In the lead-up to the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, director J.J. Abrams offered repeated hints that his film was going to serve as a “course correction” of sorts in the wake of 2017’s divisive The Last Jedi, and sure enough, once the Skywalker Saga finale reached theaters, the movie was every bit as apologetic as fans either dreaded or hoped.
We can see Abrams’ attempts to reach out to the detractors in the way his flick essentially undoes one of the boldest twists of The Last Jedi. But more controversial still is how the new movie reduces Rose Tico to a minor supporting player after her major role in the previous film.
After the release of The Last Jedi, actress Kelly Marie Tran was subject to vicious online abuse, ultimately prompting the star to seek therapy and leave social media with no intention of returning. With this backlash in mind, it feels like no coincidence that the theatrical cut of The Rise of Skywalker gives Rose just 76 seconds of screen time, and many fans have started accusing Abrams and Disney of pandering to the trolls and bullies who harassed their actress.
Now, with the trending hashtag #RoseTicoDeservedBetter, Twitter users are calling out the Mouse House for failing to stick up for Tran, with some even pushing for Rose to be given her own spinoff show:
Give Rose her own series, you cowards. #RoseTicoDeservedBetter pic.twitter.com/bR3ImJkWWm
— Nate (@nthomasrios) December 26, 2019
The fact that Rose Tico's entire screentime officially clocks in at 76 seconds including background appearances… oof. https://t.co/x5NDrwT9Wo
— Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (@Hello_Tailor) December 26, 2019
The amount of people who think that nothing actually happened in The Last Jedi is astounding. Every single character had an arc, like it or not, and the movie challenged a lot of what was previously held sacred by the most indentured fanboys. Yes… boys. #RoseTicoDeservedBetter
— Jimmy Wong (@jfwong) December 26, 2019
If you watch this gif 10 times it probably is about as long as her total scenes were in the film. KMT did a great job in TLJ and got shelved to please bitchy fanboys for one more film. Fuck that shit and give her a damn show
#RoseTicoDeservedBetter pic.twitter.com/VfpQVp5xRm— Brian Hall (@BrianHall1988) December 26, 2019
Disney, the solution is simple:
Give Rose Tico her own Disney+ show. Eight episodes. New adventure. Love interest. Story fleshed out.
From the perspective Star Wars needs: the working-class everyperson winning by saving what we love. pic.twitter.com/735snv3p2X
— Hector Navarro (@Hectorisfunny) December 26, 2019
ROSE TICO (Disney+ Series 2021)
After leaving an ungrateful Resistance behind, Rose Tico sets out on a personal journey to liberate every slave in the galaxy with sass, blasters & space horses. #RoseTicoDeservedBetter pic.twitter.com/uHpyLdJaBZ
— Rob🎨 (@RobCabrera) December 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/ChuckWendig/status/1210222292032200705
What #StarWarsRiseofSkywalker did to Rose Tico is unconscionable. Kelly Marie Tran got less screen time than Dominic Monaghan’s random new character. They Jar Jar Binks-ed her because trolls bullied her off the Internet. Kelly deserved better.
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) December 22, 2019
JJ Abrams thanking rian Johnson for casting Kelly marie Tran only to give her less screen time than his white additionals is disgusting and gross #RoseTicoDeservedBetter
— Lue (@Iueminous) December 26, 2019
all the headasses going through the #RoseTicoDeservedBetter tag going "she was annoying" like… do you ever feel overcome by the realization that she, a fictional character, will have spread more positivity and love and joy than you ever will in your lifetime?
— sian 🐚 (@prcserpinas) December 26, 2019
Once again, JJ said at celebration "I was grateful to Rian Johnson for so many things, the greatest for me was casting Kelly Marie" all while knowing that he threw out her character and Kelly had to sit on stage and smile throughout it. JJ is shit and #RoseTicoDeservedBetter
— Krylorenandrey (@krylorenandrey) December 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/jakkugerblin/status/1210251210655248386
https://twitter.com/womp_rat_fever/status/1210153329134907392
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) December 21, 2019
While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may have been an attempt to reunite the fanbase by giving the detractors what they wanted, it seems that things are as tense as they’ve ever been, suggesting that the time is probably right for the franchise to take a break from the big screen.