In our article last week, we discussed one of the most intriguing scenes of the trailer–Kylo’s offer to Rey. This week, we’d like to expand on it a little more, and talk about possible connections to the rest of the saga.
Although we are convinced, like many other people, that the scene with Rey talking to Kylo is in fact two scenes cut together. The evidence points to Rey talking to Chewie under the Millennium Falcon by Chewie’s camp fire. However, this doesn’t mean that such an exchange between Rey and Kylo doesn’t take place in the movie, just that the interaction was different.
As we like to talk about on this site, Star Wars is full of parallels and echoes of what’s come before. In my mind, this is part of what makes Star Wars great. Some of the time this is because of coincidence, and it’s a completely different story that just had a similar piece. Other times, it’s deliberate rhyming. As Rian Johnson put it,
Because of that, by necessity, there are definitely going to be echoes of one of the best middle chapters of all time, Empire Strikes Back. But, it’s also wholly unique because you have different characters…
Check the link above for further context to this quote. The gist is that he has not spent the last 3 years copying Empire, but there will likely be echoes that just happen by virtue of this being the middle chapter of a trilogy. Frankly, as I’ve said before, I would be disappointed if I didn’t feel that The Last Jedi has some level of rhyming with Empire and Attack of the Clones, and it sounds like at least some stuff will be there.
One of the most significant scenes of Empire is of course the critical exchange between Vader and Luke. To be clear, I’m not talking about “I am your father”. I’m talking about:
Join me and we can end this destructive conflict and rule the galaxy as father and son!
This is possibly more significant because at this point, we are left wondering what Vader’s plans really are. Is he really trying to do something good? Also, this scene was rhymed with a pretty clear parallel in Attack of the Clones, and works in this way even more. Namely, the scene where Dooku asks Obi Wan to join him.
The only difference is that Dooku doesn’t offer a hand, but that’s because Obi Wan is in electromagnetic shackles!
In both of these cases, this is sort of part of what defines the Sith. There are always two of them, and inevitably, the apprentice seeks help to defeat the leader. In the case of Kylo Ren, he isn’t a Sith, but I propose that the same principle applies.
Kylo Ren finally understands that he’s duped. He understands that he can’t complete his second test of killing his mother, and realizes that Han was right–Snoke is using him. At this point, Kylo does that natural thing. He seeks help from the only person he knows powerful enough to help. He’s already offered to train Rey in The Force Awakens, so now he’s doubling down on this offer. So while I agree the shots in the trailer are taken out of context, I actually feel that there is a core of truth to a lot of it. To me, it makes complete sense that Kylo is offering his hand, and it only makes sense that it’s to Rey.
Important to all of this is, I actually think Rey might take the offer. This would make her different from Luke and Obi Wan in this regard, but it makes sense. It makes sense to me because as Rian has said, Kylo Ren and Rey are two halves of a protagonist. If they join forces to defeat Snoke and the First Order, it would realize the significance of this. If Kylo would change to try to defeat Snoke, it would also be the first step toward Kylo Ren’s redemption. It also makes sense because there are indications that Luke is hesitant to train Rey. As seen the trailer, Rey is desperate for help to figure out her place in the galaxy, and she just might take whatever she can get. Of course, this is all speculation based on a few shots, but if we consider the structure of the saga and its rhyming, it isn’t too far of a leap.
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