ST The Rise of Skywalker and the Future of the Sequel Trilogy

I think it will be very satisfying it will connect all three trilogies together. We have Sidious back in some form, seeing familiar places from both trilogies in the force-flash. We probaly get alot of small cameo's like Obi wan, Anakin, Yoda, Shmi?.

 

So you're hoping for a sort of "greatest hits" of the Saga - like a television show that weaves in "best of" clips in an episode around its 6th or 7th season? Or are you hoping more for a tale crafted like the final episode of Season 9 of the X-files (while still showing "best of" clips from the entire series)?

I'd have to argue that if IX pulls some sort of half baked stunt like this, it will be the least satisfying of any trilogy, franchise, what-have-you, in the history of film.

And I've got a bad feeling that it's entirely possible that's how the story winds up. Cover it up with groundbreaking new force lore, cameos a'plenty spouting exposition, or any other hamfisted narrative ploy and it's still going to be a "best of/greatest hits" episode.

Lordy I hope it doesn't turn out that way - if so, I'm pretty sure the entirety of the ST can be dismissed both presently and in the future.

 

In a way it has to conclude the Saga as it's the end of Skywalkers. What better way then have the big bad of the story to come back and haunt our new heroes. And visit familiar places and seeing familiar people. It will have it's own story of course with ST bu aslo need to conclude the SAGA.

 

The better way would be to build a time machine, travel back to 2012, and begin writing a coherent and original ST - one that builds off the past, not obliterates it or pays it lipservice.

ETA: I guess having Palpatine back (possibly) makes it the Palpatine Saga in retrospect then doesn't it? Skywalkers be damned.

 

The issue I see there is how to bring back Palpatine in a way that does not negatively impact Anakin's arc in I-VI. And Luke's, depending on how they would do it.

 

I see you don't want a conclusion. But that's whats gonna happen and for all we know the last we see or hear the name Skywallker. The ST has always been about the Legacy of past heroes and giving the torch to the new heroes, and stopping this circle of chaos that Began with Sidious and will end with him. New threats will arrive but the darkness that began with him will end. This last Movie will probaly be with it's fanservice of planets and Characters. I'm glad to see the end of 40 years SAGA.

 

@Fredrik Vallestrand

Well you're wrong about me in one respect: I absolutely cannot wait until the Saga finally comes to an end, just not for the reasons most fans are looking forward to it.

As literally a lifelong fan there from the very beginning, I want the bleeding to stop is all - which for me started in 2017.

But I sincerely hope as a conclusion it is satisfying for you - and is everything you hoped it could be.

 

Admit? I see nothing which would warrant a confession. I have offered an opinion regarding the manner in which the ST and ancillary material has been constructed.

I can offer that I do see that it is possible, however unlikely, LFL has pulled the most elaborate and well concealed twisty-twist in the history of twisty-twists and have already planted the detail and forethought into TFA and TLJ required to successfully weave a deep and satisfying followup to one of the most beloved film series in history.

Would you be willing to offer ST-dissenters - the loyal opposition - a reciprocal offering that, perhaps, Disney LFL have not been good stewards of that which they inherited form GL?

If I have done as you suggest, I apologize. I do not believe offering a personal opinion regarding a work of fiction set in a galaxy far, far away discounts anyone, however.

I have not, for example, characterized the expression of ST-positive opinions as 'whining'.

To the point of the ST and its legacy, I would find any conclusion that has been foreshadowed and is consistent within the Lucas spirit of episodes 1-6 to be satisfactory. This is how I approach all of Star Wars. The idea, however, that creatives can lead people on, with elaborate illusions of mystery, but are not required to ever provide payoff, to me, is disrespectful to the audience.

Its hard to read that statement and not pick up a sense of sneer in the intent. From these last few statements, it seems the assertion is a positive opinion of the ST warrants no sneer, but a negative opinion warrants much sneer. Perhaps that is not your intent, but it certainly can read that way.

I had no attachment to any particular development outside of wanting to see the next story beginning from the trajectory set by the previous episode, ROTJ. As GL has described the "story of what happened. You know, it started here and it went there and it's all about generations and it's about, you know, the issues of fathers and sons and grandfathers". Yes, there is a certain residue of this original intent in the ST, but the ST seems to begrudge this quality.

I'm glad you are enjoying the ST. You are not alone. There seem to be many people who find it quite amicable. I don't happen to be one who shares that opinion and I will continue to elaborate on that as matters develop. I intend no ill will toward you. I do question LFL's focus and intent, however.

 

Yeah, yeah The Skywalkers for some has been damaged. For me i'm loving this more and more. A family of every generation who has to fight the darkness, be it a sith or others dark aspects.

Yess hope so too as love the stories in the ST. I aslo think ST is not messy as some think it may not be perfect but i say they are a few levels behind the OT and beyond the PT. The jedi, the force, lightsabers are my favorites and love when they explore mre of them be it in the OT, PT, ST and others. The force and the jedi aspects is one of the reasons i love them as mutch.

PS, i think in 5 years or so we return to Rey, Poe and Finn with future SW stories.

 

It's really frustrating when some fans accuse people of wallowing in negativity over TLJ. I have been a SW since 1977, and never, ever, had I ever had a negative feeling towards anything SW. Not the Holiday Special, not Jar Jar, not anything. I defended TPM to virtually everyone I knew. After watching TLJ, I was completely stunned by how awful I thought it was. How thoughtlessly it had been written. How preachy it was towards its audience. How it seemed to pervert, misinterpret and disrespect what Lucas had created. How it actually felt like an indictment of SW as we knew it. I mean, on the eve of Avengers: Endgame, the difference in quality between these two franchises right now is pretty apparent. SW has lost its place in the public consciousness, and I blame that on TLJ. Solo, a very good movie IMO, bombed. I believe it was because people were disappointed in TLJ, and therefore felt inundated by another SW movie so soon after. We've actually seen casualties in such a short time. Solo could have been good for at least two sequels. But now, that's not going to happen. So its been two years of feeling this disappointment, and quite frankly, embarrassment over what a single filmmaker has done to my favorite franchise.

With the release of the ROTS trailer, I feel much better about things. I believe it is apparent Disney and JJ were listening to the reactions to TLJ. And I am grateful that there were so many other fans who voiced their "negativity" so as to urge the filmmakers to course correct for the final chapter of the greatest franchise ever. So as far the future of the ST, despite the enormous disappointment I felt in Episode 8, I have a really positive feeling about TROS.

 

It's not enough to just tie them together, it has to be done well. Otherwise it's just memberberries. And I'm not sure that J.J is good enough to pull that off.

 

And it will be i bet. JJ is good at making good crowd pleasing movies. And this will probaly be his most important movie of his career and life. He'll make sure it can be connected and as a one long story of three generations. He said he want someone to watch from 1-9 and see this as a big story to tell. I'm sure you wll the magic comes in once music and soundtrack start and see this familiar world and we may get PT soundtrack like with duel of fates in Solo.

 

I get it. Lucas film wanted to move past the Skywalker's and there is nothing wrong with that especially if it is done the right way. The issues is that it was not handled properly and regardless of how Disney will not speak of it publicly they know that is the case. It is hard to believe that Marvel and Star Wars are under the same company umbrella. They way Marvel handles their characters all the way how they speak to their fans. There are no Skywalker's left at this point so there are other a few things that the title of this film can mean. So far I can not think of anything good. LFL seems to have tried to reinvent the wheel when making the sequel trilogy when all they had to do was build upon what was there and expand and move forward without the harsh treatment of the Origional Trilogy.

 

While making TFA, he had a completely clean slate and all actors available and he still only managed to make ANH 2.0. I really doubt that he can do a better job in the current situation, post TLJ. He even admitted upfront that it has been hard.

 

There seems to be no limit on this sort of commentary in return, either. It's your personal conclusion as well.

What I'm tired of is this constant "well, you just wanted 'fan service'," or your charming "sacchrine syrup" said with a sneer and a sniff of disdain. How "Skywalker kiddos" automatically equals saccharine syrup is beyond me. I'm glad you're fine with the only Skywalker being a dark emperor who should die in a burning Hot Topic store but will probably be "redeemed" because he has poofy hair and sad eyes and a bloodline.

I find it hysterically funny that elements of the fandom now excited about Palpatine being back and some nonsense about going to old locations, and X-Wings and TIE fighters has the nerve to call anything "fan service," especially seeing beloved characters treated well and reunited.

It also makes me laugh that many of the same people on Twitter, etc, who were perfectly fine with what was done to Luke, Han and Leia are all "oh, I hope these characters I've loved for 10 years in MCU are treated well and if not, I'm going to scream." Try 40 years and begin told every time you raise an objection that you're reading it wrong, that the "legacy" characters have to pass the torch, and "it's not for you anymore."

 

most of that i George's scripts too and TFA was the rebbot of Star wars after being asleep for 10 years and of course the nostalgia tour. I'm sure this time it be diffrent, sure it may mirror ROTJ in the same way the other movies in the saga mirrors each other.

 

Wow, I am in precisely the same situation. That's why I don't like getting lumped in by generalizations about "negative" Star Wars fans. I was here defending the PT from 1999-2005, so I have more than paid my debts in apology for SW.

 

“Interesting,” “Thrilling,” “Shocking,” “Revolutionary,” “Next-level,” etc etc.

There are many, many, many positive adjectives they could use.

And I don’t recall “satisfying” being a major TLJ talking point. I mostly recall a lot of surprise and “This isn’t going to go the way you think” rhetoric.

 

More than that, I could see the ST not really aging well.

I mean, at the end of the day, how can they resolve the conflict with the First Order before the film is over? I heard a rumor that didn't even have the conflict resolved by the end of the last film in the trilogy. It actually kind of depressed me (yes, yes, I know it's just a film, but still). How do you go from a Resistance that can fit in a Millennium Falcon to, one year later, bringing down the First Order or at least striking a huge blow against the First Order that it's sent reeling?

I've basically stopped caring about this trilogy in terms of story. I'm excited for the new film, but I basically view this trilogy as fanficiton. I would rather they made another universe where Luke Skywalker successfully resurrects the Jedi Order.

 

And look how well that worked out for them.... besides giving eleventy billion clickbait writers a convenient hook.

Get ready for that to be on repeat the whole summer and fall. I'm sure the Vanity Fair article will be a paean to poor JJ and the difficult time he had. Plus this time, he can't fully make ROTJ 2.0 since Rian already lifted the throne room sequence full scale and no one was kidnapped to a desert planet by a gangster to start us off.

 

JJ did not have a clean slate in writing TFA. He was working from a backstory outline and elements of the story GL left LFL with.

I’m not defending it - I’m noting the contrast.

 

I kind of wish they went with George Lucas's more "mystical" sequel trilogy.

Actually, I'm genuinely serious about that. I love it when Star Wars delves more into the Force.

 

Me too, I loved the mystical aspects of TLJ, the Force connection and Luke projecting himself to Crait. That reveal of Luke's projection and cut to him meditating - that was ace.

 

This reminds me of the end of Legacy of the Force in the EU. Full on Galactic War through out the series but focused on the Skywalker's/Solo's and their immediate allies in Invincible. The war between the GA and Confederation was offscreen. Jaina vs Darth Caedus was the focus. Then after that, the war was declared over and Daala was handed the COS position. Then in Fate of the Jedi there was a Unification Summit that went nowhere. Just to keep people on Coruscant because Denning didn't want to write about about anyone not on Coruscant, a Jedi or a Skywalker/Solo.

 

I didn't really like the scene, but I felt that the idea of image projection was cool.

I was thinking more along the lines of the Yoda arc in season 6 of TCW. And maybe more exploration on the Whills.