Scarlett Robotica and I have spent the past two days watching (and re-watching) the second ‘Force Awakens’ teaser trailer and we came to the realization that we both get teary eyed and have some sort of sadness tugging at our hearts when Han and Chewie appear on the screen. We’re overjoyed to see him, but we also feel some reticence.
Factually, all we know is that Han and Chewie are standing on what appears to be the Falcon’s ramp, and that the Wookie is toting a Bowcaster, but if you look a bit closer, there’s a lot of subtext in the scene that’s tugging at our heart strings. Hear the finality in Han’s voice when he tells Chewie they’re “home.” Have they returned to the Falcon after a long absence? Is there a “home” we don’t yet know about that they’ve chosen to call their own? Why does it feel so wistful and bittersweet?
Don’t hate us for thinking so, but Scarlett and I don’t think Han’s going to survive the entirety of the new film. Here are some of our thoughts.
- Han’s narrative arc hasn’t ever been fully resolved. He had a good “mini arc” in ‘A New Hope’ when he decided to stick around and help the Rebellion, but as he’s being shown in this trailer, it could be implied that his story is coming to a close.
- Why is Chewie holding a blaster if they’re “home?” What is about to happen right after this clip? Could it be that they’re about to experience an anti-hero’s resolution? (Han having been one of the most iconic anti-heroes of all time.)
- Harrison Ford had tried very hard to convince Lucas to kill him off in ‘Return of the Jedi,’ citing that he felt the character hadn’t had quite enough development. Was his return to the films with the condition that Han would finally receive a bit more depth and resolution?
- It’s not uncommon to kill off an anti-hero. Examples where famous anti-heroes have died at the end of their resolution arc include Hamlet, Jay Gatsby, and Severus Snape.
So, what are your thoughts? Are we onto something or are we reading too much into it? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @missmechazero and @yodaprncss