The Last Jedi trailer

“When I first saw you,” a deep, gravelly voice begins, “I saw raw, untamed power…”

This, presumably, is the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke, who I desperately hope is the Darth Plagueis The Wise alluded to by then-Senator Palpatine amid his less than subtle – but not yet cat out of the bag – courtship of Anakin Skywalker.

The scene opens with Father Slayer Kylo Ren silently observing the mass production of familiar imperial machines of mass destruction. White-clad troopers march in his wake as the Sith colors red and black feature with increasing prominence.

“…And beyond that, something truly special!” Snoke concludes, most forebodingly. 

Speaking of special, here’s Jedi-in-training heroin Rey brandishing a lightsaber of familiar hue and handle on scenic and remote Skywalker Island.

“Something inside me has always been there,” she says.

Here we get a good look at the forlorn, haggard and grizzly Luke Skywalker — a far cry from the idealistic, womp rat shooting, sister kissing days of yore.

As Rey’s strength with the Force is displayed for us and culminates with the ground literally quaking beneath the strain of her telekinetic strength, Luke speaks for the first time, his voice shockingly hoarse and untold octaves lower than that of his pre-hermit self.

“I’ve seen this raw strength before,” he says. “It didn’t scare me enough then. It does now.”

Our hero’s words represent a marked contrast between the two mentors of the Force. Snoke, on one hand, intoxicated by the potential he sees in Kylo Ren. On the other end of the spectrum is a wide-eyed Luke, somber and alarmed in the presence of Rey’s blossoming power, which he knows can be made to serve either good or ill. Significantly, both Luke and Snoke characterize their respective pupils’ abilities as “raw,” though each obviously views that trait through different lenses. Luke’s anxiety and circumspection are consistent with the philosophy of his Good Guy predecessors, who (wisely) balked at Anakin Skywalker’s training. And even, for a brief moment, his own. Snoke, much like former dark lords of the Sith, likely sees raw, unadulterated ability – bereft of a basic sense of right and wrong – as an indispensable ingredient to intergalactic domination.

Next we have the apparently fully actualized sociopath Kylo Ren — scarred both literally and figuratively. Evidently unsatisfied by his feat of patricide in The Force Awakens, Ren contemplates a two-fer as his mother (RIP, Carrie) wears a grim look of what might be resignation.

The Falcon roars into view, chased as ever by TIE fighters in a visage hearkening back to its narrow escape from the second Death Star. Chewbacca growls something that seems to convey “Not this again” while the camera pans over to a penguin copilot (?), who squeaks his own utterance of dismay.

Intense images of outer space conflict follow as the Rebellion’s new generation of heroes emerge, including Finn locked in combat with a New Order foe.

“This is not going to go…the way you think,” Luke warns.

And indeed, things seem bleak with Finn walking in the custody of New Order troops, the imperial armada looking every bit as vast and potent as it did before the Empire’s defeat, and Rey enduring what looks like the Cruciatus curse courtesy of the physically deformed Snoke. As an aside, I definitely think there’s something to the Star Wars’ universe in terms of outward ugliness matching inward ugliness, and Ren’s facial scar likely serves as merely a starting point in his physical and spiritual transformation.

Most chilling of all, the montage concludes with Rey stating that “I need someone to show me my place in all of this.” Kylo Ren, against a fire-falling hellscape, extends an inviting hand.

And close! The words “Star Wars” and “December 15” appear in blood red, cementing what promises to be a much darker and hopefully less derivative installment than its predecessor A New Hope The Force Awakens.

There’s a lot to unpack here. The juxtaposition of Snoke and Luke is particularly compelling and effective. Though his words and appearance seem to mirror Sith lords of past, we still know precious little of him. From whence did this Force-sensitive person emerge, and who managed to render his face even more grotesque than Palpatine’s? And despite Luke’s familiarity, this sure doesn’t sound or look anything like the hero we once knew. What circumstances led him to disregard his appearance and choose exile? Surely he still cares more about the plight of the universe he once saved than his defeatist words now suggest.

Of course, this trailer is likely replete with misdirection. If it isn’t, I’m surprised that the filmmakers have elected to tip their hand to such an extent. Luke may not be quite the embittered, Get Off My Island man that his few words in this clip suggest. Rey may not actually be soliciting the help of Kylo Ren, who may not actually be on his way to kill mommy.

Whatever the case, I greatly anticipate answers to at least some of the questions left for us by TFA. That, and more than seventy seconds’ time devoted to the iconic protagonist of the franchise.