Rogue One - Minor Gripe - Tantive IV at Skariff (A Rosie Revision Essay)

As cool as it was, having the Tantive IV blast off from Skariff, I actually thought that was a minor narrative misstep.

Let me explain. For years, I had imagined that the Blockade runner was lightyears from the source of the transmission, and the spies gave their lives in a suicide mission breaking in to an Imperial facility knowing once they sent the transmission, there would be no way out. 

A Unified Ending, a Confrontation with Krennic and Jyn and a Dark Lord of the Sith with a purpose [Star Wars: Rogue One] (A Rosie's Revision Essay)

I really enjoyed Rogue One, but I would have preferred if after Jyn got the plans from the Vault, she and the rest of her band of Rebels had met at a rendezvous and together blasted across the beach to the transmission tower topped with Krennic's office, with Rogue One providing air support clearing the way.  Jyn and Cassian enter the tower blasting their way to Krennic's office complex in the tower.

Bodhi holds his position in the air for as long as he can taking out as many AT-ATs and AT-STs as he can, but eventually there are just too many TIES and he's shot down.  Baze and Chirrut lead the force outside securing the building.  Their heroics hold the building long enough for the transmission to be sent.  They hold the line until Vader pushes in with the imperial forces into the tower killing them and tearing through the hallway to the control room. 

Interspersed with this final barricaded defense, the confrontation between Orson Krennic and Jyn Galen should have drawn more from the themes and connections from earlier in the film and in Catalyst. Also, I thought that it should have ripples that tie it to The Force Awakens and beyond.

Here's what I came up with:
************************************

<Jyn starts upload of Death Star plans.>

<Krennic appears with gun raised. Since he still doesn't know of the flaw, he doesn't bother to shoot. He just wants to capture her.>

Krennic: You've lost. Your little offensive was for nothing. The lives of your friends down there on the beachfront...wasted. All this to get a glimpse at the plans for your own destruction? What could you have possibly hoped to have achieved here?

Jyn: We learned precisely what we needed to learn. We learned your greatest weakness...arrogance. You've gotten so caught up in your own lies and propaganda that it doesn't even occur to you that your technological wonder is as rotten and fragile at the core as your precious Empire.  We learned the secret of exactly how my father won his struggle with you for all those years.

Krennic: What did you say? Your father? Your...father. That necklace. I know that necklace. Lyra. Galen. You must be Jyn. By the stars...Galen...what have you done?

Jyn: He spent a lifetime protecting me. Sabotaging your endeavor from the start. Your prize will rot from the inside out.

Krennic: IMPOSSIBLE! WHAT HAS HE DONE, CHILD?!?! WHAT HAS HE DONE?!?!

<He notices the upload and runs over to the controls. He drops his weapon as he starts frantically entering codes to cancel the transmission>.

<Jyn moves forward towards him with her pistol aimed at him. She kicks his gun away. He is so frantic that he doesn't even notice.>

Krennic: I'm locked out of my own system. What have you done?

Jyn: Once these plans finish transmitting, the Galaxy will know precisely how to destroy your battle station. My father built its own destruction into the very heart of the Death Star. Your Empire is finished.

Krennic: No, this can't be. Without the power your father and I have unleashed...you'll condemn the Galaxy to endless war. The chaos will consume your children and your children's children. My Death Star is a gift to the Galaxy. It is the only hope we have for peace. Lasting peace.

Jyn: Peace without freedom is slavery. It's an illusion. Your Galaxy would only have room for the freedom of one man...Palpatine. It would not be for you or me or anyone else. My mother always told me that in The Force, we're all connected. I finally understand what she meant. All of us...you and I...we are one with The Force, and The Force is one with us. All your Death Star will do will fracture us. Inside us all are Kybur crystals...you just have to feel that the Force of Others is with you...always.

Krennic: You are a naive fool...just like your parents.

Jyn: That is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me.

Krennic: Please...I'm begging you. Do not do this. If my Death Star is destroyed before order is restored...then my entire life will have been wasted.

Jyn: My parents lost a lifetime they should have spent together. I lost a lifetime I could have...should have spent with my parents. Those years were wasted. All because of you and your Empire.

Krennic: If you send those plans...you'll never get off this planet alive. And even if you do...the Empire will never stop hunting you.

Jyn: I've been running my whole life. If my destiny is to free the Galaxy from your tyranny, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

<Upload plans is complete.>

Krennic: You've murdered us all.

Jyn: History will decide. I put my trust in The Force. I put my trust in each other.

Krennic: I will stop you, if it is the last thing I do.

Jyn: I'm very sorry to hear that. I take no pleasure in what I am about to do.

Krennic: You can kill me, but the people of the Galaxy are weak.  They crave Order.  It is inevitable. It can not be stopped.  Your victory will be a blip.

Jyn: You have to start somewhere.

<Krennic's eyes widen as he remembers his own words from so long ago. She fires and he drops to the floor. Even now, Jyn sees the Death Star filling the sky.>

<Jyn rushes to Cassian and helps him to his feet. He puts his arm around her neck for support and they make their way to the exit, but it opens and out of the smoke Lord Vaders enters.  

He steps over Krennick and with a wave of his hand, lifts Jyn and Cassian into the air, and without a word, breaks their necks.

Thinking his mission a success with all of the Rebels killed, he walks to the computer to turn off the blaring alarm.   The alarms quiet and as Vader begins to leave, he hears a beeping that draws him to a console with a green blinking light.  It states, "TRANSMISSION TO COORDINATES 11381977 COMPLETE.  UPLOAD SUCCESSFUL."

Vader enters a few commands into the control console and presses a button opening a comm channel to his Star Destroyer.  We see Vader from behind as hear him say, "Commander, I have just sent a data file with the coordinates of a transmission.  Set a course to intercept and prepare for the jump to light speed as soon as I arrive." "Yes, Lord Vader, as you wish."  Vader turns, facing the audience and walks toward the exit filling the screen.

The next scene is the Tantive IV...and hope.

A Princess, A Wookie and their Scoundrel - A Hug and a Farewell (A very special Rosie's Revisions Essay)

What follows is my version 
of an alternate ending to The Force Awakens, 

in which Rey takes the wounded Finn off the Millennium Falcon, 

and General Organa returns to the inside of the familiar ship 
to find Chewbacca alone in the cockpit.

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

The excited crowd of Resistance ground crew, back-up support and leadership quickly approached the returning Millennium Falcon. Only a few had heard the transmission from hyperspace from the returning heroes of the loss of the former General, but the news of Han Solo's death was quickly spreading.

As the Falcon touched down, the crowd moved close to get a glimpse of the returning heroes as the landing ramp lowered. They were starting to internalize the reality of seeing Rey pushing an unconscious Finn down the ramp on the med pallet. The silent crowd instinctively separated to let them pass unhindered, and also so Dr. Kalonia and her expertly skilled triage team could get to their wounded companion as soon as possible.  

Leia got a glimpse of the mysterious young woman pushing her fallen comrade as they both rushed past her.  Leia had never seen such devotion in a Stormtrooper, and knew from the look of grief in Rey that she and Finn truly had a connection that ran deeply.  The crowd followed the levitating med pallet as it crossed the ferrocrete tarmac heading back into the landing bay and then into the med center beyond. 

But General Leia Organa Solo remained still, her mind clouded.  She stood alone in the cool, fresh air between her secret base and the ship that was really the only place left that she could truly call...home.  She willed herself to slowly turn her attention to the ship and the empty ramp. She felt Chewbacca's presence within the Falcon that let her know it wasn’t empty...at least not completely.  

She slowly entered, one step at a time up the ramp.   And as she was welcomed by the Falcon, she could not help but remember a conversation that felt like a lifetime ago.

HAN: Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help. 

LEIA: Would you please stop calling me that? 

She felt disoriented slightly as the dissipating artificial gravity gripped her as she reached the top of the ramp and got her first gaze in years of her former home.

HAN: Sure, Leia. 

LEIA: Oh, you make it so difficult sometimes. 

She soaked in the comforting sights, unforgettable smells and the soothing sounds once she arrived at the main level. She worked her way around the ship past the engine room and the crew quarters looking for her friend. Her head was swirling with confusion, but she was trying to stay calm. Using techniques she learned from her brother, she reached out into The Force to center herself.

HAN: I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. 

Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right. 

LEIA: Occasionally ... 

when you aren't acting like a scoundrel. 

She lingered for a moment at the acceleration couch and brushed her fingers across the Dejarik table as she passed it. Over the years, she had learned a few tricks and strategies at this table that had helped her and her friends out of more than one scrape. Just thinking about it brought a bittersweet smile to her lips.

HAN: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? 
I like the sound of that. 

LEIA: Stop that. 

HAN: Stop what? 

LEIA: Stop that! My hands are dirty. 

It wasn't until her eyes drifted to the opening of the cockpit access corridor that she realized she had avoided it initially when she entered the ship. She just wasn't ready to face the truth. She took a deep breath and began walking down the corridor.

HAN: My hands are dirty, too. 

What are you afraid of? 

LEIA: Afraid? 

HAN: You're trembling. 

LEIA: I'm not trembling. 

With this memory, she realized that after all these years, she was trembling again. Her eyes started to glaze over as she held in tears.  Her gaze fixed on the backs of the cockpit chairs. On the right, she could see the back of Chewbacca's head and shoulders slowly and deeply rising with each breath. His head was slumped forward slightly...his hands covering his face and eyes. Leia felt a lump growing in her gut seeing Han's empty seat on the left.

HAN: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. 

There aren't enough scoundrels in your life. 

LEIA: I happen to like nice men. 

She slid into the Captain's seat. Her eyes peered upwards into the infinite sky above.  Out there...anything was possible.  At first, she could not turn to look at her friend. It was not the first time she sat there with Chewie by her side. But this time felt different...final. Tears finally trickled down her cheek as the truth sunk in. She took a deep breath, turned her head and looked over at Chewbacca. He looked back.

HAN: I'm a nice man. 

LEIA: No, you're not. You're...

She leapt out of her seat and wrapped her arms around the walking carpet and she felt warmth and comfort as he wrapped his arms around her. He accepted her embrace and rubbed her arm lovingly. She released her arms and stood above him, looking down on him...a view she rarely had.  Chewbacca looked up at his princess and growled a soft tone. Leia replied quietly, "I know. I loved him, too." And she kissed him on the forehead.

Chewbacca took a deep breath to compose himself and he stood at her side as he put his arm around her and they walked out of the ship side-by-side.

As they reached the ferrocrete tarmac, they hugged one more time and parted as he went in towards the med bay to check on his new friend, Finn. He saw Rey walking out of the hangar. He put his hands on her shoulders and nodded. Then, he disappeared into the base.

Rey walked to Leia. The both felt a connection to one another through The Force. They felt like they had never not known each other. They felt home. With their embrace, a weight was lifted from both. They both knew that Han was one with The Force, and both knew they were ready to take the next steps on their respective journeys wherever the fates sent them next.

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

Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel justifies its existence

<SPOILER WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS ESSAY BEFORE YOU'VE READ CATALYST: A ROGUE ONE NOVEL>

<Author's Note: This essay written before the release of the movie>

Not only does the novel, Catalyst, effectively set-up the soon-to-be-released movie, Rogue One, but also exquisitely enhances the overall Star Wars saga. The relationships and events established in this novel adds another tendon of connective tissue between the Prequel era, The Clone Wars and the Dark Times of the Empire.

There are always a few questions you have to ask with any content set in an established fictional narrative. What is the point of this new content? Does it improve the associated story? Does it add to the works that came before and does it set up the stories to follow? But, also, does it stand up on its own as a complete story with a beginning, middle and end? Are the characters compelling on their own? Are the settings and events interesting?

A NOVEL new viewing order for Star Wars

For quite a while, my preferred order of the Lucasian Star Wars movies was Episode 4, then 5, then 1, then 2, then 3 and finally 6.  This would make the "Prequel Trilogy" a flashback in the middle of the "Original  Trilogy", and preserves ROTJ as the climax of the six.  I call this the "Flashback Order".  It is sort of a variation on the "Machete Order", which does the same thing, but skips Episode 1. (Reading about the Machete Order is what got me thinking about what happens to the narrative if you change the viewing order.)

But recently I thought of a new NOVEL way of being introduced to Star Wars.  By "novel", I mean that this viewing order would have the audience to jump back and forth in time throughout the saga, just as would be perfectly normal in a written novel.  So, what I call “The Novel Order” would be as follows:

• Episode 4 (ANH), then
• Episode 1 (TPM), then
• Episode 2 (AOTC), then
• Episode 5 (ESB),  then
• Episode 3 (ROTS) and finally
• Episode 6. (ROTJ)  

This is what I think is the best order...probably.  But WHY is this an optimal order?  You have to think about what you learn in each movie and how the narrative would play out.   As I said, written novels jump around this way all the time as a narrative technique.   You begin in the middle of the action to get you interested in the setting of the story and the characters affected.  Then, once you're invested in the story, more mundane details to give backstory and context more depth and texture.  Each chapter of the story moves the story further along, while creating a richer and deeper saga to experience.  Lucas' use of "rhyming poetry" between the Originals and the Sequels makes this method even more appealing.  I think it would be amazing to experience SW in this order.   

Here's a breakdown of the rationale for why it works, by thinking of what you learn in each Episode:

Episode 4 (A New Hope):
We jump right into the action.  We immediately get the sense of the state of this Galaxy far, far away with the opening shots of the cool looking spaceships...one that is small and plucky being chased (picked on) by one that is  massive and imposing.  We meet Vader. Boo!!! We meet Leia...quite the fiery leader! We meet Luke..will this headstrong idealist get caught up in some damn-fool crusade? We meet Obi-wan...hero of The Clone Wars and comrade of Leia's father, Bail Organa. We meet Han...can he escape his past and do the right thing? We learn that Luke's father was a hero killed by Vader. We learn there is a galactic empire that emerged after the Jedi were destroyed.

Episode 1 (The Phantom Menace):
We already know that the Jedi were wiped out by Vader, so, the first thing we see are Jedi in action.  And not just Jedi, but a young Obi-wan and his master.  Obi-wan...the only Jedi to survive the Dark Times, as far as we know.  This Padme sure is a brave leader, despite being so young.  And we meet Anakin Skywalker.   We see him use The Force to help his friends and to escape from slavery.   What a great kid.   I can totally see why he'll grow up to be a great hero, just like Obi-wan said.  Him being separated from his mother sure was a touching moment.  I sure hope he learns to cope with that loss.  We get to see Jedi being Jedi...just keeping the peace throughout the Old Republic.  I wonder what Old Ben could have been talking about when he talked about Vader wiping out all the Jedi.  That'll be a tragedy!  And that Yoda guy is pretty cool.  I wonder who that guy in the dark robe pulling all the strings is.  Wonder why that red faced guy is so upset.   He was pretty awesome.

Episode 2 (Attack of the Clones):
The Old Republic shows a bit a tarnish.  Whoa...Anakin seems to have gone through a lot.   Wow...killing those sandpeople seems pretty dark.  Anakin must feel pretty awful knowing that if he had used his power in the first place his mother would be alive.  Hmmm.  That Yoda guy teaching the younglings was pretty neat.   I wonder if he taught Obi-wan when he was that age?  We meet Jango Fett and his son Boba.  Cool armor.   We meet Bail Organa.  Isn't he the guy whose planet got demolished in Episode 4?  Hmm.  The Clone Wars erupt.  Wow...Vader must be coming soon.  The Seperatists have the Death Star plans.  And we know Vader is connected to the Death Star.  So, Vader will probably be a Seperatist General.  Maybe even the guy who takes over after Dooku.  This Clone War must be when all of the other Jedi get killed leaving Obi-Wan as the only surviving Jedi. 

Episode 5 (The Empire Strikes Back):
We catch up with Luke and friends.  Hokie smokes!  Yoda survived the Jedi purge!!! Wow...what happened to him?  Sure is neat to see him training Luke.  Yoda seems so dark and jaded.  I wonder how bad it got for him to end up marooned on swampy planet.  Oh...we see Boba Fett grown up now working with Vader.  Hmm...that Emperor in the hologram looks a lot like Palpatine...could it be that they are one and the same?  Aww...Han and Leia seem to fallen in love.   Luke will be so sad...but obviously there is still quite the strong connection. Vader reveals he's Luke's father!  (Spoiler Alert)

Episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith):
We get to see how Anakin falls and becomes Vader and how Palpatine becomes the Emperor.   We get to see the Jedi wiped out.   Oh...that's what happened to Yoda!  And we FINALLY learn that LEIA is Luke's sister...and has been the whole time!   Oh, THAT is why Bail Organa is connected to Obi-wan and how he knows where he is.  

Episode 6 (Return of the Jedi):
Now we know the whole backstory of it all!   Time to wrap it all up in a neat bow for an AWESOME CLIMAX!!  Yub nub!!  Celebrate the Light!!

Episode 7 (The Force Awakens):
And now we're ready for the final chapters.  There has been an awakening.  Have you felt it?  The dark side and the light. The Force...it's calling to you.  Just let it in.

Episode 8 (The Last Jedi):
I have no idea yet how Episodes 8 & 9 and the anthology stories would fit.   Time will tell.  I would expect them to fit in in the order released.

Thoughts?

Gene Wilder RIP

Gene Wilder in 1970

I thought the best way to celebrate the life of Jerome Silberman (aka Gene Wilder) (June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016) would be to enjoy a few of his most memorable moments.  So, enjoy and smile.  And any time you need a quick smile in the future feel free to come on back here.

(And if I forgot any good ones...please post them in the comments.)

Coming Soon: Star Trek: Discovery

Among the revelations:

• The show will be set 10 years before Star Trek: The Original Series. (Rosie's thoughts: I'm sure it'll be good, but I wanted a post-TNG time period.)

• The main character will be a woman, but not a captain. (Rosie's thoughts: Don't care if the lead is male or female, but having the main character not be a captain sounds...intriguing.)

• The first season will consist of 13 episodes, with the show as a whole serialized and playing out like a novel, “with each episode being a chapter of that novel." (Rosie's thoughts: Sounds great!  DS9 was a pioneer in today's long form episodic storytelling.  Enterprise did some great use of this style, too.)

• There's an incident, an event, in the history of Starfleet that has been talked about (in previous Star Trek shows), but never fully explored." (Rosie's thoughts:  When is the first episode?)

Here's the full article with more details:

http://www.startrek.com/article/bryan-fuller-reveals-discovery-details

What are your thoughts?

ABC's "the muppets." isn't The Muppet Show...but that's okay.

It did not take me long to really start to enjoy ABC's "the muppets."  Although it is NOW one of my favorite shows, this was not the case, at first.  And it is because there is one obvious flaw.  ABC's "the muppets." is not for kids.  At all.  Well, mostly. (It gets much better in that regard as the season progressed due to some interesting story developments...more on that later.)

Jim Henson's The Muppet Show back in the '70s was aimed 50% at kids and 50% at adults. But ABC's The Muppets, I'd say, it starts more like 10/90 or 5/95 in favor of adults.   There are very few jokes that don't work other than their subtle meaning.  The visuals have a bit of whimsy.   There is music, which is wonderful...but it's brief.  Maybe one or two songs per show.

This is not the advertising you use when you are trying to court children for your audience:

This, in itself, would be annoying, if you are watching it with the assumption that it SHOULD be a kids show.  The first description I heard of this version of "the muppets" was that it was just like the old show, except everyone is an asshole.

And if this show was for kids, that'd be true.  But it's not.  It's just for adults.  And...once you realize that it's meant to be FOR adults who USED TO BE kids and who REMEMBER being a kid, the show really starts to work.

It is a show about ourselves.  It is a show about characters with the same flaws that we have.  The same hopes and dreams that we have.  It is a show by adults who have lived hard lives meant to be viewed by adults who have lived hard lives.  But, at the same time, those same adults must also still have hope that, together, we will get through it all.

The very fact that Kermit and Piggy start the show "broken up" is a mature, natural progression of their relationship.  And their interaction since their break-up is really, really moving and complex.  The exploration of their incompatibility due to Piggy's self-centeredness and Kermit's self-doubt is really interesting.   His new girlfriend, Denise, (a younger pig) seemed like a cheap gag, but they used it to take the story and characters in interesting places.  Kermit and Piggy's cautious reunion throughout the season has followed mature themes such as trust, desire, fear of rejection and fear of aging.  These two have been through the wringer.  They have had ups and downs.  Each has pushed the other to their limits.  This is a relationship that rings true.  Warts and all.  (See what I did there?  I made a pun about frogs.  Sorry....couldn't be helped.)   And with a bond that deep, it resolves itself into one question.  The question that has plagued them since "the muppets" re-entered our lives.  Team Friendship.  Or Team Love.

The rest of the cast is presented with just as much care.  Kermit and Fozzie's endearing friendship is absolutely charming.  As the season proceeded, they fleshed out Gonzo the Whatever-He-Is, Rizzo the Rat and Pepe the Prawn, who have a  great camaraderie.  Scooter is very interesting, too.  (Although I am bummed that they didn't bring back his sister Skeeter...hopefully next season, she'll return for a visit from traveling the world.  Maybe she's out there somewhere with Uncle Travelling Matt).  The band is HILARIOUS!   Chip, the IT guy (an old previously nameless character) is a real stand-out.  The introduction of Yolanda the Rat has been a wonderful addition to the cast, too.  Bobo the Bear is charming.  Everyone is charming!  And Uncle Deadly really shines.  His supportive, tender friendship with Piggy gave more depth to Piggy's narcissistic characterization than anything that has come before.

Basically, ABC's The Muppets is a slowly developed, complex modern sit-com.   The show's got lots of gags, but also underlying subplots and storyarcs that really pack some punch in mature, intelligent ways.  The episode where Gonzo wants to re-live his glory days as a stuntman which leads to Kermit's complete support and encouragement to not give up on his dream is really surprising and charming.

In the middle of the season, a trendy outside consultant comes in to try and improve Miss Piggy's struggling show-within-a-show.  What Kermit eventually realizes is that Miss Piggy's show is missing is The Muppets.  He realizes that the spark that has been missing is that The Muppets belong on scene performing, delighting and amazing, not as somber drones worried only about work.  And with that revelation, so too, does the tone of ABC's the muppets.  The complex foundation that was developed in the first half of the season pays off as it is decorated with the wit, whimsy and charm that we come to expect from Jim Henson's legacy.

Even the opening credits with the Muppets all starting their day leaving Kermit in a swirl of chaos and mayhem at the craft services table evolved into something moving and charming.  The first half of the season ended this madcap opening with Kermit demoralized as he started each day already defeated and alone.  But as Kermit and Piggy's relationship rekindled, Piggy's selfless act of bringing a Starbucks coffee to her mon cheri transformed the chaos into a scene where Kermit clearly was portrayed as feeling like he could take on the world knowing that he was not all by himself.  Piggy, his one true love, his very best friend, would always be there right by his side.  The repeated opening line "Time to get things started" took on a whole knew meaning as this context shifted.

Bill Prady and Bob Kushell should be commended for what a wonderful job they have done of actualizing these characters with charm, care and realism.  It's not the same show that we grew up with.  but that's okay.  Because we grew up.  And "the muppets" grew up with us.

Personally, I think Henson would have liked what this show evolved into.  Why do I think that?  Because...love.