I always chuckle at the movie depiction of Rivendell in Peak Fall and the journey to Caradhras being in decent weather, given that the setting is proto-Europe and the Fellowship departs Rivendell on December 25. Should be wet and miserable at least as far as Rohan. But then it wouldn't be pretty.

The one-drop rule remains in effect in these idiots' minds.

Hell, *Jack* was supposed to die in the first episode!

The end result may not be everyone's cup of tea, but handing directors a laundry list of scenes that were all developed in advance would not automatically have resulted in better movies.

That Kathleen Kennedy let Abrams and Johnson do their own thing and didn't shackle them to a grand plan is a good thing, actually. And we know that because of how difficult it's been to get any *other* Star Wars projects off the ground because filmmakers have a hard time coloring in the lines.

And while "oh my god, you have to do homework" is another kettle of fish, I think it's clear if you read any of the ancillary media from the time "The Force Awakens" came out that Palpatine's return was *always* the endgame in some fashion.

And we know the prequel trilogies were also *very* loose. We get a shot of Aurra Sing during the podrace because Lucas had plans for her in the sequels. Maybe she was supposed to be the assassin at the start of "Attack of the Clones"? But she wasn't.