Yeah, it even manages to subvert the fact that it’s a middle chapter, and that’s wonderful. I am so glad that there are few obvious paths forward in this galaxy, because that means that whatever comes next will be different than any previous Star Wars movie.
It could go anywhere, with any time jump. There’s room for our heroes to have years of adventures before facing the final chapter.
Han’s death thus only becomes a stepping stone for Kylo’s ascension to the throne.
And what’s the problem with that? Han’s death and Snoke’s death play two massively important roles for Kylo Ren. Two times in which he has an seemingly impossible choice to make but he ultimately chooses to “kill the past” and ascend further into the dark side. It is interesting and new, and both deaths are done very well. More than anything, the old characters should be there to serve as foils to our new character’s.
I didn’t think Snoke death was done well. Snoke was made to wear the idiot hat, much like the Jedi were by Lucas in the PT. Kylo didn’t get where he was by cunning and his abilities, but because Snoke’s a moron.
A moron? Snoke’s plan made a good deal of sense from his angle and his overconfidence and overreaching of emotional abuse of Kylo was his downfall. That’s not stupidity.
Snoke desired to pit both Rey and Kylo between each other. To see them struggle with what side they wanted each other to be on and see the chaos to come of it. Snoke’s dialogue about seeing Kylo’s every intent, and feeling “no more conflict, but resolve” is great cause Snoke is completely right. He senses a complete feeling of no conflict, but is too blinded to realize who it is directed at. Snoke thought that abusing and ridiculing Kylo would drive him towards further greatness. That is also true. He was simply too blinded to realize it would involve his downfall.
Like another user said, Kylo achieved here what Vader originally wanted in ESB. And it was executed incredibly well with smart, foreshadowing dialogue.
Well to me if a character first claims that Kylo is split to the core, and then in an instant believes he’s no longer conflicted, and cut down like a chump, he’s a moron.
If I recall, he thought he was split to the core in one scene and then it was only when he had brought Rey to him, that he sensed the resolve. Which would make sense to me since you see the slow build up of his and Rey relationship alongside the increased abuse and frustration with Snoke.
He mentioned Kylo was conflicted multiple times. He was also the person to connect Rey and Kylo across the galaxy, so he must have continually felt Kylo’s anger, frustration, and doubts. If he can connect Rey and Kylo across vast distances, he must also have felt Kylo couldn’t kill his mother.
He set the connection and of course he sensed conflict but it was only after a ton of interaction with Rey, and inner turmoil, that Kylo had finally felt resolved. And you can’t blame Snoke for becoming too overconfident while still showing his power by knowing Kylo’s state of mind but maybe not the exact contents of it.
In all honesty, your criticism here would apply to Return of the Jedi as well. That whole third act is the Emperor saying how much Vader is on his side and it is only at the very end that Vader turns against the Emperor.