Hello!

I'm currently diving into creating my own works and have started tackling a massive passion project: a complete rewrite of Game of Thrones Season 5. I'm still very new to screenwriting formatting and am currently building this out in Google Docs, so I'm sure there are some technical growing pains I need to iron out. I would love some constructive criticism on this cold open set beyond the Wall.

Specifically, I'm hoping to get some eyes on my formatting and visualization. I've been trying to incorporate standard technical action lines and camera directions (like the tracking shots and push-ins you'll see in the text) but I want to know if they translate well to the page or if they feel too heavy-handed for a script. I'd also love to know if this works effectively as a cold open. Does it set the right pace for a Game of Thrones season premiere, and beyond that, does it hold up structurally as a gripping opening for any standard television episode?

On a narrative level, I really want to emphasize character agency and survival instincts, even for minor characters. Kella, Yglif, Ragger, and the rest are only introduced/>!killed off!< here, but I want to make sure they feel somewhat distinct and characterized on a basic level.

Finally, for the ASOIAF book readers out there, I'd love to know how you feel about this and hear your predictions on how it might play out. For those who want the context of exactly what I'm aiming for: >!the warg within the one-eyed wolf at the end is Varamyr Sixskins!<.

Thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to read my first draft! Any constructive criticism would be hugely appreciated.

Hello!

I'm currently diving into creating my own works and have started tackling a massive passion project: a complete rewrite of Game of Thrones Season 5. I'm still very new to screenwriting formatting and am currently building this out in Google Docs, so I'm sure there are some technical growing pains I need to iron out. I would love some constructive criticism on this cold open set beyond the Wall.

Specifically, I'm hoping to get some eyes on my formatting and visualization. I've been trying to incorporate standard technical action lines and camera directions (like the tracking shots and push-ins you'll see in the text) but I want to know if they translate well to the page or if they feel too heavy-handed for a script. I'd also love to know if this works effectively as a cold open. Does it set the right pace for a Game of Thrones season premiere, and beyond that, does it hold up structurally as a gripping opening for any standard television episode?

On a narrative level, I really want to emphasize character agency and survival instincts, even for minor characters. Kella, Yglif, Ragger, and the rest are only introduced/>!killed off!< here, but I want to make sure they feel somewhat distinct and characterized on a basic level.

Finally, for the ASOIAF book readers out there, I'd love to know how you feel about this and hear your predictions on how it might play out. For those who want the context of exactly what I'm aiming for: >!the warg within the one-eyed wolf at the end is Varamyr Sixskins!<.

Thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to read my first draft! Any constructive criticism would be hugely appreciated.

Hello!

I'm currently diving into creating my own works and have started tackling a massive passion project: a complete rewrite of Game of Thrones Season 5. I'm still very new to screenwriting formatting and am currently building this out in Google Docs, so I'm sure there are some technical growing pains I need to iron out. I would love some constructive criticism on this cold open set beyond the Wall.

Specifically, I'm hoping to get some eyes on my formatting and visualization. I've been trying to incorporate standard technical action lines and camera directions (like the tracking shots and push-ins you'll see in the text) but I want to know if they translate well to the page or if they feel too heavy-handed for a script. I'd also love to know if this works effectively as a cold open. Does it set the right pace for a Game of Thrones season premiere, and beyond that, does it hold up structurally as a gripping opening for any standard television episode?

On a narrative level, I really want to emphasize character agency and survival instincts, even for minor characters. Kella, Yglif, Ragger, and the rest are only introduced/>!killed off!< here, but I want to make sure they feel somewhat distinct and characterized on a basic level.

Finally, for the ASOIAF book readers out there, I'd love to know how you feel about this and hear your predictions on how it might play out. For those who want the context of exactly what I'm aiming for: >!the warg within the one-eyed wolf at the end is Varamyr Sixskins!<.

Thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to read my first draft! Any constructive criticism would be hugely appreciated.

Under almost every discussion about the Sequel Trilogy, you'll find some variation of the same complaint: "It's a crime we didn't get to see Luke, Leia, and Han together in the Sequels!" I understand where that feeling comes from. These characters mean a great deal to millions of people, myself included. Wanting to see them share the screen is completely understandable. Still, as a criticism of the actual films themselves, I've increasingly come to believe that this argument simply doesn't hold up.

The reason is simple: a story is not measured by the moments audiences wish had happened, but by the narrative purpose of the moments that actually do. Characters do not exist merely to occupy the same frame; they exist to drive the plot, develop themes, and reveal something meaningful about themselves and the world around them.

What exactly would Luke, Leia, and Han have been doing together? This is the question that rarely gets answered. Many fans speak as though the reunion is the story, yet storytelling is not a checklist of desired moments. A scene has to serve a narrative purpose. It has to reveal character, advance themes, or move the plot forward.

As one commenter I recently saw pointed out, very few people ever explain what the trio would actually be doing together beyond simply existing in the same frame. The demand is often presented as self-evident: "They should have reunited."

Okay, but… why? For what purpose? What conflict would they be addressing? How would that serve the story being told?

In film, a scene's value comes from what it accomplishes. Simply placing beloved characters in the same room does not automatically create meaningful drama. A reunion can be emotionally satisfying, but emotional satisfaction alone is not a substitute for narrative purpose.

That is why I think this criticism misses something fundamental - not only about the Sequels, but about how the Original Trilogy works! The OT trio spends far less time together than many people remember. In A New Hope, for example, Leia spends a large portion of the film imprisoned. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke spends much of the story separated from Leia and Han. In Return of the Jedi, they begin together but quickly split off into separate objectives. In fact, one of the defining characteristics of Star Wars is that characters frequently separate and reunite. Characters move in and out of each other's stories. The idea that Luke, Leia, and Han should have been together for the Sequels (even if it's just for one scene) isn't really supported by the films people claim to be defending.

As another fan pointed out, most of the Original Trilogy revolves around characters rescuing one another (i.e, the dynamic constantly shifts). The characters are not important because they're standing next to each other, they're important because of who they are.

At the heart of this discussion is something many fans choose to overlook: the Sequel Trilogy was always going to be about the next generation. Luke, Leia, and Han were always going to become guiding figures for the younger protagonists. That does not make them unimportant (quite the opposite), but there is a direct difference between being central to a story's themes and being its main characters.

This distinction is particularly important when discussing Luke Skywalker and The Force Awakens. One of the earliest creative challenges facing the screenwriters was Luke, as a key focus of Episode VII, being TOO captivating. Michael Arndt, the man who co-wrote The Force Awakens alongside JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, described the issue perfectly:

"It just felt like every time Luke came in and entered the movie, he just took it over. Suddenly, you didn't care about your main character anymore because like, 'Oh f***, Luke Skywalker's here. I want to see what he's going to do.'"

That isn't an indictment of Rey, Finn, or Poe as characters, it's simply the reality of cultural mythology. For over thirty years, Luke Skywalker had been the face of Star Wars. Audiences walking into The Force Awakens naturally wanted answers about him. Where was he? What happened to him? Why had he disappeared? The moment Luke entered the script, the script risked becoming about Luke. That is precisely why his larger role was delayed until The Last Jedi. By then, the trilogy's protagonists, antagonists, conflicts, and status quo would already be firmly established (and it was!). Rey became the audience's point-of-view character, Finn went from stormtrooper to devoted friend, and Kylo Ren emerged as a compelling antagonist in his own right. Only then could Luke return without completely swallowing the narrative whole - and if one legacy character risked overwhelming the story, imagine what would have happened if all three had been placed at its center.

This is why I've always struggled with the reunion criticism! People often talk about a Luke-Leia-Han reunion as though it would have been a simple addition to the story, when in reality it would've become the moment that overshadowed a new generation. That leads to a contradiction that has always fascinated me: the Sequels are constantly criticized for relying too heavily on nostalgia, yet many of those same critics argue that the films should have paused their narrative momentum to engineer one of the largest nostalgia-driven moments imaginable.

Had The Force Awakens halted its story to place Luke, Leia, and Han in a room together simply because audiences wanted to see it, I have no doubt fans would have accused the film of cheap fan service. In fact, I suspect that many of the "fans" using the trio criticism today would've been among the loudest voices condemning it ten years ago. It's an impossible standard! TFA is simultaneously accused of relying on too much nostalgia and not enough. What often gets lost in these discussions is that this film, for all its faults, attempts to use legacy characters in service of character drama rather than nostalgia for its own sake.

Han Solo is perhaps the best example, who somehow "regressed" because he returned to smuggling. Han was never a politician or a bureaucrat. He was never the sort of person who dreamed of spending his days in committee meetings helping administer a galactic government.

Yes, he became a general. Yes, he became a war hero. Yes, he built a life with Leia and Ben. However, those developments did not fundamentally change who Han Solo was. The tragedy of The Force Awakens is that his family falls apart: his son falls to the dark side, his marriage collapses due to unimaginable loss, and when everything Han built came crashing down, he retreated to the life he understood.

This gave Harrison Ford some of the strongest Star Wars material he had been given in decades. On Starkiller Base, when Han calls out to Ben, we see a father desperately trying to save his son. In many ways, this functions as an inversion of Luke and Vader's relationship in the Original Trilogy. That, to me, perfectly illustrates why the lack of an on-screen reunion between Luke, Leia, and Han is not some fatal flaw in the Sequels.

The writers chose character work over audience wish-fulfillment. You can disagree with that choice, but it is not evidence of bad storytelling.

There's also the reality that Luke, Leia, and Han were all played by aging actors! Mark Hamill was entering a completely different phase of his life and career. Harrison Ford famously wanted Han Solo killed off since Return of the Jedi. He finally got his wish in The Force Awakens, and it's widely understood he wouldn't have returned otherwise. Tragically, Carrie Fisher's passing in 2016 made any future reunions impossible. The notion that Lucasfilm could endlessly delay the passing of the torch was never realistic. Time was always running out.

Another point often overlooked: there are exactly three decades between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. For most of that period, the OT trio was actively together. They built governments, raised families, fought threats, and helped shape a new era. We haven't seen most of those stories yet, but books, comics, and future projects are promised to fill in that history. Plus, if you want thousands of pages dedicated to Luke, Leia, and Han staying together and fighting the good fight, there is an entire Expanded Universe where the Sequels don't exist. Those stories will always be there, waiting to be read, and nothing about the Sequels erases them from existence.

Would I have enjoyed one final scene between Luke, Leia, and Han?

Of course! Who wouldn't?

However, I never felt deprived by its absence because I got something far more meaningful. I got to see Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford together again. I got to see them laughing during interviews, sharing stories with the cast, walking red carpets, promoting The Force Awakens, and celebrating the franchise they helped build.

The characters mattered, but the people behind them mattered too. Knowing those friendships endured for decades means so much to me.

In conclusion, you don't have to like the Sequel Trilogy. You don't have to agree with every creative decision Lucasfilm made. Reasonable people can disagree, but the "they never put Luke, Leia, and Han in a room together" criticism has always struck me as one of the least compelling arguments against these films.

A story is more than a wishlist, characters are more than icons, and great storytelling is about serving the themes, the narrative, and the next generation. The Sequels chose to tell a story about legacy, failure, renewal, and the passing of the torch. You may think they succeeded or failed, but at least they were trying to do something far more ambitious than gathering throwing together three beloved characters and asking the audience to clap. The story went in the direction it went in, so I am going to enjoy it with the understanding that these characters (and the actors who played them) spent decades together off-screen.

TL;DR

Wanting a Luke-Leia-Han reunion is completely understandable, but very few people explain what narrative purpose such a reunion would actually serve. It's not a valid criticism of the films.
The Original Trilogy constantly split its heroes apart; the trio was never joined at the hip.
Putting Luke, Leia, and Han together in the same room during the ST would have hijacked the story JJ and Rian were trying to tell. There were thirty years of unseen OT trio adventures between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
Seeing Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford reunited in real life was satisfying enough for me.

Hello everyone!

Before we dive in, I want to give credit where credit is due: here's the link to the original theory that inspired mine. Grab a cup of caf and a snack, because we are diving straight into the horror of the Unknown Regions.

Canon tells us that Emperor Palpatine sensed a dark, mysterious presence in the Unknown Regions, calling to him. The standard assumption post-TRoS is that he was sensing the world of Exegol, but I want to propose a much more terrifying possibility: Exegol was merely a listening post. The Unknown Regions are famously unnavigable due to a chaotic web of solar storms, rogue magnetospheres, and gravity wells. In Legends, this barrier was artificially created by the Celestials (ancient, god-like beings) to either trap something in or keep something out. I believe what Palpatine actually sensed from his observatories was the void beyond the galaxy.

To understand the gravity of Palpatine's discovery, let's look back at the old Expanded Universe (Legends). In Legends, the greatest threat to the galaxy was the Yuuzhan Vong, an extragalactic species of zealots who existed outside the Force and attacked planets using horrific biotechnology. It is heavily implied that Palpatine knew the Vong were coming. Part of his twisted justification for dissolving the Republic and forging the Empire was to create a war machine capable of repelling them. Palpatine wanted to rule the galaxy, refusing to let an alien swarm take it from him. While these details are no longer canon, this dynamic adds a fascinating layer of depth to the Emperor's obsession with the Unknown Regions, which brings us to the Grysk Hegemony.

Introduced in Timothy Zahn's canon Thrawn novels, the Grysks are essentially Canon's spiritual successors to the Yuuzhan Vong. However, instead of using biological armaments, their primary weapons are societal collapse and mental subjugation. The Grysks are also nomadic, traveling through the Unknown Regions in groups so massive they blot out the stars. They consume civilizations by infiltrating them, turning their populations against one another, and enslaving them as "client species" to fight their wars for them. My theory posits that the Grysks are not native to the Unknown Regions at all; they are an extragalactic conquering force slowly bleeding into the Star Wars galaxy from the outside. If we accept that the Grysks are pushing into the known galaxy, the entire Sequel Trilogy (my personal comfort movies) becomes so much more than another Rebellion vs. Empire rehash. How did the shattered, impoverished Imperial Remnant flee into the Unknown Regions and emerge 30 years later with the resources to build Starkiller Base and the Supremacy, along with Supreme Leader Snoke?

Well, what if they didn't? The First Order is not the Empire 2.0; they are a Grysk puppet state (i.e, their largest client species). When the Remnant fled into the Unknown Regions, the Grysk Hegemony intercepted them. Seeing an opportunity, the Grysks funded them, offered them limitless resources, and used the labor of a thousand conquered worlds to build the First Order war machine (which is already seen in "Star Wars: Resistance" through Tehar, Najra-Va, and Dassal). Ironic. The First Order believes they are continuing Palpatine's legacy, but they are actually funded by (and working for) the very beings Palpatine built his Empire to destroy.

This theory of mine also explains the bizarre origins and nature of Supreme Leader Snoke. Canon implies he was a strandcast created by Palpatine, but what if Palpatine's cloning experiments on Exegol were failing, forcing the Sith Eternal to strike a bargain? Instead of a pure Sith creation, Snoke was a Grysk construct. The Sith Eternal provided the dark-side alchemy and the Grysks provided their terrifying technology. Snoke was a meat-puppet for Palpatine and a translator for the Grysk collective, designed to groom Luke Skywalker (though when that failed, Ben Solo) and soften the galaxy for invasion. Furthermore, my theory also recontextualizes Snoke's inner circle and technology (seen in The Last Jedi). His hyperspace-navigating Attendants are described by Wookieepedia as an ancient species (used by the Grysks in the past) assigned to steer the First Order fleet through the Unknown Regions. Additionally, Snoke's mysterious oculus might be a specialized receiver linked directly to the Grysks, allowing him to map invasion routes and commune directly with the swarm.

However, to understand the sheer scale of the threat Snoke was paving the way for, we have to look past the Unknown Regions and into the beyond. We already know extragalactic travel exists in canon. The Kaminoans reside in the Rishi Maze, a satellite galaxy, and the Ahsoka series introduced Peridea, a distant galaxy. In the past, the Nightsisters fled Peridea (though that is likely related to Abeloth) and the Kaminoans developed obsessive cloning technology; both of these extreme cultural shifts could have been ancient survival responses to fleeing the Grysk Hegemony.

If this intergalactic swarm has been pressing against the boundaries of our galaxy for millennia, they wouldn't have gone unnoticed by the darkest, most ambitious pioneers of the ancient past (which completely transforms the true nature of Exegol). Assuming the Old Republic era remains largely unchanged in canon, the ancient Sith of Korriban and Dromund Kaas could've expanded their empires into the Unknown Regions and discovered this dead world trapped in a permanent eclipse. They might've built the massive Sith citadel seen in TRoS as an observatory/barricade. Palpatine was so fascinated by Exegol because he was using its ancient Sith architecture to peer into the dark and study the approaching Grysk threat - though if Exegol is the listening post, how do the Grysks actually cross over into the known galaxy?

This is where Batuu comes in. Described as the "Galaxy's Edge," Batuu was once a bustling crossroads before modern hyperspace routes bypassed it. The ancient, petrified trees of Batuu (the "Black Spires") are calcified remnants of giant flora that naturally resonated with the Force, acting as a primitive lighthouse system for early extragalactic travelers crossing into the known galaxy. It is highly theorized the Chiss are descendants of ancient humans who crossed over via Batuu thousands of years ago. If the Grysks want to move their world-devouring armada out of the Unknown Regions and into the Deep Core, they must capture Batuu to stabilize the hyperspace lanes (which might be an interesting conflict to explore post-TRoS, given Rey and co's history with the planet). I also think it would be interesting if the Grysks don't just want to invade, but also want to breach the World Between Worlds to gain instant access to every point in space and time.

To unlock a gateway of that magnitude, the swarm needed a living compass, which brings us back to the events of TLJ. When Kylo Ren bifurcates Snoke, he believes he has achieved freedom and claimed his birthright, but upon traveling to the Unknown Regions to consolidate his power and kill Palpatine, he discovers Snoke was merely an interlocutor. By killing him, Kylo broke the leash holding back a completely alien, nomadic invasion force that no longer needs to play politics. The First Order officers realize they built a war machine for monsters, the New Republic realizes their political squabbles left them completely exposed, and Ben Solo realizes his entire fall to the dark side was engineered just to turn his legendary bloodline into a map for an apex predator.

In conclusion, this theory means the ancient Sith built Exegol as a barricade, and by the time of the fall of the Jedi, early extragalactic scouts (much like the lone Yuuzhan Vong scout ship that slipped into the galaxy during the Clone Wars in Legends) were already testing the perimeter. Moving into the New Republic era, Thrawn's journey and return in Ahsoka shows he isn't trying to resurrect the Empire merely for the sake of power; true to his canon origins, he is frantically trying to unite the squabbling Imperial Remnant into a force against the Grysks. Finally, this bleeds into the Sequels, where the New Republic's arrogance and demilitarization bring everything crashing down, forcing the next generation to clean up a cosmic mess that has been brewing for millennia. It perfectly bridges the Skywalker Saga, turning a generational family drama into a fight for the galaxy's sheer survival.

What do you guys think? Does this make the Sequel Trilogy and the surrounding lore feel more cohesive and terrifying? I'd love to hear your thoughts, additions, or counter-theories in the comments!

Hello, everyone!

I wanted to jump on the tier list trend and share my personal rankings with the community. To keep things organized, I split everything into three categories: Films/Specials, Live-Action TV, and Animated TV. These tier lists are based purely on my personal enjoyment, not objective cinematic quality. We all experience this galaxy differently, and that's the best part of the fandom.

I'm curious to see if anyone else has a similar layout with their rankings, or if my takes are completely upside down to you. Please feel free to defend your favorites and share how your own lists would look.

Let's discuss!

Hey everyone!

I've been thinking a lot lately about the conclusion to the Sequel Trilogy. As someone who actually grew up watching the ST, I have a massive soft spot for them. Even though I know they can be divisive, I truly believe the first two films set up a foundation that deserved a conclusion to wrap up the Skywalker Saga (from the PT to the OT to the ST) while serving characters like Finn, Poe, and Rose who were put on the back burner.

Right now, I'm piecing together a fan project called "Star Wars: The Codex Canon" that rewrites Star Wars material while blending together the best of Legends with the best of Canon. Included in this vision, I've been wondering how Episode IX would've looked if it had gone in Colin Trevorrow's direction. For the sake of this discussion, we are operating under the premise that Episode VII: "The Force Awakens" and Episode VIII: "The Last Jedi" remain exactly as they are (minus the hypothetical removal of a few cringeworthy moments such as overplayed Marvel humor, forced kisses, and minor inconsistencies) to let the real story shine!

Before getting into the alternate script, I do want to give credit where it's due: I enjoy many aspects of The Rise of Skywalker. The Goonies-style mystery in the first act is incredibly fun, C-3PO's larger (albeit, comedic) role was a blast, the visuals are absolutely gorgeous, and the score is fantastic.

However, for this project, I'm looking specifically at Colin Trevorrow's unproduced script, Episode IX: "Duel of the Fates." If you aren't familiar with it, here are some resources:

• Star Wars - Episode IX: Duel of the Fates (Script)
• Star Wars - Episode IX: Duel of the Fates (Comic Adaptation)
• Star Wars - Episode IX: Duel of the Fates (Comic Adaptation Movie)
• Star Wars: The Cancelled Episode IX We Never Got (Video)

I'm really curious to hear all of your opinions: if you were in the writer's room for Duel of the Fates, what changes (big or small) would you make to improve it and tie Star Wars together? I'm not talking about throwing the whole script away and writing a completely new Episode IX, but rather tweaking what's already there to make it the best possible finale.

P.S: Just a quick reminder that the DOTF script we're discussing (the only one that leaked) was an early draft, not a production-ready screenplay.

To kick things off, here are a few ideas I've been tossing around, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on them:

• The stormtroopers think of Finn (to them, FN-2187) as some kind of legend who stood up to Phasma and was brave enough to defect, along with having Finn and Poe discuss/resolve the fact that Poe killed Finn's friend, Slip, during the Jakku raid in The Force Awakens (the stormtrooper who smeared blood across Finn's helmet).
• To respectfully account for Carrie Fisher's tragic passing in late 2016, I feel Lucasfilm could have adapted this script - and the revisions to come - by shifting the bulk of Leia's active role to Lando (or rather, General Lando) to honor the OT. Leia's presence could be preserved for a beautifully inspiring speech broadcast to the entire galaxy (much like the original DOTF script), giving Carrie the massive moment she deserves.
• I like the idea where Hux collects lightsabers and Force-related artifacts ("Hux lost the Star Wars") and dies using Mace Windu's (?) purple lightsaber - but to make it work, I think the comedic elements (such as Hux trying to use the Force to spite Kylo and Rose laughing at Hux during interrogation) need to be removed. Playing his desperation and downfall entirely straight allows the stakes to feel much more serious (along with making Hux feel like the same character we met during The Force Awakens).
• Trevorrow's script utilizes Mortis as a location and major plot point, but since Mortis is a spiritual realm that appears to you rather than a place you can just fly a ship to, I thought about swapping it out. What if we used the Wellspring of Life/Planet of the Whills (where Yoda went during S6 of The Clone Wars) instead? It is far more accessible for a physical journey and could serve the same narrative purpose. Integrating minor ideas about the Whills could be a brilliant way to incorporate George Lucas's original ST concepts as well.

Enough about my ideas; I really want to hear some great opinions from this community! How would you fix the pacing, the character arcs, or the final battle in Duel of the Fates/Episode IX?

• Note: Let's keep the discussion constructive, civil and avoid any racism, homophobia, etc. Please respectfully bypass the "the saga ended at Return of the Jedi" takes as well; I'd love to keep the focus specifically on how to make this Episode IX the best it could be!

May the Force be with you! Always.

The Sequel Trilogy is Beautiful

I'm an aspiring creator myself, so I'm always looking at how editing can be used to convey powerful emotions. Recently, I stumbled upon this gorgeous tribute by StarWarsCentralized.

I grew up with the ST movies and they were a huge part of my bond with my family, so seeing them treated with this much respect is beautiful! These movies were my home. They were the bridge that connected me to my family. However, for a long time, I let the noise and the negativity of the Star Wars fanbase drown that out. I fell into a pit of cynicism because it felt like the only way to be a real fan.

If you've ever felt like you had to hide your love for these movies, please watch this. It's only three minutes long, but reminds me that the story of Star Wars is, above all else, beautiful. :)