Positive Thoughts for IX, the Reylo edition

Just in case you need positive thoughts for IX...this could be a good place for it. If you've got encouraging thoughts for your fellow Reylos, please post them here.
Force knows there will be days that we need them!

I have a very excellent track record when it comes to canon ships, Reylo is endgame. Likely a super sappy happy endgame. I have no doubts about this.

Don't worry about the haters- they were so wrong. On so many points it isn't even funny. And they are still basing their predictions on those wrong points. Meanwhile, we called major points from TFA alone.

I am ready to welcome Reylo into my canon/endgame family.

@Moonjump05 That’s what I’m talking about! I’ve gotten hit with some very “down” discourse, but this helps.

Reposting from another thread:

It's always been about story structure for me so ending VIII with Renperor is the best possible thing that could have happened for endgame Reylo. It's a means of dragging the conflict along, focusing the heart of the narrative's drama on Rey and Kylo and most importantly postponing resolution for the end. Not the middle, as would have been the case with any Ronin Rey and Kylo scenario. The actual end.

Upset Annes are never going to realize it but Rey and Kylo failing to find unity or achieve any resolution at the end of the second of three films (and after defining their romantic connection thoroughly) makes endgame Reylo 110% inevitable. Ben Solo's soul and reciprocated Reylo are the goals of this three act story, not pit stops along the way to defeating Snoke. Interestingly that's why TLJ sort of has a "fillery" feel in some parts -- that's kind of what it is. It focuses on the evolution of Rey and Kylo's romantic dynamic without resolving anything, and intentionally so. It provides us with the perfect minimalist foundation for a star-crossed lovers trajectory, deals with Kylo's backstory, humanizes him to the max and sets up a completely electric, forbidden and tragic conflict all amping us up for the final clash of ideologies and lightsabers.

Structurally Reylo actually follows a romance slated for a happy ending or at least an optimistic and satisfying resolution, a.k.a. the most basic romance structure ever and the one found in all romantic comedies:



And here is Rian Johnson's quote from People Magazine this week when asked "how he feels about being the chief architect behind a potentially devastating romantic tragedy."

“Well I’ll say the two characters and how they [interact], like in The Force Awakens, the interrogation scene, that was one of the most intriguing scenes to me both on the page and when I saw the scene that J.J. [Abrams] created. So I think he set up this very interesting dynamic. And then to get to play with it in this movie and now, to get to hand it back to J.J. and see how it gets resolved, I’m really, really excited to see what happens.”

And an addition... I don't have a whole lot of experience "shipping", but my education is in English lit (I focused on children's lit) and my track record for predicting the direction narrative character dynamics will take is pretty spotless. All I can say is I have developed very good instincts and I trust them. Reylo was just another checkmark on a very long list for me because the trajectory was always painfully clear. It was just a question of how it would get there and what kind of redemption/love story it would be.

Love this thread
I don't necessarily want to read about what anti's say.. I just want to read positive signs all will be well in the SW fairytale

Yeah I'm with @FrolickingFizzgig - I'm not a fandom person and shipping wigs the Hell out of me (one of my uncles was an actor and seeing inappropriate fan mail about sexual fantasies viewers had about his character on a show when I was 15 was super disturbing). But I had teachers in secondary school and undergraduate who you better believe drilled the Hell out of me on how to analyze characters and narratives. And coming from a family where we watched a lot of soap operas (which back in the day weren't trash, but the springboard for a lot of well respected actors) and a lot of movies. So it's never been "they look good together, they should bone" or "I am caught up in this Internet subculture activity where I apply it to every single piece of narrative fiction I consume." It's just I noticed things, got suspicious, went back for a 2nd-3rd viewing, and managed to stumble into this group and started talking. I think a big problem, as with people who can't think outside of the fandom/shipping box, is that most of what gets put out as mainstream blockbuster films is just so terrible. Add that in with the ridiculous nostalgia blinders and weird morality/prudery that got introduced during the PT is where you got some of the fandom hivemind responses.

I was one of the more cautious people when it came to the mutual romantic Reylo, but after TLJ all of my doubts have dissipated. Yep, mutual romantic full-blown Reylo with a happy or at least optimistic bring-your-Kleenex ending. Sappy and glorious

On my second viewing, I thought the film was kinder to Kylo than most people seem to think.

That's nice to find a place like this, when I'm trying to avoid reading ugly stuff about TLJ everyday!

@Kylo Men

Agree. In this film, Kylo'¡s tortured soul and wicked acts got a kind of "justification": he was sent away by his family, followed by an evil shadow since he was a child + his uncle considered to kill him instead of looking for a way to help him. In TFA Snoke's manipulation is mentioned too... And, as you mentioned in another topic, Luke's dead was not Kylo's fault so, no more evil stuff to blame on him

I also have a good track record with ships to become canon. Most of them really felt almost unlikely at first. But there was something intriguing in them. I don't want to sound so soppy, but I just feel like this is a history in making. Like we are now part of something so grand that is this romance of Kylo and Rey. ^_^

@SkyStar

Grand indeed! I've never shipped so hard before, it was totally unexpected. Now I take Reylo's victory as something personal

lauvamp wrote:@SkyStar

Grand indeed! I've never shipped so hard before, it was totally unexpected. Now I take Reylo's victory as something personal

@lauvamp
After the two years we went through it's totally understandable that this victory feels intensely personal. Don't forget, we were, as a collective group made up of mostly female Star Wars fans: belittled and mocked, accused of having "dark sexual fantasies", questionable morals or being "racist" against the canon interracial couple, dismissed for writing "fanfiction" and outright exiled from the biggest Star Wars forum on the internet.

And guess what? We were always right. The darkest chapter (both in the story and in our fandom) is now behind us.

@Kylo Men
Oh, absolutely. I was kind of baffled by the initial reactions because it was very clear to me that TLJ was the beginning of a redemption story. Rian outright uses Luke Skywalker as a plot device to get the audience to sympathize with Ben and nullifies or explains just about everything in TFA while simultaneously humanizing the character and really presenting him as one of the Skywalkers, not just "that lame Vader clone." Rian even went a little out of his way to define Kylo's masculinity more, which was a big complaint amongst male fans after TFA. And that happens at no loss to his sensitive side.

Aaaand posting for positive reinforcement:

@FrolickingFizzgig

I can't complain much in comparison to many Reylos around! I really joined the fandom in July...but after TLJ I started to understand more what many of you experienced since 2015: Star Wars is too legendary, and many fans and fanboys are not open minded enough to accept characters like Kylo, relationships like Reylo etc. So yes, I'm another victim of "what romance? that's just your imagination" and "Kylo Ren is horrible"

So, my hope for Episode IX is seeing Reylos' perception, sensibility, analysis, theories, references etc confirmed in a sense. And it would be beautiful to see a fairy tale coming true, where hope and love finally win. Skywalkers deserve a positive ending.

lauvamp wrote:@FrolickingFizzgig

I can't complain much in comparison to many Reylos around! I really joined the fandom in July...but after TLJ I started to understand more what many of you experienced since 2015: Star Wars is too legendary, and many fans and fanboys are not open minded enough to accept characters like Kylo, relationships like Reylo etc. So yes, I'm another victim of "what romance? that's just your imagination" and "Kylo Ren is horrible"

So, my hope for Episode IX is seeing Reylos' perception, sensibility, analysis, theories, references etc confirmed in a sense. And it would be beautiful to see a fairy tale coming true, where hope and love finally win. Skywalkers deserve a positive ending.

@lauvamp

That's when I showed up. June/July of 2017...and wow. It was startling. I've been a Star Wars fan for ages, but I finally sat down and started thinking about it. And here we are.

PalmettoBlue wrote:

lauvamp wrote:@FrolickingFizzgig

I can't complain much in comparison to many Reylos around! I really joined the fandom in July...but after TLJ I started to understand more what many of you experienced since 2015: Star Wars is too legendary, and many fans and fanboys are not open minded enough to accept characters like Kylo, relationships like Reylo etc. So yes, I'm another victim of "what romance? that's just your imagination" and "Kylo Ren is horrible"

So, my hope for Episode IX is seeing Reylos' perception, sensibility, analysis, theories, references etc confirmed in a sense. And it would be beautiful to see a fairy tale coming true, where hope and love finally win. Skywalkers deserve a positive ending.

@lauvamp

That's when I showed up. June/July of 2017...and wow. It was startling. I've been a Star Wars fan for ages, but I finally sat down and started thinking about it. And here we are.

@PalmettoBlue

Haha, me too! I stumbled over the word "REYLO" June/July last summer and was really shocked about the hostility this kind of "idea" (I wasn't even aware of "shipping" back then) received. I wanted to "talk" and theorize about what I finally recognized in TFA and since it wasn't allowed in other places I found this community- and I am SOOOO happy! Love you all

So back to topic:
Positive thoughts- I'm very confident we'll see a full "in your face" romance in IX. With touching, kissing and declaration of love so that even the last people living in denialville will have to accepted it or shut up for good!

Get this, I have only seen the antis/non-Reylos dismissing the ship based on what they want (or don't want) to see and using their own personal projections. Most of the reasonings against it have been personal, if not "oh it's racist" or "oh it's abusive" without having a clue how serious these terms should be used. The success of antis relies on problematising the ship by inappropriately associating with heavier controversial topics. That is a problem in itself, so I won't go there.

But I have not seen one decent, well thought through explanation why Reylo won't happen, in terms of the story-telling. None.

Whereas from the end of 2015, there have been so many lengthy pieces that have really assessed how the relationship correlates with larger themes in history, religion and literature. As bizarre (and incredibly informative) as they are, these are things that you cannot make up. After all, it is literally 'tale as old as time'.

So fear not. This WILL go the way you think.

Rian not only brought Reylo from subtext to text, he cleared the path for Rey and Kylo to take center stage in Episode IX.  Every bit of dialogue and every image in their relationship to date has been exceptionally planned and executed.  I have no doubt that will continue in Episode IX, with a truly epic ending.

Whatever the final outcome may be, we will have a great story.  And that's what Reylo is all about.

edited to add:
"But I have not seen one decent, well thought through explanation why Reylo won't happen, in terms of the story-telling. None."
This, a thousand times over.

Reylo scenes or small interactions you think we'll see in IX (or what you want to see)? My list.

-First kiss in the middle of the rain after a deep emotional conversation/lines exchange (love confession for each other?)
-Reylo smiling to each other
-Reylo hugs
-Kylo/Ben's dialogue while holding Rey in his arms (one of the fake leaks, soooo disappointed it didn't happen )
-Reylo awkward funny scene (smth funnier than sliding Kylo or Rey stuttering to see shirtless Kylo)

Am I asking too much?

shii405 wrote:Reylo scenes or small interactions you think we'll see in IX (or what you want to see)? My list.

-First kiss in the middle of the rain after a deep emotional conversation/lines exchange (love confession for each other?)
-Reylo smiling to each other
-Reylo hugs
-Kylo/Ben's dialogue while holding Rey in his arms (one of the fake leaks, soooo disappointed it didn't happen )
-Reylo awkward funny scene (smth funnier than sliding Kylo or Rey stuttering to see shirtless Kylo)

Am I asking too much?

@shii405

**Grabby hands***Give me ALLLL of it.

So, positivity: I think this entire trilogy is a well-disguised love story, one that hopefully ends happy. People are blinded by the pew pew battles, but this is a love story, an epic one at that.

PalmettoBlue wrote:

shii405 wrote:Reylo scenes or small interactions you think we'll see in IX (or what you want to see)? My list.

-First kiss in the middle of the rain after a deep emotional conversation/lines exchange (love confession for each other?)
-Reylo smiling to each other
-Reylo hugs
-Kylo/Ben's dialogue while holding Rey in his arms (one of the fake leaks, soooo disappointed it didn't happen )
-Reylo awkward funny scene (smth funnier than sliding Kylo or Rey stuttering to see shirtless Kylo)

Am I asking too much?

@shii405

**Grabby hands***Give me ALLLL of it.

So, positivity: I think this entire trilogy is a well-disguised love story, one that hopefully ends happy. People are blinded by the pew pew battles, but this is a love story, an epic one at that.

@PalmettoBlue

This will be a love story for the ages. In 2 years time, people will be cursing themselves for not having spotted it before. It's all there, really.

And @shii405 , I'm here for a Reylo hug. A kiss will be beautiful, but man, a consoling hug is what Ben needs. If it can't be from his mother, then it's gotta be Rey.

@shii405: all of that! And I would love to see Kylo/Ben finally fully smile in IX- he never smiled in the last two movies.
It would be sooo beautiful if he and Rey would smile at each other at some point- maybe after a kiss?

I love this thread, this is the only thing I want to see now, positivity.
I still think that Reylo is going to play well. This family story will end with hope and Kylo will finish what his grandfather did not finish, balance in the strength and the girl next to him

grimbergen wrote:
I love this thread, this is the only thing I want to see now, positivity.
I still think that Reylo is going to play well. This family story will end with hope and Kylo will finish what his grandfather did not finish, balance in the strength and the girl next to him

@grimbergen

This. Yes ! I was about to post something, but it would've been the exact same thing !

Rian told that fan who got his autograph "it's all in the movie" when she asked about Reylo.
Fan: "I just have to ask about Reylo."
Rian: "aww you're a Reylo?!"
Fan: "yes!"
Rian: "that's awesome! it's all in the movie"

http://sakurau121.tumblr.com/post/169629467890/manyymedia-fan-i-have-to-do-it-i-have-to-ask

My positive thoughts: JJ Abrams started Reylo. He is returning to finish the story. This is the best possible scenario short of Rian Johnson coming back. JJ is clearly positive about Reylo, if you listen to his audio commentary for TFA. The very least we will get is the story completed in the way it was intended from the beginning.

The Reylo storyline has been consistent from TFA to TLJ. To me this is a sign that Reylo's story was planned out from the start. I don't know the proper analytical term, so I call it “consistent upward and forward trajectory”.

Rian Johnson is openly Reylo-positive. He wouldn't be so open about it if the end-game was negative. As the second director he would have been told about the Reylo story arc, so that he could place their story in the right spot for the third film.

Lots of circumstantial evidence. Not one of the actors or directors have said anything to debunk Reylo. Mark Hamill saying “romantic tension” to describe their dynamic. John Boyega has stated that Finn and Rey are just friends. Daisy Ridley said that Rey is not having a romance with Poe. The other two Star Wars trilogies have both had a romance arc that spanned all three films.