10 Simple Fixes That Would Have Made Star Wars: The Force Awakens Perfect
9. Explain Poe’s Survival (And Use It To Power The Resistance Plot)
When Oscar Isaac was first offered the role of Poe Dameron the pilot so cool he makes Han Solo look like a bit of a dweeb was going to die in the Jakku crash. Isaac took the role anyway, because who wouldn’t be in Star Wars, only to be told “I figured it out. You’re in the whole movie now.”
By “figured it out”, though, Abrams meant “I’m just going to bring you back later on, with a single line of explanation”. It’s not impossible that Poe jumped out and was saved by some random Resistance help, it’s just very lazy screenwriting and means that when he does come back, he feels like a less important main character. He doesn’t even speak to Rey.
A smarter trick would be to show him being rescued and use that as an in to a Resistance sub-plot, something that would in turn introduce us to Leia earlier and make us care about the Galactic war ahead of time. Hopefully Rian Johnson doesn't give Poe the same short shrift in Episode VIII.