More To The Story

I must admit. There are plenty of good stories out there. Lots of them that I enjoy revisiting often. But haven’t you given thought on occasion to “what if”…

Take for example, the universe that George Lucas created with his Star Wars film. Depending on who you believe, it may have always been intended to be the grand saga it has become with 9 episodes and two spin-offs. Or, it could have just been a one-off story that could have been a nice little movie that made a few bucks and quietly faded away.

That has somewhat been the attraction to “what if” stories for me. It’s that road not taken or the turn the other way; the tale not told. If you think about it, every moment in our lives has that kind of point to it. What chance of fate led to what happened? It boils down to some very basics physics. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The Star Wars Universe is a fun place for a story teller. Sure, we all know the stories we have seen on the big screen at the local multiplex. What some folks like to call the “canon” of the tale. But what about everywhere else in that spread? Surely there must be other stories to tell. What about the folks who were unlucky enough to just be living their lives in the wrong place at the right moment? Like what about the average guy or gal working away on the Death Star when Luke Skywalker made that one in a million shot to exploit the designed weakness and blew it up? Why don’t we get their story?

I honestly look forward to the end of the Skywalker saga. It was an experiment. One gone horribly wrong in the end. Sure, it would be easy to place the blame on Jar Jar Binks, but the real culprit? Qui-Gon Jinn. Had he not taken the boy Anakin Skywalker away from slavery on Tatooine, Anakin would never have had the chance to train as a Jedi padawan. Never been exposed to the dark side of the Force. Never become the pawn of Darth Sidious. Never become Darth Vader.

Sure, the tale of a rebellion that overcomes oppressors and creates new freedom for all is appealing. It’s the story of the United States, with our break from the British empire. And then our own war between the states. Still a rebellion alive in the minds of some. States rights versus the strong federal (Imperial) government.

Yet in the universe that is Star Wars, there is so much more waiting to be discovered. That’s why Rogue One was so popular. It took us somewhere we hadn’t been before, showed us other people and how they fit into the big picture. Not everything has to be clean and neat, but we need to feel we see a bit more of the universe. 

I don’t understand why some folks want to step back and see the same characters repeat themselves over and over. Characters need to grow; they need a story arc that starts at one point and takes them somewhere else, somewhere different. For that is what life is. A journey from one point to another. And what happens along the way? Those are the moments that make the story worth the telling.

See you out there along the arc to come…