Daisy Ridley states that Episode 9 doesn’t need a Rey and Poe romance
The Last Jedi’s ending brought Rey and Poe together but Daisy Ridley doesn’t see it going anywhere in a romantic way in Episode 9.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi played around with the themes of separation, conflict and failure, thereby sending everyone on quests that kept them away from each other. So, when Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) finally shared a moment together, fans began to speculate whether they’ll be involved romantically or not. Well, Daisy Ridley has the answer for that.
From the moment Finn met Rey at Jakku till they hugged each other after a very long time on Crait, it was established that they shared a strong bond of friendship, and not a romantic one. And although Poe and Rey had a conversation that mirrored Han and Leia’s iconic “I know” sequence, Ridley told Mtime that Episode 9 doesn’t need such a relationship.
"“I haven’t spoken to J. J. [Abrams]. I did a film this year too that is not romantic. I think it’s wonderful to have relationships that are not romantic. I don’t think in films you always need a romantic relationship. And I think friend relationships can be romantic in their gestures and their intimacy and all of that. So, I think, hopefully, you know if Rey and Poe get to have some scenes together and stuff, there’ll be intimacy. But I think it doesn’t, for me, it doesn’t have to be romantic love.”"
Rey and Poe had a non-conversational meeting at the end of The Force Awakens and, since then, both of them have had pretty dramatic journeys. So, in all practicality, they never had any romantic moments and their exchange in The Last Jedi might’ve been one of mutual admiration. However, as this is Ridley’s personal feelings and Episode 9 is a long way to go, Poe-Rey shippers have to wait and see how Abrams develops their dynamic.
More from Hidden Remote
- The story of a French emperor: Here’s where Napoleon will stream after theaters
- It’s Thanksgiving Eve! Tune into the SNL Thanksgiving special to get into the spirit of the holiday
- Mamie’s plan is advanced on Thanksgiving (Young and the Restless Nov. 22 recap)
- ACOTAR on Hulu: Is A Court of Thorns and Roses based on a book?
- Final season, release date set for La Brea season 3: Everything we know so far
Does Episode 9 need to introduce another romantic relationship in Star Wars?
Most blockbuster films have a tendency to create a romantic pair out of their lead roles or have a love story at its heart. And no matter how much we criticize the romance genre, we can’t deny the satisfaction we get when the sun sets, the score crescendos and the hero and the heroine kisses. However, the same can’t be said about Star Wars.
Throughout the series, we have seen that love stories in Star Wars don’t have happy endings. The prequel trilogies had Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Padme’s (Natalie Portman) affair, which was in contradiction with the Jedi religion. While the entire process was extremely tedious to watch, their illegitimate relationship had disastrous consequences, as it killed Padme and nudged Anakin towards the Dark side.
While Han (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) are considered to be one of the quintessential couples of cinematic history, their relationship wasn’t a smooth ride as well. Despite the retconning in Return of the Jedi, Han had to live with the memory of those incestuous kisses between Leia and Luke (Mark Hamill). In addition to that, the galactic love birds had to witness the rise of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), thereby leading to Luke’s exile, and tragically ending with Han’s death.
Next: John Boyega reveals one Star Wars: The Last Jedi plot that worried him
So, in case viewers don’t want to see Poe or Rey dead or on the Dark Side, it’ll be best for them to remain friends. As the stakes will be high in Episode 9, maybe Abrams will try to emphasize their camaraderie instead of providing them with the distractions of love. In addition to that, as Star Wars has taken the first step towards subverting clichés with The Last Jedi, avoiding traditional love stories might be the best follow up to that.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is currently in theaters nationwide.
What are your thoughts on a Poe and Rey romance in Episode 9? Let me know in the comments.