I’m fairly indifferent about midi-chlorians. I don’t hate them. I just think they’re an unnecessary middleman. However, I’ve never liked the concept of the Whills. And I think having these transcendent “Force gods” undercuts the pantheism of Star Wars. The idea that the sacred is inherent to all life, that it emanates from life, being felt through the unity of all living beings, is a compelling one. The Whills pull attention away from that and make the setting more traditionally theistic.
I can see why George was tempted to go in that direction. Lots of writers have that urge to eventually “pull back the curtain” and reveal answers to the mysteries they’ve created. That doesn’t always mean you should, though.
I agree with that. I do think the midichlorians work because it puts a more science face on the Republic era Jedi. It helps explain how out of touch they are with the force itself. They are trying to explain it. And a reverse idea is that the midichlorians are just a little critter that is attracted to the force so if you are more powerful there are more of them, rather than you are more powerful because there are more of them. I definitely think Lucas’s idea for the ST and including the Whills was a bad idea. I’m glad we did not get that.