Lucasfilm: In the interrogation scene, something profound happens between Kylo and Rey. There’s an a [REDACTED] energy between them. They literally get memories and skills from each other during that scene.
The ending is the opposite of a nail in the coffin.
We should be more worried if Rey and Kylo had ended TLJ on a high note (such as defecting together, which was often misconstrued by the reylo fandom as a sufficiently “bleak” ending for the second act of the trilogy… but it’s not. It’s not bleak, because we are supposed to root for Rey and Kylo, not dread their union. So them defecting together would be a high point, which of course is why we’re getting the opposite of that).
There’s going to be a whole movie after TLJ, a movie that will subvert the status quo and change the dynamics again, just as TLJ did with TFA. As others put it, saying that Reylo is over is just as stupid as saying that Han/Leia was over at the end of Empire because Han was stuck in carbonite. Stupid and ignorant of how storytelling works. Storytelling is based on cycles of ups and downs. If the story sinks and reaches the bottom, the only direction it can go in the next installment is up. And viceversa (this is why TFA destroyed the original trilogy’s happy ending. It had to).
Antis are going to desperately cling to the idea that TLJ was written to “deal” with Reylo, as in “sink” it and move on (presumably reverting to less compelling dynamics like f nnr y and d am r ey). Not only they seem to think that dropping the central dynamic between the hero and the villain would be good storytelling, they’re still willfully blind to the fact that The Force Awakens established Reylo in the first place—-Rian Johnson didn’t “come up with Reylo” from nowhere. The Last Jedi developed the first part of a central relationship whose seeds were CLEARLY planted in the first chapter of the trilogy. (People need to realize that the films of this trilogy are following a basic structure that was conceived YEARS ago—otherwise it wouldn’t be possible for JJ Abrams to pitch the script for IX when VIII has been barely released, and for Rian to be writing the script for TLJ while TFA WAS STILL BEING FILMED.)
So we have:
first movie: set up. Rey and Kylo are introduced, the major conflict between them is created, the seed for a future attraction is planted, while the two are developed as individual characters because they’re complete strangers to the audience and the audience needs to learn who they are, see them as people. So we have Kylo dealing with San Tekka, Snoke, Hux, and Han while Rey develops a great friendship with Finn and finds a surrogate father in Han. Because it’s important that we see Kylo and Rey as full fledged people independently of their interactions, in order to make their actual interactions great;
second movie: development. the dynamic, so far only suggested / subtextual, becomes finally text. We’re doing the enemies to friends at this stage, but with more than a spark of romantic, even sexual tension. Basically, it’s the dynamic of our dreams, the way anidala should have been done, the way EVERYTHING should be done. And then it comes to a brutal halt. Because THAT’S WHAT YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE HOOKED. Literally every good fanfic author knows this! The heart of this dynamic is the tension between opposites, between good and evil, damnation and redemption, compassion and hatred. To keep that tension alive and sizzling, we’re temporary reverting to the /mutual hatred/ stage, which is what left us wanting more at the end of TFA. Except a) it’s different now because they tasted each other (they really did, even if just metaphorically), and b) the audience is now more hooked than ever, thanks to this beautiful thing named Force Bond that is still alive even though they broke up in the worst possible way and to a fight scene that was basically a Giant Sexual Metaphor.
and that’s already 2/3 of the trilogy. That’s a LOT of narrative capital invested in these two, and it became EVIDENT in TLJ but, again, it was already there in TFA. There’s no way IX isn’t going to deliver more development and a resolution. Their outrageous break up in TLJ is not a resolution, because so much between then remains unresolved. The Force Bond. Their mutual thirst attraction. The visions they had of each other. The reason why the Force keeps binding them (it was always the Force, Snoke be damned. Their bond was born during the interrogation, and they created by penetrating each other’s mind at the same time). The fact that Rey almost succeeded where everyone failed (as acknowledged by Luke, eventually). THEIR LAST SCENE. Do you know when in horror movies you get a happy ending and it’s almost too good and then when peace seems to be restored, you realize that the demon only faked its death and IT TAKES YOU? That’s Reylo at the end of the movie.
What Rian did, his vision, was making sure that at the end of the central movie Kylo would be his own master, in charge and being able to make independent decisions (and also: fully, unambiguously responsible for his actions), while ALSO having a complex relationship with our hero, Rey, one that isn’t simply hatred and antagonism (x). That’s a lot to unpack for JJ, admittedly, but it’s also explosive material; it makes Kylo’s redemption both harder to achieve (with Snoke out of the picture, there will
probably
be no “redemption by destroying a greater evil” cop out. There’s no ~~greater evil~~ than Kylo now, and while this definitely makes me anxious and confused, I also have faith in the story because the people who are writing it are FAR BETTER STORYTELLERS THAN ME), and potentially more convincing (whatever good Kylo starts doing from this point on, it will be his doing, and a free choice, not a reaction against his former abuser, not a way to seek agency for himself—not that those things aren’t good, but they aren’t necessarily redemptive in the truest sense, which is often the objection you have to most villains’ redemption arcs).
In short: it’s always darkest before the dawn, and a huge franchise like Star Wars doesn’t drop the central dynamic between the hero and the villain like a sack of potatoes, especially as it has been made clear over and over again how much of a protagonist—though a villainous one—Kylo Ren is.
Seriously, they’ve invested too much (money, narrative capital) in him and in this relationship with Rey, and they wouldn’t be backpedaling even if the audience and the critics alike weren’t head over heels over this dynamic and literally screaming from every media outlet how HOT their interactions were, lol. This story has already been written.
I used to have such detailed headcanons about Kylo using Niman heavily informed by Djem So, but after watching TLJ I can confidently state that his lightsaber form is “I’ve only had Rey for a day and a half but if anything happens to her I’ll kill everyone in this room and then myself”
Snoke Confessing to Creating The Force Bond Connection
Oh. Have you seen something?
A weakness in my young apprentice. Is that why you came?
Young fool.
It was I who bridged your minds.
I stoked Ren’s conflicted soul.
I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you. And you were not wise enough to resist the bait.
And now, you will give me Skywalker.
Then I will kill you with the cruelest stroke.
———————————————
This scene is so interesting. Kylo is looking down like the obedient student. Doesn’t even look up when Snoke takes the saber. But the MOMENT, he says he was the one that created the Force Connection Bond, Kylo almost jumps and looks straight up; not even barely… but fully. The camera just pans closer and closer to his face. He seems nonplussed, but I think he’s clearly really upset. He thought this bond was unique… and he wouldn’t be alone anymore. Their bond, over such a short time, has become very special to him… especially that vision. Now he doesn’t know what to think. But I do think he’s angry. He’s angry that once again Snoke has thrown him around like a puppet. And the worst part is… his feelings for Rey that have clearly surfaced. He thought her coming to him meant that his vision was coming true. That she’d join their side. But now he sees that Snoke was using them both in his little game. That perhaps there was no real vision… but there were feelings. And what they shared has nothing to do with Snoke. And here she is about to be the lamb to a slaughter. Snoke is downright threatening her… doesn’t want her on their side; didn’t even consider it because like Snoke said… her light brings out his light… and his darkness meets it. Right there he admits to BALANCE. And Snoke doesn’t want that. So he wants her dead. But Kylo doesn’t. So even before she’s tortured, Kylo’s resolve has changed. Everything has changed. That’s so important. Now he has to calculate how to take out his master… and has to endure her suffering while it literally kills him. But he has his purpose and whether Snoke is in charge of his bond or not, he’s done done with everything but REY.
That’s… probably one of the most important dialogues??? “I know he was not strong enough to hide it from you” so the conflict is really there, IT’S REALLY THERE! It’s real and everything Rey said in the elevator is 1000x more relevant omg
I think it’s REALLY telling that in both movies Rey is leaving Kylo on Falcon. That ship is his past and also part of his Ben Solo identity that he wants to destroy. And now that TLJ is released we know that Rey wants him to embrace his Ben Solo persona again.
There were hints even back then in TFA when she was earnestly watching Kylo and Han talk on the bridge. Even her reactions to him in the forest were really telling that she wasn’t just angry at him because she killed Han – something else was there.
The fact that she momentarily looked back while boarding the Falcon was a huge thing for us to speculate about back in the older days with general consensus being that she did think of Kylo back then.
And now look at the development of their relationship in TLJ – she leaves Kylo again but this time she faces him directly and silently communicates with him showing her disappointment and sadness that he chose power over everything else.
Kylo developed a lot too – instead of bewilderment and shock we see longing and hurt on his face – now that he realized how important this scavenger girl is to him.
I think it’s safe to assume that Episode IX will have a similar scene to parallel these two except this time both of them will board the Falcon together with Kylo developing himself to be worthy of Rey’s love and her fully accepting and embracing him for who he is. (They will also probably bicker about their pilot seats and Chewbacca will have to suffer through the whole thing)
A great question that I think others have probably answered more eloquently, but essentially this movie and the characters have been described as the growing pains of adolescence to a large extent. And part of going through adolescence is what’s called the ‘sexual awakening’ or just growth and awareness in general.
So for Rey, the hairstyle changed when she made that decision – to go against what Luke said (don’t go to the Dark/cave thing) and to find her own answers. So she dives in, her hair changing – what was also the catalyst for this decision? Her discussion with Kylo – shirtless scene – and his talk about the past and becoming what you’re meant to be.
Rey & Kylo’s story is a sexual awakening for many reasons, and it plays into the hair change that happens immediately afterward.
So the moment she dove into the pool, it signaled the beginning of her taking autonomy and ownership of her self discovery and identity – as seen in the mirror cave, where it basically tells her ‘you already know the truth, your identity is forged by you, no one has answers for you’ – aside from the stuff about how it also points to Ben Solo being her future.
So that’s pretty much it, it’s signifying the change and growth from young adolescent to perhaps that burgeoning adulthood.
I FYCKNG CALLED IT HOLY FUCKING SHIT BALLS SHIT FUCK DAMN
That was my reaction.
I KNEW IT I FCKIN KNEW IT
Lol Halsey
It’s not ACTUALLY written for him, but if that’s not Ben Solo’s angst song then IDK WHAT IS.
I can’t believe she put her stamp of approval on it, because my Reylo playlist has at least 3 songs, beauty of a secret was inspired by strange love (reylo af), and just…I love this a lot okay lol
it’s been a few weeks and the fact that BOTH of these two dorks practice actual WRITING in a galaxy that relies heavily on sophisticated technology is still killing me (in a good way)
it’s highly likely that Ben/Kylo probably can write in both Aurebesh and the more elevated form of High Galactic (considering who his mother is and how highly Alderaanians value education)
trying not to imagine him teaching Rey the PATRICIAN WRITING FORM
“So this is called an E instead of an Esk?”
“Right.”
“Pointless. Why have two alphabets when there’s nothing wrong with the first?” Rey throws her stylus down on the page.
Reylo Source 