SPOILER: The Secret Turncoat Villain of The Force Awakens
There has been speculation on possible acts of espionage in Star Wars: The Force Awakens for over a year now. It certainly isn’t out of the question, and we may have been played by how things are perceived in the trailers and TV spots. Is it possible that a traitor has been shown in the marketing this whole time? Hit the jump to read more in the possible Dark Side double cross.
Since we saw the earliest footage of Finn questioning his loyalty to the First Order, there have been loads of questions as to whether or not his character arc would be as simple as it appears. The marketing has been especially heavy handed in leading us down the path that Finn will ditch his stormtrooper past and become a good guy with The Resistance. But was he meant to distract us from something else? Has the real double agent been hiding in plain sight all along?
Ask yourself this question…”Does that look like the face of a man who senses something fishy is about to happen?” I think so. I believe in this scene Finn has just realized ace Resistance flyboy Poe Dameron is up to something. Where has he been while the story has been unfolding? Why was he so insistent on being the leader of X-Wing “Black” Squadron? Is the dark color an indicator of whats his true motivations? As it turns out, Poe Dameron is our turncoat who sides with Kylo Ren and the First Order.
Now think back to the promotion of the film. Very rarely have you seen Oscar Isaac on a panel with the Dark Siders. There’s a reason for that. He’s also arguably the most talented and accomplished actor in the cast — not someone you waste in a handful of shots in an X-Wing cockpit. He has range, and his villainous turns are memorable even in lackluster films i.e. Robin Hood.
In a few of the trailers, there is a clip which shows Poe very clearly after we hear “The Dark”…. then we see Finn as we hear “The Light.” Now getting back to the scene where Finn and Poe are reunited… the camera does a 180 for the same poetry/mirroring effect. JJ’s a tricky devil.
Back to how this plays out in the plot: After being tortured by Kylo, Dameron has a change of heart and sells out the Resistance. You may be thinking that would be hard to swallow… which is true, but Kylo helps things along. The Dark Sider peers into Dameron’s mind and sees the past: Poe’s parents losing their lives on the battlefield; a young Poe being adopted by Han and Leia; a teenage Poe bonding with his step-brother Kylo before the dark times. During the interrogation, Kylo twists Poe’s mind and shows him how Leia and the Rebel Alliance used his parents. All of this fuels a rage inside Poe, which helps him turn to the Dark Side like his younger sibling.
Why would JJ Abrams and Larry “Larr” Kasdan turn a fan-fave hero into an agent of evil? Storytelling, that’s why. Poe-try even. See, Dameron’s story arc is meant to mirror that of Finn’s. While Finn embraces the light, Poe runs to the dark. After the death of his parents, due to a Rebel plan gone wrong under the order of General Organa, Poe has misgivings about Leia. He keeps his feelings to himself over the years, but his run-in with Kylo “awakens” these feelings of hurt, not to mention the Force abilities within Poe, who grew up next to a Force tree.
So Kylo convinces Poe to help lead the Resistance into a trap on Takodana. Dameron agrees and even uses his ball droid, the cute BB-8 as B8 (see what JJ did there?) to lead everyone to Rey, then to Maz, and finally to Luke Skywalker. This is in exchange for the opportunity to murder Leia.
But first we have to get off the Star Destroyer — and the the irony here is outstanding. Poe volunteers to help Finn TIE-jack a fighter and claims, “I’ve always wanted to fly one of these things.” He is already excited to be working for The First Order. So the two of them “escape” and manage to crash land on Jakku. Ever wonder why no one knows exactly where Poe goes after the crash? That’s simple. He heads off to report back to Kylo and Hux, while BB-8 takes up the remaining part of their evil plan.
Later, when Leia doesn’t show up on Takodana, Dameron must bide his time. Finally the perfect opportunity arises. General Leia orders a strike on Starkiller base, so Poe decides this is the best time do move forward. He tells Kylo D’Qar will be unguarded and they will have their shot at destroying the Resistance base.
Kylo upholds his end of the bargain and commands Hux to target D’Qar. Leia is able to escape before the planet is blown to bits but Admiral Ackbar was not so lucky. During the climactic battle of the film, Poe turns on his “Black” Squadron pilots and begins to destroy them one by one. The film cuts back and forth between this space battle and the Kylo vs Rey and Finn duel. Kylo slays his father on the ground just as his step-brother lays waste to the Resistance in the air. Leia senses the loss of Han and the loss of her two boys.
It seems both siblings have found a new father figure in Lord Snoke, the mysterious villain in charge of The First Order. At the very end of the film, Rey and Finn (who barely survives the duel against Kylo) visit Luke Skywalker in his hermit cave. They find him covered head to toe in sand. When he awakens, he reveals himself as Supreme Commander Snoke, and we cut to black.
What do you think? Is this plausible? Once you go “Black”…?
Would this change how you feel about the film? Tell us in the comments section.
