Star Wars: The Last Jedi has its detractors, and many of them will list their objections at the drop of a hat, with common gripes ranging from the film’s divisive portrayal of Luke Skywalker to its Canto Bight side plot. One complaint that’s lately started to get some renewed attention, however, focuses on a particular moment that, according to YouTuber Thor Skywalker, “broke Star Wars forever.”
The subject of this hyperbole is the scene in which Vice Admiral Holdo drives the Raddus through the First Order’s fleet at lightspeed, buying the surviving Resistance members the time they need to escape. In raising the question of why we’ve never seen anyone else attempt this approach – be it further kamikaze attacks, or more likely, through objects programmed to make lightspeed collisions – some fans have suggested that this punches a major hole in the logic of this cinematic world. For example, it’s argued that the attack on the Death Star in A New Hope is rendered pointless, since the Rebels could’ve simply destroyed or at least crippled this space station by pulling the same trick.
It’s difficult to dispute the claim that the so-called “Holdo Maneuver” marks a lapse in logic for the series, but what’s debatable is how much this actually matters. While more literal-minded fans who’ll go to the mat in the name of franchise cohesion may see this as a world-breaking moment, others will be content to let plot holes be plot holes.
Perhaps the dividing line is the one separating viewers who feel Rian Johnson’s primary concern should’ve been honoring the legacy of the films that came before, from those who were happy to see the writer-director tell the Star Wars story that he personally wanted to tell, even if that meant playing fast-and-loose with the lore. That would certainly explain why the movie was often better received by general fans and critics, who regard this property as just another blockbuster franchise rather than anything more sacred.
But regardless of whether Star Wars: The Last Jedi broke the continuity of the series, it’s now up to J.J. Abrams to keep this story going, with Star Wars: Episode IX set to hit theaters on May 3rd, 2019.