The Force Awakens - Thoughts and Reactions (SPOILERS WITHIN)

[Brandon Rhea]

MAJOR QUESTION: What's going on with the Republic? Is the Resistance not part of the Republic? I'm kind of left really confused on the relationship between these two factions, if they're even different factions. I hope someone knows the answer to this, because it bugs me.

The inclusion of the Republic is by far the most glaring flaw in the film. It's mentioned only a few times, the relationship between it and the Resistance is never properly explained, and the destruction of the Hosnian system is given no context and no reason to invest in.

Luckily, The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary (which is fantastic) goes into a lot more detail. So I'll give the cliffnotes. The Republic became focused on peace after it signed the Galactic Concordance with the Empire, which marked the end of the Galactic Civil War. The treaty was signed around the time of the Battle of Jakku. The Empire was given predetermined borders that it could stay within, and its remnants disappeared into the Unknown Regions. The Republic wanted to bring harmony to the galaxy and convince disaffected systems that it was different from the Empire and from the Old Republic. One of the things it did was choose to rotate its capital by having people (maybe the Senate) vote on what the capital should be every so often. Hosnian Prime was the most recently elected capital world, so that's where the Senate and the chancellor were based.

The Republic also disarmed most of its fleet. Leia never agreed with that decision. She thought it was foolish of the Republic to assume that the Empire would never be a threat again. When the First Order revealed itself, Leia continued to warn about the Imperial threat. Not only did the Republic not listen to her, since they were content to let the First Order abide by the dictates of the Galactic Concordance, it labeled here a warmonger and slandered her reputation. They said she was still stuck in the Galactic Civil War, while the galaxy had moved on to more peaceful and prosperous times. Because the Republic refused to act, Leia formed the Resistance.

The Resistance was very weak, but it provided a basic check against the designs of the First Order. It had the begrudging approval of the Senate to operate. Leia had an envoy, Korr Sella, who would go between her and the Senate as a liaison. When it was clear that the First Order was becoming a clear and present danger by the start of the film, she sent Korr Sella to Hosnian Prime to convince the Republic to take direct military action. You can see her, and the chancellor, on Hosnian Prime in the scene that depicts its destruction. So once the First Order's threat was evident, it was too late for the Senate to act.

All of that is great info that I'm glad the book elaborated on. It should have been in the movie, though.

Since I never got a response when I posted this way back at the beginning of the thread, I'll ask again.

This coming from someone who has only watched the movies, can we acknowledge the fact that the blue saber the characters find is the one that Luke lost in Cloud City? He made a new one for The Return, which was green. They made it seem like Luke left his life and his saber behind. Maybe I'm wrong because they didn't say that specifically, it's just the vibe I got. If 2017 comes around and they say "hey where did you find that?" And don't make any recognition of the fact he already has his green one, I'll be upset.

Why do we have to acknowledge that the way you're asking? It's stated outright in the film.

I don't think they ever implied that they left that saber behind, though. That's not at all the vibe I got. The vibe was just that this was the true Skywalker lightsaber, because it belonged to Anakin and then to Luke - and now to Rey, who is presumably a Skywalker.

 

[Vulpes]

I'll definitely pick that book up, then. I usually don't get any of the 'reference' books, besides ones in the Essential line, but maybe I'll get it.

I really hate to say it, but this film definitely could of benefited at least a little bit of Senate scenes, sort of like the prequels, but not really. It feels needed here, at least maybe one scene that explains it at least a little bit. But I guess it could easily of become a slippery slope.

 

[Richie B.]

I'm under the assumption Rey didn't get training which is why she thought what happened in the past were myths which goes into the heart of what I felt was wrong when she used force mind trick, she only just recently accepted the fact she could use the force. As seen when she resists Kylo, great scene in my opinion. But than without even fulling understanding what the force is she is able to use force mind trick.

Which is why I have a issue with it, but besides that, I don't have any other problems with it.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I'll definitely pick that book up, then. I usually don't get any of the 'reference' books, besides ones in the Essential line, but maybe I'll get it.

I really hate to say it, but this film definitely could of benefited at least a little bit of Senate scenes, sort of like the prequels, but not really. It feels needed here, at least maybe one scene that explains it at least a little bit. But I guess it could easily of become a slippery slope.

I don't think it needed a Senate scene, but definitely a scene that explains the Resistance's relationship to the Republic. Because I do like the fact that the Resistance is this small organization away from the Republic itself. It brings Star Wars back to the frontier, where it excels, rather than the halls of power. But if you're going to introduce the New Republic, then you have to explain it.

I'm under the assumption Rey didn't get training which is why she thought what happened in the past were myths which goes into the heart of what I felt was wrong when she used force mind trick, she only just recently accepted the fact she could use the force. As seen when she resists Kylo, great scene in my opinion. But than without even fulling understanding what the force is she is able to use force mind trick.

Which is why I have a issue with it, but besides that, I don't have any other problems with it.

To me the vision implies that she doesn't remember her past. Whether she repressed her memories or had them taken from her, I don't know. But the fact that the vision, which was largely about her and her own past, placed her right into the middle of the Jedi massacre says a lot.

Which is why I have a theory: I think it was Kylo who brought Rey to Jakku. I think Rey is his cousin (and Luke's daughter), and Kylo loved her very much. She represents a flicker of light, which is why he flipped out when that one officer said that Finn had help from a girl - because Kylo is afraid of the light within him, and believes that it was sentimentality over Luke that "corrupted" Darth Vader and brought down the Empire.

 

[EmilyHuene]

Is it started in the film? Because I clearly missed that.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Is it started in the film? Because I clearly missed that.

"That lightsaber was Luke's and his father's before him, and now it calls to you." - Maz

 

[Vulpes]

Two more notes I think are worth mentioning;

• A lack in familiar faces, in terms of species and races. Sure there's a Sullust and Mon Cal here and there, but there are just dozens of new species. Trivial, but something I noticed.
• The three, new, main characters take Luke's best traits and split them up. Poe is Luke's piloting skills, Finn is sort of the morality of him, and Rey of course is the Force-Sensitive side.

Yeah. Idk how to word it, and maybe I just don't know what I'd of wanted, but definitely something explaining it better. Eventually, we [Superfans] will all know the relationship between Republic and Resistance, but I feel like it should definitely be more common knowledge, especially since it was in the Opening Scrawl.

 

[Richie B.]

My theory is the Rey's mother hide here there, after the Jedi massacre, the father being Luke, but if your theory is correct that makes a lot more sense. If she didn't get training thats where my problem comes from. But other than that the vision was interesting and it could be because of who her father could be (Luke) but even if she is Luke's daughter I would love to see who her mother is.

 

[EmilyHuene]

"That lightsaber was Luke's and his father's before him, and now it calls to you." - Maz

Yes, I got that. I just want to make sure that the movie people know he lost that saber. Did Maz find the one after "a long story" beginning in Cloud City? I wanna hear this story. How did she get THAT saber.

 

[Phil]

Yes, I got that. I just want to make sure that the movie people know he lost that saber. Did Maz find the one after "a long story" beginning in Cloud City? I wanna hear this story. How did she get THAT saber.

A good question for another time.

AKA, future films or books or comics.

 

[Vulpes]

Keep hearing speculation that Snoke could be Plagueis. Anyone buying that?

 

[Phil]

Keep hearing speculation that Snoke could be Plagueis. Anyone buying that?

Interesting as it could be, I'd prefer if things from the Prequels be left behind. That's one thing I loved about this movie, is that you don't need to see any of the Prequels to understand what is going on.

 

[Bee-Den Iosis]

Spoiler: Rey Speculation

My assumption about Rey is that whenever Kylo turned, along with a few others(Knights of Ren) slaughtered the Jedi Order and Luke's wife. Luke escapes, maybe taking a limb or two from Kylo, drops his young daughter on a far away planet where she won't be harmed, and goes into exile.

So many things point to him being Rey's father it's hard not to believe. The xwing pilot doll, the pilot helmet, being called to the lightsaber, the fact that everytime someone says "what girl?" Or "who's the girl" it cuts abruptly. Also I believe Luke had R2 turn off until Luke came back, but whenever Rey comes to the base, R2 assumes it's Luke because she's a Skywalker and turns in.

 

[Silverface]

I hope Rey -isn't- a Skywalker, actually. I think it'd be more interesting if she wasn't related, and that instead the Skywalker lightsaber is just so soaked in "The Force" that it is able to choose it's weilder, ala Excalibur. That way Rey's character isn't tied to anything so predictable and can develop into something far cooler than something so easily explainable as "Oh, she's Luke's kid/grandkid/fourteenth cousin eighty six times removed"

 

[Kenico]

The inclusion of the Republic is by far the most glaring flaw in the film. It's mentioned only a few times, the relationship between it and the Resistance is never properly explained, and the destruction of the Hosnian system is given no context and no reason to invest in.

Luckily, The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary (which is fantastic) goes into a lot more detail. So I'll give the cliffnotes. The Republic became focused on peace after it signed the Galactic Concordance with the Empire, which marked the end of the Galactic Civil War. The treaty was signed around the time of the Battle of Jakku. The Empire was given predetermined borders that it could stay within, and its remnants disappeared into the Unknown Regions. The Republic wanted to bring harmony to the galaxy and convince disaffected systems that it was different from the Empire and from the Old Republic. One of the things it did was choose to rotate its capital by having people (maybe the Senate) vote on what the capital should be every so often. Hosnian Prime was the most recently elected capital world, so that's where the Senate and the chancellor were based.

The Republic also disarmed most of its fleet. Leia never agreed with that decision. She thought it was foolish of the Republic to assume that the Empire would never be a threat again. When the First Order revealed itself, Leia continued to warn about the Imperial threat. Not only did the Republic not listen to her, since they were content to let the First Order abide by the dictates of the Galactic Concordance, it labeled here a warmonger and slandered her reputation. They said she was still stuck in the Galactic Civil War, while the galaxy had moved on to more peaceful and prosperous times. Because the Republic refused to act, Leia formed the Resistance.

The Resistance was very weak, but it provided a basic check against the designs of the First Order. It had the begrudging approval of the Senate to operate. Leia had an envoy, Korr Sella, who would go between her and the Senate as a liaison. When it was clear that the First Order was becoming a clear and present danger by the start of the film, she sent Korr Sella to Hosnian Prime to convince the Republic to take direct military action. You can see her, and the chancellor, on Hosnian Prime in the scene that depicts its destruction. So once the First Order's threat was evident, it was too late for the Senate to act.

All of that is great info that I'm glad the book elaborated on. It should have been in the movie, though.

with all that in mind, does that mean that the Republic is destroyed or does it work as the next in line or so on take over? Or what?

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Yes, I got that. I just want to make sure that the movie people know he lost that saber. Did Maz find the one after "a long story" beginning in Cloud City? I wanna hear this story. How did she get THAT saber.

It was recovered from Cloud City, per the Visual Dictionary.

Do you really think that the co-writer of this film, who wrote Empire and Jedi, forgot that he himself wrote that Luke lost that lightsaber?

Keep hearing speculation that Snoke could be Plagueis. Anyone buying that?

My guess is he's more ancient than that.

I hope Rey -isn't- a Skywalker, actually. I think it'd be more interesting if she wasn't related, and that instead the Skywalker lightsaber is just so soaked in "The Force" that it is able to choose it's weilder, ala Excalibur. That way Rey's character isn't tied to anything so predictable and can develop into something far cooler than something so easily explainable as "Oh, she's Luke's kid/grandkid/fourteenth cousin eighty six times removed"

Kathleen Kennedy has said that the episodic films are the story of the Skywalker family, so odds are she's a Skywalker.

with all that in mind, does that mean that the Republic is destroyed or does it work as the next in line or so on take over? Or what?

Nothing has said it was destroyed so far, from what I've seen, so it'd be more like it's critically damaged. The member worlds can choose new representatives to recreate the Senate, though the already militarily weak Republic is even weaker militarily.

 

[Kenico]

So its more crippled than destroyed got it :D

 

[Brandon Rhea]

So its more crippled than destroyed got it :D

I think so, yeah.

 

[Kiro]

Someone go check the temperature in hell.

Temperature in Hell, at this day and time.

 

[Miz]

I'm going to be pissed if Rey turns out to be a Skywalker. I never liked the idea of supernatural power being hereditary. I think it would be infinity more interesting if Poe and Finn try to undergo Jedi training as well. Remember when anyone could be force-sensitive? I don't know why Rey is more worthy than Poe and Finn who has shown more heart than she has. We should go with the KoToR 2 theory that everyone around you had the potential to be either Jedi or Sith.