Hello, all. I’m not sure what the state is of the Rey Nobody story line, but Neerb had a really great idea over on the Ascendant thread that I wanted to make sure people saw:

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/the-rise-of-skywalker-ascendant-released/id/71835/page/358#1411678

Basically, the crux of the matter is that Palpatine never tells Kylo to “Kill the girl.” Instead, Palatine just says “You will do as I ask,” Kylo lowers his saber, and Palpy smiles evilly at the camera before it cuts to the next scene. Palpy’s plans then becomes a mystery for the audience to unravel as the film progresses. We get little clues throughout (as Neerb explains above), and we’re led to assume that Palps wanted Rey dead; but then it’s revealed at the climax that he always wanted Rey to come to him, alive.

After that, other things that would have to be cut include (off the top of my head):

Palpatine being “Every voice [Kylo] has ever heard inside [his] head.” Snoke wanted Rey dead, Palpatine wanted Rey alive, so they can’t be working together, let alone the same person.
Ochi killing Rey’s parents. They were deadbeats, they wouldn’t be trying to protect her.
Kylo’s dialogue to Rey in the hangar. My thought is to trim the scene down, and as he’s approaching her, say, “I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.” According to Neerb’s setup, we’d assume that he doesn’t want to kill the person he once wanted as his friend; in hindsight, we realize that he was conflicted about delivering her to Palpatine. The line works both ways.
Palpy’s dialogue at the end (obviously). “Empress Palpatine…” shut up, Grandpa, you’re drunk.