A thread about Rey in TLJ, her story, and what I connected to:

I didn’t have a problem with Rey Nobody, I didn’t need her to be Somebody. But it’s not at all the part of her character that I connected to. And yet her character in the film was the first time I saw a bit of myself in space. -

I connected to the girl who was losing her heroes. The part of growing up was realizing the people you idolize are just people. TLJ is about facing your failure yes, and about facing the failure of others.-

In 2017 I had to realize just how human vital figures in my life were. They weren’t bad people. They weren’t even Failures. But they were human. And the weight from that when you were counting on them to help you. To carry you. Is a lot. -

Rey is constantly searching for the hero in others. Han, then Luke, then Ben. Inspiring the hero inside of characters like Finn. Terrified of the idea she could be the hero. -

Obviously there’s a lot riding on a Female Lead. But this is more than merely gender. It’s scary to know you have some kind of ability and wonder if you can ever be as good as what’s inside you. -

Maybe there’s this amazing, beautiful, precious, unique thing inside you- but it isn’t really you. And the you shell around the beautiful thing will ruin it and waste it. It will never be what it could because it got stuck with you of all people!!-

But maybe this beautiful, precious thing could bring out that beautiful precious thing in someone else. Then maybe you wouldn’t waste it. I mean you can never truly live up to it but someone else could. Maybe no one has to feel like you do. -

But they let you down. The immortal smuggler dies. The Jedi Master hides. The Fallen Son doesn’t come home. You couldn’t even get someone else to care. How could you ever care? They don’t care enough to help you help them. Their failure is yours. How do you keep going?-

But then the little things. The ship is still flying. The Jedi Master steps up. The Fallen Son is ... still in there somewhere. Maybe. Just maybe if you keep moving. -

Maybe if you can find your friends. Who believe in you. Who love you. The people who catch you when you fall. Maybe not everyone will let you down. And if not everyone will let you down... maybe you won’t let everyone down in return. Maybe all you have to do is lift some rocks.

That’s the Rey I comment to. That’s the Rey I love. And it doesn’t matter if she’s a Nobody, a Palpatine, a Skywalker, or a Kirk. She’s Rey. She’s a hero. If she can see it, maybe I can too.

**CONNECT to dang it