- No characters except for Rey & Ben had a story or anything to do. This is a huge screw-up, and the cast’s obvious frustration with this in interviews is completely justified. Poe had a little bit of something when he talked with Lando about the burden of leadership, and that part was actually good, but should’ve been more. Finn had nothing, and should have had the lead-a-stormtrooper-rebellion as originally conceived.
Great points. In regard to this last one, I am GUTTED we didn’t get a stormtrooper revolution, especially after hearing that that was initially planned. Stormtroopers are so often just the background bad guys, they’re just there, and it’s very rare an Imperial shows moral conflict or humanity. TFA begins with Finn’s defection and that’s the main example of it ever happening. Logically, it should have been a microcosm of an eventually massive plot point, and as you say, a perfect resolution to Finn’s arc throughout the sequels (which now he doesn’t have) and something purely awesome to watch unfold. I’m serious when I say it would have justified the entire sequel trilogy for me.
Alas, one of my biggest problems with Rise of Skywalker is how the everyman/woman theme that was picked up in TLJ has been dropped YET AGAIN in the saga. Rey apparently needs to be connected to a previous character for her to have a part in the main story, and Finn defects from the First Order because of course he was born a ‘good guy’ (and also force sensitive), while the rest of the brainwashed stormtroopers excluding Naomie Ackie are all bad guys who he can spend the rest of the trilogy killing and cheering on their deaths. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to rant about this for ages. IMO it’s the biggest missed opportunity in Star Wars and I will forever be pissed off about it.