And in a darker timeline...

Anakin lifts Obi-wan and hurls him into the lava. His mentor disappears in an instant, leaving no trace that he ever existed.

At full strength, Vader returns to the ship pad and discovers a dying Padme lying in a heap. He reaches out with the Force and feels his bride dying..but is shocked even more when he feels not one, but two sparks of life growing within her. Twins! He realizes that in his blind rage, he had nearly killed them all.

Palpatine is ready to set his ultimate trap.  

Star Wars and the Redemption of Anakin Skywalker

Whoever made this meme does not understand Star Wars. The whole point is that EVEN someone as evil as Darth Vader has good in them, even if they've forgotten and that all of us deserve a chance to reject the Dark Side. 

Does saving Luke make up for all of his selfish, evil deeds? Nope. But did Anakin Skywalker return and reject the Dark Side. Yup.

Star Wars does not teach us that WE should forgive Darth Vader.  

Star Wars teaches us that we should forgive ourselves.

It teaches us to not let the mistakes from our past prevent us from doing the right thing now, in this moment. Star Wars teaches us that even after we choose the Dark Path, it is up to us to decide for ourselves if forever it will dominate our destiny.

"Do...or do not. There is no Try" - Yoda WASN'T dealing in absolutes like a Sith

There has been much made of  Yoda's line from Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, "Do or Do Not.  There is no Try" that points out the hypocrisy of such a statement of an "absolute" when in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Obi-wan exclaims quite clearly that only the Sith deal in absolutes.

Well, I think the famous line really isn't about absolutes.  I think it's about intent and expectations. 

The character, Yoda, is saying that he believes that you shouldn't start a task, unless you expect that you will succeed...or, in other words, you don't plan on giving up.  You must trust in The Force that the correct outcome will be successful.

I think that's why it is important to see the difference between "trying" and "doing".  It's the difference between the Means and the Goal.  The difference between the "HOW you do it" and the "WHAT you have accomplished once you are done".  Lifting the ship from the swamp, by whatever means, is the HOW you do it.  Having the ship on dry land is WHAT you have done.  

Even if an attempt fails, then you still continue trying.  The actions chosen for each subsequent attempt will be different than the earlier attempts, because they will be made with the knowledge of what didn't work the last time.  And you keep trying until you have reached your goal.  Until you are done.

One final side note, though...if try and try and discover that something really is impossible, then George Lucas...through Yoda has thoughts on that, too.  That is when you need to let go of your attachments and move on to something else.  

25 Reasons I Got Goosebumps from the Kenobi Teaser

Here are some of things that gave me goosebumps from that one minute 48 second teaser...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnlOhdFZSXw
• The familiar imagery of the sandy/rocky terrain of Tatooine's desolate Jundland wastes with the violins and harp notes of Obi-wan's Force Theme from 1977's Star Wars
• The weird Tatooine camel thing from 1999's The Phantom Menace
• Returning to Mos Eisley...a wretched hive of scum and villainy
• Ewan McGregor's voice as Obi-wan Kenobi lamenting his utter defeat.
• The callback music cue to the heartbreaking scene from 2005's Revenge of the Sith, in which Obi-wan cries out, "You were my brother, Anakin.   I loved you." followed by Obi-wan watching our fallen hero bursting into flames, but now we see Obi-wan watching over young Luke because he refused to give up
• The site of the Lars Homestead, our home..the normal world, the beginning of our heroic journey in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.
• Obi-wan using the same space macrobinoculars that he used in The Clone Wars
• Seeing young Luke instinctively mimicking his father's pod racing moves...his mind excitedly filled with adventure and excitement...his mind far from where he was...what he was doing.
• Callback music to The Duel of the Fates from Phantom Menace as the Lucasfilm logo dissolves into sand and blows away...the sand going everywhere.   I hate sand.
• The stark angular precision of a dark foreboding vessel traveling to a secluded, imposing outpost.
• The voice of a confident,  malevolent hunter, turning his prey's strength, compassion, into a weakness.  An image of a pale focused hunter devoid of life or empathy. 
• A train across the wastes of the Dune Sea.  Our hero, Obi-wan, hidden in plain sight amongst other lost desperate souls.
• The cold, severe inner sanctum of a Dark, Imperial power.
• The dangling limp body of a Jedi.  An image of inevitable failure in the face of overwhelming odds.
• An intense new Inquisitor....face to face with the grizzled, steely glare of a worn-down Owen Lars...just trying desperately to not get involved.
• This new Inquisitor on the hunt in the familiar territory of Coruscant...the former home of the traitorous Jedi Order.  But now, those traitors are relegated to its dark, seedy criminal Underworld.
• A steely Imperial officer narrowing her sights to a distant, desolate desert planet...the furthest from the bright center of the universe.
• Power and grace unleashed in the cover of darkness in an urban wilderness.
• The image of the spinning blade of the Grand Inquisitor an unholy combination of Dark Forces and Mechanical Might.
• Music growing  to crescendo.  Images of the unrelenting hunt.  Good under the foot of evil.  A familiar blaster as a last resort...so uncivilized.
• A burst of colorful birds disbursing over an explosion...goodness and beauty refusing to be destroyed by chaos and madness.
• BETWEEN DARKNESS AND DEFEAT, HOPE SURVIVES.
• The image of Ewan McGregor as aging, steadfast Obi-wan facing whatever comes on the horizon
• The ominous, unforgettable sound of Vader'a unholy, raspy breathing...twisted and evil.  And John Williams' theme for Vader...a portent of an ill fate unfolding.
• And finally, the sight and sound of a lightsaber bursting from behind the Disney logo creating Tinkerbell's arc over the logo.

I didn't care that The Grand Inquisitor had puffy cheeks and normal shaped forehead. His four seconds of the trailer were perfectly ominous and imposing, in my opinion.  

Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie - The Reunion that Wasn't (A Rosie's Revision Essay)

We all are well aware of one of the biggest missed opportunities was to have an on-screen reunion of "The Big Three".  Well, here is an alternative that would have reunited Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie while passing the torch (well, the lightsaber) to the next generation.

Imagine TFA in which the Starkiller attack happened AFTER Leia rescued Han, Chewie, Finn and BB-8.  

The First Order realize that The Map to Skywalker is in New Republic hands, so they ready the weapon.

Rey had just been taken by the First Order.  Finn begs them to go after Rey, but Leia says it will have to wait until the find Luke.  Leia, Han, Chewie, Finn with BB-8 and Threepio warp to Luke's hidden location.  They reunite with Luke, but he tells them he still can not help them.  He has been and must continue to mediate on The Force.  He tells them The Force guided him to this place to keep him safe until he was needed.  They tell him he is needed now.  He tells them they must trust in The Force.  

At this point, Luke notices Finn.  He says that he feels something in him...a great destiny awaits.  Finn offers Luke his lightsaber.  Luke smiles and says, "I no longer need that.  That is yours to carry...you must let The Force tell you where it's Destiny lies. I can sense you are connected to another who is in great danger.  Go to her.  I have foreseen that you will save each other."

Then Luke says his farewells to Han, Chewie and Leia..  "I will be here when I am needed."

Luke looks at his sister and his best friend.  "Our road has always been difficult, and the path ahead is no different.  The road ahead will be filled with Light and Dark, but never lose faith in The Force.  It is up to us to choose how we react to whatever our destiny becomes.  Remember, The Force controls our actions, but it also follow our commands.  I can see The Force flowing through us and keeping us connected.  Nothing can change that."

The group departs.  While in hyperspace, Starkiller Base attacks and Leia and company return to one of the only remaining hidden bases and they regroup for the counterattack and rescue.

The movie ends the same with the advanced team sneaking in to lower the shield and to rescue Rey, Han getting killed, Finn incapacitated with Chewie at his side.  But Rey and Leia both return to Luke feeling hopeless and desperate.  Luke sees them, and says, "I wish there had been another way, but this is the path The Force has laid out for us. It is time to begin."  And that is the end of the movie.

*****************

Side note.  In my version, Leia begins the movie as Supreme Chancellor, there is no Resistance at first, and Han (still happily married) had stepped down as General to lead the Top Secret Elite Operatives who had been searching the Galaxy for Luke.  His top field operative had been Poe Dameron, the best damn pilot in the Galaxy (Although Han still says he is the best.)

So, after the Starkiller attack wipes out the New Republic and their Fleets, the remnants becomes the Resistance and Leia becomes a General to rally the remaining Free People of the Galaxy.

*****************

Image credit: Daekasu

https://www.deviantart.com/daekazu/art/Star-Wars-Past-and-Present-588964943

What if "Resistance" had gotten four seasons to flesh out the story of The Collosus? (A Rosie's Revision Mini-Essay)

SPOILER ALERT! Don't even bother reading unless you've finished this charming, but short-lived show.

Having finally finished watching "Resistance" on Disney+, I have to say that the show had beautiful visuals, energetic action, engaging, charming characters and entertaining stories, but I was a left a bit underwhelmed.  Don"t get me wrong.  It was perfectly fine, and I did not feel it was a waste of time to watch this enjoyable show. But I got the sense that they had a much longer story in mind, just like "Rebels", which had 4 seasons.  I think they took seasons 2, 3 & 4 and compressed them into 1 final season.

At the end of the 1st season before the Starkiller Base massacre, Leia told Kaz she couldn't help The Collosus and they were on their own. I think they could have leanrd into this a bit more and made this a moment where she told him that a Resistance is built by finding others who would fight for their freedom and inspiring them to action.  She could have said that he isn't just a spy, but he could be the spark to give others the courage to join together to fight oppression.  She could encourage him to make sure others knew they were not alone in their desire for freedom.

I can picture all of Season 2 being Kaz slowly gathering allies on The Collosus to his cause until they all agree to become a Resistance Base.  The ship was called The Collosus, but it never seemed all that big.  It's sparse population could have been explained by it being out of the way on Catalon, but with its new community mission they could pick up fighters and refugees to fill the station with a growing cast of characters, species and ships.  Instead of exiting the pirates, they could have been their own squadrant to add to the battle readiness of the mobile battle station.Tam would begin moving up the ranks justifying herself because of the First Order conditioning.

Aunt Z referenced fleeing to a friend on Takadana.  This seemed like a reference to Maz Kanada.  I think they were planning on looping her in to Resistance. Season 3 could have had the Collosus jumping from place to place looking for more allies to support and be supported by. We could have seen the other side of that mysterious holocall Maz makes to Poe during TLJ. Season 3 could end with Tam being captured and brought back to the Collosus.  Perhaps Dr. Aphra (I'm assuming Mika Grey was an alias) could use a Force Relic to help break Tam's First Order conditioning.

And I think there are underworld connections between Maz and Lando, so they could have built the fouth season fortifying and training the citizens of the Collosus into a roving militia that eventually joins the citizen fleet that Lando and Chewbacca rallies in ROTS at the end of the series.  They could have even had the series end just before Lando's rally call and then do a series finale special that ends with them getting the call with the navigation info on how to get to Exaogol and the need for everyone's help and then the final shot is them jumping to light speed for the Final Battle.

It could have feathered in and out of the entire Sequel Trilogy.  But what do I know?  I'm just a fan.

What if Qui-Gon had switched roles with Obi-Wan in Episode 1? (A Rosie's Revision Essay)

It has been asked how could Obi-Wan Kenobi, a mere padawan, beat Darth Maul in "Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace", but his Master, Qui-Gonn Jin, a skilled lightsaber expert was struck down.  Oh, yeah...SPOILER ALERT.

This got me thinking.  What if the original intent of Episode 1 was to have our Obi-wan as the main protagonist, not a newly invented character, Qui Gonn Jin?

In my head canon, that's exactly how I see it.  Don't get me wrong.   I love Qui Gon and Liam Neeson's portrayal.  This essay is only about what could have been with an alternate minor narrative choice.  With that subtle change, there are MASSIVE repercussions to the major themes throughout the Skywalker saga.

Indulge me.  Let me walk you through what that change does to our favorite Heroes' Journeys in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Imagine that Qui Gon never existed.  Imagine that everything in Lucas' version of The Phantom Menace (or, in other words, the real version) done by or that happened to Qui Gon was, instead, done by or happened to happened to Obi-Wan.  And everything that happened with Lucus' Obi-wan was my Obi-wan's 1st Apprentice who I'll call Qui-Gon 

Except at the end.  (Hold tight...we'll get there.)

So, it was Obi-wan who was sent to negotiate at Naboo with his apprentice, Qui Gon.  (Remember that General Grevious calls Obi-wan, "The Negotiator in Ep 3.)  Obi-wan who rescued Padme from the Trade Federation.  Obi-wan who discovered Anakin's Force Potential (while his apprentice fixed the ship).  Obi-wan was at the pod race to see how good of a pilot he was.  Obi-wan who tried (and failed) to convince the Council to train Anakin. 

And it was Obi-wan who returned with Qui-Gon, his apprentice, to Naboo to investigate Darth Maul. But at the climax of the fight, Obi-wan's Apprentice, Qui-Gon rushes ahead and is killed by Maul.  

Obi-wan, the experienced Jedi Knight, slices Maul in two.  The last dying wish from his Qui-Gon is for Obi-wan to keep his faith in the Force...to carry on and take another Apprentice so he can pass on what he has learned in this tragic lesson...so his death wouldn't be in vain.  Obi-wan tells him that he will and he starts Anakin on his journey through the Force.

At the end of Ep 2, when Obi-wan warns Anakin to fight Dooku together, it would have been because Obi-wan had learned first hand the lesson that they are weaker when they are divided.

Now, at the beginning of Ep 3, when Anakin tells Obi-wan that this time they'll fight Dooku together, it is because Anakin learned that lesson also...that they are stronger together.

The tragedy of Darth Vader is that the Emperor did the one thing that he could to made Anakin weaker...he divided Anakin and Obi-wan.  Capitalizing on Anakin's fear, Palpatine fomented his hatred for not being able to end suffering and ultimately destroyed Anakin's greatest strength...his faith in his friends.

So, in Return of the Jedi, we see Anakin returning when he helps Luke...he is stronger when he fights together with Luke, not against him.

In Rise of the Skywalker, we see the culmination of this togetherness when Ray and Ben channel ALL of the Jedi to fight the Darkness together.

It's like poetry.  It rhymes.

But the leitmotif only works if Qui-Gon had been Obi-wan and Obi-wan's Apprentice died.