ST Putting the pieces together

I think we can all agree that the structure of TLJ is a complete mystery and the behind the scenes video only elevated our confusion, while you could easily see how TFA would play out after the first trailer. So, let's try to piece together what we know and what we've seen and try to make sense of it all, shall we?

I'm assuming the movie opens up with the evacuation of the D'Qar base and the accompanied space battle.


Rose's sister presumably gets killed in the battle by falling down the bomb storage of one of the bombers she is a gunner on.



After the space battle I'm going to guess that we cut to Rey and Luke's first meeting as she's handing him the saber. They have their initial meeting and talks about whatever.


After this, we might be shown what Kylo and the other baddies are up to, which we haven't seen any of. The Resistance then meet up on the Mon Cal Cruiser, where we see Rose all sad and stuff.


Finn wakes up and they discuss what's next, which includes Finn's mission to Canto Bight.


Rose is apparently an "accidental hero" as she has been described, someone who was accidently thrown into this big mission despite not wanting too. Sending her and Finn wouldn't make much sense. It was most likely done in haste, perhaps as the ship is under attack:



BUT, we've seen Chewie aboard that very ship, so the attack must happen later..? Or does Chewie go meet with the Resistance while Rey is training? Then what about the campfire..?

Now, the confusion really sets in for me. There is supposedly a time jump somewhere in the movie, symbolized by the character's new costumes. But we've seen the footage of Rey and Finn both on Crait together, with Rey wearing her Jedi outfit and Finn still in the FO uniform. Does that mean that the first act is focused mostly on Rey and Luke, and Finn is still in a coma? As we can assume the Canto Bight mission is connected to Snoke's Star Destroyer, it also has to be connected to Crait as well..?

Any ideas on how we're going to solve this puzzle?

 

Seems legit... Although i don't want to know how the movie opens, like being suprised.

 

I think the movie starts with Kylo being delivered to Snoke for healing/punishment/training. Per the lego set of his tie, we know that he's at the D'qar battle.

The order I see is the following:
-Kylo delivered to Snoke
-Cut to Luke and Rey
-Cut to the resistance finding out about the imminent FO attack
-Space battle to end act 1
-Act 2 we go back to Luke and Rey doing all the force exposition stuff
-Resistance stuff for Canto Bight
-FO finds Luke's location
-Canto Bight climax with breaking DJ out of jail
-Act 2 climax with Kylo arriving to Ahch To

Time jump

-Begining of act 3 (from here, I have no theory how the act plays out haha)

 

Great thread! Some corrections. This is after canto Bight. Notice that Poe has his Captain Poe jacket. That's not the beginning where he has an orange one:



Also, Phasma is not in the Resistance hanger but in FO one. That fire is from Finn and Rose bombs.

OK, since TFA was 135 min, each act is 45 min, so I'm trying to figure out what fits in there. This is very loose as some sequences from one act will certainly roll over to another

Act 1

Ahch-to

Rey hands over the lightsaber to Luke
Some back and forth "I don't want to train you...Ok I will to train you"
Mix of training and visions of the past (Jedi Killer in action)
Rey fight the sea monster, maybe meets the Force ghosts
Chewie goes native with Porgs

Resistance

Finn wakes up
Attack on DQ
Paige Tico dies in a fall? Rose is sad
Finn and Rose escape together with BB8 (Finn pilots?)
Poe's X Wing gets blown up
Holdo arrives with the cavalry
Finn and Rose are sent to Canto Bight

FO

Kylo wakes up
Snoke scolds Kylo
Snoke is extremely forgiving to Phasma and Hux who miraculously live and don't even get demoted
Kylo trains with the praetorians?
Kylo fights in the battle of DQ in his TIE

Act 2

Ahch-to
More Luke and rey train read books
Kylo arrives with KoR/Not KoR
Fight, Rey possibly falls or jumps into the water
Rey, Kylo and Luke are in the exploding hut (this is happening cause everything Bothan Spy said was true)
Rey and Chewie leave Ahch-to, fight TIE, may be picked up by Mon Calamari cruiser cause Falcon is seen there with BB8
Kylo and Luke also leave, unknown how and with whom (rumored Lego set indicate they may leave together in Kylo's TIE, but pinball also shows Luke's X Wing in the water so who knows)

Resistance

They are chased across the galaxy by FO
Poe and Holdo butt heads
Finn, Rose and BB8 are on Canto Bight - go to the casino, chase on the space horse, meet their contact at the café, break DJ from the prison, leave on DJ's ship (I think DJ gives Finn a weapon)
Finn and Rose return to the Resistance, drop BB8 with Poe, are sent to infiltrate SSD
Resistance settles on Crait

FO

Hux may be at the Canto Bight casino with a beautiful gurrl (Snoke is REALLY forgiving, WTF?)
Kylo's on Ahch-to
Snoke is in the throne room receiving a holographic message, probably disclosing the location of either Luke or the Resistance

Act 3

Resistance on SSD (likely orbiting Crait)

Infiltration goes wrong, bombs go off, Finn is subdued by Executioner Troopers
Finn gets a weird weapon (probably ET's) and fights Phasma out of revenge and knocks her arm off
Something bad happens to Rose (I don't think she's dead but Finn may believe she is)
Finn somehow returns to Crait and is reunited with Rey

Resistance Crait

Mon calamari bring Rey to Crait
Rey gives Leia some bad news or they have some sad conversation (Ben? Luke?)
Hux leads the attack on the base with his gorilla walkers
Poe, Rey, Chewie? (he's piloting Not!Falcon that looks like it could be a mini jet of sorts), Finn? (ditto could be piloting the same thing) fight in the battle
Some characters end up out of their jets such as Poe (sliding on the salt flats, probably under the walkers or something)
Conclusion of leia's arc (dies in the attack?)

FO

Luke goes for Snoke and Rey goes for Kylo near the end of the movie (after the ground battle?)
Kylo kills Phasma (I will finish what Finn started, he,he - unproven source)
Kylo won't kill Rey? (unproven source)
Snoke betrays Kylo for that and leaves him on the crashing SSD with Finn, Poe and BB8 (unproven source)
Luke sacrifices himself somehow but is ambiguous whether he lives or dies (unproven source)
Rey leaves with Snoke (unproven source)

 

Sounds good to me, since Star Wars movies always start with a space Shot; followed by a camera pan down(or up) to a planet and space ship/ships.

As far as Chewbacca goes. Maybe he arrives at Achto-to, later in the movie; after Rey is presumed dead. Luke goes with Chewbacca on the Falcon. Rey gets the X-Wing out.

 

I like the broad strokes of this. Won't be surprised if you're pretty much right about most of it.

 

You're done here. Goodbye.

 

The standard for screenplays in the film industry is the three act structure with six stages, two per act. Marking the transitions between each stage are 'turning points'. It's important to remember the names are abstract descriptions of what happens in each stage and aren't literal. The three act structure is generally defined as follows:

• First Act (Setup): This act sets the stage. It introduces the characters (or reintroduces them) and the setting in the first stage (setup). The first act also introduces the main conflict or challenge of the film, which is known as the 'inciting incident' or 'opportunity' which marks the start of the second stage (new situation).
  
• Plot Point 1 (Change of plans): This plot point redefines the main challenge.
  
• Second Act (Confrontation): The second act involves the hero trying to resolve the steadily worsening conflict. The hero lacks the tools, knowledge or skills necessary to successfully resolve the conflict, which often leads to their attempts worsening it. The first part (stage 3) of the the second act is the 'progress' stage, where the hero overcomes the early obstacles and appears to be getting close to their goal. The midpoint of the film and act marks the point where the challenges for the hero become much greater and where they must fully commit to their goal (point of no return). The second stage (stage 4 overall) of the second act is the 'complications and higher stakes' stage.
  
• Plot Point 2 (Major Setback): This is an event in which the hero fails and they're the furthest from completing their goal.
  
• Third Act (Resolution): The last act and where the hero achieves their goal. This act starts out with the hero in a rapidly worsening situation that the hero must put all of their effort towards overcoming in a stage known as the 'final push'. At the climax, the situation for the hero is at its most desperate. However, it's at this point the hero finds the means to resolve the problem. The obstacles are rapidly overcome and the hero finally achieves their goal moving into the 'Aftermath' stage.

Running alongside the main plot are often subplots that usually merge with the main plot by the third act. There's rarely more than one or two subplots and they fall within their own hierarchy. The ST is unique in that the main antagonist also has his own character arc which runs in parallel with the protagonist's.

Applying the Three Act Structure to TLJ
With the basics of a screenplay story structure defined, we can apply it to what we know of TLJ. First, the main conflict of TLJ will be Rey convincing Luke to join the fight. This conflict will be the context in which the rest of the movie occurs and how the plot will be structured. Second, the subplots will be Finn and Poe's stories with Finn's being the most important. Third, as the principle antagonist, Kylo's plot will run parallel and eventually merge with Rey's. The aim of this exercise is not to predict every detail of the plot, but to lay out the main events and consequences of the main plot while providing a framework for the subplots.

Act I
The key to understanding the first act is to understand this act is an exploration and deconstruction of Luke as a legend. Rey has heard grandiose stories about his exploits and TFA built him up as a messiah. It's with these expectations that Rey (and us) first encounter him.

Stage 1: Setup

The opening is tricky since TFA ended on a cliffhanger. Traditionally, all Star Wars movies open in space, but that can't really be done for Ahch-To. With Finn still in a coma and Kylo en route to Snoke, it's also unlikely to open with an attack on D'Qar. Given the tradition of opening with a Star Destroyer in the shot, he natural place to start is with Kylo going to Snoke. TLJ will likely follow tradition and pan down (or up) to a First Order Star Destroyer with Kylo's shuttle emerging and going to Snoke's Super Star Destroyer. There gold-robed Snoke will chew him out for his failure on Starkiller and tell him they need to find Luke and Rey quickly. Snoke will order Kylo to join the attack on the Resistance at D'Qar and to bring the map to him. Kylo probably throws a tantrum when he's away from Snoke.

Next up is D'Qar. With Finn in a coma, he's the perfect expy for reminding the audience of what happened in a movie many of them last saw two years ago. He also needs to be back on his feet so the rest of the movie's action can happen. So, we'll see Finn wake up, have a brief scene with Poe and get a quick recap of what happened and whats about to happen. In the mean time, the rest of the Resistance is preparing to evacuate and many surviving ships from the New Republic have joined them. Finn will naturally want to know about Rey, which nicely sets up the next scene.

Finally, we go to Ahch-To and watch what we've all been waiting two years for. As shown in the BTS reel, Luke does go to and accepts the lightsaber. At this point, he probably doesn't know who she is and this will likely end up being a minor plot point (1). At the end of the scene Luke will rebuff Rey and the main challenge will become apparent.

Inciting Incident

After the introduction to Ahch-To the plot will shift to defining the main conflict - Luke's in despair. His statement that the Jedi must end will serve to underline just how defeated he feels.

• Note - from here on out, this is going to get increasingly speculative. Little is definitively known about most of the movie. This lays out the likely story trajectory as I see it based on reliable leaks and official marketing material.

Stage 2: New Situation

This stage will be devoted to exploring Luke's state, current situation and providing exposition on Ahch-To itself. It will likely be during these scenes we'll get to meet the Porgs, Rey will fight the sea monster and Luke will reunite with Artoo and Chewie. Rey's scene in the rain probably falls also falls in this segment. At this point scene order becomes much harder to predict and I'll simply provide descriptions of what happens in each stage.

D'Qar:
On D'Qar, the Resistance is frantically trying to leave before the First Order arrives. With their location known, the First Order is going to waste no time attempting to wipe out the only remaining organized opposition to their domination of the galaxy. During these scenes, Leia will give Finn a mission and Finn will meet Rose. The First Order will arrive and begin their attack. In space, Poe will attempt to board his X-Wing on Home-One, but it will get destroyed before he can. Rose and Finn make it to a transport and leave, frantically evading First Order TIEs. Eventually they make it to hyperspace and head to Canto-Bight. Poe meets Admiral Holdo and they lead the fleet into hyperspace with the FO fleet in pursuit. While this is happening, Kylo will arrive (likely with friends) and infiltrate the base in search of the map. Leia and him will probably see each other from a distance and share a look before events bring them apart again. Kylo will succeed in obtaining the map and leave, but instead of returning to Snoke, he will head straight for Ahch-To.

Plot Point 1: Change of Plans

Up to this point, Luke has been steadily humanized as a person. Now, an event will take place that fundamentally transforms his and Rey's relationship. Towards the end of stage 2, Rey will experience a Forceback similar to the one at Maz's castle showing the major events in Luke's past from most recent to earliest (it's possible Luke himself shows her it). The last part of the vision will be of the most painful event of Luke's life - losing his daughter, Rey. The shot of Rey collapsing from the teaser is likely the immediate aftermath.

Act II: Confrontation
Where Rey approached Luke as a legend in Act 1, she now approaches him as her father.

Stage 3: Progress

The first stage of Act II will consist of the reunion of Rey with her father, Luke. It will be during this stage that an ecstatic Luke shows her what he's learned about the Force and when the scene with Rey swinging her father's old lightsaber (now passed to her) takes place. (2) It's likely we'll hear a bit about Rey's mother as well. It will seem like Rey is getting everything she ever wanted and the goal of bringing Luke into the fight will appear within reach. Their reunion will be interrupted, however, when they sense Kylo and his friends arrive. Based on third party reports, it's likely Kylo's fighter is somehow brought down, while his comrades shuttle lands intact. Further, it appears the new arrivals attack the heroes, with Kylo going after Rey and his friends attacking Luke (who easily defeats them). This signals the arrival of the 'turning point'.

Canto-Bight:
(3) Rose and Finn arrive on Canto-Bight and set about finding their lead. The chase scenes will take place during this stage and it will end with them finding and breaking DJ out of jail. They'll grow to increasingly like each other as well.

Resistance Fleet:
Poe, Leia and Admiral Holdo discuss what to do next and their discussion gets increasingly heated. The admiral will likely favor a direct confrontation or possibly surrender, while Leia and Poe will argue for finding a place to consolidate or to continue the fight.

Midpoint: Turning Point

From both third party reports, backed by BTS footage, it appears Rey is knocked off a cliff into the water below. For someone who never encountered so much as a puddle, this would be extremely dangerous and terrifying. It's highly likely Rey will require outside intervention to reach safety. Further, it appears from the BTS footage that this is the point Rey discards her childhood hairstyle and adopts her new clothes, suggesting both the earlier revelation and her encounter with Kylo has been a transformative event for her. Symbolically, her submersion represents a baptism and the change in attire her transition to adulthood.

Stage 4: Complications and Higher Stakes

Knowing he can't take Luke in open combat, Kylo retreats. Luke must save Rey, and is unable to pursue. Luke pulls Rey from the water and the two return to Luke's hut, where Rey adopts her new look. The two go looking for Kylo (who possibly sets fire to the tree to get their attention). Knowing Kylo wants her alive, Luke allows Rey to be separated from him and Kylo takes the bait, cornering Rey in a cave (the waterfall scene with Kylo in the trailer). Luke appears, and easily subdues Kylo. They bring him back to the village and restrain him. Luke leaves Rey with him (possibly to stop the fire). Kylo starts talking to her about their respective pasts and shared heritage, eventually leading to Rey entering Kylo's memories (aided by their blood-driven Force connection).

Canto-Bight:
DJ agrees to help Finn and Rose get what they need to infiltrate the First Order and provides uniforms and identities. The two somehow make it aboard a FO Star Destroyer and get what they need, but things quickly go wrong and they're discovered. In a running fight, they make it to a hanger bay and wreck many of the ships there. It looks like they'll get away, but Phasma and a contingent of stormtroopers enter and engage them. Although they're able to dispatch the stormtroopers with quick thinking, Phasma engages Finn in one on one melee combat. Phasma will probably gain the upper hand at some point, but forget about Rose. Finn takes off her arm and likely kills her. While this is happening, the destroyer has joined the fleet attacking Crait.

Resistance Fleet:
The dispute between Poe, Leia and Holdo has come to a head and Holdo has Leia removed from the bridge (possibly imprisoned or confined to quarters). Realizing he needs to act now, Poe gathers loyal Resistance members and stages a mutiny, seizing the bridge. He has Leia released and leads the fleet to Crait, where a significant number of surviving Republic forces have regrouped.

Plot Point 2: Major Setback

In a second Forceback, Rey experiences Kylo's memories in ascending chronological order. During it, she sees things from Kylo's perspective, including the effects of her disappearance. Through it all, she sees her father in a very different light and it devastates her (4). Luke returns and she accuses him of abandoning her and the rest of his family. Unleashing years of grief and frustration, Luke loses control for a moment as he emotionally denies it and unleashes a massive display of the Force, wrecking the hut they're in. Rey and Kylo are unharmed, but Rey is now terrified too. Deciding her family wasn't worth the fourteen years she spent waiting, she decides her real place is with her friends. Abandoning her family, as she believes they once abandoned her, she boards the Falconand leaves her father and cousin behind. Overcome by emotion himself, Luke doesn't try to stop her or Kylo from leaving soon after (it's possible he has an opening to kill Luke, but doesn't take it here). Kylo takes his dead companions' shuttle and leaves Luke alone and stranded once again.

Act 3: Resolution
In this act, the subplots have largely resolved and now merge with the main plot.

Stage 5: Final Push

Rey learns the Resistance is on Crait and heads there before the FO fleet arrives. She tells Leia bitterly that Luke isn't coming. Leia, sensing her her niece's distress, immediately leaves for Ahch-To herself. The FO fleet arrives and engages the orbiting fleet. Finn and Rose also escape the SD they're aboard and head to Crait, perhaps while ground forces are being deployed. Severely outnumbered and outgunned, the Resistance sends its forces to meet the FO, using the bombers to create a screen from the dust. The battle begins and Rey assists in bringing down several walkers before seeing Kylo, who engages her.

Climax

On Ahch-To, Leia lands and finds a thoroughly dispirited Luke. During a brief conversation, Leia reminds him that she lost her son to the dark side, but he hasn't lost Rey yet and still has a chance with her.

As a preface, it's very difficult to see how the movie ends any other way than Rey going with Kylo. With Luke's imminent return, Kylo returning empty handed would be an unmitigated disaster from Snoke's perspective and make Kylo look not only completely ineffectual, but also more of a liability than asset. The villains would be on the back-foot going into IX.

The Resistance is putting up a brave, but futile fight. The FO's firepower is overwhelming and they're steadily pushed back or destroyed. Locked in a stalemate with Kylo, Rey offers herself in return for the lives of her friends. Shocked, Kylo agrees and orders the attack stopped. Kylo takes her lightsaber and Rey to a shuttle as Finn and Poe watch, stunned. As their shuttle lifts off, Hux, at Snoke's urging orders the ground attack to resume, dismaying Kylo and panicking Rey. She calms however as she senses a powerful and familiar presence nearby.

Stage 6: Aftermath

As the FO presses its attack, a figure appears on the horizon. Figuring one person isn't a threat, the FO troops ignore him until one of their walkers is impossibly picked up and thrown into another. The FO turns all of it's weapons on the lone figure and begins firing. The figure, Luke, uses the Force to block and divert everything thrown at him as he methodically wrecks the FO forces without ever igniting his lightsaber. In the aftermath, the mood is somber. Luke turned the tide of the battle, but the Resistance's losses are massive and the loss of Rey is a bitter blow. Content with his prize, Snoke withdraws and welcomes Rey as Kylo brings her to him.

The movie ends with Luke looking out of a ships window in a callback to ESB, a determined look on his face.

Notes:
1: I think Luke's initial inability to sense who she is will be used to signal just how clouded his mind has become. He's become unable to hear what the Force is telling him.

2: My initial instinct was to place these before the Force vision, but Luke watching Rey and teaching her about what he's learned about the Force is inconsistent with the despairing mood he apparently has in the beginning. It would also delay getting to the heart of the movie, which is Luke and Rey reuniting. Therefore, it makes more sense to expect it after the first Forceback.

3: Finn and Rose's sections are left intentionally vague since I don't know what Leia told Finn to do or what they initially do on Canto-Bight.

4: If this seems to be throwing Luke under a bus, remember the characters are only acting based on their perceptions and what they know. Whether Luke is actually guilty of anything doesn't matter; what matters is that Rey and Kylo think he is. IX will be where Rey (and we) get the full story.

 

Bold Prediction (unlikely to pan out)

According to MSW,and the BTS reel word is that
1. Luke wants Rey to kill Kylo, and Rey is initially resistant.
2. Rey and Kylo fight on Ach-to, probably in the film's second act, and Kylo wins this time.
3. Rey is probably on Crait, probably for a climactic battle near the end of the film.
4. I think it's likely that Kylo & co. force Rey and co. to abandon Ach-to.
5. Another rumor I heard recently was that Rey and Kylo have a conversation on Ach-to.

Speculation: Rey is initially unwilling to kill Kylo, but after witnessing the full extent of his depravity during their conversation, and being defeated by him in battle, her heart begins to harden.
At some point Rey, and probably Luke too are forced to flee Ach-to by the First Order. Eventually they arrive on Crait and find the rest of the resistance.
Kylo Ren is also at the battle of Crait. He's an important character and has to be there.

Part of me is unsure as to whether the above scene is on a First Order ship, or a Resistance One, which makes we think whether Kylo may defect to the Resistance in TLJ.
However if he does, Rey in unaware. So maybe not.
The battle begins, **** happens and eventually Rey and Kylo meet face to face. They fight. This time Rey finishes what she started in TFA and actually kills Kylo.
Hence we get to the scene below, where a sad Leia is standing opposite Rey.
Going forward into IX, Hux and Phasma fill the void left by Kylo.


At least admit it would be some plot twist.

 

robotical712 - i think it would end with rey and kylo staring out a star destroyer window - nice mirror to luke and leia in esb. and rey is the main character so i think she should be the last shot.

 

A true callback to episode V.

Brother and sister side by side

 

i am kind of expecting it to come out for the resistance that ben solo is kylo ren. that would turn holdo against leia. and it would be why leia slaps poe. but after poe gets over his initial reaction and thinks about how he *knows* leia his long loyalty to her will not be broken. the question is if he gets the chance to let her know he's still on her side before she dies.

 

Based on what we have seen in trailers, interviews etc how do you see TLJ being structured ?

And will it be a cliffhanger or a more happy ending looking toward rhe next movie ?

 

I'm guessing it opens with a shot of a ship over a planet, maybe on of those new F.O. ships, then some business on the planet. Maybe a Resistance pilot going to pick something important up......

 

What has TFA timeline got to do with TLJ?

 

IPPS, so sorry, I had wanted to put "TLJ". I have not learned how to edit rhreads yet. Can someone help with this ?

 

Click on 'edit' on your original post, change TFA to TLJ and save.

 

Thanks !

 

We've heard that the film picks up where TFA left off (and we've seen the images in the trailer of Rey handing the lighsaber to Luke).
So...I expect the opening shot "pan down ship" to be the Falcon coming in to Ach-To, with a quick repeat of the last 5 mins of TFA...then go from there.

Given that the first movie of this trilogy had a cliffhanger, I fully expect TLJ to have one to.

 

>Kylo being delivered to Snoke
>Rey meets with Luke
>Evacuation of D'Qar
>Meeting up with Holdo
>Jedi training
>The Raddus gets attacked
>Finn and Rose go to Canto Bight
>Resistance goes to Crait
>Kylo goes to Ahch-to?
>Finn and Rose infiltrate Mega SD
>Rey and Kylo leave Ahch-to together?
>Facing off with Snoke aboard his SD and then blowing it up
>Battle of Crait

But I'm not sure if we know for certain that Kylo even goes to Ahch-to. He's leading troops on Crait, I was fairly certain he would have gone rogue by then. IDK.

Consider Rian said he didn't want a downer ending and wanted the movie to stand on his own, I'd say no cliffhanger.

 

Here's my recent contribution:

http://boards.theforce.net/posts/54602432/
http://boards.theforce.net/posts/54602594/

 

I have heard some rumors, that sound a bit over the top, about Luke pulling down a Star Destroyer with the Force.

Right now I am leaning more towards a cliffhanger ending, Luke pulling his x wing out of the ocean and flying off to save a captured Rey.