Star Wars: Episode VII: The Nerd Rage Awakens

[Hound of UIster]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

She could have simply been sitting next to Ford because they're the two main leads of the movie.

In fact given the rumors of where and how she lives (and what we see of her in the teaser), I'm thinking it pretty unlikely she would actually be the daughter of two leaders of the Rebel Alliance. Unless she had a major falling out with them and left home really early or something.

Supposedly the Alliance is barely a thing in the Sequels and the Empire is the dominant government.

 

[Unicron]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

and all 20 tie fighters still miss the target

Sounds like the Empire still has some academies.

 

[BillJ]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I never understood why people would think the Empire would fall? Maybe it wouldn't be as powerful without a Sith leading it, but surely there was government infrastructure beyond the Emperor. He couldn't be all across the galaxy at the same time.

The Rebels get a win and party like the war is over.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I imagine once the victory parties on Coruscant died down and the jubilant citizens who thought the Imperial yoke would now be gone quieted down a bit. The Imperial officers and bureaucrats can't all have been excited that the brutal Emperor and his cyborg enforcer were now gone and power vacuums when dictators are toppled are often filled by the next assholes in line.

 

[davejames]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Yeah when you watch the end of ROTJ, all you really see is people celebrating the defeat of the Emperor, Vader, and Second Death Star. While I'm sure the characters would have loved for that to also mean the end of the Empire as well, there's nothing in the movie (even the SE) that suggests that to actually be the case.

Especially with how flipping huge and powerful the Empire was always made out to be. It's very easy to imagine another Admiral or Grand Moff somewhere who decided to assume control of the forces that were left.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Even in the now-defunct EU, it took over a decade for the Empire to be beaten down into any form that could be considered "defeated", and that was with all manner of hostile takeovers, fragmentation and, yeah, delusions of grandeur along the way.

 

[Mr Light]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

<<I never understood why people would think the Empire would fall? Maybe it wouldn't be as powerful without a Sith leading it, but surely there was government infrastructure beyond the Emperor. He couldn't be all across the galaxy at the same time.>>

Did Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy survive the deaths of Hitler and Mussolini? When an entire government is built around the personality of it's leader, and no successor is named, they inevitably disintegrate when that leader dies.

And if the Empire didn't collapse, why did we see a massive crowd of people on Coruscant of all places happily cheering and ripping down the Emperor's statue without getting cut down by Stormtroopers?

That's really going to require an explanation somewhere in the New-EU. Even if there was just a lot of chaos and indecision in the government at that point, surely those people were eventually hunted down and killed.

 

[DWF]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

After ROTJ I too thought it was too easy to take down the Empire that way and at lest one more movie was needed, but in the end I accepted the movies a fantasy and it was easy to accept the ending. But now it seems like after 30 odd years the Empire is still around and so aparently is the Sith. This all is starting to feel like a massive retcon.

 

[BillJ]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Did Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy survive the deaths of Hitler and Mussolini? When an entire government is built around the personality of it's leader, and no successor is named, they inevitably disintegrate when that leader dies.

It also helps that those nations were being occupied by the nations they lost to.

And if the Empire didn't collapse, why did we see a massive crowd of people on Coruscant of all places happily cheering and ripping down the Emperor's statue without getting cut down by Stormtroopers?

Spur of the moment activity that the government simply wasn't expecting.

That's really going to require an explanation somewhere in the New-EU. Even if there was just a lot of chaos and indecision in the government at that point, surely those people were eventually hunted down and killed.

I'm not sure it really needs much explanation. The Rebels over valued their victory at Endor and under estimated the Empire's resolve and preparedness after losing the Emperor and Death Star II.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Russians celebrated with wild street parties and excitement when the old Soviet system collapsed and Yeltsin's government assumed control over a new, much more democratic and open Russian Federation - but we all know what started happening a few years later after Vladimir Putin assumed power. Imperial citizens on Coruscant cheered and celebrated upon hearing news of the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader, but it probably didn't last very long once the remaining bureaucrats and thugs within the Imperial government tried to assert their authority and fill the power vacuum.

 

[BillJ]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Russians celebrated with wild street parties and excitement when the old Soviet system collapsed and Yeltsin's government assumed control over a new, much more democratic and open Russian Federation - but we all know what started happening a few years later after Vladimir Putin assumed power. Imperial citizens on Coruscant cheered and celebrated upon hearing news of the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader, but it probably didn't last very long once the remaining bureaucrats and thugs within the Imperial government tried to assert their authority and fill the power vacuum.

Exactly. Even with a new government, how many of those Senate seats end up getting filled with Empire sympathizers and former officials?

 

[DWF]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Russians celebrated with wild street parties and excitement when the old Soviet system collapsed and Yeltsin's government assumed control over a new, much more democratic and open Russian Federation - but we all know what started happening a few years later after Vladimir Putin assumed power. Imperial citizens on Coruscant cheered and celebrated upon hearing news of the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader, but it probably didn't last very long once the remaining bureaucrats and thugs within the Imperial government tried to assert their authority and fill the power vacuum.

Palpatine held the Empire together though terror and fear Tarkin said something simular in the ANH. "Fear will keep the local systems in ine, fear of this battle station." With the Senate disbanded I doubt if there'd be anybody outside of the Rebellion ready to take over.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

The Empire was so vast, though, and had so many subservient lieutenants and bureaucrats sniveling and bootlicking underneath the Emperor, Vader and the Moffs that I could see some of them realizing that the defeat at Endor was their chance to grab more power for themselves and finally become masters of their own political destiny. Doesn't mean, of course, it will have happened that way once the new movies explain some of the post-Jedi timeline, but most empires and authoritarian regimes have thugs and officials who rush to fill a vacuum when the top rulers are killed or overthrown.

 

[Mr Light]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I'm guessing that the New-EU is going to throw out the fact that Sidious used Battle Meditation to control his troops, and that once he died they all lost the capacity to fight effectively.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Even in the now-defunct EU, it took over a decade for the Empire to be beaten down into any form that could be considered "defeated", and that was with all manner of hostile takeovers, fragmentation and, yeah, delusions of grandeur along the way.

Actually outside of Thrawn and the Clone Palpatine. The Empire had already lost 3 quarters of its territory by the beginning of Heir to the Empire so the collapse was indeed sudden and disastrous.

Russians celebrated with wild street parties and excitement when the old Soviet system collapsed and Yeltsin's government assumed control over a new, much more democratic and open Russian Federation - but we all know what started happening a few years later after Vladimir Putin assumed power.

And those systems were not very similar at all except being authoritarian in nature. If you really want to take the analogy head on it would be more like the Empire collapsing, the Republic replacing the Empire, but due to economic problems and internal/external political pressures, the Republic begins to resemble the Empire more (which is what you get in the previous Expanded Universe).

 

[DWF]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

With Palpatine and Vader dead, the Empire toppled after some 30 odd years I really can't see how the Empire is still around and the Sith has returned as well.

 

[Ithekro]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

It may be a misdirection. It is entirely possible that the Alliance took over and what we are seeing is the the New Republic using what the Empire (and the Old Republic) left behind. A MASSIVE war machine. Leia might be a senator again in the Republic, but that doesn't mean the new government is all that much better than the Empire or the failing Republic before the Clone Wars. Those stormtroopers could be Republic troopers (the stormtroopers replaced the Republic clone troopers after all, so to stay cutting edge, the New Republic is also using armored troopers just like the previous two governments.)

The TIEs might be local defense forces rather than Imperial or Republic fighters. The X-wings were definately Rebel/Republic fighters. The Dark Sider may be something that isn't attached to the Empire.

 

[Mr Light]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

New Trailer Theory:

"There has been an awakening. Did you feel it? The Dark Side... and the Light" "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"

We know when Sidious and Plageuis tried to wrest control from the Force and create life, it rebelled against them and created Anakin, the Prophecized One to bring balance to the force. We know when Vader killed Sidious he "brought balance to the Force". At that point, Luke was the only officially remaining Jedi alive. We know from Rebels that Force sensitives continued to be born during the Imperial Era.

I think that after Sidious died, there were no more Force sensitives born for thirty years. It's only in the events of this movie that "the Force awakens" and people start getting powers again. That would explain why Luke would be living alone in exile; he has no Jedi to train, and he must meditate and preserve his knowledge for the time when more will be born.

I'm thinking that for there to be balance, Luke must have an opposite number. A Sith / Dark Sider his age: Andy Serkis? Max Von Sydow? Serkis is 50, Sydow is 85, Hamil is 63. The question is, who awakens the Force, Luke in his meditations, or his opposite number? Wouldn't it be interesting if Luke in his innocent attempts to reawaken the Jedi ALSO created a terrible new evil?

(I don't like this theory as I like my Jedi Academy continuity, but it fits the facts)

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Plinkett weighs in
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBEdgPFoBjY[/yt]

 

[fireproof78]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

With Palpatine and Vader dead, the Empire toppled after some 30 odd years I really can't see how the Empire is still around and the Sith has returned as well.

I can't remember who said this, so I apologize for misquoting or plagiarizing (I read so much, you know ). The main point was the fact that the Empire was not just the Emperor and Darth Vader, even though they kept them united. However, there were plenty of political institutions, military structures and chains of commands that would not topple just because of the Emperor's death. The nature of the Sith is that they are constantly plotting to overthrow each other, and I would certainly see that extending to military leaders. The idea of high ranking officers consolidating their power bases and stabilize their sectors of influence is not far fetched.

All that to say, I don't think the Empire is around in the sense that it is the monolith that is shown in the OT, but it still operates against the Republic.

That's my thoughts, any way. I don't see the Empire disappearing completely.