For TLJ, why does the first order fire first on the empty base rather than the Radis? Where does the Guards knife go during the fight while Rey is wide open to be stabbed?
For TROS, why do the Knights of REN allow Rey and the others to escape when they had the element of surprise and had them surrounded? Why does Rey not sense Chewie being alive on the much closer second shuttle but can sense him being alive way the hell over on the FO capital ships? Why do none of the stupid ass Death Star laser SD’s use their lasers on ships like we saw the Death Star II do during the battle of Endore? Why does it take a giant cable hooked into R2 to relay a simple sentence long message with no real vital data as to the location of the Emperor?
If Rey kills the Emperor and his spirit is supposed to go into Rey, why does that not happen? If he was brought back with Sith Alchemy (spirit?) and Cloning, what keeps him from being brought back yet again? WHY DONT THE GODDAMN STAR DESTROYERS KNOW HOW TO GO UP? Why do they need to reset the SD’s systems when the dish has been destroyed? Why don’t they just switch to the other dish? Do they not all have their own dish? Where does Kylo’s blaster go during the fight with the Knights of REN?
Ah, thanks for this. It’s not a hundred but it’s a good start.
Several things here I’ve wondered about as well...
Not really too interested in clouding a TROS thread with discussion of TLJ, as there’s been more than enough talk about that, and its issues. But the ship was shielded and the planet base seemed not to be, so there’s that? TBH I have big issues with the slow-motion car chase that is the main plot framework of TLJ.
Why the Knights didn’t just capture everyone is a good question. But based on what we SEE, the only one they come across is Chewie, going off on his own. Still, I’d say this is less of a plot hole and more of a “what if?”
Rey not sensing Chewie alive goes back to the vague way in which everything about force powers is described, from the first movie through to this one. Who can sense what, and at what distance? Sure seems like everyone good who dies is “sensed” by the other force-sensitive good guys. As far as precedent we do have Obi-Wan sensing a very vague “great disturbance” when Alderaan was destroyed. He didn’t know what had happened exactly, it was just a feeling that stopped him dead. This one is arguably more of a plot hole than most.
SDs not using their mini death-star beams (they’re definitely less powerful, as it takes a sustained beam to destroy the planet we see and not one short burst) is probably related to their being in atmosphere still, but yep, agreed.
For the message sent to R2 in the cable, Mauler made this same point and same assumption. Who says, anywhere in the movie that the entirety of the message was one sentence? We get the short summary version of the info. But it seems pretty clear that there’s more data there. Think about the Death Star plans in the first movie (and rogue one, when they were transferring them). What we hear in the planning stage at the end of ANH is pretty brief. Not much as far as technical detail about the dimensions of everything, etc. But it had to have been there. Same sort of thing only makes sense here.
Does Rey really kill the emperor? Or does he kill himself with his own force lightning? (I’d say it’s the latter, based on what we see.)
Does anyone say that the emperor won’t be brought back again? I think it’s possible he could come back, like you say, which is one issue I have with the ending. I doubt it was intentional but it leaves the door open for his return at any point, and that kinda sucks. ...on the other hand, who is left to do it? Looked like all of the Sith eternals watching Rey and the emperor got hit in the face with some pretty big rocks...
The SDs not going straight up is one thing I thought was ridiculous my first viewing. 2nd and 3rd time I caught several lines from I think two different characters about why they couldn’t. Merry the Hobbit describes “gravity wells” as well as several other things that I’d describe as “space anomalies.” It’s a conversation he’s having with someone just before 3PO shows up, I believe? But it’s definitely explained. Is every detail explained? No, it’s the same kind of sci-fi mumbo jumbo description as the emperor’s return, something akin to Han mentioning doing the Kessel Run in 12 “parsecs,” which amount of retconning will make me believe was ever meant to signify anything other than a measurement of time. In any case, someone (Poe I think?) mentions later that the SDs “don’t know which way is up out here.” Now, “why didn’t the emperor just lift them up higher?” is a question I think Mauler asked. We do see what seems to be a few SDs coming up from underground when he raises his hands, but there’s nothing to make it seem like he is lifting ALL of them, in the thousands.
The whole transmitter thing is weird, though all of the SDs wouldn’t really need their own dishes beyond first getting off the planet, but in the end the whole idea is just a more poorly conceived throwback to the ROTJ shield generator. That said the dish was a weak plot element. I think it’s stupid too. Another question is, why not just use both dishes at once? I suppose like in ANH, where the Death Star makes it’s leisurely orbit of Yavin, they were overconfident and didn’t figure the command ship would be blown up shortly. Still, dumb.
And I have no clue where Ben/Ren’s blaster goes
I’ll have to watch for that next time.
