Originally posted by: Commander Courage
... don't you think another 20 year gap is a bit long? I mean, between 3 and 4 it makes sense due to the Jedi having to go into hiding, waiting for the twins to come of age, but what would happen in that second 20 year hiatus?
I've been considering this from an overall saga point of view. As usual, all comments are welcome! ... don't you think another 20 year gap is a bit long? I mean, between 3 and 4 it makes sense due to the Jedi having to go into hiding, waiting for the twins to come of age, but what would happen in that second 20 year hiatus?
I'm thinking that the point of the saga is to tell the story of the darkest hour of the galaxy's history and the story of those who fought to liberate it.
Therefore, Episode IX is when the Empire finally falls. Episode I will be when Palpatine declares himself Emperor and the Republic becomes the Empire. The Senate is not dissolved until Episode IV, as we know.
The events of ROTJ, I feel, are not really enough to put an end to the Galactic Empire. For a start, the Emperor will not be defeated until Episode IX now. But the destruction of the Death Star and the defeat of the fleet of Imperial ships present is not sufficient to bring down the whole thing.
I see the 20 years as being the time required for Luke to grow into an experienced Jedi and to start rebuilding the order. I see it as the length of time required to find his sister. I see it as the length of time required by the Rebel Alliance to muster the force needed to defeat the Empire once and for all. I see it as the length of time required to turn the tide of popular opinion, as the ordinary people of the galaxy will have been force-fed Imperial propaganda for more than 50 years by the time Episode VII begins.
It also opens out the saga. The focus is on the overall journey of the galaxy and the characters we meet are incidental to that story. This brings back the epic scale of the saga.
What do we think, people?