# Star Wars Episode VII anticipation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936 "2013-08-23T02:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 32
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/621 "2015-10-20T13:33:15Z")
Here’s my theory, so I can either be really right or horribly wrong. Luke is a new bad guy. Maybe he saw something Vader was doing and agreed with it. I don’t know what the hell that might be but it explains why there’s no Luke in the trailer and why the bad guy has Vader’s helmet. How many other people would have known that Vader’s body was taken off the Death Star and where to look for the burned remains. So Luke is the new badish guy, or at the least the person with Vader’s helmet. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/622 "2015-10-20T14:36:33Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > How many other people would have known that Vader’s body was taken off the Death Star and where to look for the burned remains. This movie could redeem TRotJ by having the bad guy, Kylo Ren (right?), searching and finding Vader’s helmet on the moon of Endor. He turns around and is facing a tribe of curious Ewoks. He lights up his crossbar lightsaber and goes to town on them like Anakin did on the Sandpeople. The new Ewok collectible merchandise is sold in pieces. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/623 "2015-10-20T15:26:01Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > I’m trying so hard to keep my expectations in check. I was soooo damned excited for Phantom Menace - that was a hell of a trailer and we know how the movie was… And yet, I see this one and I totally geek out… Please don’t disappoint me again!!! This is exactly what I have to tell myself anytime I even THINK about this movie. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/624 "2015-10-20T15:35:50Z")
I was 7 when I saw the first one in the cinema and I’ve love them since like so many of my generation. This trailer made me more excited than a movie probably should. Please please please J.J. don’t let this be another Phantom. I’m a natural cynic but I honestly more excited for this than I have been for any other entertainment event in as long as I can remember. Now excuse me while I go look at that again and for a minute or two become a kid again 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/625 "2015-10-20T15:43:29Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > The dialog implies Rey is the force person, but it is Finn who is wielding the light saber. > > Brian If the force is awakening again, perhaps both have force power. I think Kylo Ren and Rey are twins, kids of Han Solo and Leia. “Now you have that power, too.” from the first trailer. Redeeming Kylo Ren may be a plot point of the series. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/626 "2015-10-20T15:51:16Z")
> **[Here's a Shot-by-Shot Breakdown of All the Goodies in the Final Star Wars:...](https://gizmodo.com/heres-a-shot-by-shot-breakdown-of-all-the-goodies-in-th-1737486310)** > > If you’re like us, you’re still recovering from the amazingness of the latest Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. It’s so incredibly filled with good stuff, we just had to go through and pick it apart frame by frame. If you want to look at Io9’s breakdown of the trailer. I admit, I’ve been trying to temper my expectations between the poor prequels and JJ’s terrible handling of the Star Trek movies. I did just geek out a little bit when looking though. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/627 "2015-10-20T15:53:40Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Here’s my theory, so I can either be really right or horribly wrong. Luke is a new bad guy. Maybe he saw something Vader was doing and agreed with it. I don’t know what the hell that might be but it explains why there’s no Luke in the trailer and why the bad guy has Vader’s helmet. How many other people would have known that Vader’s body was taken off the Death Star and where to look for the burned remains. > > So Luke is the new badish guy, or at the least the person with Vader’s helmet. That would be a complete and utter betrayal of what the original trilogy stood for. The sad thing is I could totally see JJ. Abrams doing it to be “edgy”. The man is a technically competent director but a total failure as a storyteller. I hope Disney reined him in hard. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/628 "2015-10-20T15:56:53Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > But that doesn’t make sense with the characters still alive. I mean, even if you wanted to say some BS about the force extending your life, it wouldn’t affect Han and Chewie. > > I mean, this saga was a multi-world battle between a Galactic Empire who was thwarted by an upstart group of random people lead by a legendary “race” of people…I’m pretty sure people would know what happened. Are we expected to believe they just forgot in the last…what?..20 years? The thing is, the Republic/Empire is _big_. According to the novelizations of the original movies (which I think are still part of the new canon), it’s home to over 1 billion inhabited worlds and hundreds of thousands of sapient species, and there doesn’t appear to be any form of galactic CNN. It’s said in the novelization of ANH that almost nobody outside the neighboring planets ever even heard about the destruction of Alderaan, and it’s not like the Imperial Remnant (or whatever it’s called now) would publicize that the Emperor and his right hand were dead. A bureaucracy that size can survive the death of one man - chances are one of the grand moffs declared himself the new Emperor and business just kept on as usual outside of the areas the Rebels were able to hold. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/629 "2015-10-20T16:34:37Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > The new Ewok collectible merchandise is sold in pieces. There was a short clip in the trailer showing a forested place being engulfed in fire. I assume that was the post-Death-Star Endor holocaust. [QUOTE=Smapti] The thing is, the Republic/Empire is big. According to the novelizations of the original movies (which I think are still part of the new canon), it’s home to over 1 billion inhabited worlds and hundreds of thousands of sapient species, and there doesn’t appear to be any form of galactic CNN. [/QUOTE] I figure the destruction of the second Death Star and death of the Emperor would be seen by the rest of galaxy the same way most people in the world saw the fall of the USSR. Step 1: There’s a USSR, Step 2: something weird is happening in Moscow, Step 3: No more USSR, somehow. Everyone gets the broad sweep of the situation, but the exact details of what went down and who specifically was involved at whatever steps is not really well-known. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/630 "2015-10-20T16:55:55Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > That would be a complete and utter betrayal of what the original trilogy stood for. The sad thing is I could totally see JJ. Abrams doing it to be “edgy”. The man is a technically competent director but a total failure as a storyteller. I hope Disney reined him in hard. I’ve been thinking about it a bit more. I don’t know the Star Wars universe that well, I only know the movies really. Could be Luke is more a third wheel and not evil. Perhaps Vader wanted to do something else and they talked in spirit form after his death. As I said, it seems strange that anyone besides Luke and maybe Leia and Han knew Luke took Vader’s body off the deathstar. As I said though, I don’t keep up with Star Wars beyond the movies. Just what I picked up from seeing Vader’s mask and no sign of Luke when everyone else was there. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/631 "2015-10-20T17:16:43Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > As I said, it seems strange that anyone besides Luke and maybe Leia and Han knew Luke took Vader’s body off the deathstar. In Jedi you see many non Ewoks on Endor at the end. 3:30 mins in you will see lots of rebels dancing and celebrating. Luke is the only one seen at the pyre that Vader was burnt on but it would be simple to just put a single line in that a rebel that was there gave the info in a drunken bar story about where Vader ended up. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/632 "2015-10-20T18:39:28Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Just what I picked up from seeing Vader’s mask and no sign of Luke when everyone else was there. I’m fairly sure that was Luke (with the cybernetic hand and all) caressing R2-D2. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/633 "2015-10-20T18:47:10Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I’ve been thinking about it a bit more. I don’t know the Star Wars universe that well, I only know the movies really. Could be Luke is more a third wheel and not evil. Perhaps Vader wanted to do something else and they talked in spirit form after his death. > > As I said, it seems strange that anyone besides Luke and maybe Leia and Han knew Luke took Vader’s body off the deathstar. As I said though, I don’t keep up with Star Wars beyond the movies. Just what I picked up from seeing Vader’s mask and no sign of Luke when everyone else was there. I’m getting the strong, yet not unsurprising, feeling that Luke is holed up somewhere remote in an Obi Wan kind of way. If I had to take a guess, I’m guessing it’s that old temple ruins with the tattered banners hanging that Han is leading Finn and Rey to. Someone needs some Jedi training. * * * It should also be noted that the Force was largely mocked and disbelieved by most in the OT. Hell, Vader has to Force choke one of his own men to get him to shut up about how ridiculous it is to depend on Vader’s hooky religious beliefs. The only ones left who wielded it in the OT were a handful across the entire galaxy: Luke, Vader, Obi Wan, Yoda and the Emperor (Leia had it, but doesn’t use it). By the end, all that’s left is Luke. So what trickled down, legend-wise, over the battles of the Rebels vs. the Empire was some talk of some very focused Jedi and Sith at play in the heart of each grand battle… but the details from eye-witnesses would be largely be dismissed or non-existant if the died in the battle. And maybe that’s how Luke, Han and Leia wanted it to be. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/634 "2015-10-20T19:01:35Z")
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but are the next movies based on Lucas’ original story? My understanding is that Lucas wrote a full story arc at the very beginning. When he started filming he realized he couldn’t do the who thing so picked out the best part, which became A New Hope. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/635 "2015-10-20T19:16:02Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but are the next movies based on Lucas’ original story? My understanding is that Lucas wrote a full story arc at the very beginning. When he started filming he realized he couldn’t do the who thing so picked out the best part, which became A New Hope. My understanding is, no. It’s all new, but co-written by the same guy who wrote Empire Strikes Back (Lawrence Kasdan) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/636 "2015-10-20T19:20:08Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but are the next movies based on Lucas’ original story? My understanding is that Lucas wrote a full story arc at the very beginning. When he started filming he realized he couldn’t do the who thing so picked out the best part, which became A New Hope. AFAIK, no - the new story is entirely the creation of Abrams, Kasdan, and whatever studio functionaries were assigned to smooth it into something marketable. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/637 "2015-10-20T19:23:19Z")
Chewbacca (and most likely Han Solo) bites it in this one. Take it to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/638 "2015-10-20T19:25:37Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Chewbacca (and most likely Han Solo) bites it in this one. Take it to the bank. I was thinking either Luke or Leia (or both). ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/639 "2015-10-20T19:28:28Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I’m getting the strong, yet not unsurprising, feeling that Luke is holed up somewhere remote in an Obi Wan kind of way. I’m thinking Luke’s a bad guy in need of redemption, here. They sure ain’t showing him a lot and redeeming Luke would get pretty much everyone in the audience emotionally invested. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936/640 "2015-10-20T19:29:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > AFAIK, no - the new story is entirely the creation of Abrams, Kasdan, and whatever studio functionaries were assigned to smooth it into something marketable. Hmmm, thanks. That concerns me. Lucas did downright deplorable dialog but his stories usually had much to offer. Now I’m curious about what the original story had for episodes 7-9. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936.md?page=31) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-episode-vii-anticipation-thread/666936.md?page=33)