I keep thinking about how SW treats “jedi” as the ultimate power for good. Rey has to be a jedi, Leia had to be a jedi, and Finn has to be force sensitive so that he can eventually become a jedi. “Gray” characters like Han can have a shady past, but the narrative uses this to signal to the audience that they wouldn’t ever make him a jedi. We never expect Han to be able to use the force. Same with Poe, to some extent.
Idk about you, but idolizing of the Jedi kinda makes me side-eye. The idea that only truly good and blameless people - whose faults are not even their own but passed down by family - can use an ultimate force for good...I don’t know. I’m probably reading too much into it. But I think that’s why I liked Kylo/Ben’s character and Rey Nobody. Because they both challenged that notion in their own way.
After being forced into witness protection when surviving a brutal attack that killed her friends, Rey comes to terms with her new identity far from her life she once loved. Creating a new identity and spending most of her time with her Huskey, getting into parkour running and learning to defend herself, begins to wonder about this new stranger Ben who happens to run into her almost everywhere she goes. Is it a coincidence?
Chapter Excert
"Let the smoke come to you, Rey. Let it in."
Rey breathed in as the smoke flowed over to her. She slightly gasp as she nearly felt it wrap around her, hugging her body, cool little strings dancing on her skin.
"Let it in Rey." Bens voice cooed.
Reys head slightly tilted back as she took in another breath. Ben watched as her breathing steadied. He leaned closer to her face seeing her closed lids and watching the flickering of her eyes darting softly as she entered a rem sleep through her meditation. Ben carefully and quietly rose up. He took in her tiny frame, sitting perfectly still on the mat. Her palms facing up on her knees, her chest lightly raising and dropping. Her lips slightly parted. She was a damn vision if he ever saw one. Normally the women that would practically throw themselves at his direction were over the top with their appearance, annoyingly constantly trying to impress him, overall getting under his skin. He almost started to believe that he would never see another woman as even halfway attractive. Not that he would ever have time for a woman. Then here comes Rey. Except shes not just an ordinary woman.
It looks like I finally reached the stage of acceptance, and here are three pillars of my new found peace with post-TROS impact.
1. Ben. To me the Sequel trilogy will always be the story of the Prince of the Dead Planet, who'd been thrown into a pit never to be seen again, but rose to become a legend. Creators took everything from him: his life, happy ending, legacy, right to fight his abuser, TLJ character development, proper redemption arc, even all of his lines, - and continue to retcon his personality in promo materials. He've been abandoned again and again. Nobody was there in the pit for him, nor Rey, nor his family, nor Force Ghosts, nor even a cameraman. But he rose into the light, and I draw strength from this powerful image. Ben had Adam, who fought for him, even though they covered his face again, kept changing his arc and cutting his lines. He fought like hell to protect Ben's identity, and he did. Rey may be All the Jedi. But Ben is All the People, who felt deep connection with his story, all of us. We were there in the pit for him. And this is the heart of the Sequel trilogy for me.
2. The final. I quit searching for logic and sewing the plot holes. There won’t be any rational explanation for the lack of mourning Ben or the absence of his Force ghost — they didn't film it, that's all. The tragic ending wasn't even meant to be in the script. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ TROS is just a twisted and reversed editing trick - like a daub over the original painting. I will not waste time trying to rationalize it. Meanwhile, the original HEA version is right there in the bowels of Lucasfilm. It may not be perfect, but IT is canon - not the absurd Frankenstein's monster shown in cinemas. I believe we'll see it, perhaps in a decade, after the fall of Disney Empire. Right now it's enough for me to know that it exists, Skywalker's saga makes sense, and Ben and Rey are happy there.
3. Me. The Original trilogy was a part of my childhood. I haven't been an active reylo, but liked the fandom a lot. Fell in love with TLJ and Rian's promises of the balance of the Force and gray Jedi. I was certain reylo would win, and I'd witness this victory on the big screen no less than five times. I was just fearless in that regard, especially after promo. I did not expect the spoilers to kill me. It was a shock. I had no idea how deep and personal my bond with Ben's story is. I was amused to find the new limits of my compassion, empathy and a sense of justice, to have this healing experience of dealing with trauma together with people all over the world. And don't even get me started on AITAF fundraising! So this loss will definitely live a scar on me, but it'll be the beautiful scar.
I just had to say it out loud. Thank you for being so supportive for each other. And my apologies for the mistakes.
Trying to get my mind off not knowing the release date for TROS trailer. Thought I'd get some Reylos to guess what a potential love theme might be called?!
My guesses:
Ben Solo and the Jedi (like Han Solo and the Princess)
Between it all (taken from when Luke says "and between it all?" And Rey says "balance" )
