Dialogue Practice 1: Star Wars Episode 8

Act 1
Scene 1
Interior: Kitchen: Morning
Abernathy and Baxter are eating cereal and discussing the new Star Wars movie. Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi.

Abernathy: Kylo isn't going to die in the second movie. He might lose a body part or get some more scars, or something but there is no way he dies. This isn't the last movie and he's the main bad guy.

Baxter: Obi-wan died in the first movie.

Abernathy: Yeah, but he's old. He taught Luke what he needed and wanted to become a ghost so he let himself die. Kylo isn't Obi-Wan. He's young and powerful. He's interested in taking over the universe, not becoming a ghost teacher.

Baxter: You're not wrong about that. So he might lose a limb?

Abernathy: Or he will be more powerful than ever and no one will be able to touch him. Except at the end, when he meets up with the newly trained Rey.

Baxter: Or, he loses a thumb. And then he gets a robot thumb.

Abernathy: Why does something bad have to happen to Kylo, anyway?

Baxter: Because he's the bad guy.

Abernathy: So. It's the good guys that have to overcome adversity in order to become strong enough to defeat the bad guys, who always seem more powerful at first but in the end, it's their flaws that kill them. Jealousy, greed, an abundance of rage. For example. Whereas the good guys overcome their flaws by facing them and conquering them. The villain doesn't require strife to remain a villain.

Baxter: But it feels good when the bad guy gets hurt or dies.

Abernathy: Of course it does, but you can't give the audience too much satisfaction all at once or you will have nothing at the end. No satisfying death scene or triumphant climax. The bad guy has to get stronger too. But only by doubling down on their flaws which leads to their demise.

Baxter: I wonder if Chewbacca will die?

Abernathy: Jesus Christ! Does someone have to die? Han Solo just died! There is no way they kill off Chewbacca this soon. Maybe at the very end. No. He'll probably have kids after the war and name them Han and Leia or something stupid. Chewbacca. What is wrong with you?

Baxter: If they kill Chewbacca there would be an even greater reason to hate Kylo Ren.

Abernathy: That's true but it's overkill. If anyone dies it will be Luke. He's old and perfectly suited to die for the cause. Probably saving Rey against Kylo as his rage and cunning are too much for her as of yet.

Baxter: As of yet?

Abernathy: Yeah, she needs Luke's sacrifice to push her over the emotional edge so she can defeat Kylo. And since he isn't a father he has no motivation to redeem himself like Vader, whom he idolizes, which is ironic because if he knew about how Vader changed his mind at the end of the third movie he might not have ended up a bad guy. He was trained by Luke, then seduced by Andy Serkis and then became drunk with power and it seems no one told him that Vader threw the emperor over the edge and renounced the dark side?

Baxter: No I meant, who says "As of yet"?

Abernathy looks at Baxter scathingly. Abernathy stands up, walks to the door where he picks up his briefcase and opens the door.

Abernathy: Have a good day at school.

Baxter: Keep it 100.

Act 2
Scene 1

Exterior: Backyard: Evening
Abernathy and Baxter are playing hacky sack discussing the new Star Wars movie.

Abernathy: I'm not sure why the androids always have a sense of humor. Maybe it's because their AI is so advanced that they have personalities. What do you think?

Baxter: I think they can say things that people can't say. So they show how silly humans are. They can talk about how emotional humans are or something. Which is funny. Cause it's true.

Abernathy: It is weird that the androids tend to break up the drama. Maybe that's because they are so smart and logical that they can say things that people would normally not out of courtesy or ego.

Baxter: Yeah. Maybe they are like people with Aspergers. Really smart but socially awkward. C3PO is pretty Aspergery.

Abernathy: The one in Rogue One was one of the only funny characters in that. They are wild cards for the writers. A robot doesn't have the same emotional connection with the audience so it doesn't have to have a normal story arch or payoff. It stands on its own in a way. It's an outsider to the rest of the characters.

Baxter: R2D2 is definitely Autistic.