ST Maz's role in the ST.

"I've seen evil take many forms: the Sith, the Empire, and now the First Order".

While I love this line because it's a subtle nod to all three trilogies.
It would have been nice to have Maz be the thread that subtly ties the PT to the saga.
I'm a PT fan, but I understand the divided opinion on that trilogy. So, Maz could have had small lines about it's existence.
Maybe a line to Rey about how,
"Don't let history repeat, don't let your emotions be your undoing".
Or
"So....Darth Sidious lives......".

Just tiny things like that.

 

I thought Maz was a complete none entity of a character and a total wast of a good actor. It's almost as if Abrams had an OT check list, and Maz was the tick against 'Yoda like sage', but without any of the characterisation and development. The dialogue you quote is a good example of writers not doing the homework on what there're actually writing about, because the Sith were both the Empire and the First Order, and I'm sure they didn't consciously write her as being uninformed. She's kind of on par with Dex, but without the function (IMO).

 

As a very old cantina owner who knows the Force and holds Anakin's and Luke's lightsaber you'd expect she'd be a very wise character that'll explain a lot and give guidance and context to our heroes' future adventures.

Well, that didn't happen. The ST never explained her connection with Luke and her words about the Force to Rey are more or less the same Obi-Wan told Luke in ANH. In fact, even her relation to Han never got any background.

One of many, many missed opportunities in the ST.

 

We don't even know how she knows Poe in TLJ. They never met in TFA.

 

I liked Maz in TFA, but her irrelevance in TLJ definitely hurt her character from there. A terrifying waste, but there's a lot of that in the ST.

 

When I read this thread title, my first thought was, "Wait, what? Maz had a role in the ST?" Yeah, she could have and should have been so much more.

 

There are so many other ways to link the PT and the ST and a non entity of a character wouldn't be the way to do it. They had options but chose not to use them.

 

It's kind of funny. Because in TFA I think I remember thinking basically, "She's got force insight, she's seemingly suggested to be really old, she's short, and gives words of attempted teaching to Rey, I guess she's like Yoda, but female." I think a part of me may have expected, similar to the Knights Of Ren, that she may become more prominent later and then it just... didn't. lol. It's amusing and odd to think about...

For a trilogy that I think seems to present a diverse front, you'd think they'd expand on a character that's played by a black actress and not... have her do less, exposure wise. Weird...

 

It never ceases to amaze me how they can being in these really talented actors and give them so little to do.. be it Serkis, Gleeson, Fisher, Nyong'o, Christie et al. I know this criticism could be levelled at Lucas' use of Ewan McGregor and Samuel L Jackson in TPM, but if Lucas didn't always get the best performances out of his actors, he certainly gave the characters function, utility and arcs throughout the films... which is why Lucas' characters are more popular.

 

LIAM NEESON!
I really don't need to add anymore, LOL.