Whatever Daisy Ridley knows about her character Rey’s parentage, she thinks it translated perfectly to the audience in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Newsflash: It did not.
Daisy Ridley, while incontestably one of the most adorable leads of recent memory, seems to think that the The Force Awakens gave a rather clear answer as to who Rey’s parents are. Now, bear in mind, this has been one of the most fiercely debated topics since the movie debuted last year.
As someone who can parrot the entire movie back to you line-by-line, there’s hardly enough information given in those two hours to come up with a solid answer.
But according to Ridley, “a lot was answered.”
Or so she thought. She followed up her shocking statement with, “Then after the screening I went for a drink with my agent and everyone, and we were chatting away and I realised that oh, in their minds it’s not answered at all!”
No, no answers here, honey. Because we aren’t actors and we don’t have J.J. Abrams’ email. And we don’t know any sort of relevant behind-the-scenes information beyond what Star Wars gave to us.
Now, for the sake of argument, let’s discuss.
Star Wars fans consist of some of the best investigators in the industry. We find all sorts of information, read into everything and spend hours dissecting every single look exchanged in a movie for hours at a time.
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Obviously, we’ve come up with some ideas — but certainly not ‘a lot’ and certainly not answers.
Theories exist, followed by the basic understanding that someone dumped Rey off on Jakku when she was a child. Currently, that’s the only thing Star Wars fans unanimously agree upon because it’s shown in plain color halfway through the film.
Of course, we can also confirm that she, in fact, has parents because… she exists. But even that’s not solid in the Star Wars universe. Alternatively, she could have a really high midi-chlorian count and just evolved from an amorphous blob thanks to the Darth Plagueis’ Dark Side influence. Plot twist! He’s not dead and she’s not real!
That’s how open to interpretation the Star Wars movies are without explicit explanation from the film and further clarification from the director in an accompanying featurette.
On the other hand, here are the major contenders for Rey’s parents:
- Luke Skywalker – Debated for eternity
- Han Solo / Leia Organa – Are you a Reylo shipper or not?
- Obi-Wan – Accents and flashback voiceover
- Dead by TFA or not-yet-introduced
- Jyn Erso – You may get out
So, Ms. Ridley, tell me where all those answers are? Where, Daisy, where?
I’ll tell you where the answers are. They’re in the next movie. Regardless of who her parents are, one thing is certain: “With answers come more questions, and there’s definitely going to be enough to keep people going for another two years!”
Okay, thanks for the clarification.
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Unfortunately, as far as teases go, this one really takes the cake. Honestly, until Episode VIII releases in December 2017, we’re not going to have a clear answer. Daisy Ridley said Episode VIII is going to be “great.” So, if she says it, it must be true, right?
But she also missed the opportunity to say it’s going to bb-great, so… take everything she says at face value.