A thousand generations live in you now

[redrikki]

So, you may have heard the new Star Wars teaser is out. I want to be more excited about it than I am.

Growing up, I was not a Star Wars fan. I'd seen the OT, we had a bootlegged copy of the Ewok Adventure my dad recorded off tv and the free Return of the Jedi glasses from Pizza Hut, but I wasn't a fan. I watched the movies when they were on, but they never captured my imagination. I didn't write fic or seek out any of the tie in material. I never got around to seeing the Prequels or cartoons. I just didn't care about the franchise.

Then I saw The Force Awakens and Star Wars devoured my brain. I started writing fic, I bought DVDs of everything, and a bunch of new EU tie-in stuff. I watched Rogue One in theaters twice! I'd never ever done that before. I was well and truly obsessed.

Then The Last Jedi happened and all that love just curdled. I've broken up with fandom before. Buffy and I slowly drifted apart after the show went off the air. I dumped Supernatural's dumb ass after it hurt me one too many times. I don't want TLJ to have ruined Star Wars for me. I want to keep loving it, I want to be excited. But I'm not and it breaks my heart.

Comments

[senmut]

I *am* a lifelong fan. I literally grew up with the movies, watched ALL THE EWOK stuff, watched the old cartoons.

The 2D Clone Wars shorts nearly killed my enthusiasm. So did some of the later EU books. I skipped the good TCW cartoon until it had been off the air a while. Started watching it around the same time as TFA awakened my interest again.

Rogue One? I LOVE. Solo was decent. but TLJ KILLED me worse than moments in TFA.

And yeah. I want to be solidly excited. So far, my enthusiasm is for Lando and Threepio and that's it.

[redrikki]

Man, I wish I could be excited even for that. Curse you, TLJ, for killing our enthusiasm. I didn't even bother seeing Solo in the theaters I was so bummed out. I might go see the new one if my friends drag me or I hear really, really good things. Hopefully JJ can somehow redeem this and restore our enthusiasm. I'm having a really hard time finding a new obsession.

[senmut]

I didn't watch TLJ or Solo in theaters. The former because SPOILERS were my friend. Solo because I had no faith, despite Glover. And... I think Solo worked better for me in the privacy of my home than a shared experience on big screens.

I only bought TLJ to satisfy my curiosity and to reward my son. He likes it but sees why I don't.

[redrikki]

I went to see TLJ with friends in theaters and caught Solo on Netflix. I was very much a Netflix worthy film. It was fun, but I'm glad I didn't pay $12 for it.

[ljwrites]

I feel this post so much. Ever since TLJ, SW for me has been a disaster to brace for and not relaxing, enjoyable entertainment. The huge amount of energy and enthusiasm I poured into the fandom post TFA--post RO to be exact--went flying out the window at what felt like a kick to the gut and mockery both. A lot of the Tumblr fandom surrounding Finn left, and the the fans that remained (including myself) were bitter and suspicious which didn't make for a very fun environment at all.

I'm feeling the excitement in spite of myself, but it's still tinged with the disappointment I felt in TLJ that I don't think will ever go away no matter how good the next movie and the subsequent materials are. With TRoS I'm going to do what I did with TLJ and ask a trusted source to give me limited spoilers as to whether the movie is worth seeing. I never saw TLJ in a theater and never gave it a cent of my money, though I did see it eventually with much disbelief and raging. If I'd seen it in a theater unspoiled I don't think I could have taken it. I'll never be able to trust SW as a franchise again, and I am prepared for the worst with TRoS as well.

[redrikki]

I saw TLJ in theaters and walked out feeling angry and insulted. Like, personally insulted by the way the movie was basically mocking us for caring about what had come before and trying so hard to make me care about some psycho white boy.

I wish I trusted JJ and the franchise to do right by Finn and Rey and Poe and all the other characters TFA made me care about, but, like, I don't.

[ljwrites]

My husband took the words out of my mouth when he said: "I don't dislike TLJ for breaking Star Wars. I dislike it for breaking TFA." And yes, it was a very mean-spirited and insulting movie where the writer-director reveled in mocking fans for caring. It was also way too far up Kylo's ass for my tastes, even while establishing again how evil he is (small mercies and all).

[beatrice_otter]

Lifelong SW fan, here. I read enough spoilers before TLJ to know I didn't want to see it. I exist in a happy realm where it never happened. I don't know if I'll see the new one; I'm never going to see TLJ.

[redrikki]

That was probably a wise choice. I think I would have been happier if I'd made it.

[pebblerocker]

I was big into the original trilogy - born within the merchandising time, I had the 7" vinyl records of the stories, read along with me in your book, I dressed up as Darth Vader when I was four. Got really excited for the sequels and watched them all in theatres even though the dragging romance scenes weren't exactly what I was expecting.

Got MASSIVELY excited for the new trilogy! I was so excited by Finn in the trailer. And the first movie had its problems, but the new characters really carried it. I loved Finn and Rey so much. And I loved Rogue One. And then TLJ came out and I decided not to go to see it, based on what I'd heard about it. I had the opportunity to watch someone's camrip of it a while later and it just... didn't grab me. Even for free. It's a criminal waste not to put enough Finn in it! I'm unsure about the upcoming movie; I think I might not bother.

[redrikki]

The sense I get talking to people is that casual viewers and Kylo fans liked TLJ, but most hard core Star Wars fans were put off by it.

Personally, I was pretty excited by Finn and Rey and their relationship, romantic, platonic or otherwise. The way TLJ handled both of them was seriously disappointing. Based on previews, it looks better this time around, but...shrug.

[pebblerocker]

... Hang on, how does that make sense? The uncool, whiny wannabe bad guy, who is chiefly interesting for his links to characters from films 40 years old, appeals to casual fans? Does that mean that the fun, vibrant, adorable new characters appeal more to the old fogeys like me? That's wild.

And Poe. Don't forget Poe, he's lovely too! I was really looking forward to having him meet Rey, and to seeing scenes of him with the General. Hearing that he's basically a dick to Leia put me off seeing TLJ almost as much as hearing that Finn and Rey are separated for most of the movie.

[redrikki]

The sense I get is that casual fans and Kylo fans are two separate groups. Kylo fans liked the film because it was all about him. Casual fans liked the film because they hadn't watched all the other movies the night before and thus didn't notice how radically different their characterization was despite the movie taking place five minutes after the last one.