2019: The Year of Big Finishes

So this year will see the end of two great epics, one that dominated the big screen and lasted for a big chunk of our lifetimes (or even predated us), and another that became a major icon on the small screen inside of a decade but with the help of a series of books that created a ready-made fandom.

2019 will be the year the Star Wars and GoT sagas both come to a conclusion.

Does that mean there won't be other stories set in these "universes?" No, I expect there will be many spin-offs whether in print or other media. But it does mean that the primary anchor serial that introduced and established these worlds for a legion of fans will reach the end of their central stories.

My thoughts.

I'm not a big Fantasy fan. It took me several viewings to finally get into Lord of the Rings, but once it "took" it rebooted my desire to write and eventually led me to finally getting published. I'd turned away from that goal in the late 1990s, but one lonely Halloween Eve circa 2006 when I first saw the three films presented back-to-back on television, Lord of the Rings became solely responsible for reigniting my creative imagination. For that reason, the saga will now forever hold a special place in my heart.

It's epic ending and the triumph of good over evil was heartfelt and satisfying--though I did find it a bit drawn out. But even when things were darkest, we always knew deep down that Aragorn would regain his crown, that Frodo would complete his mission to destroy the One Ring. Those were the only acceptable outcomes after following the Fellowship of the Ring members through so many agonizing trials.

And, of course, the LotR memes will be with us forever.

But Game of Thrones is very different sort of epic fantasy. I was engrossed in the series right from the very start. The characters, the politics, the landscapes, the great rise of "Ice" and "Fire" toward a cataclysmic conflict that might determine the fate of all people in this world. The stakes are sky high. Like Lord of the Rings, the goal is not just winning a war, it's avoiding potential annihilation.

But throughout the series, the "Game" was played with the loss of many key character--both loved and hated. That element of surprise--and sometimes horrified shock--was what made this series so engrossing. The story arc is revealed through many POVs. There is no central character who must survive in order for the story to be told. All bets are off on who will win the Game of Thrones or if there will be any winners at all.

But now not just winter is coming, the end is in sight. I'll be sorry to see GoT conclude after so many years of waiting for each season to start, and then holding my breath with huge anticipation between each episode. As I'm doing right now in the final season. (And I still say the clock runs faster when GoT is on. Those were some of the shortest hours of my life!)

I really don't want to see this series conclude, but as the saying goes "All good things must come to an end." We know from experience that it's better to have solid closure on a story well told than to let a series linger on too long and lose its way, along with much of what made it special to begin with.

So maybe it's best to say goodbye. At least there's still a series of hefty novels I can read to revisit the story in much more detail, and apparently, with a few different twists.

But that said, I certainly hope they have an ending planned that will satisfy the millions of loyal viewers. Please, please don't let it end badly. Please show us that great struggle and hardship will finally pay off for these characters who we've come to love--warts, blade and burn scars and all.

I'll also be sorry-glad that Star Wars will finally see its conclusion this December, nearly 20 years after George Lucas originally planned to wrap the third trilogy (originally around the year 2000 according to past statements), and I'm glad that it's finally drawing to that close. Good, bad or indifferent, the Star Wars saga couldn't remain an open ended question indefinitely. And now it won't.

Think what pop culture would have lacked without stormtroopers, Luke Skywalker and the Millennium Falcon all these years? Without the iconic sidekicks R2D2, C3PO and Chewbacca. Without The Force and hyperdrive? Star Wars was a 1977 summer sleeper originally predicted not to do well at the box office that instead smashed all expectations and left an indelible imprint on our culture for all time.

This tale has spanned generations, as has its audience and the actors that play the characters. Maybe that's how it was always meant to be. The mature Luke, Leia and Han certainly worked well within the framework of the final story arc (though the loss of Carrie Fisher was a terrible blow), and while I do sometimes wonder about all those "missing years" I think The Force Awakens filled in the blank years with reasonable clarity. Four decades of missing story line does leave a gap, but it also lead to one kickass phrase that I love, and that also resonates in my own work:

Every generation has a legend.

In case you missed the official Star Wars trailer for Episode IX, take a look.

If you missed it, you can also read Greta van der Rol's blog last Wednesday on the Star Wars end game here:  The Rise of Skywalker...hmmmm

And after over 40 years of waiting to see this epic grand finale unfold, I'm joining Greta in that silent chant: Please don't suck!  

After all this time, I couldn't bear to have my love affair with Star Wars end with a broken heart.

Have a great week.