right all along and that he and Jyn have both been called to a greater purpose on this mission, even if neither of them make it out alive. Based on the nonverbal exchange that happens between them, Jyn seems to recognize that there's a mutual calling there too, and they seem to come to a silent understanding that they're meant be together in that moment and that they're where they're meant to be
Cassian and Jyn would have been way too powerful together if they'd lived lol. The way they're so in sync as co-leaders of the mission is so satisfying even though it's tragic because you know they're robbed of the chance of being powerhouses in the Rebel effort for the rest of the war. Also Jyn stepping into a leadership role so easily once her sense of purpose is renewed really makes me want to know more about her upbringing with Saw before he abandoned her. She and Cassian are actually a great match both as Rebel leaders and as people in general because they were both mentored by unhinged Rebel operatives and clearly inherited the same drive, some of the recklessness, and the ability to rally people behind them
Re: Cassian and Jyn being in sync, idc what anyone says (including Tony Gilroy lmao), I still think Andor unintentionally confirms why they're a good match because it feels like Cassian is sort of unbalanced, even in the finale, until Jyn crashes into his life and provides that balance. They're both equally unhinged in similar ways even though they don't realize it at first, and they learn what they need to from each other to become better people, better rebels, and better leaders. Tbh I think if they'd lived Bix would've been very happy to know that Cassian met his match in that way, especially since Jyn helps him fulfill the purpose she was so sure of, and I don't think there would have been any resentment at all? Also since she was robbed of a normal childhood I think Jyn would've loved being a stepmom to Cassian's kid, spoiling them the way Galen did before they were separated, and making sure that they got to grow up loved and cherished and never alone. Also I just feel like Bix and Jyn would've gotten a long really well
The file name "Blacksaber" will never not gut me. I'm almost certain that's the code for what would eventually be the Purge of Mandalore and the fact that nobody is able to stop it is so heartbreaking
Forever in pain over Baze staring at Chirrut before he dies, remembering the last thing Chirrut says to him, "Look for the Force, and you will find me"
Also forever in pain over the fact that K2 and Bodhi die so quickly and unceremoniously when they were arguably the most lovable members of the team
I was getting chills thinking of Omega and Hera both being in the aerial battle while Rogue One is fighting for their lives on the ground
I still think it was the right decision to just have Cassian and Jyn stare at each other in the elevator scene. It's beautiful as is and it says a lot more about the connection they've formed while also emphasizing the tragedy of the fact that they're just discovering potential feelings for each other while knowing that they will likely never be more than a what if
The Darth Vader hallway scene is still one of the best scenes in cinematic history. Like that whole sequence goes so hard
I can't say this enough, but I love how every new installment in the Imperial/Galactic Civil war era of Star Wars further emphasizes just how much the Rebellion is a group effort. The combined actions of everybody from The Bad Batch through Andor and Rebels into Rogue One and A New Hope really show that this is this a chain reaction of actions that leads to the passing on of the Death Star plans, which eventually end up in Leia's hands at the end of the film, and later on in the hands of the Rebel Fleet in ANH. The guys who ram the Imperial Star Destroyers into the shield so that the plans can be transmitted, the pilots and the ground fighters that provids a diversion, and even the hallway guys desperately trying to pass on the disk before getting decimated by Vader are all just as important as the main characters. Like that interconnectedness just makes the story as a whole feel more complete and more fulfilling. And knowing how many sacrifices people make along the way, as well as how hard it was to hold onto hope, really adds context to why Luke is such a big deal when he finally enters the story. He is living proof that every sacrifice isn't in vain and that they have a real chance of finishing what those who came before started
I love it when Star Wars delivers. That's all folks
