We recalled the fall of night (prequel trilogy), after considering some of the insights offered within the glimpses of the dark of night (Rogue One and Solo), the long dawn of a new hope (original trilogy), and now we come back to the desperate attempts of hope to rise again, amidst a mysterious new nightfall (sequel trilogy).
When Abrams first indicated his intention to make Episode IX a fitting conclusion to the entire saga, some of us were left nervously intrigued to see how he would connect it to the prequels. Would he bring back midi-chlorians to explain Rey's origin? Would Snoke turn out to be Darth Plagueis? Would he actually have the nerve to follow through somehow on the infamous Darth Jar-Jar theory? Interestingly enough, the basis of the Darth Plagueis theory was staring at the answer and not seeing it. The dialogue in Revenge of the Sith about Plagueis teaching his pupil the secret to cheating death was indeed foreshadowing (even if only retroactively), but in a much simpler and more obvious way, which ties the whole saga together much better. Sure, introducing the villain of the sequel trilogy in the last episode of the prequel trilogy would have made for an interesting connection, but it would not have made the nine episodes feel like a complete whole in the end. The idea that Palpatine was dark-prophesying his own eventual return from the dead does that far more effectively.
It was Palpatine orchestrating things all along... all over again. Admittedly, it might seem like such an easy solution to tie things together, in that it lends towards some explanations that were able to be left still quite vague. Nonetheless, it's kind of... perfect, however "easy" it might seem. Palpatine was always the main villain of the saga, who first entered the series (substantially anyway, with the exception of that one hologram scene) in the third episode of the original trilogy, after having been in the background, pulling the strings, while hidden from the audience - just like with this trilogy, only this time he was hidden from most of the characters as well. His role within this final trilogy emphasizes even more how deeply connected his scheming and maneuvering for power is with his fixation on corrupting and exploiting the powerful Skywalker family. But, why is this family so important? Why are they such a great threat to him? Because the most powerful weapon of all is found in the Skywalker family: Hope.
In hindsight, the sequel trilogy was about Palpatine, hidden behind the scenes, trying to destroy this hope once and for all and coming so close that he brought the whole galaxy to the brink of despair. But, this hope would rise again. That is part of what hope does and so it is what the Skywalkers do, as well. And the great irony is that Palpatine's own granddaughter would be the key to that rise, in more ways than one.
Running through all nine episodes was the notion of people looking to the Skywalker family for hope, and Palpatine attempting to kill that hope. It began with young Anakin. While many of the masters on the council were very cautious, there were also a number of Jedi who looked to Anakin for hope, believing he was the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. Even after his fall, the hope of his redemption was still alive, symbolized by the tears of conflict and pain on his face. Thus, his face was covered, so that others (including himself) would believe that the menacing evil on the outside was his true identity. The hope that Anakin seemed to hold was believed to be dead. Until a new hope rose in the form of the next generation of Skywalkers: Luke and Leia. So great was the hope this new generation of Skywalkers would bring that one of them, Luke, would see through the mask and be adamant that hope was still alive for their father. This new hope would reclaim their father just before his death and apparently restore the galaxy to a new era of relative peace.
Until the new scheming of Palpatine, who secretly has risen in the shadows, would begin to be put into affect, with the rise of the First Order, apparently so called in order to prepare for the Final Order (and admittedly, this is one of the parts that is harder to believe, that Palpatine remained in the shadows, while raising so vast of an army, even though he probably used clones). But, if this new scheme was to effectively destroy hope, it had to include a personal attack on the Skywalkers. Conveniently, the third generation is much like the previous generations: incredibly powerful - making him a quite useful pupil - but greatly conflicted and troubled. If he could be turned, it would be the greatest weapon against the hope in the hearts of Luke and Leia. And he too would stubbornly seek to use a mask to hide the hope found in the conflict on his face. Ben was not the sort who would likely have fallen for Palpatine appearing as himself to lure him to the dark side, especially after the resilience that his uncle showed. But, if he could believe that it is his own grandfather leading him down this path, he could be swayed. And the idea that it was some other dark master (whether Palpatine or simply Snoke) deceiving him in this regard is always the only explanation that I think would have worked for me. Why would Anakin, who was reclaimed in the end, be leading his grandson down a dark path? It had to be a grand deception. One remaining question I wish they would have answered is why and how the real Anakin is silenced. It is true that we don't know much about how the "Jedi afterlife" of being "one with the Force" is supposed to work. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem likely that if Luke, Obi-Wan, and Yoda can visit their pupils, that one as powerful as Anakin could not appear to his grandson to reveal the truth. There may be a good explanation, I just wish Abrams had chosen to include it in the movie somewhere. But, when the final piece of Palpatine's plan - his incredibly powerful granddaughter - entered the scene, she would actually become the final piece of the puzzle of the unraveling of his scheming. She would assist the Skywalkers in recovering their hope, as they assist and guide her in bringing the hope within her into its full glory.
The story of Rey has always been deeply intertwined with that of the Skywalkers, just as the story of her grandfather has always been. Some criticize the notion that she "becomes" a Skywalker, claiming that her story is about paving her own path and realizing that she doesn't need anyone to determine her identity. I'm sorry, but that claim completely misses the point. That kind of radical individualism fails to understand the glory of humanity, which is found in our capacity for relationship. And while there is real danger in looking to others to tell us who we are, the reality is that identity and belonging will always be deeply intertwined. Rey's story certainly is about realizing that her past and her family of origin do not determine her destiny. But, it is also about her quest for belonging. She doesn't truly belong to the Palpatine family, in the sense that her evil grandfather wants to think, but she does belong somewhere. When listening to the words of the villains, we should consider precisely how and why they are lies. Palpatine could not be more wrong when he says "the only family you have here is me." Likewise, Kylo Ren was quite wrong when he told her "you have no part in this... you're no one, but not to me." He attempted to lure her into finding her identity in him. But, it is more than the fact that she is a Palpatine that gives her a place in all of this. She has found the belonging that she was seeking in the Skywalker family. Part of that belonging includes that she would play a key role in helping Ben himself realize that he still belongs in that family as well. It's not too late.
And this notion of belonging is an incredibly important theme to this conclusion to the trilogy, which told the story of various characters seeking belonging. In this finale the contrast between the lie of despair and the reality of communion was very apparent. Indeed, as we hear first from Zorii Bliss and later from Poe Dameron, the enemy wins by making us think that we are alone. We are not alone. This was a beautiful theme to see coming across so strongly in a story that has always been about family and about the hope of redemption within that family and rising from that broken family into the rest of the galaxy. But especially striking was the contrast between that lie of despair which tells us that we are alone and the element of communion (presumably in the Force) among the Jedi even beyond this life, which was emphasized in this movie more than any other. When we first see Rey, she is in meditative state, calling out to the Jedi of every age: "Be with me." In this initial attempt, she gives up in frustration, deciding "they're not with me." But, this seems to be less a sense of genuine abandonment from the Jedi and more a sense of her frustration with her own apparent inability to commune with them. It seems more about insecurity than about any genuine lack of communion with them. This all foreshadows the moment she is nearly beaten, with most of the "life force" drained out of her and again calls out to them, "Be with me," only to be truly strengthened by them to rise again to her feet and face her foe. She is not alone or abandoned, and her evil grandfather is not the only family she has there. They are truly with her and able to assist her in her moment of need. As a Catholic priest, I was deeply enriched to see this glimpse of the reality of the communion of saints, whose days on earth have run their course, but are able to assist us and to truly be with us, by our communion in the Body of Christ, which reaches from Heaven to earth.
Until the new scheming of Palpatine, who secretly has risen in the shadows, would begin to be put into affect, with the rise of the First Order, apparently so called in order to prepare for the Final Order (and admittedly, this is one of the parts that is harder to believe, that Palpatine remained in the shadows, while raising so vast of an army, even though he probably used clones). But, if this new scheme was to effectively destroy hope, it had to include a personal attack on the Skywalkers. Conveniently, the third generation is much like the previous generations: incredibly powerful - making him a quite useful pupil - but greatly conflicted and troubled. If he could be turned, it would be the greatest weapon against the hope in the hearts of Luke and Leia. And he too would stubbornly seek to use a mask to hide the hope found in the conflict on his face. Ben was not the sort who would likely have fallen for Palpatine appearing as himself to lure him to the dark side, especially after the resilience that his uncle showed. But, if he could believe that it is his own grandfather leading him down this path, he could be swayed. And the idea that it was some other dark master (whether Palpatine or simply Snoke) deceiving him in this regard is always the only explanation that I think would have worked for me. Why would Anakin, who was reclaimed in the end, be leading his grandson down a dark path? It had to be a grand deception. One remaining question I wish they would have answered is why and how the real Anakin is silenced. It is true that we don't know much about how the "Jedi afterlife" of being "one with the Force" is supposed to work. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem likely that if Luke, Obi-Wan, and Yoda can visit their pupils, that one as powerful as Anakin could not appear to his grandson to reveal the truth. There may be a good explanation, I just wish Abrams had chosen to include it in the movie somewhere. But, when the final piece of Palpatine's plan - his incredibly powerful granddaughter - entered the scene, she would actually become the final piece of the puzzle of the unraveling of his scheming. She would assist the Skywalkers in recovering their hope, as they assist and guide her in bringing the hope within her into its full glory.
The story of Rey has always been deeply intertwined with that of the Skywalkers, just as the story of her grandfather has always been. Some criticize the notion that she "becomes" a Skywalker, claiming that her story is about paving her own path and realizing that she doesn't need anyone to determine her identity. I'm sorry, but that claim completely misses the point. That kind of radical individualism fails to understand the glory of humanity, which is found in our capacity for relationship. And while there is real danger in looking to others to tell us who we are, the reality is that identity and belonging will always be deeply intertwined. Rey's story certainly is about realizing that her past and her family of origin do not determine her destiny. But, it is also about her quest for belonging. She doesn't truly belong to the Palpatine family, in the sense that her evil grandfather wants to think, but she does belong somewhere. When listening to the words of the villains, we should consider precisely how and why they are lies. Palpatine could not be more wrong when he says "the only family you have here is me." Likewise, Kylo Ren was quite wrong when he told her "you have no part in this... you're no one, but not to me." He attempted to lure her into finding her identity in him. But, it is more than the fact that she is a Palpatine that gives her a place in all of this. She has found the belonging that she was seeking in the Skywalker family. Part of that belonging includes that she would play a key role in helping Ben himself realize that he still belongs in that family as well. It's not too late.
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| Come on. I know I'm not the only one who thought of that song... :) |
And this notion of belonging is an incredibly important theme to this conclusion to the trilogy, which told the story of various characters seeking belonging. In this finale the contrast between the lie of despair and the reality of communion was very apparent. Indeed, as we hear first from Zorii Bliss and later from Poe Dameron, the enemy wins by making us think that we are alone. We are not alone. This was a beautiful theme to see coming across so strongly in a story that has always been about family and about the hope of redemption within that family and rising from that broken family into the rest of the galaxy. But especially striking was the contrast between that lie of despair which tells us that we are alone and the element of communion (presumably in the Force) among the Jedi even beyond this life, which was emphasized in this movie more than any other. When we first see Rey, she is in meditative state, calling out to the Jedi of every age: "Be with me." In this initial attempt, she gives up in frustration, deciding "they're not with me." But, this seems to be less a sense of genuine abandonment from the Jedi and more a sense of her frustration with her own apparent inability to commune with them. It seems more about insecurity than about any genuine lack of communion with them. This all foreshadows the moment she is nearly beaten, with most of the "life force" drained out of her and again calls out to them, "Be with me," only to be truly strengthened by them to rise again to her feet and face her foe. She is not alone or abandoned, and her evil grandfather is not the only family she has there. They are truly with her and able to assist her in her moment of need. As a Catholic priest, I was deeply enriched to see this glimpse of the reality of the communion of saints, whose days on earth have run their course, but are able to assist us and to truly be with us, by our communion in the Body of Christ, which reaches from Heaven to earth.
Also interesting is the contrast between the notion of her communion with those who have gone before and the very different sense in which her grandfather means that he is "All the Sith." The Sith have always sought dominance, with masters and apprentices seeking to overthrow and supplant one another. Palpatine is seeking to tempt his granddaughter to take his own life, but only so that he can take from her, by allowing his spirit to pass into her. Palpatine claims the power and perhaps even the souls or the "life force" of the Sith who have gone before by being the dominant one who has taken them unto himself. By contrast, Rey has chosen the selfless path of the Jedi and so has found genuine communion with the Jedi who have gone before, who have given themselves to her, by coming to her aide and entering into this communion with her. This is where authentic communion comes from: making of one's life a gift given to others.
Furthermore, this emphasis on communion & belonging also helps to redeem the very weak and problematic immature portrayal of rebellion in The Last Jedi. The emphasis of the strength of this new rebellion is now being placed on the fact that they find hope in one another, not simply in their rejection of the authority they are fighting. In a final attempt to state the case, I want to again assert that rebellion can be an instrument of hope in the right consequence, but it is not the source of hope. It is not to be celebrated or promoted unconditionally. If it is always to be promoted, implying that the rebels will always be the good guys and the authority will always be the bad guys, then it is not a tool of hope, but of despair. Why? Because if this is truly the case, then there can be no hope of having an authority ruling that is not corrupt and in need of being overthrown. The vision that this notion implies is that there is no hope of justice, peace and harmony, but rather that the perpetual struggle between corrupt authorities and righteous rebels is an inescapable destiny (more on this here). Rather, the emphasis is now being placed on the fact there are many others who are willing to fight for goodness, justice, and right. This is a far more hopeful message, rather than simply celebrating rebellion in its own right.
This takes us to the final matter of whether it is right for Rey to claim to be a Skywalker in the end. I offer the opinion that it most certainly is. I must admit that I did not immediately come to this conclusion, but left the theater thinking this was still one of the weaker aspects of the movie. The more I thought about it and discussed it with friends, I began to quickly and quite decidedly change my mind. One can belong to a family by adoption. As I've said, Rey's story has always been about finding belonging, not simply her origin, but where she belongs. To what family does she belong? She found that in Luke, Leia, and Han and also somewhat in Ben. Furthermore, the idea that one's blood matters, but it does not determine their destiny has always been an important theme. Although he was much like his father, Luke was capable of not only his own redemption, but also his father's. Rey's path wasn't to pursue the redemption of her grandfather, like Luke's (that would have been a far cry, to say the least). But, the idea that she could help redeem the Skywalker line, while the Skywalkers help her redeem even the line of Palpatine (even if not him personally) - that's pretty intriguing. One of the main concerns I did have with her taking the name Skywalker at the end is that it could seem disrespectful to her parents, who seem to have been honorable, admirable and heroic people, who certainly began the process of redeeming the Palpatine line. But, in another sense, it seems to honor their sacrifice. Did they not "become no one" in hopes that she would have a better life, a life not plagued by the legacy of her grandfather? I think it really is quite fitting. The blood of the Skywalker line is gone (as far as we know), but not only is their legacy alive, their family is alive. Star Wars has always been largely about family and belonging and this movie was especially so. The lie of despair was uttered by her grandfather, who claims to be the only family she has. But, she has found a genuine sense of belonging in the Skywalker family. And in her, the Skywalker name, a name that has been almost synonymous with hope, rises again.
Furthermore, this emphasis on communion & belonging also helps to redeem the very weak and problematic immature portrayal of rebellion in The Last Jedi. The emphasis of the strength of this new rebellion is now being placed on the fact that they find hope in one another, not simply in their rejection of the authority they are fighting. In a final attempt to state the case, I want to again assert that rebellion can be an instrument of hope in the right consequence, but it is not the source of hope. It is not to be celebrated or promoted unconditionally. If it is always to be promoted, implying that the rebels will always be the good guys and the authority will always be the bad guys, then it is not a tool of hope, but of despair. Why? Because if this is truly the case, then there can be no hope of having an authority ruling that is not corrupt and in need of being overthrown. The vision that this notion implies is that there is no hope of justice, peace and harmony, but rather that the perpetual struggle between corrupt authorities and righteous rebels is an inescapable destiny (more on this here). Rather, the emphasis is now being placed on the fact there are many others who are willing to fight for goodness, justice, and right. This is a far more hopeful message, rather than simply celebrating rebellion in its own right.
This takes us to the final matter of whether it is right for Rey to claim to be a Skywalker in the end. I offer the opinion that it most certainly is. I must admit that I did not immediately come to this conclusion, but left the theater thinking this was still one of the weaker aspects of the movie. The more I thought about it and discussed it with friends, I began to quickly and quite decidedly change my mind. One can belong to a family by adoption. As I've said, Rey's story has always been about finding belonging, not simply her origin, but where she belongs. To what family does she belong? She found that in Luke, Leia, and Han and also somewhat in Ben. Furthermore, the idea that one's blood matters, but it does not determine their destiny has always been an important theme. Although he was much like his father, Luke was capable of not only his own redemption, but also his father's. Rey's path wasn't to pursue the redemption of her grandfather, like Luke's (that would have been a far cry, to say the least). But, the idea that she could help redeem the Skywalker line, while the Skywalkers help her redeem even the line of Palpatine (even if not him personally) - that's pretty intriguing. One of the main concerns I did have with her taking the name Skywalker at the end is that it could seem disrespectful to her parents, who seem to have been honorable, admirable and heroic people, who certainly began the process of redeeming the Palpatine line. But, in another sense, it seems to honor their sacrifice. Did they not "become no one" in hopes that she would have a better life, a life not plagued by the legacy of her grandfather? I think it really is quite fitting. The blood of the Skywalker line is gone (as far as we know), but not only is their legacy alive, their family is alive. Star Wars has always been largely about family and belonging and this movie was especially so. The lie of despair was uttered by her grandfather, who claims to be the only family she has. But, she has found a genuine sense of belonging in the Skywalker family. And in her, the Skywalker name, a name that has been almost synonymous with hope, rises again.
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And with that, I sign off (more on that here). Thank you to anyone who has ever given this blog a bit of your time and mental energy. I hope that it has helped you in any way, not only to better appreciate a story or song that you enjoy, but to recognize more clearly the Truth, Goodness and Beauty that is attempting to speak, however imperfectly, through any genuine human expression. May the errors that we find in pop culture be seen through, in order to recognize that our God is present everywhere, trying to get our attention. May glory be to Him in Jesus Christ, His Son now and forever, for we find salvation from the lies that surround us in Him alone. God bless you.
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