I am speaking of my fellow fans, not of myself. Knowing that I probably couldn’t take seeing the movie without knowing the end, I read spoilers, and I am actually so happy that I did. I don’t think I would have been in a very good way if I hadn’t. I feel a lot more prepared for the ending of the Skywalker saga than I expected and that’s a big deal.

But I do feel bad for my fellow fans – especially the fans that haven’t seen it yet and are accidentally coming across spoilers from people who are mean and don’t care about their fellow fans. Those people are just horrible, spoiling it on purpose. I keep reading about fans having anxiety attacks on Tumblr, and I am just beside myself. It wasn’t the movie that a lot of the fans expected.

On the bright side, I did see some really nice “first impression” posts on Twitter that were spoiler-free, and a lot of people out there think extremely good things of the film and how JJ went about ending the saga. So there is always going to be fans that will love it and fans that just won’t. This is another reason why I never try to ship anyone or side with any subgroup within a fandom. I just don’t think it’s healthy to crave for something only to be disappointed. Some people get extremely invested in these fictional characters and the pain and disappointment they feel are overwhelming. It’s a little concerning when you see posts about people breaking down, crying for hours and feeling lost and in despair.

I totally understand, and I wish I could just put my arms around the entire fandom right now. I suspect I’ll have a lot more to say tomorrow when I’ve seen the film, and I’ve had some time to think about it. Because it’s such a long film, there will be a lot to take in.

Let me know how you’re planning to watch The Rise of Skywalker or your thoughts on the fandom right now. I’d love to hear what you think.