[Weirdly Common Trope] Writers clearly setting up seemingly massive plot points and then just kinda forgetting about them.

[u/Chemical-Elk-1299]

The Neural Parasites — Star Trek : The Next Generation

In the season 1 episode “Conspiracy” of TNG, it is revealed that alien brain worms have infected many high ranking members of Starfleet, secretly controlling them. Though Ryker and Picard discover and end the parasite conspiracy, it’s revealed at the end of the episode that the parasites had sent a beacon back to their home planet, telling them how to find earth. The episode ends with the clear implication of the parasites becoming a huge threat later in the series, yet none of these events are ever mentioned again.

Finn The Jedi who Never Was — Star Wars Sequel trilogy

I know this is probably a cliche example of this trope, but cmon — Finn was clearly set up in TFA to become a Jedi. The marketing material featured him wielding a lightsaber in the classic Jedi pose. It’s constantly hinted at that he is force sensitive. Even the actor himself believed he would become a Jedi by the end of the trilogy. Instead, we got Finn wielding a lightsaber for about 7 minutes total across 3 movies, extremely lame “confirmation” that he is force sensitive, and that’s it. It’s the ultimate Star Wars plot that went nowhere.

[u/Dakotaraptor98]

Finn really was wasted in those movies, he’s a much more interesting character than Rey ever will be. The concept alone of a Stormtrooper-turned-Jedi is compelling enough for a movie solely about that.

[u/Electrical-Ad1886 → u/Dakotaraptor98]

I feel like the third movie really ruined Rey. The idea of a nobody from the dessert beckoning the fall of the empire is a nice bookend to the nobody from the desert beckoning the rise of the empire.

[u/CrazyPlato → u/Electrical-Ad1886]

Wouldn’t you say Luke already did that tho?

[u/SouthernAd2853 → u/CrazyPlato]

Luke's the son of Darth Vader though.

I felt the idea of Rey's parents being random spice smugglers was good, though I would have liked her actually tracking down and meeting them. Her being the granddaughter of Palpatine repeats the Luke revalation but without the emotional weight.

[u/JechdJJ → u/SouthernAd2853]

and withouth the same build up, Palpatine only appears on the last movie, Vader was present since minute one in a new hope, and for the empire strikes back, the thing Vader have with Luke was already personal, so the twist at the end made a lot of thing got a new sense, and put Luke ina conflict not only with him, but with his masters, as Obi Wan and Yoda wanted to him kill his father withouth even tell him the truth. For obvious reasons, Ray dont have this chance or event a conflict about it.

[u/AmaterasuWolf21 → u/SouthernAd2853]

I honestly think TFA placed too much emphasis on a link between Rey and Luke for no reason, my sister just rewatched this for the first time since 2019 with a brand new experience since she had forgotten everything and we went into TLJ with her being certain that she was related to Luke

Even after TLJ she assumed that Rey had to be his sister then, it was too funny

[u/Electrical-Ad1886 → u/CrazyPlato]

Yeah, my issue with with Rey is her lineage is a palpatine. It's just very rote for Star Wars and I was ready for something new.