ST Poe Dameron & Rey and their dynamic moving forward in IX

Why is there such a large delay between the release of the novel & movie this time?

 

I think it was to prevent leaks.

 

But does it really matter? I mean, sure it does to have a better take on RJ's real
reasoning about some things...
But that said, I think it's a given at this point that in the next movie they can choose to
put aside and/or erase whatever the novel will underline-add etc... if it doesnt' fit
their ideas....

 

It matters to the impatient. (I'm not a Rey/Poe shipper.)

 

I see it But I still think it doesn't matters.
So, shippers or not... calm down.
Many things - not only even tho mainly - the Poe-Rey meeting eresed from the TFA novel by ep. VIII.
It may give you some hints about the director's view... but still it will be JJ's read of TLJ, what's going to matter...

 

I don't read novelizations much so this isn't so much about that, but I disagree that JJ's read of Rian's movie matters more than Rian's intention & views for TLJ. Whatever JJ does, it doesn't make TLJ disappear even if the story goes in different directions we don't even know of yet. JJ's read of 9 will be where his read counts.

 

It only matters in the exposition of scenes, and the depth intentions of characters; and regardless what anyone thinks in this thread or any other, moving forward JJ Abrams interpretation and exposition is all that matters.

No one in this thread is impatient.

 

Won't his read then retroactively change the reads of the previous movies to fit his, then?

 

That's assuming he's changing what happened in TLJ. It's so hypothetical. Even if his story goes in totally unexpected directions which would be weird for a last episode, it doesn't undo what happened in TLJ or how the characters perceived stuff during TLJ -- which is Rian' s movie. I'm not sure what we're talking about here. Are we talking about things like Rey's parentage? For now, Rey's parents are drunks who abandoned her. Could that change? I guess, but there's no reason to think it will until it does.

My point was that whatever JJ does next, it doesn't change what Rian intended for the characters and how they acted & perceived things in TLJ.

 

I think it does. After all, the stuff that TFA laid down now leads into TLJ; we don't see it in a vacuum anymore than we watch ANH under the viewpoint that Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker are different people.

 

But that is not what happened between 7 and 8. So much so, many
things changed or were ignored.
That's the point.

That doesn't mean he's going to change the set up.
But that he can read and use the set up as it pleases him.

 

I love this.

 

Poe + Rey

Finn + Rose

 

There is a faux propaganda poster of Poe in the Star Wars Propaganda book. According to the book, the poster ended up on the holonet and increased recruitment numbers for the resistance.



I like @Ben-Solo and @Darkspellmaster 's ideas for Rey and Poe interactions. They have had so many common interests and experiences whether it is losing family at a young age, a love of BB-8, an interest in flying, speeders and fixing things and even being tortured by Kylo. Under the circumstances, I can see a lot of empathy developing between them.

In episode 9, it would be amazing if the resistance hid on some backward but forested moon like Endor since Star Wars Absolutely Everything You Need to Know Updated Edition mentions that Rey speaks Ewokese (which foreshadows her talking to Ewoks in the future). Rey could explore the place with Poe on a mission, mention how there is so much greenery on the moon and Poe could tell her how they Yavin IV moon is also green and beautiful...maybe he could promise to take her there once peace was restored, show her the Yavin jungles, the massassi temple ruins, the force tree etc. Since Poe grew up on stories of the force and believes in it (I still think he is force sensitive), I can even see her discussing stuff she finds Luke's books with him to get another perspective.

Endor could lead to discussions about Ben Solo, Vader's helmet, Death Star 2 and how Poe's parents celebrated the rebels victory with Luke, Leia, Han and Lando in Bright tree village. Maybe an older Wicket could tell them more about the Serprent Puzzle Tree that Leia meditated on while pregnant and which gave her the force visions.


While I know this can only be explore in books, I really would love for Rey to meet Kes Dameron since family means so much to both Rey and Poe.

On a separate note, I just noticed that both Rey and Poe have a similar looking faint scar on their right cheek...the parallels continue.





In case they have a romance, Poe and Rey could fly somewhere to watch a meteor shower up close (like he did when he was younger)...it would also be a great location to give her a ring since flying means so much to both of them.

I would also love for Rey, Poe, Finn and Rose to share scenes and not just one on one interactions, maybe working on strategies to defeat the first order, sparring or just repairing ships together (maybe they can ship specs with Rose). I'm also not a fan of love triangles though I won't mind them giving one another relationship advice or trying to help, like Poe trying to help Snap and Kare patch up when they had a fight.

@Darkspellmaster .... I completely agree about the gulf between book Holdo and movie Holdo, as well as the Poe-Holdo arc being a version of 12 o'clock High.

Holdo in the Leia novel is nothing like Frank Savage. I still remember Holdo in the Leia novel giving Leia lessons in diplomacy when handling people and her intuitive understanding of people's motivations, and yet in the movie she was dismissive of Poe and expected everyone in the resistance to follow her blindly on a death run without even telling them there was a plan (she didn't even need to tell them the plan details), which led to people trying to desert the resistance and finally the mutiny. This contrast was very jarring for me.

Movie Holdo is a lot more like Evaan Verlaine, an Alderaanian with a military background, extremely loyal to Leia but could be brusque at times. She was even the right age and resembles Laura Dern.



I wonder if Holdo was originally meant to be Evaan but Rian Johnson decided to create a new character since many fans were speculating about Laura Dern playing Evaan when the casting was announcedand he wanted to subvert expectations. The sad thing is that Evaan being stern with Poe could have been easily explained by her military background, her having been in Poe's shoes as a rebel pilot (and hence knowing what she was talking about) and her fear of losing the resistance as she lost her home planet Alderaan....it would have made a lot more sense than having space Luna Lovegood turn mean as she grew older.

If they were going with Holdo, I would have also preferred a scenario where an FO spy/infiltrator attempts to assassinate Leia and she is incapacitated but manages to save herself through some subtle use of the force instead of that insane Leia Poppins scene. Then Holdo and Poe could both be separately trying to find the person (and maybe Poe suspects Holdo at one time giving the audience tension) but finally learning to work together. A focus on Holdo's knowledge of statecraft and politics would have made more sense than trying to shoe horn her into a military scenario. I would have also liked Ackbar being the one flying the ship into the Supremacy, giving him the heroic send off and Holdo surviving and continuing like a Mon Mothma figure in episode 9 (something I feel Connix will now take up).

I love the parallels to characters in Fullmetal Alchemist...I can also see some elements of Beserk as well, especially since there is so much focus on Kylo/Ben Solo in this trilogy and that anime/manga focuses on an anti-hero character and mentions places like Skellig and a Millennium Falcon arc. I like to think Beserk is a kind of NSFW version of the ST as it also shows that things are not a clear black and white, and characters aren't always what they seem.

Here Kylo/Ben would be the lead character Guts, the sword carrying angry man who is betrayed by those he cared for and seems dark and evil (including a patricide for killing the man he considered his father). He is in constant conflict with his inner darkness that takes the form of the Beast of Darkness (Vader's Helmet?) and he struggles to retain his humanity. (I'm pro-Ben Solo's redemption ) As the story evolves and it turns out he wants to protect the girl he loves (a fellow warrior who is driven insane). In Kylo's case, I can see this either being some female knight of ren/Luke's student (going by the seduction concept art in the Art of the Force Awakens book) or maybe he wants to keep Leia safe.

Guts later forms a group comprising of some of the other protagonists. I would love to see Ben turn to the light and team up with Rey, Finn, Poe and Rose.



Guts previously belonged to a group named the Band of the Falcon. Maybe the KOR is something similar.



Then there is Griffith, a once handsome man, former leader of the Band of the Falcon and Gut's former friend who becomes disfigured and then gains demonic powers through a dark ritual where he killed most of his band members, taking on a new name Femto (again, Snoke might have done something similar since he was supposed to have been handsome once).



Snoke also has elements of another antagonist named Mozgus who rescued social outcasts and gave them purpose, gaining their loyalty and obedience. one could argue that the imperial remnants were in such a state before they were re-formed into the First Order, ruled by Snoke (protected by the praetorian guard).



Rey reminds me of Farnese de Vandimion, a girl with a bad childhood and anger issues who has magical abilities. She initially dislikes guts (even fights him), then develops an attraction/crush on him but a romance doesn't develop. She later joins his group (a lot of fans ship Farnese and Guts).



Of course, people who see Rey and Poe in a romantic light would like another aspect of Beserk as Farnese later gets engaged (and likes) another character named Roderick, a charming naval officer with excellent fighting and seafaring abilities who later joins Gut's group and even saves Gut's life.



He is fascinated by Farnese and equates her to a Goddess. This panel from the manga where Farnese displays her powers, saving Roderick's life and he is staring in awe reminds me of the rock levitating scene in TLJ.



Finn is a mix of two characters- Serpico and Isidro. Serpico is Farnese's half brother who is loyal and extremely protective of Farnese (again a lot of people ship them as a pair). He tries his best to avoid fights and shows compassion for his enemies though he is a skilled swordsman (Finn is also excellent with Melee weapons). He initially dislikes and threatens Guts to protect Farnese but later joins Gut's group. Isidro is another member of Gut's group who ran away from home. He constantly bickers with another character named Schierke and they might be attracted to one another.



Rose is a little like Schierke, a trainee witch who is quiet and serious, and is also saddened by the loss of teacher (sister in Rose's case).

I wonder if Rey and Poe would be able to address their unresolved emotions about their past and losing loved ones through their interactions. Both are characters who wear masks because they need to be strong for themselves and for others.

Rey has to maintain a strong facade and not get close to people on Jakku so that other scavengers wouldn't take advantage of her. Poe had to see his mother die as a young child, and then lost close friends and a surrogate uncle in quick succession with little time to grieve as he hopped from one mission to the next or had to stay strong for his team (as he is the one comforting and reassuring his squad members in the comics). Again he had to be the cheerful and strong one in his group as he was the leader. In addition to this, Poe still has not addressed the anger issues he probably has after Kylo tortured him (Rey has to some extent but she is definitely still upset with Ben). Since both Rey and Poe have had similar experiences and will be part of the resistance leadership together, they might be able to relax and be vulnerable around the other with no fear of being seen as weak.

 

As to the first thing as to the similarites between Rey and Poe I found a youtube video which chronicles just that; from their interactions with fimilar characters to visual aspects used throughout this trilogy thus far.

That's interesting that she speaks Ewok;

I am actually leaning towards him being force-sensitive as well because of everything that has been established through canon in regards to Poe as a child and him growing up near, and then having to nurse the last (now) remaining force tree back to health (on Yavin) because of his podracer/piloting exhaust damaging it. And if what we learned is any indication (that everyone has the force others just are not as atone to it) he may have the ability without knowing for sure using his natural piloting skills and a little bit of the force could make him the formible pilot he has become.

 

@panki, I think you hit a nail on the head with the idea of Berserk. Fun fact, I think that Rian has stated before that he tends to like Berserk like stories, and a lot of the similarities that you pointed out could have come from that sort of influence on him. What's interesting to me in this case is the idea of the KOR being used as a connection to Ben, Rey and Poe, if you think about it. Poe and Ben seem to both have a band of brothers in arms. For Ben it's the KOR which we know were former Jedi students that left with him. (Making me wonder if he was planning to leave earlier and the thing with Luke may have been a set up.) And for Poe it's Black Squadron. What's also interesting is that Poe has suffered losses in his ranks, while we know nothing about Ben's but I do think that it's significant. Poe's first loss was his friend before he was part of Leia's resistance, and later he lost his Uncle figure, who was also involved in events before TFA. We then get Finn becoming a best friend and someone that could be seen as a replacement in some ways to the first wing mate that Poe lost to the FO. What makes it more interesting, and I think foreshadowing something, is that Finn is a former FO Storm Trooper. The FO has taken away something important to him and then gives that back in the form of Finn. As for Rey, well if you see L'ulo as family to Poe, then Rey could be taking that place as family for him. Someone that he can connect to on a different level then his other Black Squadron mates.

The reason I mention the Ben thing with the KOR and Poe's Black Squadron both seem to symbolize, as the Band of the Hawk did for Guts, a deeper connection for him emotionally. For Poe these are the people he trusts his life with, and given his view with Finn we known that he's a part of that now. That leaves Rey and his being in awe of her. This comes back to Guts in some way being in Awe of both Griffith and Cassca and who they were and how they lived their lives and their skills. It think that if Rey were to become a member of the Squadron it would add to the connections between her and Poe in that she's part of his family now, just as Finn is.

Also I like how the tumblr user "You deserve the whole box of chocolate's" points out in her commentary that Poe, when he meets Rey, he's dressed like her doll was. This is important I think. When she met Finn he was wearing resistance clothing but didn't resemble at all what she saw as a rebel pilot, someone she looks up to as we see in TFA with her donning the helmet. With Ben he's all in black and the opposite of that color that she associates with hope. So when it comes to Poe showing up the first time, he was in his pilot suit and saw her off in such. His outfit in the end when he sees her again, is very much like what Han wore in Empire before being frozen, so that's interesting there. She sees him as that rebel pilot as per TFA, so she has a sense of trust in him right off the bat. He's also the poster boy of the resistance, the one that everyone knows, and he's in awe of her, that has to in some way, mean something to her on an emotional level. Finn is her best friend, but Poe, Poe is someone significant and he knows who she is and is inspired by her. That, right there, I think is a great start to any relationship because they are now on equal footing. Both have been inspired by one another, and both are equal in the idea of knowing who the other is in various fashion.

Great video and I never noticed how much they mirror each other in TFA and, while less so in TLJ, it's still strongly there. Even the way they knelt down and the shot that they got up. It's almost identical, which has me going 'Interesting' since later they did that a bit with Han and leia to show that even apart they were thinking on the same wave length.

Talking Ewok is actually a big thing. Ewok's don't normally travel all that much, and we know she learned from the terminal inside her home, so they have to want to use that in some way. \

Something else interesting about Poe. So in the recent story line and the recent chapter in the Comics, he was given the option to fly a ship that he had not before, and he managed to do it. The same way Rey can fly anything, so can he, which is not a skill you so easily pick up. Also the way things were playing out it seemed like he could feel and sense things, more then just using visual sight. I know that they're coming to an end with this part of his story, but it seems really interesting that they're focused on showing his connection to BB8 and the unnatural way he can fly any ship. So, while I don't see him becoming a Jedi (I'm thinking that's going to be Finn's thing with Rey in the end, you don't put a saber in someone's hands unless there's something there) I do think that he does have some force sensitivity, and I think that's partly why he was able to hold up under Ben's attacks on him in his mind and him not reacting the way Ben wanted him to in the chair.

 

One thing I loved about Rey's development in TFA was how much of a survivalist she became growing up learning all these dilects, languages, and fending for herself; her ability to adapt and impervise. She like Poe seems to have a knack for finding ways to develop plans which assist them in a mission because of both thier intellect and ability to learn quickly. You mention force-sensitivity in your reply and this may be the case which allows both the confidence to succeed, giving them that extra edge in battle; in Poe Dameron's case in the cockpit and assisted by BB-8;

If they were to reveal Poe was force-sensitive I wouldn't find it a surprise due to everything we already know about the force tree and his nursing it back to health, and it would explain is exception ability to fly anything, although Han Solo was also an exception pilot without fprce-sensitivity. But if it is it another connection between the two. Your last point about his ability to resist Kylo is interesting to consider.

 

I did love the tiny interaction between Poe & Rey in the films. The novelization adds to this theory.
I am interested in what JJ does with them since Rian developed Rose & Finn which was a hit with fans.

 

Irregardless of what it looks like, they did seem to have a good onscreen presence.

We'll have to see, although I've gotten the impression online that the latter was kinda panned a bit (unfairly, I think, and the web is full of echo chambers, but still).

 

Hum.. as you know I don't value that much the comics, the novels etc...
I mean after TLj my take is that a movie can re-write everything.
So I won't pay too much attention to the rest of the info from the comic you digged into.

That said...
I'm alone on this boat, I know.
But I've always found absolutely weird that Poe is called Black Leader.
That is X-Wing is black... and that he wears a black helmet (and he's the only one
among the black squadron itself doing that).

That because black is a color that in SW is associated to the Empire and the Dark Side.

So much so, in Legends, Vader is called the Black Leader when he commands his squadron.

Sure it may just be that all the cool colors were all already used.
And JJ and Kasdan came up with this just because black is cool.
But why not gold, silver?
However, black is cool and it's absolutely possible and fine that they choose black because of this.

But to me, if we put together this to all the parellels between him and Rey in TFA
then I believe it's another hint that the "yin-yang" dynamic was used in that movie
at least with them too.

Like I said, it's not that the yin and the yang are moral chartegories.
It's not that one is good, the other is evil.
So that narrative fits only to some degrees the light side/dark side dycothomy.

While it fits perfectly the idea of a "synergy" male/female principles.
And again it's not that it has to hint to a romance.
but just to the cooperation between between republic (politics)/jedi (religion)
or a military order (the rebellion) and a mystical knightwood (the jedi).

Coming to TLJ, beside what we've said before, how Kylo and Poe arcs mirror one anther, I think that
there's something else that maybe it's very close to your idea about the brothers in arms.

Luke says that he took Ben and a dozen of other students. 1 + 12 = 13.
On Crait someone says that the speeders that Poe is leading are.... 13.
Again, it could be nothing... but again I find "weird" that these info are so clearly specified.
Why?

In addition, if the KOR are Kylo plus the surving students, Kylo and other 6 = 7 survived, 6 died.
At the end of the Battle of Crait, 6 people surivived (Poe, Rose, Finn, a male a man and an alien), 7 died.
Mirror.

However... not that I'm sure, but I won't be surprised if we're going to get another "reveal" in IX.
What reveal, I cannot tell...
But I think there could be another mistery box hidden in plain sight.

 

Finn wasn't a hit with fans many looked at rose character as a detour for finn's arc

 

@mlsw ... you do have a point regarding how the movies, especially TLJ, has disregarded other canon materials....but I hope the recent backlash for this worried them and they try to keep canon uniform....at least for episode 9. *fingers crossed*

I think Poe's Black Squadron could have been inspired by two things- one being Vader's legends title of Black Leader (as you already mentioned) but also the Blackstar Squad from legends. Their uniforms were dark grey and orange, and their helmets had black visors. Despite their dark uniforms, this squad was a group of elite commandos working for the Republic (Old Republic) and sent on particularly difficult missions. Maybe Poe's Black Squadron was inspired by this special forces unit from legends rather than their having a dark side leaning.

But you raised a really interesting point about the potential parallels between the KOR and black squadron. @Darkspellmaster had observed how Ben and Poe both have a band of brothers type of group behind them. I also feel that Kylo and his group intended to leave Luke's order with his group even before the flashback scene as Luke mentions that Snoke had already turned Ben's mind before he raised the lightsaber. But Luke's action could have sped things up.

Now about potential reveals, the temple burning and massacre of Luke's students reminds me of the chapters in Berserk where Griffith bleeds on his Beherlit stone (akin to bleeding a lightsaber) to become Femto and fulfill his destiny of ruling a kingdom, while sacrificing his old group's lives for his Incarnation Ceremony during an eclipse and later creating a new group. Similarly, we have Guts losing his group during the same sacrifice and forming a completely new group afterwards.

To draw a parallel, Ben Solo takes up the name Kylo Ren at some point of time, has an unstable red lightsaber and a good portion of Luke's students were massacred while the rest followed Kylo. It is interesting to note that in early concept art and scripts, Poe was supposed to be Luke's student who survived the massacre (According to the Art of TFA) and was later joined by Kira and Sam. So the early drafts had a lot more parallels to Berserk.

But in the final iteration of the story, Poe had a separate group i.e Black Squadron whose members have died, were scattered during evacuation or on other missions, while Poe is currently with Rey, Finn and Rose. Now if Snap, Kare and Jess reunite with the group, they will once again have 7 members, just like the number of KOR. This makes me wonder whether the KOR have been sent on other missions and will return to help Kylo since the FO suffered heavy losses when the Supremacy and its accompanying ships were blown up.

If a new version of the Black Squadron is created, I can see Rey and Poe getting close as they both looked really happy when they finally met. Also, each of them is someone the other grew up admiring and hearing stories about, whether the jedi in Poe's case (hence his awe when he watches her lift rocks) or the rebel/resistance pilots in Rey's case (as can be seen from her pilot doll or her excitement when Finn tells her he is from the resistance in TFA).

Rey's speaking Ewokese makes me think we are seeing Endor again, whether the resistance hides there or they investigate the story behind Vader's burned helmet. On the topic of Endor, I recall Kes Dameron and Shara Bey spent a romantic night in Bright Tree village after the battle of Endor....I wonder if their son plans to follow their footsteps?



I also felt that the latest Poe Dameron comic tried to draw deliberate visual parallels between Anakin and Poe, especially when Poe uses a yellow starfighter, similar to the yellow light Interceptor used by Anakin during the Clone Wars.





And then there is the insane upside down flying and his attachment to BB-8, again a parallel to Anakin (and even Luke's) closeness to R2D2.



This just reinforces the fact that Poe is someone Rey can talk to about the force, as he definitely has a connection to it.

Speaking of force sensitivity, @Darkspellmaster and @Ben-Solo talked about Poe holding up to torture....its interesting that Poe withstood every method of torture used by the FO according to Poe's Log...and these included but was not limited to electric shocks, lacerations and injections to reduce pain threshold for hours and at one point the interrogation droid recorded that he almost died. Kylo was brought in to get into Poe's head after all conventional torture failed, and he still resisted for some more time. I think that he could have held up against Kylo a lot longer if he wasn't weakened by those hours of torture, and I also see it as another indication that Poe is a force sensitive, again making him someone Rey has a lot in common with.

There is another thing- In the OT and PT, we have Luke and Leia- the children of Anakin Skywalker, with one being taken away by Obi-wan and the other by Bail Organa. In the ST and Shattered Empire, we have two force tree saplings from the same Coruscant jedi temple tree- with one being taken away by Luke and the other by Shara Bey. I wonder if the twin parallels are deliberate.

 

Great points; all which support the idea that he could possibly be force-sensitive, and with his expert flight skills someone whom Rey can continue to bond with through novels and IX as an example. The idea that he uis fprce sensitive isn't just a guess I also draw from the words of Master Yoda and Master Skywalker. Because the force is within all living things we all have it (in regards to Poe Dameron etc.) as to his actual sensitivity that may be a direct result of the Force Tree he grew up around.

Because the fragments themselves are from the "Great Tree" Poe's force-sensitivity and natural ability to pilot (thanks to his mother) could allow him to be more attune to his surrounding keeping out of harm in the air; it also could be the reason he was able to withstand Kylo Ren's interrogation of him in The Force Awakens;

If they are going to explore this aspect I'd expect it to begin in earnest in the upcoming months in the Poe Dameron comic; and now that it seems the story arc will be changing I would if we get a few Rey, Finn, Rose, Poe adventures or even just Rey and Poe.

 

I don't know if this has been mentioned here it probably has; but here goes anyway:

I think there is a strong possibility of a Rey/Poe relationship going forward. I don't have much evidence for it other that the following:

Somewhere (maybe the VD) does it not mention that Poe has his mother's ring and that "he is saving it for a special someone"? I believe that is the words used or something to that effect. Poe already knows who Rey is when they meet at the end of TLJ. When she does introduce herself to him saying, "I am Rey". Poe, answers with something of a SW trope with "I know". It makes me think of Han and Leia "I Know" scene. Also, when they do "meet" at the end of TLJ, everyone else there is in the dark and the light seems to shine upon them alone highlighting them. Additionally, keeping in mind that every line and scene in a film is there for a reason, that introduction is meant to convey something. Sure it may be just that the new leader of the Rebellion and the new leader of the Jedi are meeting because they have common interests. But, I think there is more in light of the ring thing. Lastly, Leia has made Poe the leader of the Rebellion now; Luke has made Rey his heir apparent and the Last Jedi at the end of TLJ. It just seems logical that there is something more to their relationship. It might be just a working relationship. But it just felt like a possible set up of romance to me considering the mention of the ring in the VD or wherever it was mentioned.

ETA: If this has been mentioned here before or there are others who feel that there is a potential Rey/Poe romance, please let me know. I would like to hear other's thoughts on this. If eveyone thinks I am crazy, I would like to hear that too. I do know that on certain other sites, if one mentions anything other that ReyLo, one is ridiculed and lambasted.

 

@Dory Vader

It has been mentioned numerous times, and it's not just the romantic aspect which if it occurs can be fasinating but also the possiblity of the relationship developing because of numerous other reasons; most of us believe that the bond they started to create in VIII will continue in one form or another moing forward.

You're right it's the Visual Dictionary (page 18) to be exact on the left in the middle . He does wear the ring around the necklace which is visible throughout the film; some of us think that because of it and the signifigance of the qoute you refer to that it is a possibilty that he's is waiting for misses' right; which may be Rey. Regardless it adds an extra little bit to the depth of the character showing his connection to his mother Shara Bey (who also has a strong connection to Leia Organa flying missions with her in "Shattered Empire" and Leia even saving Shara's life once during the battle over Naboo.

Poe's connection to Leia is even deeper (leaves Republic fleet, joins Resistance; considers her his mentor, mother was given fragments of a force tree by Luke, so his involvement and importance is not understated. I think it can be assumed he loved Leia as a mother, and we will see that affect him in IX as it will everyone. Leia was grooming him to be the leader of the Resistance and we see him assume that roll in the bunker on Crait.

Then there is this quote which establishes the character arcs of our heroes in IX:

The Rebellion is reborn (panned to Poe Dameron)
The War is just beginning (panned to Finn)
I will not be the Last Jedi (panned to Rey)

It did this to tell us I believe that the roles they will assume are there and in Poe Dameron's case means he is now the defacto leader of the Resistance.

I completely agree and understand; I just want Rey to rebuild healthy relationships and doing so with Poe regardless of what kind is what is important; as to the iconic "I know"; I feel it was used for two specific reasons, the first to show Rey that she wasn't a nobody and that her importance is bigger than even she believes.

Second. The nature of the first official canon meeting; When she removes the rocks the see each other first, after she sees Finn heklping Rose, the first person to acknowledge her again is Poe as the meet using the iconic line with the bravado and smile from Poe Dameron which causes Rey to do the same for the first time in TLJ which to me showed her lifting a weight off her shoulders. If the are destined to be together awesome, but either way seeing Rey happy and the other heroes is the main objective.

I agree. There's more to it but what it is we will have to wait for more information. The official release of the novelization and script will both lend more into their interaction and relationship moving forward.