My previous post proposing a revised crawl abandoned the idea of front loading the Dagobah scenes. Check it out and let me know what you think!
I did read it and thought that was actually a damn good, well-worded crawl 😃 Far better than what I came up with while I brainstormed this concept long ago. I also felt this was the best possible way to have it so Luke meets with Yoda again before ROTJ, to have it worded as such in the crawl (which can then keep the proposed scenes in their original places), but, just as you admit: Why did Luke wait to ask “the big question”… that’s the exact question that held me back from going along with it completely. It makes no sense to me that Luke wouldn’t be asking that pressing question while he is being trained again. Or, as already discussed earlier, some people here can interpret it that he did already ask and Yoda kept refusing to answer until the time of his death bed - I just cannot find a way to buy that logic either. Yoda, at this point, is now fully aware that Luke was told and has zero reason to continue holding back the truth from him. While it was absolutely a worthwhile idea to consider, those are my reasons why I abandoned that.
I’m curious, nhoj3, did you catch my previous post that explains an alternate idea for how Luke could have learned what he knows, from discovering journals at Ben’s hut? What are your honest thoughts on that? For that matter, have you read my ROTJ wishlist (linked in my sig)? You strike me as somebody who would enjoy a big read 😄 And so you know where I’m coming from concerning ROTJ, if you didn’t already.
Edit:
The ordering of scenes I proposed, in my opinion, won’t completely kill the pacing, especially if you remove - or dramatically shorten - the Obi-Wan scene. I think it also helps to streamline the convoluted rescue attempt plot. It would be a slightly slower opening for a SW movie, but I think it might work. I’m considering doing a quick and dirty edit using that structure myself just to see how it works pacing-wise.
You’d for sure have to include the bit about Luke realizing who exactly Leia is, though, otherwise it would be way out from left field when he reveals this news to her. How could he have figured it out by himself? If you do put this together, I’d be curious to check out what you had in mind if you want to share it 😃