Hey friends,

Some comforting words in the face of an increasingly difficult fandom experience.

Yesterday was a sucky day to be a Rey fan. And an even more sucky day to be a Rey Skywalker fan. Even though Rian’s comments were ultimately just a dumb joke, and don’t change the wealth of canon evidence we’ve built our theories upon, it still hurts to see our girl talked about that way, and to feel that horrible feeling of “Ugh, god, what if they’re actually going to completely ruin this character and this story that I love so much??”

It’s also a good day to remember that ultimately, none of us are actually doing this because we think we’ll get some prize at the end of the trilogy for having guessed the plot correctly. We speculate because it’s fun, and interesting, and generates cool ideas and excitement for what will happen next. It’s totally understandable to be anxious and confused about where your favorite story is going, and to be angry at the way it’s being talked about and treated, but if you find yourself feeling absolutely terrified that others will mock and humiliate you for “getting it wrong” in two year’s time, remember that anyone who is that invested in “beating” you at this game is an actual nutcase.

No, seriously, like, tweaked. Like, “the opinions of somebody who would do something like that should be disregarded entirely and also they should REALLY go for a walk or take up a hobby or something.”

We love ReySky because it’s a satisfying, emotional, and beautiful theory. We’re going to continue to talk about why we think it should happen, and why it makes more sense, as an outcome, than anything else we’ve heard so far. If Lucasfilm decides to go off the rails and do something completely different, well, we’ll take solace in knowing that we came up with a cooler idea than a professional film studio did. Because the endgame here isn’t to be The Most Right, it’s to find new depth and complexity in our favorite franchise, and to get hyped about what comes next. Even if your theory isn’t popular, even if it feels fringe-y and out there, you have every right to still believe in it and enjoy talking about it. That’s what fandom is for.

We’ll all go through this cycle many more times before the Skywalker Saga comes to a close. And if there’s any advice I can bestow upon you (and upon myself, if I’m to be honest–I’m no paragon of serenity and patience either), it’s that anyone who participates in fandom for the sheer fun of it will ALWAYS feel like more of a winner than the sort of person who feels the need to shout at strangers on the internet about how much of a winner they are.

(Really, it’s weird. I recommend they consider crocheting as an alternate pastime. Or, like, I dunno, woodworking or something).

Chin up, deep breath, shake it out. It’s gonna be okay.

xoxo,

Sprinkles