#branch's character arc>>>finn's character arc

[sapphic-agent]

Finn Hudson's cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Dumb✔️

Offensive✔️

Violates my eardrums✔️

Used to justify outing his lesbian classmate✔️

Branch's cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Sweet✅

Sincere✅

Voice like an angel's✅

Used to convey pure love✅

[anthurak]

So as a follow-up to my post about Marceline's super tragic and angsty prequel to the Elements Arc hidden in the episode ‘Ketchup’ yesterday, here’s a fun little ‘What-If?’ idea I’ve been thinking about for a while that could branch off from it:

If Marceline really did go all ‘feral, angry vampire girlfriend warpath’ on Patience both for what she did to Bonnie and also to find a way to help Bonnie, what if Marcy went a little… further?

So that when Finn, Jake and BMO later return to what was once the Candy Kingdom in Skyhooks, we see that Marceline, even ‘Marshmaline the Campfire Queen’, is conspicuously absent.

Then later, when Finn, Jake and Ice King are traveling through the new, desolate Ice Kingdom, they start hearing a soulful, sorrowful tune echoing through the otherwise silent wastes. A song sung by a very familiar voice…

And when the trio finally get inside the new Ice Palace, they find not Patience St. Pim, but rather Marceline the Ice Queen.

Basically, what if in her rage at Patience and desperation to find some way of helping Bonnie, Marcy actually devoured Patience’s soul, and thus inadvertently became the NEW Ice Elemental herself?

Now funny enough, I feel like this change wouldn’t actually have much of an effect on the Elements Arc itself. For one, I highly doubt that Marceline would be in any condition/willingness to actually help Finn and Jake. Remember that the effects of Ice Elemental contamination induce overwhelming ennui and depression.

So if that got dumped onto Marceline of all people? In the midst of her losing Bonnie to her own elemental corruption? Yeah, at this point I think our girl isn’t going to have the will to do more than stay cooped up in her new ice tower singing angsty, gay love songs for her lost candy girlfriend/soulmate with her new ice-fox backup choir. Now of course they would certainly be THE ANGSTIEST and GAYEST love songs you ever did hear, but still.

Like the big danger for Finn and Jake isn’t that Marceline tries to keep them there or is otherwise antagonistic, it’s that her music is so sorrowful/angsty it actually carries the depression-inducing elemental contamination that threatens to sap people’s will to go on and making them think of lost loves. Which could lead to some interesting character-moments for Finn: Like Marceline’s song first dredge up his old feelings for Bubblegum and Flame Princess, but Finn is actually able to push through the depression and yearnings because he’s moved on from those feelings and can recognize that the relationships they represented have either ended (Flame Princess) or never existed in the first place (Bubblegum). And when the songs make him think of Huntress Wizard, Finn is able to push through because he has a far more casual relationship with HW and doesn’t have the kind of deep yearnings for her that would easily paralyze him with depression.

Of course the most interesting part of this new version of Winter Light would be the potential meeting and conversation between this new Ice Marceline and Ice King/Simon. From Marceline potentially musing on how she now knows how Simon feels, to Ice King possibly having a weird, distorted heart-to-heart with Marceline where we see just a glimpse of Simon.

Following this, I don’t see this change having much of an effect on the rest of the arc, with perhaps one small but still noteworthy addition: When Finn, Jake and IK flee the new Ice Kingdom, Finn calls out to Marceline something to the effect of if she does miss PB so much, she should go see her. Then later during Hero Heart when Princess Bubblegum candifies Phoebe and the rest of her flame army, Marceline actually DOES show up in a dramatic and very impressive display of power, possibly with her own ice army. Finn at first thinks she’s here to help, but it turns out Marcy isn’t here to fight, but simply to see Bonnie. And when her followers also start getting transformed by PB, Marceline simply accepts the candification herself to become Marshmaline. Simply because now she CAN be with Bonnie.

You know, all to really dial up the ‘All is Lost’ vibe of that episode.

Now this means that Skyhooks II and the end of the arc play out the same as they did originally, with Finn and Ice King managing to hit the LSP-shaped elemental-reset button and undo everyone’s elemental corruption. I mean, maybe Bonnie and Marcy have a Big Damn Kiss a season early after they get de-candied, but I think it’s easy to imagine they probably already had a BDK off-screen in the original XD

Of course I think we can all agree that the real interesting angle to this change is the potential of Marceline being the new Ice Elemental on rest of the series. Admittedly, it is a bit hard to imagine the existing plot-points for the rest of the series being affected much by Marceline now having some ice powers. Aside from her Dark Cloud kaiju form she breaks out in Come Along With Me now likely being a Dark BLIZZARD form.

Instead, the really interesting potential of this change comes in how this might affect Marcy’s dynamic with Simon and how she might go about adapting to her new abilities. I think we can all agree it would be fun to see Marcy and Bonnie trying to figure out their new elemental powers together. Though consider this: If Bonnie was visited by the spirit/past-incarnation-memories of Chatsberry, what if Marceline ends up being visited by the spirt of Urgance Evergreen? You know, the being who made the Ice Crown?

Really makes you think where something like that could lead…

[castlebyersafterdark]

I was just wondering what it is that made you not much of a Millie fan, if there was anything specific in the first place? I totally get just being more interested in other cast member’s careers than others, like I’m only really interested in Sadie’s and Finn’s, for example, since Sadie imo is one of the best actors of the bunch, and I love how Finn is very interested in the storytelling aspect of things and branches out to do a really interesting range of projects. Millie seems to be less focused on acting these days and more so into the business/influencing side of the industry, particularly marketing toward younger girls. That’s totally chill, I’m just not really the target market I suppose so it’s not as interesting to me. Is it a similar reason for you, or something else in general?

Definitely a little of that, she's just not a celebrity that interests me much outside of the show. And I just really don't think she's that strong of an actress. But her outside the show stuff is fine for her target demographic, but alas. I am neither a teenage girl or someone who is interested in influencers. So that's fine, just not for me.

And I guess the one thing I really don't like, is maybe the vibe I get that she doesn't truly care about the show? I know it's a little embarrassing, but I'll admit I'm a bit of a sensitive guy (surprise surprise haha) and it just makes me sad when the big face of the show gives interviews where she 'can't wait to move on' and gives the impression it's beneath her now. I don't really want to hear that from the supposed star? Not much she talks about is very insightful either, compared to costars who truly pour their heart into the show. Guess it's Millie/El fatigue. Which is sad because El is an interesting character concept and I'm actually very intrigued about her story arc ending/lore but I'm not invested like diehard fans. Honest take.

[brainlessbaguette]

Finished Fionna and Cake and I have some more thoughts, lots of spoilers below

So in regards to that Finn post I made after ep 1&2, apparently there was no more our Finn. In hindsight that makes sense but still a bummer that he didn't even get a cameo. I am absolutley stunned by the lack of Marcie mentions, especially in the finale. I am well aware that they wanted to branch out and away from the main cast for this one but this was very much a Simon story, despite being called Fionna and Cake. Your telling me we don't even get Simon recalling Marcie to talk or just a quick clip of them hanging, it felt wrong.

I did really enjoy the show. Like genuinely it was a great time, I recommend. I will say though it needed more episodes. Even just a "normal" 12, as far as smaller series go. They just wanted to do too much and didn't really get to stop and flesh out different ideas.

Now Adventure Time thrived at "dream logic" where crap didn't make sense, everyone in universe just excepted the most random ideas. It also had a sense of whimsy that it held while showing you some of the most gut punching stories. It was insane and the HBO stuff has felt more grounded I want to say? Like its lost that vibe. I didn't really notice it in "Together again" or "Obsidian" but "Bmo" definitely felt a bit off and "Wizard City" was... anyway after getting to see a full series it's just really brought that forward for me. Like its not bad it just doesn't fully feel like Adventure Time.

I will say for this series you could blame that on the fact we're following human Simon, who's here because he couldnt get behind that mindset and two outsiders. But thats not quite right. Its not so much a "how are the characters reacting to x" as much as it is "how is x being presented to we the viewer"

Its really hard to put to words. Uhh take Scarab I guess? In the original show you would've maybe had someone give Simon and the gang a quick explanation on who he is, a quick cutscene, or even just left it at what we see in the beginning. Not really going too deep. But instead they keep checking in on him and his little monologues, you even go to see his boss or manager dude. It felt like too much context for a character that did exactly as much as he would have regardless or whether or not we had that info. I feel like I know more about Scarab than I do the Lich and its weird.

It also, circling back, didn't work with how short the series was. They HAD to establish Fionna and Cake as actual characters and not just gender swaps, Simon needed to go through his whole arc. They then CHOSE to also establish Gary and Marshal in a B plot, Adventure Time really didn't have B plots so that was weird at first but it actually helped the Finale ep so they get a pass, and then added on Scarab with whatever he had going on, all while changing the setting and throwing in a new side cast every episode. They were working so hard to introduce everyone and get them through their stories that they really didnt have time to let the things settle. Like y'all remember in the Elements series how they took that whole (I think?)2nd episode to have Finn just sit down and process everything that had just happened and is currently happening. Was it the best episode? No. But gosh dang it did wonders for Jake's character, displaying how Finn has matured emotionally, giving the brothers a chance to connect(right before Jake disolves in some goo so that it hurts more), and gave the viewer a little break from non-stop action while also letting us catch back up all in a cute funny little Adventure Time way. Fionna and Cake NEEDED an episode like that. Because everything was so rushed they didnt really get to bond and grow together and grow away from the "owner pet dynamic." Finn and Jake had that line a little blurry in funny one off gags but they were absolutley brothers first, Fionna and Cake was on the other hand not that.

Anywho TL;DR, Show was good but pacing and vibes were off and would've benefited from at least two more episodes just to let things breathe.

I absolutley knew it about Simon's and Betty's relationship. I saw that coming from a mile away. That crap was so unhealthy and I'm glad they've made peace with that fact + Simon is getting therapy. Thank you Finn's mom.

Oh and last little bit, me being upset about my unanswered questions.

Uh how did Jake die? Cause Farmworld Finn's Jake is still alive and well, so its not of old age?

Why the heck did Prismo do a complete 180° so fast??? Your legit telling me that in 20-30 years(Idk how long but it's nothing compared to him) prismo, an immortal wishmaster, has turned into a washed up mess. Why? Where's cosmic owl, don't you guys still hang? Is it cause of our world Jake dying, if so back to question 1?

Not really specific to this show but Is PB still PB or just B? Cause she was living with Marcie in "Obsidian" and in "Together Again" Peppermint Butlers wearing her crown. Whose watching the candy kingdom, I'm just genuinley curious?

Is Farmworld Finn dead??? I genuinely don't think he is because Scarabs whole job seems to be keeping thing running smoothly and killing a reincarnated catalyst comet seems like it would be a big screw up. Also Jay and LD didn't seem upset, so I'm gonna go with no he's fine? But they also DIDN'T GIVE ME CLOSURE!

ALSO why are Jay and LD ditching they're families for Fionna's world? That seems out of character and overall just a weird choice.

DID THEY PUT BABY FINN BACK IN BABY WORLD??? Is there a baby jake without Finn??? I am devastated.

What was the point of sending Simon into Shermie's body other than the cameo? Like I love to see em, but we were pressed for time and they're could've been another way to do that right? It just felt weird.

Why did Prismo send Jay, LD, Baby Finn, and the tank peppermint butler anyways? There was definitely a different way to do that.

Lastly but most importantly

There was no Fionna meets our Finn??? Why it's all I wanted, even just a two second she bumped into him while chasing after Cake and neither of them realized. I would've been so happy and I'm a little salty now.

Very rambly as per usual. If you made it down here thank you for tuning into "me chucking my random thoughts about a very specific topic into the void of the internet because, regardless of whether or not people read, its surprisingly very thereputic to just write them all out there," we are currently workshoping that title.

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

Uuuuuuh 10 / 14 / 26 from the list?

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Tumblr ate my first response, fuck me. This is like a four-way tie between MCU's Steve Rogers and the ST's Finn, Poe, and Kyle Ron. Full disclosure but I stopped watching MCU consistently after AoU and especially after those jokers announced they were doing a Civil War, so I didn't watch the most recent two Avengers movies, but the ending Steve got where he went back in time to get his girl and live through a lot of unrest without doing shit just rubs me the wrong way.

Finn started as an elite stormtrooper and child soldier, top of his class, whose first actual battle made him turn against the FO, and got turned into a racist joke in the next two movies. Poe started as a charismatic pilot and squadron leader who Leia trusted to find Lor San Tekka and got turned into a racist joke in the next two movies. Kyle Ron started as a privileged neo-fashy genocidal manbaby and was given a fucking redemption arc. But mostlly, I dislike the arc of a promising 1st movie in the ST turn into fucking petty ass squabbling between two director/writing teams because not a single fucking person in the Disney/Lucasfilm money machine thougth that hey. maybe we should create an overarching plot first!

14. Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

*insert ugly laughter here* I recently finished watching a 3-parter about a certain high profile member of the early HP fandom so credit to the dinluke fandom for not being like THAT, but that fandom does not know nuance or intersectionalilty or self-awareness as well as they think they do.

26. Most shippable character?

As a monoshipper, this is a really hard question. Can I cheat and point at Hawke? They get along outrageously well with their entire party of friends/LIs and while I have my preferences and dislike (hint: it's Anders), I enjoy all the possibilities for Hawke.

... I was trying to branch out into other fandoms. Not sure if I succceeded. Like, I swear I have more interests than my one hyperfixation-per-several-years.

Play ask games, win ask prizes!

[navree]

Honestly, the only time i've ever liked Mike Wheeler was in Season 1 because he was literally a child. Ever since then, he's become such a little prick that I feel bad for Finn.

See, Mike wasn't even that bad in Season 1. He's a child, yeah, but he also makes the plan to try and find Will, he's able to bond with Eleven, he tries to understand her and her powers and figure out how to connect that to Will's disappearance. He gets unduly mad a couple times, but they're very understandable. He gets a bit angry at Eleven when he thinks Will is dead, but he's twelve and he thinks he saw his best friend get fished out of the water. The only other time he gets close to that is when Eleven accidentally knocks out Lucas, but that's understandable because again, twelve, and he's worried that his friend is seriously injured, but he still gets over that pretty quickly and not only wants to find Eleven again, but even tries to make up with Lucas after a little convincing from Dustin. Beyond that, he spends that season being remarkably mature, not just in how he handles Will's disappearance and all the subsequent reveals and fallouts, but in how he handles his relationships with his friends and with Eleven, far more mature than he is in subsequent seasons.

Mike's attitude in Season 2 is the most understandable because he's dealing with significant trauma, both of losing Eleven and just everything that happened in Season 1 (even though in the Season 1 Christmas flashforward he's exhibiting none of that attitude and he's not being pissy with the Party during their game or otherwise acting like an asshole but whatever, sure, let's just backfill that). But it's still really grating, especially when he's being an asshole to Max for no reason, or just pouting 24/7 even before shit starts going sideways with Will and the Mind Flayer. And then Seasons 3 and 4 Mike is just incredibly obnoxious, he's a shitty friend to Will and he's a brat to everyone and then he's a shitty boyfriend to Eleven for no reason (I don't even understand why this whole 'does Mike love Eleven and can he say it' thing came from in Season 4 when it was already resolved in Season 3??? He says he loves her and Eleven hears it, why was this his plot????) and it makes him really irritating to watch. And that's a problem in an ensemble show with multiple plots because it's really easy to just fastforward and not watch him.

I think the problem is that Mike was, for all intents and purposes, the protagonist of Season 1. He's the member of the Party with the most development, he's the point of origin for the branching stories (Will is his best friend, Nancy is his sister, Eleven stays at his house), and, beyond Joyce, he's the one with the greatest emotional stakes throughout that story. And while they do work to have him be necessary in Season 2 by really highlighting his relationship with Will (and again, making Will the only person he's not an asshole to), he's very much not the protagonist anymore. And the Duffers don't seem to really know what to do with his character, especially considering a lot of how they do character arcs and character development is largely based on interpersonal relationships (Steve and Dustin help each other grow, Max and Lucas help each other grow, Nancy and Jonathan help each other grow, Hopper's relationships with both Joyce and Eleven aid in his development and their's), but the Mike and Eleven progression as a relationship basically all happened in Season 1 and kinda stagnates beyond that. And yeah, there's a lot less leeway that I'm willing to grant to twelve year old Mike, or even thirteen year old Mike, than what I'm willing to give a firmly high school aged Mike (and even then, again, Season 2 Mike still gets on my nerves, I was at least kinda able to regulate my emotions on occasion at thirteen, he was just really one note).

Mike just doesn't really work as a character past, at the absolute maximum, Season 2, and yeah, he's such a dick to literally everyone all the time that I can imagine, for an actor, that can be really boring to have to play season after season.

[finnpoerebelscum]

FALLOUT - Chapter 9

Chapters Posted: 9 of 18

Rating: T+

Warnings: Canon-typical violence & fighting/blood/gore/graphic descriptions of injury & death (no major character death)/angst/hurt/comfort

Characters/Pairings: Poe Dameron/Finn, Karé Kun, Iolo Arana, BB-8, OCs.

Summary: Still reeling in the aftermath of Crait, Poe Dameron and Finn are sent to a secret Resistance base tucked away on Lothal to serve as acting generals. Their numbers dwindled to barely a handful, and with General Organa’s order grounding all surviving Resistance personnel to heal and regroup, morale is at an all time low. Poe grapples with his inability to sit still; the First Order looms, an ever-encroaching threat to what remains of the Outer Rim’s free space; intimate feelings grow impossible to ignore and a shocking return promises devastating consequences not only for those stationed on Lothal, but for the Resistance and galaxy at large. 

A/N: An AU adventure, a side-quest of sorts, to account for some of the time between TLJ and ROS. Stormpilot centric. Canon up until the end of TLJ (but does not take into account Resistance Reborn or the Finn/Rose arc).

Masterlist

CHAPTER 9

The swirl of vertigo and deafening ring was all there was for a long time; a never ending spiral Kemi was trapped in. But, slowly, mercifully, it did end, ebbing away and waking her other senses. 

A familiar, wet-earth scent filled her nose. She risked cracking an eye. Above her, damp permacrete ceiling with exposed, rusty piping. 

The tunnels. 

Her body ached in the places it pressed against the taut nylon of a cot. Dozens of cots lined the walls of the room and each was filled. None of the bodies moved save for their chests, in a silent, rhythmic rise and fall of breath. So many beings, all in various states of distress, some inevitably close to death… The copper tang of blood overpowered the earthy dampness, the lines and lines of unmoving, broken bodies pressing in on her. 

Kemi staggered to her feet and took off running. She could navigate these tunnels with her eyes closed and still avoid every crack, every hole, every notch in the hard-packed dirt. She ran as deep as the tunnels went, till she knew the entire forest was gone overheard, making way for endless miles of open fields. 

The passageway curved abruptly upward, and the symmetrical placement of torches every few paces was gone. Here, the tunnel stopped in a complete deadend wall of dirt. But above her, a dark square loomed, outlined by the daylight beyond. 

She reached up and shoved, lifting the trap door an inch. Long grass blew in a gentle breeze, growing out of the sandy ground. Her eye caught the green of a spine tree a few paces away, but the plains were otherwise empty. She flipped the door fully open and hopped out. To her right, far away, stretched the forest. Something glinted in the afternoon sunlight through the branches. 

The scream of engines pierced the air, and Kemi flicked her attention to the sky.  Three Star Destroyers cast black shadows over the wheaten landscape like death clouds. Dozens of TIEs and trooper transports detached in a steady stream, diving toward the ground. She whirled back to the forest and her brain finally pieced together the sparkle through the trees. 

Shiny, black durasteel. 

First Order transports. 

A pod-like ship she’d never seen before burst from behind the mountain face to the south of town and rocketed up into the air. Another ship followed, a strange, asymmetrical craft with a long rudder and one skinny wing jutting out of the side. Pummeled by the wind and leaking a trail of smoke, it flitted up into the clouds after the pod. 

Resistance ships—had to be. What was left of them. 

The TIEs locked onto their targets, streaking towards the little ships at a speed Kemi could barely track with her eyes. They didn’t stand a chance. The pod, then the other ship cleared the atmosphere, the TIEs in dogged pursuit until they too disappeared and she was left staring at an empty patch of sky.

Cuts on her lip and face pulsing with the rush of blood, she pounded back down the tunnel. Ahead of her a rounded intersection opened up, connecting various tunnel paths. Repurposed as a meeting point, several heads turned in her direction when she skidded to a stop, hands on her knees, lungs burning from the exertion. 

“Kemi?” Dr. Bexon’s voice above her, the accompanying hand on her back. “What’s going on?”

Kemi straightened, chest still heaving. “They’re here.”

A terrified murmur coursed through the crowd. 

“Hush now. Move. I said move!” Mayor Greer elbowed his way through the anxious throng. His robes, even sullied as they were, stood out starkly against the filth of the tunnels. 

He puffed his chest out. Dr. Bexon sighed loud enough for him to hear. He ignored her. “What did you say, girl?”

“It’s Kemi.” She turned her head to spit a glob of blood into the dirt. It landed by the mayor’s feet. If possible, his face soured more. 

“Kemi…” With visible effort, he twisted his mouth into a tight smile. “Please continue.”

“Stormtroopers. An army of them just landed.”

* * *

“Get to the hangar!” 

As the group flung themselves into the hangar bay, Poe glimpsed several lines of F-11Ds aimed directly at them. Smoking red bolts shredded the air as they ran, rows and rows of destroyed T-70s, shuttles and pods blurring past. 

The explosion had wiped out the entire fleet. 

Right now, they were just running towards the thirty kilometer drop into the canyon at the end of the flight deck… 

“Over there!” Iolo shouted above the cacophony. 

In a corner, closest to the end of the hangar, were two blessedly intact ships. A relic of a G-9 Rigger light freighter tipped on its side, and a converted B-wing Mark II cockpit, detached from its transport. At Poe’s heels, BB8 whooped triumphantly. 

The force of the detonation had hitched the pod up against the G-9’s single wing, but they were otherwise unscathed. 

The blaster fire rose to an ear-splitting symphony, peppering the flightdeck all around them. Lines of troopers filled the mouth of the hangar bay, illuminating the cavernous space with a blazing red strobe. The group dove to cover behind two destroyed X-wings nearby. 

“Karé, Iolo and BeebeeAte. You take the pod. Finn, with me in the G-9.”

“No way!” Karé shouted back. “The G-9’s not looking good.” 

“We don’t have time for this—get in the pod!”

The light freighter complained and shuddered as Karé maneuvered the weight of the pod off. Poe revved it to life once freed and it screamed in protest, ancient engine spluttering. 

“Come on, baby…” Poe jimmyed the flightstick upwards as he flicked on the take off sequence. 

Next to him, Finn fastened his four-point harness in the co-pilot’s seat. “You sure about this?”

“It’s the only option we’ve got.”

“You gave them the pod because it’ll be easier to pilot and—”

“I can fly anything.” 

Poe slammed the flightstick forward and they were off, blaster fire pelting them from all sides as they barreled toward the drop off at the end of the permacrete strip. 

The pod zipped up out of the hangar ahead and disappeared from view. 

The G-9 quaked and convulsed, and for a horrible second Poe thought this was it. Then it smoothed out and he shot them up out of the hangar into the canyon right on the pod’s tail.

The hulking black arrowheads looming above Kothal didn’t come as a surprise, but the sight of them shot a fresh jolt of adrenaline through Poe. An unmistakable, high-pitched shrill vibrated around them. 

Finn gripped the armrests of the co-pilot seat. “We’ve got company.” 

Through the transparisteel viewport, four TIE fighters screeched up to level with them. 

Poe flicked the blaster cannons into activation. Alarms blared in triad tones and a warning flitted across the ship’s nav computer. 

“Okay. So, no guns. Try the shields.”

Finn flicked the switches. It worked. Less than ideal, but it would have to do on its own until they were out of here. 

Poe commed in to the pod. “We have to jump now.” 

The G-9 faltered momentarily, dropping Poe’s stomach through the floor of the ship with it. Next to him, Finn growled, restraints creaking as he gripped them hard. 

“What’s the closest jump?”

“BeeBeeAte—Garel. Minutes.” Karé said.

“Garel?” Iolo interjected. “That’s the first place they’ll check!”

“We ain’t making it any further. Not looking to disintegrate in the middle of the hyperlane.”

“Initiating jump sequence.”

The howl of TIEs behind them sharpened. 

Poe slammed the command into the nav computer, then everything outside the cockpit melted into light. 

The journey really did last minutes, three at most, and neither Finn nor Poe spoke, staring straight ahead through the transparisteel at the whirl of blue and white that enveloped the ship. The blare of critical failure alarms, rivaled only by the scream of the ship’s very structure, rose to ear-shattering levels the closer they got to their drop.

“Here goes nothing,” Poe said, more to himself than to Finn. They dropped out of hyperspace. A great tremor coursed through the ship. Then it stilled. 

Iolo and Karé’s pod waited for them, suspended in the eerie, amethyst gloom of Garel’s looming form.

“You made it.” Iolo’s voice filled their cockpit. 

“Don’t get too excited.” 

The closer they got to Garel’s atmosphere, the more Poe fought to maintain control of the ship as the G-9 shuddered, rattling his brain in his skull. 

Then, one by one, every system zapped out.

Soon, the whole ship was dark and silent, Garel’s rapidly approaching surface the only light illuminating the cockpit. 

The full mass of gravity greedily swallowed the G-9, wind roaring, engulfing them in a tailspin that threw them directly into the path of Iolo and Karé’s pod.

[wittyno]

y do u hate tommy?

No. I don't hate him. I just don't like static characters who seem to have to learn the same fucking lesson over and over again and then hurt the characters around them without facing fucking repercussions. What is this? The CW?

I like Tommy as much as the next angsty sad-boi protagonist. Yes, hurt people hurt people, but the show allows there to be no true repercussions.

He is constantly allowed to hurt the women around him and they just say "that's Tommy". I could maybe see it if it was a take on power dynamics and they have to let this slide, but we don't see enough of their characters to really get that impression. I can write all the meta I want about how being a divorcee at that time would be detrimental to Liz and her kids or how Ada has been shoved into the American branch, but yet seems to have the least amount of agency of the adult Shelbys effects her. But the show never actually considers this.

Sure we can see how Tommy's trauma both in and after the war has lead him to be the person he is, but it's bland storytelling if that's the only perspective. It is a lack of perspective that really gets to me.

If the show had just wanted to focus on Tommy they could have had him write The Wall and be done with it. The show chose to have interesting side characters, but then chose to underserve them.

I mean that walk out is still one of the cringiest thing I have seen on my screen in a long time. I am of the opinion that cringe is mostly dead, but that's cringe. It gives the same energy that that tiny scene at the end of Endgame where all the women work together. LIKE BRO? Below is one of the ways I would re-work the show.

A list of corrections:

If Lizzie has to marry Tommy, and she fucking shouldn't then, have her divorce his ass. Give him the arc of reflection and her the arc of freedom, explore what it was like to be a divorced woman in the first half of the 20th century.

Make Micheal or Finn QUEER. Have him work through and discover his sexuality. Have him deal with Tommy and Arthur and tie it to the culture around masculinity at the time and maybe tie it in to him not being a vet. You wanna go full dark make it Micheal and have him deal with the societal implications of him being queer and his implied sexual abuse. Obviously, we know those two are not connected, but if you watch interviews with queer survivors of sexual abuse it is something they have to work through.

Give Ada more agency. For Ada I see two paths. 1) get so fed up with Tommy's bullshit that she either starts her own gang or goes to work full time for a rival gang like Alfie's. 2) fully lean into the communist activist side of her character. Have her actually organizing walk outs and maybe that's how we are introduced to Tommy's unfortunate love interest number 4. Maybe have her deal with the fact that while she did grow up poor, these days she has less in common with the working class. The first woman to take seat in parliament was in 1919, what's Peaky Blinder's excuse? Give Tommy's politics arc to Ada.

More of Isaiah and Jeremiah Jesus. That scene in season one where Jeremiah pulls the bullet out of Tommy is amazing. Give me more of him/them trying to give healthcare to the people of Small Heath. Both with the limitations on financial support but also of medicine at the time. Modern medicine the way we know it now really got its start during and post ww1.

More Tommy and his kids. They do a really good job of humanizing him in a way that nothing else does.

Give Grace agency 2022.

Now if I were to add characters:

Give Tommy a love interest that isn't traditional Snow White incarnate. Have her decide that he is not good enough. STRIP TOMMY'S DICK OF ITS PLOT ARMOR 2022.

A rival woman gang, see the the Forty Elephants gang.

Show more of the asian community in small heath, without making it racist.

More of the Romany / Irish Traveller culture and how it impacts the Shelbys, their standing in society, their relationship to each other, and their relationship to people outside of their community. Make sure to actually hire actual experts before you use the wrong fucking language again. God.

Make the Shelbys who are vets deal with the fact that they may be able to escape fighting in World War II. Allowing them to condemn others the way they were condemned.

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Gleefuldarrencrissfan Day 2

Author: @gleefuldarrencrissfan

Share one of your strengths.

I've been told that I do a great job writing in each character's voice, especially Blaine, Kurt, Santana, Brittany, and Finn.  It's very important to me that my characters remain true to who they are.  I work very hard to make sure that each one sounds like they would in the show.  

I've also been told that I'm great at cliffhangers.  Honestly, I end on cliffhangers a lot as I try to figure out which route I plan to take for the story.  I map out stories, but sometimes, the story takes me in a different direction.  I also like to take suggestions from my readers.  Many times, I have multiple scenarios on the direction in which the story can go.  I love keeping my readers on their toes. 

Share one of your weaknesses.

Well, because I have so many scenarios running through my head, I sometimes get stuck, and so, I don't update regularly.  I used to try to publish weekly or more, but as a mom of two, a full time assistant in a high-needs classroom, an avid crafter, and a member of a band, my plate stays pretty full.  I hope that my readers will subscribe and drop a comment from time to time to remind me to keep writing. 

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

I'm going to bring up two, Dueling Duets and Love, Blaine.  Dueling Duets is a complex fic with many characters and a very intricate plot.  On top of that, Blaine has PTSD, as do I.  It became too painful to finish this, so it is the only fic of mine that is abandoned.  I would like to finish it, but I just don't see that happening any time soon.  

Love, Blaine was so difficult for me because I wrote it all before publishing, and I thrive on feedback.  I kept going back and rewriting scenes over and over because I just couldn't make up my mind about certain things.  I also get anxious with a timeline hanging over my head, and so I went past the deadline.  Unfortunately, my appendix decided to burst the week I was supposed to publish, so I was trying to write through the pain.  I did finish it, and I'm proud of it, but I probably won't put myself through that again. 

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Private Messages, by far.  Honestly, it was so easy because Kurt was me in a sense, a fanfic author, desperate for feedback on his writing.  I also outlined this fic thoroughly, and so it just seemed to flow when I got to a certain point.  It is by far, my most popular fic, and honestly, it is my favorite of all of the ones that I've written.  Don't get me wrong.  It was very complex, bouncing back and forth from Blaine's and Kurt's perspectives, with plotlines from the show, Kurt's story, and the actual story all coming together and interweaving at times making it difficult to write, but I always knew where it was going, and so it was the easiest to finish. 

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

It's one of my passions, along with music and crafting.  I'm an artist at heart, and so I'd never be happy or fulfilled in life if I wasn't creating in one shape or form.  I honestly love the way art makes you feel, both as the artist and as the person affected by other people's art.  My favorite thing is one someone tells me how my writing or work made them feel.  

I'm also writing educational children's books, and I hope to inspire kids in the future to love to learn, and so it is a major passion of mine to be a published author and get my books out there for kids to read. 

Is there an episode or character or arc above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

Blaine Anderson.  He was by far the character that inspires me the most, probably because I see myself in him, the confident, happy performer who is really quite insecure and maybe even depressed. I wish that the show would have let us see more of his personal life.  At felt like, at times, he was just Kurt's boyfriend, but he was so much more than that.  It would have been nice to actually see his home, his parents, and his brother to get greater insight on why he is the way he is.  Thank god for fanfiction.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Just write.  The first draft does not have to be perfect.  That's what editing is for.  Get yourself a beta, dig in, and just get the words on the page.  No one can read your work if the pages are all in your head.  

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Stick to what you know.  That's what research is for.  Branch out.   Explore.  Interview and talk to others.  Although, if you are researching something embarrassing, for example, Brazilian waxing, use incognito mode.  lol. 

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

Private Messages.  I just love this story, and I think it would best translate into a movie.  Besides, Blaine is an actor in this one, so it works. 

What’s your process? Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? What are the perfect writing conditions for you?

Ha ha.   I find it funny that I have a process because it depends on the fic I'm writing at the time.  for my more complex stories, I do best when I map them out first.  I don't do a complex map, just a basic synopsis of the first 10 chapters or so, and then a rough outline afterward.  Of course, I keep it a soft outline, and I also plan a few other scenarios in case the story goes in a different direction.  Even Chris Colfer says that his characters surprise him in his stories, and so I'm in good company, I suppose.  

However, on my shorter stories like Rim Job, and idea just comes to me, and I just write what comes to me, and then I even take suggestions from my readers about further chapters.  I guess it just depends on the tone of the fic.  If it's serious, I'm much more structured, but on my less serious pieces, I just have fun and write.   

The perfect conditions are when I'm alone (be it when others are sleeping or out of the house) and I can just allow my muse to work.  I put on some background noise (Glee music or episodes) for inspiration and just sit down in front of my laptop with my notebooks.  Many times, I have scenes written in my notebooks before I type them out (I write when I'm waiting at the dr.'s office or at work during a break, ect) so all I have to do is type and polish the scene.  Unfortunately, I have several scenes in my notebooks that haven't made it into a word document yet just because of lack of time.  Hopefully, I will catch up this summer.

***

Check out Gleefuldarrencrissfan’s Fics

Somewhere Only We Know -  Blaine has three little words on his mind when he says good bye to Kurt in the court yard at McKinley. Can he make himself declare them out loud? An alternate ending to "Born This Way"

Silly Love Songs -  It's Valentine's Day, and Blaine had plans to serenade Jeremiah. But what if Blaine discovered the doodle Kurt made in Silly Love Songs before he serenaded Jeremiah? The scene at the Lima Bean is canon and everything to the point of Kurt sketching the doodle, but the ending, of course will be how I had hoped it would've happened.

Courage -  Do you believe that one moment can change the course of your life? That one event change the way you saw everything, or do you think it's a series of moments that build from one experience to the next. A year ago, I would've said that was crazy. But I'm not the same guy that I was a year ago.

[cosmo-gonika]

TROS, a movie that thrives on Nostalgia.

I saw TROS yesterday. Needless to say my expectations were super low. I want to do this movie justice, independently of me being a die-hard Reylo and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo stan. 

Spoilers ahead!!!

The main problem about TROS is that it’s not a bad movie; narrative choices had to be made, but it suffers from a lack of narrative consistency within the ST. It suffers from the Disney LF area we’re in, meaning, the rein of money and commercial blockbuster pressure, aka, the materialist world we live in. 

My personal feeling about TROS is like an atonal symphony within the ST : you never come home. You don’t have the sensation that the journey came to a full circle, with all the satisfaction of the plot points and holes being fulfilled, like a classical symphony gives you. 

Why is that? JJ started the ST with TFA, and Rian took the threats that were opened and created new interesting, bold and creative narratives, disappointing all the long time fans that thrive on bloodlines and lineages. JJ took that disappointment and fulfilled those expectative : he thrives on Nostalgia. On bloodlines and lineage, on the idea that you have to be born in a certain family to have certain powers. It’s all very elitist and aristocratic. He also thrives on actions as a filler : you never get bored because you’re trying to get the point about what is happening. There is too much. The pace is wild. There are no true silences to reflect upon what is happening. This is where Rian was a genius, with his silences, held stares and glares, and why he’s infinitely superior as a filmmaker. 

But more than anything, the problem is there is no creative consistency.  Thus it gives the sensation that things were not planned from the start, and the journey is not fulfilled. As a fan fiction author I’d say : bad story writing!

But no wonder regular audiences like the movie. It’s a Star Wars movie with all the elements it could have to make a casual viewer happy. But when you start digging the surface, the narratives choices that JJ made are very questionable and there was not only one way to close this saga, and thus for me, these choices make the movie a failure because it only relies on blockbuster techniques, and doesn’t introduce anything new or creative. 

Here are my critical points. 

1) Kylo and Rey should have been more centerstage. The main problem I have with the movie is that it goes everywhere, losing the principal focus which is understanding why Kylo and Rey are force bonded and the Force Lore mystic The entire point of the movie would have been to dig into the Force Dyad, which is basically One soul that is incarnated in Two bodies. It explains the Force bond and why Kylo and Rey are attracted to one another. They are basically soulmates. But it’s mentioned fast twice in the whole movie, and nothing is shown or explained and worse : one part of the Dyad dies! Where is the logic in that? 

Which leads me to my only hope : Ben dies in the Light. But I think the Force Dyad remains intact, meaning there will be a connection between them from the other side of the veil. It’s impossible the connection was severed by death, thus I am wondering if Ben will no reappear in future material, or that Rey will find a way to resurrect him. 

And I just need more Ben Solo Smiles!!!

2) The logical ending would have been that Ben/Kylo resurrects at the end. It would have made sense and given a sense of Christian Glory to the end of the Saga. 

PT : Downfall

OT : Redemption

ST: Resurrection 

It would have given a feeling of completion, and justice, to a character that is essentially a victim, thus reversing entirely his grandfather Anakin’s arc. Because Ben dying does NOT make sense and gives him a greek tragedy ending which is very heartbreaking. 

But, I am going to be honest, I do think that Ben’s redemption was wonderfully made, thanks to Adam’s amazing acting skills. I mean HOW the hell did Adam show us the very minute when Kylo Ren dies and transforms into Ben Solo!! He’s a MASTERPIECE. I also thought that his dying could make sense because his redemption is so well done : he gives his life for Rey, and there is nothing as powerful as self-sacrifice. He is truly home when he dies. But there were other ways of resurrecting him without falling into a cheesy Disney ending. 

3) I wrote a meta in November 2017: “Why Rey is a Palpatine”  which made perfect sense to me even at the time. Beware, I’m not saying I would not have liked her to be a nobody. It’s what I wrote in Songs and i still love it. BUT the Palpatine branch always made sense, because it was the mirroring effects of their bloodlines that was interesting for Reylo, and knowing they are a Dyad, it makes even more sense! 

Rey comes from Darkness but choses the Light and the Jedi Path. 

Ben comes from Light but fell into Darkness and the Sith ways. 

They are each other’s opposites, Two sides of the same coin. It made sense they needed the other to prevail and save the galaxy and that they bloodlines were essentially the two main ones. 

One of the things I thought was really well done in the movie is how Rey is conflicted with herself and how she choses the Light despite her bloodline. I thought that was the only thing they did right with Rey : that she choses her heart and her new family against blood. 

4) The Emperor returned, but how? It is never explained. And the entire Snoke business is never properly explained, he was just a puppet, okay, but how did the Emperor come back from the dead? This is where my blood boils a bit : TROS retconned everything Rian had built on to bring back Palpatine and there, you really feel the ST is just a big narrative mess. Had TROS taken time to explain fully and show us the reasons, it would have been way better. 

5) Making Finn a force sensitive : WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? Where was Finnrose? Where was Finn’s arc? Totally disappeared. It was so badly done, too. 

6) The fan service was absolutely cringe as fuck. The Nostalgia really unbearable for me. I was all the time like : this, again??

This is basically what i have to say about the movie. I liked some parts a lot. I hated others. I think it’s ONE take on the many possibilities it offered and it doesn’t fulfill my personal expectations at all. But this is me and I won’t be an anti and trash the creators, they did their best but as a fan, I am very disappointed by some choices. 

[violent-optimism]

Why I believe Rey’s ending is perfect (LONG ESSAY)

It sure has been a crazy month for Star Wars fans. As I’m starting to write this I’m realizing that it has been exactly a month since The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters. My experience with this film has been very interesting to say the least. I feel like I’ve gone back and forth several times regarding my opinion. It’s been a bumpy ride, but by this point I’ve realized that there are a few choices in the film that I disagree with. I still enjoy the film; I just wish certain things had been done differently. However, there is one decision that I feel is absolutely perfect for the main protagonist of the trilogy.

I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions on the final scene of the movie. I’m not here to say that my interpretation of this scene is “right” or the most “correct” one. Not in the slightest. If you feel that Rey was robbed of the ending you believe she deserved, that is how you feel and no one can take that away from you. We all have our own opinions. If anyone feels offended by this essay I want you to know that is not my intention. To be honest, I’m a little scared to post this because I know a lot of people have strong feelings about Star Wars. My hope is that if anyone disagrees with what I am about to say that you can simply move on and find a piece of writing that you do agree with. Please be kind.

With all that being said, allow me to share with you why I believe Rey’s final scene is absolutely perfect for her arc, her character and the story.

So, in my mind, this final scene is all about bringing everything back to where it started.  Obviously, Tattooine was not only the home to Luke, but to Anakin as well, tying all three stories together. When Rey finds Luke’s home, she finds a piece of metal and slides down the hill, much like how she did in The Force Awakens. Except this time, she does it with a smile on her face, symbolizing her growth and acceptance of her scavenger background.

You can also tell how fascinated Rey is upon seeing the first home of this legendary figure. As we know, Rey grew up with stories of the Rebellion and Luke Skywalker. She’s probably dreamt about this moment for years, and so finally getting the chance to see it means a lot to her.

However, it’s not just seeing what could be considered a historical site; Rey has a job to do. She never had the chance to say goodbye to Luke or Leia before they joined with the force, and so Rey wants to honour their legacy and teachings by burying both of their lightsabers in the sand. I like to think this serves two purposes:

One, the sabers will never be used by anyone who is not worthy to have them or would try to use them for malevolent purposes.

Two, this act symbolizes letting go of the past but honoring those who came before, which I think has been one of the main themes of the whole trilogy.

And yes, from a meme point of view, Anakin’s lightsaber being buried in the sand is pretty hilarious and ironic, but I digress…

I view this scene as Rey thanking both Luke and Leia for the use of their lightsabers in her journey, but now she has a new saber that she has built, as is tradition once a Jedi has completed their training.

That’s the other part too; Rey has ‘passed all of the trials’ as it were. Not only has she helped to defeat the Emperor and the First Order, but she has also brought back the balance. This girl from nowhere, having never imagined where her life would lead, is now the sole heir to the Jedi legacy and a protector of the peace.

The colour of her lightsaber is also very telling. I think it’s supposed to symbolize a couple different things. It’s a lightsaber colour that we have never seen in any of the Star Wars saga films. This represents a new direction in the Jedi Order, branching off from tradition and forging a new path. Rey doesn’t want to simply imitate the Jedi of old; she wants to be her own version of who she thinks a Jedi should be. The golden colour is neutral, sitting somewhere between Red and Blue, once again symbolizing balance.

This next part is one that a lot of people seem to take issue with. At first glance, I can totally see why. Rey shouldn’t need a powerful last name to prove that she’s a powerful character. Her worth should come from within, not from a bloodline.

In my eyes, however, I don’t see this part actively taking away from Rey’s character or her inner strength. I believe it fulfills a wish that she has always had.

An old wanderer asks her for her name. Rey replies. The wanderer then asks: “Rey who?”

In case it wasn’t abundantly clear by now, family names are SUPER important in the Star Wars universe; to the point where random strangers will ask for your last name, like this scene and the part on Pasanaa with Rey and the local.

The ending is supposed to directly correlate with the scene on Pasanaa. When 3PO translates that the local is asking for Rey’s family name, you can clearly see the heartbreak on her face as she (yet again) has to confront this part of her past; the fact that she is a “no one” from nowhere with no family name to speak of. In this story, a family name is like wearing a badge of honour, something to be proud of. Who could blame Rey for wanting that?

Later on of course, Rey discovers that the answer she has been seeking for so long contains the most horrible truth that she could ever imagine. Being the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, Rey faces immense struggle with accepting that she is a part of that family and what this could mean for her future. By the end of the story, Rey has come to realize that it doesn’t matter that she’s related to the most horrible man in the galaxy, what matters is the choices she makes and who she chooses to be.

If we think back to the previous two films, what is the one thing that Rey has always wanted? Belonging…Family…Meaning…

These are the words that guide Rey’s journey until the very end. Finding out that her parents were “no one” shocked her to the core. Even it was foolish and naïve, she wanted to believe so badly that she was connected to someone greater, someone who made a difference.

In a way, she was partially correct…but not at all how she expected. Of course she chooses to reject the Palpatine name and everything it stands for, as she rightfully should. Despite what she feared as a child, Rey comes to learn that her parents did in fact love her very much and protected her the only way they could. Unfortunately, they have passed on and can no longer serve a role as her family, so where does that leave her?

Having a family name, and more specifically, a family, is what Rey has always wanted since the very beginning. I’m not saying that Rey doesn’t have a purpose beyond that, but if you look at what she’s wanted since The Force Awakens, it is definitely in line with her character and this ending fulfills that wish in all the right ways.

“Rey who?”

The familiar question stumps Rey for a moment. She looks off in thought as she thinks of an answer. If she has rejected the name of Palpatine, what name can she give to this woman?

Feeling a familiar presence, Rey looks off into the distance, seeing the shapes of her Masters smiling at her with proud expressions. Luke and Leia wordlessly give her the answer, the one that not only makes her the happiest, but represents who she is and the path she has chosen.

Rey smiles contently, finally knowing what to say as she looks back towards the wanderer.

“Rey Skywalker.”

And then we come to the final shot of the movie, with Rey and BB-8 standing in front of the twin suns as the “force theme” swells in the background. This is an obvious homage to two other Star Wars endings, but also to the one shot in The Force Awakens with Rey and BB-8 walking into the desert. BB-8 was the first friend that Rey ever made, and so it only makes sense that they would be there with her as her story comes to a close.

Rey is anything but alone in this moment. While it is a bit odd that we never see closure with Finn and Poe’s stories, it can absolutely be assumed that Rey will always take the time to visit them and keep the friendship strong. In the final scene, she has two ‘adoptive parents’ watching over her, along with the droid that started her adventure.

I never thought this scene was trying to suggest that Rey would stay on Tattooine. Her journey there was a pilgrimage, the ‘last stage of her training’ if you will. All she came there to do was to bury the lightsabers and pay respect to her Masters and adoptive parents. I don’t believe Rey is intending to stay, not at all.

It’s so exciting to think about what other adventures Rey could have, and that’s what I love about this ending. It leaves it up to the imagination of the viewer. What will Rey do next? Will she train a new generation of Jedi? Will she explore the galaxy? The possibilities are infinite. One thing is for certain, Rey knows who she is and has found a family she can belong to.

That is all she ever wanted.

[emeraldspiral]

Is it just me or is TROS not a real “ending” movie but just a “setup” movie? Like the entire purpose of the movie is to close out Kylo Ben’s arc in the quickest most Darth Vader-y way possible and make you forget about him as a legacy character and make you love Rey instead. It’s constant, Leia and Luke and the voices of the Jedi pointing to her and talking about how special she is, the last-minute backstory that goes back on all her TLJ character development....

It definitely feels like there were a lot of dangling plot-threads, most noticeable being whatever the hell Finn was going to say to Rey and Ben not being with his family as a ghost at the end. I want to believe that the point wasn’t to kill off all the Skywalkers and have this just be the end of the main storyline and all future tie-in material will be stuff from the past like Knights of the Old Republic or the Mandalorian or Clone Wars or Rebels.

I want to believe that when they say there’s a possibility that they aren’t done with the ST characters but they may be breaking away from trilogies and are putting to bed the Skywalkers what they really mean is they’re done with the War part of Star Wars being about Rebels/Resistance vs Empire/First Order or more specifically the Skywalkers vs some old raisin on a throne. I want to believe that just as they branched out with a different kind of war movie for Rogue One and a heist movie for Solo, there’s another movie on the horizon that’s more focused on an adventure/quest than whatever war is going on at the time, and that quest is Rey’s journey to find Ben’s spirit, wherever it resides, and bring him back to life so they can have the happy ending they deserve.

[tearlessrain]

okay actually I need to yell for a minute excuse me

(includes massive star wars spoilers under the cut)

it’s been TWO DAYS since star wars came out and I’ve already seen people trotting out the “fascist sympathizer” label because rey did basically exactly what luke did and refused to give up on the evil space warlord she had a strong force connection with because she could sense that he wasn’t all the way gone. what did you EXPECT to happen. it’s. it’s star wars. that’s a whole overarching theme of the main trilogies. did you just ignore the entire context around what was happening so you could stick to the narrative you’ve been insisting on since episode 7.

but no we have to do this every goddamn time because god forbid nuance or character development get in the way of our ideologically pure media that we’re really, really invested in even though this was a weird fucking movie to invest your heart and soul into.

because we all knew, I assumed, that the final movie in this clusterfuck of a trilogy that was being directed by JJ “what’s a conclusion” Abrams was not going to be some kind of cinematic masterpiece. the dude was absolutely scrambling to please every single demographic who has ever watched star wars while basically creating an entire new middle act to erase the one we already got and a third act and then crammed them both into a movie shorter than tlj and for some reason it wasn’t terrible. that’s a goddamn miracle right there.

and I’m all for being critical of media. that’s great. what I’m not all for is just assuming that your opinion is the only right one and anyone who disagrees must be a bad and/or ignorant consumer and that this indicates their inferiority as a person, which is absolute bullshit but keeps getting treated like a reasonable basis for an argument. it’s going to happen anyway of course, and I guarantee within a week I’m gonna see someone get called a nazi/fascist for not hating kylo’s redemption arc like they should, and I’ve already seen r*ylos get upset even though they got exactly what they fucking wanted handed to them a platter because he still very predictably died. y’all went into it wanting something to be mad about and no surprise, you got what you wanted. if she’d kissed finn instead, you’d get mad that it was straight and he didn’t end up with poe. if the main focus had been on finn instead of rey you’d be mad that he was a man. and this is coming from the guy who’s been whining for years about disney’s idea of minority representation, it genuinely is shit but for the love of god complain about the actual problem so we can fix instead of pulling ‘rey’s a fascist’ out of your arse and tying the whole issue up in a completely different branch of discourse that’s just going to summon actual fascists to swoop in and make everything worse.

at this point I’m just unfollowing anyone who consistently starts to bring this shit onto my dash because I’m pretty sure the past four years have taken at least a decade off my lifespan from real life issues alone and I can’t deal with weird melodrama over media I’m trying to give myself a break with too. I’m not even at the end of my rope, I’m clinging to one frayed dangly bit that came unraveled from it when I slipped off the actual rope. I’m exhausted and I’m so tired of hearing everyone’s fucking catfights over their extremely specific interpretations of media that they assume are the only correct ones.

sorry I’m done now, will probably delete it very soon when I realize I absolutely shouldn’t have posted it in the first place.

[nekomajo]

The Sequel Trilogy Trio

First off, I wanna say that this is just my own personal opinion and I don’t expect everyone to agree. This is just a mesh-up of my jumbled thoughts on the subject. Now on to the ramblings! Despite all the promoting from DLF, the ST trio is not Rey, Finn and Poe. Sure, we’re probably gonna get some fun shenanigans with them in TROS, but it will never be as an iconic, like Luke, Leia and Han. (Which is what they seem to be pushing for) When it came to the original movies, each third of the trio held equal weight in the plot as well as their relationships to each other. It showed step by step how they ended up together and gave ground work for the reasons why they stayed together in the following movies. We saw the bonds form and grow from the start and this gives a lasting impression that people still love decades later. With the ST? Not so much. Yes, we see Finn befriend Poe and Rey and he has great chemistry with both. But those happen on completely separate occasions and there’s no connection formed between Poe and Rey to balance it out. So how can they be considered anywhere near the same as the OT trio? Short answer; they can’t. While I do not deny that the three characters will play off each other well in the final movie, there is no real foundation for their comradery that matches the nostalgia DLF is trying to recreate. The connection is simply not there. For me personally however, I do think there was a ST trio, that only appeared in TFA. But not the same as three unlikely friends going on an adventure to accomplish a goal. Instead I saw something similar to the Triforce trio featured in a majority of the Legend of Zelda games; Where the fate of a Kingdom (in this case the Resistance) depends on the outcome of a conflict between the individual holders of Courage, Wisdom and Power. Finn, Rey and Kylo fit this dynamic because they shared the spot light of the first movie and equally drove the plot forward. (Not to mention all three were introduced wearing masks and one by one removed them, making them stand out) I also consider them to be on even ground, since the events that took place were the beginnings of their character arcs for the trilogy. First up was Finn, raised as a Stormtrooper and based on media outside the movies, was pretty settled with his life, until that battle on Jakku. That was the starting point for him and he chose to deviate from where he was. Poe was actually a supporting role to further his story, (who was apparently supposed to die in the crash) so he was a very basic character at this point. Once on Jakku Finn meets a scavenger and the next third of the plot begins. The story shifts to Rey leading the narrative and shows how she was uprooted from her self-imposed life of solitude and thrown into the whole mess, simply because she was kind to a lost droid. While she insists on returning to Jakku, she eventually develops a desire to seek out something, instead of continuing to sit around wait for it. A change that happened after she met Kylo Ren. Now the plot is being driven by our dark Disney prince, as his world is thrown off balance by meeting Rey. His increasing interest in her rivals and then at some point, completely outweighs his desire to find the map to Luke. This encounter with her causes cracks to form in his shields and reveal his vulnerabilities, thus altering the path he’d been on for the past six years. The climax of the movie then features the trio in a standoff and ends with two of them incapacitated at the end. They are then separated after Starkiller is destroyed, leaving some ambiguity as to where their new paths will lead them in the next instalment. As I said before, this dynamic is only in the first movie. In TLJ Rey and Kylo’s connection is furthered, while Finn seems to branch off on his own path. At first, he’s still motivated to find Rey and get away from the war, but it’s through a new character Rose, that he changes and discovers where he wants to be. Adding to that, Kylo is not shown to even be thinking about Finn and likewise the former Stormtrooper has no worry of him specifically either, thus breaking the connection they had. I do think this Triforce trio thing could have gone further, but I was no disappointed with the way TLJ went. I have no idea what TROS will have instore for us, but I strongly feel that whatever Rey and Kylo do, will be what leaves a lasting impression and not the ‘trio’ that DLF is promoting. TL;DR; Rey, Finn and Poe are not the new trio! They will never be another Luke, Han and Leia! Rey, Finn and Kylo are totally the keepers of the Triforce in a Galaxy far, far away. (holy shit that means the Legacy Saber is the Master Sword! lol)

[save-ben-swolo]

What do you think the character's screen time will break down to in TRoS? I imagine Rey will have the most but after that I'm not sure.

It’s really hard to say... I think you’re right in guessing that Rey will have the most again. I did a little research and it looks like Rey clocked in at 33.30mins in TLJ.

I REALLY hope we get more Kylo Ben in this final one because he was 5th for screen time in TLJ after Rey, Luke, Finn, and Rose. He had 15.30mins of screen time, less than half Rey’s. Since this is the final film and we are (99.9% positive) going to see him on the final leg of a redemption arc, I hope he’s closer to 3rd for screen time in TROS (dare I hope second?!).

I could see them fucking off and having Finn/Poe get the second and third spots for screen time though since they will be with Rey for part of the journey (attached to her large amount of screen time) and I feel it’s likely they will branch off and have a separate “B plot” together that would give them more screen time as well (maybe dealing with Zorri since Poe knows her while Rey “takes care of” some other “Force stuff”).

[dpargyle]

STAR WARS SPOILERS!

SW SPOILERS: – predicted almost everything that happened in RISE. Don’t care. I LOVED it. Fitting end to the saga. ‘It rhymed.’ This is gonna take a while to process. I am emptied. I am full. Rey means even more to me than before. Also, she’s a trans girl- confirmed. SEND TWEET.

Lemme explain. “No,” to quote Inigo Montoya, “there is too much. Let me sum up:” Rey has always meant a lot to me. As I’ve explained on here before. Lonely scavenger. “Me? I’m nobody.” Knows her situation is bleak. She cannot connect with anyone, despite her innate warmth.

But she holds on. Waits. Waits for her past to come back – to tell her WHO SHE IS. But as Maz says in TFA, “the belonging you seek is not behind you, it is ahead.” Then in TLJ Rey goes through a dark night of the soul – wrestling with the DARKNESS within her.

Rey yearns to learn WHO SHE IS. She sees herself, echoed ad infinitum. Her reflection, branching into…she does not yet know. She fears the DARKNESS will suck her down and she’ll never find out who she was born to be.

Rey fears she will give in, becoming servant to all the things inside she HATES about herself. Yet still, she tries, desperately, to pass her mantle on to others – onto Luke – but he cannot carry it. It is hers to raise.

Rey’s struggle with her inner DARKNESS is also mirrored in her relationship with Kylo Ren. Hard, full of rage – and yet this warm girl, with clear eyes and full heart (despite the coldness of the galaxy, she holds on to hope) …

Kylo offers Rey his hand – to dive down into the DARKNESS with him. And she says no. That path will not be hers. She hates how her insides (Kylo) war against her – she knows he’s better than this…

Rey calls him Ben - softer, better Ben&yet he strips himself from her – he’s too angry – too fearful – for the first time, Rey realizes that has never been her, she lets that part of herself go. Like leaving a part of herself (MASCULINITY?) behind. "Killing her past."

It is for the best. Terrifying, but Rey can now change her wardrobe -so by the time RISE rolls around, she is wearing FEMINITY on her sleeve. (White/Black – which…not the greatest color coding metaphor for…racism reasons…but it’s what Disney chose lol - *sigh*)  

Yet still, she struggles – she feels darkness still warring within her. Maybe it'll always be part of her.Always define her.Then she discovers (& OMG SPOILERS!) she has the blood of the root of that darkness within her. Ye olde Sheev himself, slithering within. A Palpatine.

The masculine voice within Rey (Kylo) taunts her – THIS IS WHO YOU ARE. THIS IS WHO YOU WILL ALWAYS BE. DON’T BE AFRAID. EMBRACE THE DARKNESS (MASCULINITY). And yet. She persists. She refuses.

Like Finn’s feeling, like an instinct –calling her home. Her real home.Herself.She burns Kylo’s ship&then her teacher shows up. Brave, gentle Luke.Who’s always known. (And Leia too.)&yet they both saw her heart. So they trained her for the fight again.For they both saw the truth:

The heart means more than blood. Our blood, our bones, our biology, AMAB, AFAB, whatever the fuck – does not define us. We define us. Not the voices of rage and hate and fear within and without us. We. “I am Rey. Rey SKYWALKER.”

Rey defeats ole Palps with the help of friends (who she leads like an old prophet into battle)&those heroes that came before.Old Ben.Anakin.Yoda.Luke.Leia.Ahsoka.(of course, Ahsoka.)As queer community is vital for trans folks, the old queers of the past look down & spur her on-

Their hearts beat as one within her & all the hate directed at her could never match it. in the end, it nearly kills her. But her old, masculine side lets his helmet fall,becoming her gentle, brave Ben-& gives himself up to save her. They meet in the middle. Kiss goodbye.

Masculinity bowing to Feminity. A reconciliation – a reincarnation – old into new. A beginning. Rey buries the old BLUE blades into the sands, where it all began. The rhyme is complete. She has forged a new weapon. Someone asks her who she is.

At the beginning of all this, Rey said she was no one. As with many trans girls, we try to convince ourselves to stay in our old loneliness – in a desert just like Jakku – cut off from all wrestling with inexpressible us…but, as with all good stories, we finally “step outside our door,”  as us. The Real us.

Rey tells the old woman. “I’m Rey Skywalker.” Like a trans girl, she has not only forged the tools and weapons she will need in her new world, she has also forged her own name. What gentle power. An icon. Staring into the rising suns, full of hope…

Look, obviously, Lucasfilm & Abrams didn't intend for me to see Rey’s character arc as some sorta trans allegory. Again, I don’t care. Didn’t we all decide to murder the authors and all our other heroes out in the street in broad daylight after certain events yesterday?

To paraphrase, “we are who grew beyond them. Such is the burden of all students.” We take the lessons they handed down, and like Rey’s staff, have forged different tools for the brave new world we are forging ahead. A different world than theirs. A better one, I hope.