Unusual Sequel Trilogy Radical Redux Ideas Thread — Page 87

Here’s a crazy thought for trying to make the Rey Palpatine reveal feel less like a contradiction that comes out of nowhere in TROS: what about cutting the “they were nobody” reveal out of TLJ?

I don’t know how well this could be executed, but maybe it would be possible to have Rey cut Kylo off before he has a chance to tell her, going from him teasing the truth straight to Rey reaching for the lightsaber? If this could be pulled off, viewers would come away from that scene thinking there still is an answer yet to be revealed, but it’s something so horrible that Rey can’t bear to face it at that point. Then the “your his granddaughter” scene would be a payoff worthy of such fears rather than a retcon undermining a previous revelation that had weight and significance all its own.

Disclaimer: personally I’m firmly in the Rey Nobody camp. But this idea popped into my head during a brainstorming kick, so I figured I’d toss it out for consideration, just in case it can help the Rey Palpatine concept be the best it can be.

I mean, yes, that would be the logical change to strengthen the Rey Palpatine angle, but it kinda guts the core of the most interesting Sequel Trilogy film. Of course TROS does that later anyway…

Agreed, which again is why I’m a Rey Nobody guy. But there’s something to be said for maximizing the potential of both versions of the story in separate projects.

I don’t want to derail this thread by relitigating something that has been argued about to death numerous times on multiple threads, so I’ll just point out that (a) “Rey Nobody” is shorthand for “no familial connection at all,” not just “no famous parents”; and (b) a retcon that hides behind “well TECHNICALLY…” is still a retcon.

I didn’t say anything about the dictionary definition of the word “nobody”; I was talking about the meaning and usage of the “Rey Nobody” label among this community. It denotes one of the two general directions to take ST edits. That’s it.

Look, if and when I ever develop an interest in debating the decision to make Rey a Palpatine, I will post in the relevant thread. But I don’t yet have any such interest, and that’s not what this particular thread is for.

I recently made a bit of a breakthrough and put the finishing touch on my sequel mega-edit, namely how we transition from TLJ into TRoS and the context of Kylo’s final prayer to Vader’s mask.

After receiving a mysterious broadcast in his darkest moment at the end of TLJ Rekindled (thanks to poppasketti), Kylo Ren (using footage moved from a later scene) beseeches guidance from what he believes to be his grandfather’s presence, or essence, which leads him to Mustafar in search of a hidden ancient power. This in turn leads him, inexorably, to the true phantom behind the mirror, Palpatine.

Uploaded this scene here:
https://vimeo.com/554625583

RogueLeader said:

This is nice, ghost!

I really like the idea of Kylo connecting to Vader’s helmet and it “showing” him how to find the Wayfinder/Exegol is a good idea. It’s something I’ve thought about before. Because it does seem like Palpatine has been influencing Ben through Vader’s helmet for years, and it makes more sense for Kylo to connect with the helmet before he knows about Palpatine, rather than after. You would think he would be reluctant to even connect with it after realizing Palpatine has been using it to manipulate him.

But I guess in the theatrical film, he is just using the helmet’s dark side aura to help him reconnect his mind with Rey’s?

To be honest I really don’t have a good read on why he is touching Vader’s helmet in the theatrical other than the fact they salvaged the footage from another scene. Watching the Ascendant version of the training course scene, it’s kind of clear to see that intercutting was a pretty late-game change.

Thank you, tho, RL! It works as a small extension of the breathing room between the end of TLJ and the start of TRoS for me, too.

TestingOutTheTest said:

Then why doesn’t Palps just lead Kylo Ren to Exegol?

He does? In the scene I linked. Or do you mean in the first place, as a young boy? I imagine that kind of speaks for itself, no?

Yeah the Sith seem generally fairly inscrutable in their machinations. In the theatrical edition, a year has passed and Kylo has been using what he learned from Snoke to track down Sith artifacts in search of Palpatine after his big broadcast.

In my edit the narrative context is significantly different, with this taking place moments after TLJ Rekindled’s ending. So Palpatine has decided it’s time to bring his Sith Jason Bourne “in from the cold”, as it were. And then a year passes, and we see Rey training, etc, Kylo rebuilds his mask after being up to God knows what (assumedly assembling his bois and fetching his mask from the rubble of the Supremacy to complete his Vaderfication).

Also that’s the whole reason the Wayfinders existed in the first place, even Vader and himself coveted them because that region of space was so treacherous to traverse.