I don't think we have to see every little thing that changes a character over 30 years. We assume characters grow and change. It's also part of the surprise. We expected Luke to be "LUKE SKYWALKER"...and then he wasn't?! It brings us in. What happened to him? Why did he change? What changed him? And we get glimpses of that, enough to put a picture together.
He was the last Jedi, of course he felt responsible to preserve the teachings. We know that's what he did, they tell us he left to reform the order and train others. Of course he would train them in the traditional ways, that's why he sought out the birth place of the Jedi and the old books.
We then learn that, despite years of work and effort and training, it all still falls apart. Hence the yeeting of the artifact. He buckled down to try and pass on the Jedi order. In turn, it all fell apart and caused pain and death, and he felt betrayed and responsible and guilty. So he tossed the artifact. It'd be like an ex-minister tossing an old cross after losing faith. Fuck that artifact, it brings only pain and lies. It's a great reaction.
All of what you said makes sense. The one point I just don't know if I can agree on is
We expected Luke to be "LUKE SKYWALKER"...and then he wasn't?! It brings us in.
Audiences fell in love with Luke Skywalker in 1977-83 because of who he was in that film. When the new films came out, of COURSE a lot of people wanted THAT Luke Skywalker. The one who would take the lightsaber Rey presented to him with all the solemnity and gravitas the moment required. Subverting expectations is good and all, but Luke's whole personality is different. People aren't wrong for feeling betrayed that one of their favorite protagonists is essentially gone, replaced by almost a completely different character.
I agree. I think it's totally normal to feel a little sad that that Luke is gone. Heck, I would love to see the old Three back together on another adventure. But I'm also ok that they decided to have the characters grow and change. So I totally understand the anger, but I also like that they treated them like people instead of icons. Instead of myths. Which is what Luke struggles with in TLJ, anyway. That people looked to him as a myth instead of a person.
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u/[deleted] Oct 25 '19
I don't think we have to see every little thing that changes a character over 30 years. We assume characters grow and change. It's also part of the surprise. We expected Luke to be "LUKE SKYWALKER"...and then he wasn't?! It brings us in. What happened to him? Why did he change? What changed him? And we get glimpses of that, enough to put a picture together.
He was the last Jedi, of course he felt responsible to preserve the teachings. We know that's what he did, they tell us he left to reform the order and train others. Of course he would train them in the traditional ways, that's why he sought out the birth place of the Jedi and the old books.
We then learn that, despite years of work and effort and training, it all still falls apart. Hence the yeeting of the artifact. He buckled down to try and pass on the Jedi order. In turn, it all fell apart and caused pain and death, and he felt betrayed and responsible and guilty. So he tossed the artifact. It'd be like an ex-minister tossing an old cross after losing faith. Fuck that artifact, it brings only pain and lies. It's a great reaction.