Does It Pass Its O.W.L.s? A Review of The Cursed Child, Sans Spoilers

It’s been nearly ten years since I closed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sure I’d never read another page about Harry’s adventures. I guess, not unlike Voldemort, the franchise just won’t give up. But you know what? I can’t say I’m disappointed.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has its problems, don’t get me wrong. But to be staying up late reading again—to be reading a Harry Potter book for the first time again—was to feel like a kid again. So I read the script as I did as a kid—for fun, for entertainment, and without the chains of adult cynicism.

At least, I tried. “Riddled” with as many wrong turns as the Tri-Wizard Tournament maze, the plot of The Cursed Child is too fast-paced and contrived. Harry and his son Albus bicker more than Ron and Hermione in their younger years, and after a particularly awful spat, Albus and his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy, run away, steal a confiscated Time Turner, and haphazardly wreak chaos upon the wizarding world. Anyone remotely familiar with time travel plotlines can guess what type of shenanigans these two get up to. Minus 50 points from Gryffindor for even messing with Time Travel.

Still, a bad plot can be redeemed by good writing and compelling character development. As far as the writing goes, that won’t be rescuing this plot from itself. In fact, there is one particular scene that was both written so poorly and clearly there as a bad plot device that I’m declaring it as the Worst Scene in Harry Potter history—out of both the movies and the books. I’ll give the writing a pass, though, for clever interjections in the scene directions, witty one-liners from Scorpius, and basically every Ron and Hermione scene.

Speaking of Scorpius, Ron, and Hermione—most if not all of my enjoyment of this script comes from the character development. Scorpius Malfoy, yes that’s Draco’s son again, is the most adorable, amusing character in the whole script. I’d argue he stole the spotlight and is the real hero. The friendship between Scorpius and Albus, and how that affects their fathers—O level!

And yes of course the Big Question—but what about Ron and Hermione? The fate of their relationship was my biggest fear regarding this play. Ron and Hermione fans, do not fear. I will spoil only this for you: nothing terrible befalls Ron and Hermione and they are still going strong by the end of the play.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you really love Harry Potter. And what I mean by ‘really love,’ is that you can be critical of something without allowing that criticism to affect your overall love of the series. If you don’t hate time travel stories, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you do hate time travel stories, well, if you can suspend your disbelief long enough to let yourself enjoy the story, then you’ll enjoy the story. That’s on you.

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Disclaimer: I only read the published script copy and did not see the play performed.

Who Are Rey's Parents?

Warning: If you haven't seen The Force Awakens yet, this article contains MAJOR spoilers. Run, Luke! Run!

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The Force Awakens goes to great lengths to keep Rey's parents a mystery.

But it also goes to great lengths to give us hints -- not unlike the clues to finding Luke! And what a coincidence because I believe the clues regarding Rey's parents also lead to Luke! 

Rey, Luke is your father! And here is a full compendium of reasons why Rey is Luke's daughter. (Thought of a reason I missed? Leave a comment below!)

Why Rey is NOT a Solo

One of the main arcs of TFA is Kylo Ren's struggle with the Dark Side and the Light Side. Snoke tells him he must kill his father, Han Solo, in order to become more powerful. Leia tells Han to bring their son back. You would think they would have mentioned, some time in one of those scenes, that they also have a missing daughter. 

The possibility that Han and Leia forgot about their long lost daughter because of a memory rub is low. This ability has yet to be demonstrated in actual canon. Plus, the memory rub couldn't be limited to two people. Depending on when this memory rub supposedly occurred, you would have the team of doctors who delivered the daughter, any one in contact with the Solos around that time, etc. "Hey, where's your daughter?" "Uh, what daughter?" I think they'd figure that out pretty quickly. 

I'm hopeful that there will be another Solo child; I don't think that's been fully eliminated. It's easier to say "sure they didn't mention so-and-so because they were safe doing x-y-z over here." But you can't really say they didn't bring up a missing daughter when they spend so much time talking about their (sort of) missing son. 

Eliminating the memory rub, lack of mention, there's also this: if they remembered their daughter and she was missing, you would think Han and Leia might suspect it when they each first meet Rey. Han especially, as he spends quite a bit of time with her. Yet he makes no effort to even broker the subject. If they forgot about her and she was missing, you would still think that meeting her might trigger something. 

Why Rey is NOT Related to Obi-Wan

While this might be an interesting storyline, pitting Anakin and Obi-Wan's descendants against each other, I struggle with the idea that Obi-Wan would have children. It's made clear in Episodes I-III that the Jedi are not permitted to have relationships and that their training begins from a young age. Anakin struggles with many aspects of the Jedi training, probably because his training began so late in life. He meets Padmé long before he is told he won't be allowed to love. It's clear he's thought about her since he first met her. 

But a child who is told from a young age that he cannot marry seems less likely to change.

Still, let's entertain the idea that Obi-Wan, after seeing what happened with Anakin, nevertheless decided to forgo the ideology that had been shoved down his throat for 30+ years. He retires to Tatooine, meets a nice girl, one thing leads to the other. The girl has a child. 

The next question is: does he know about the child? Situation 1: No, he doesn't know. But if his grandchild, supposedly Rey, is as strong in the Force as she clear is, then presumably Obi-Wan would be able to send his child living very nearby. A child who is strong in the Force would gather his attention. He would probably investigate, and ultimately discover the child was his. Situation 2: Yes, he does know. Then why does he leave Tatooine behind without a second thought in A New Hope? That's cold, Obi-Wan.

Why Rey HAS to be a Skywalker

I get that it might be cool to see some non-Skywalker Jedi kick some butt. Not a bad story. But that's not what the core Star Wars storyline has been about. 

Star Wars is about a very special family and always has been. It is about the family patriarch, who falls to the Dark Side. It is about the son, who saves his father and helps him find redemption. And in Return of the Jedi, we discover that another of the main characters has been a Skywalker all along and that she is the "back up hope," so to speak.

Check out this quote from Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm:

“The Saga films focus on the Skywalker family saga,” she explains. “The stories follow a linear narrative that connects to the previous six films. The Force Awakens follows Return of the Jedi and continues that generational story. The Anthology films offer opportunities to explore fresh characters, new storylines and a variety of genres inside the Star Wars universe.” (The Force is Still With Them, Costco Connection)

If TFA covers the next generation, it seems likely that there would be more than one person in that generation. Kylo/Ben cannot be the only one. "There is another..." 

If there is more than one person in that generation, it has to be someone introduced in TFA. Is Poe a Skywalker? His backstory is pretty firmly established. Is Finn a Skywalker? Well... I'm not going to say no, but it seems less likely than Rey being a Skywalker. Those are the only main characters that are the appropriate age. 

Rey Is More than "No One"

In one of the trailers, Rey says that she "is no one." If that is true, why go out of the way to say so? They don't spend much time on Finn's back story; that makes it more believable that he is 'no one,' at least in terms of where he comes from. But they are going out of there way to establish Rey as "no one".

Also, Rey has no last name. We never see her parents. She never names them or describes them. Again, they are going out of their way to be very mysterious about this. If it all turns out to be true, it's quite a bit of a let down. In storytelling, if the teller makes it a point to establish something, there's a good reason and a good payout for it. There's no point in wasting screentime otherwise. This would be different if The Force Awakens was a parody film, but it's not.

Light Side vs. Dark Side

In the original trilogy, there are two Skywalkers who each represent the Light and the Dark (Luke and Vader). It seems likely that there would be a similar dichotomy in TFA. Somebody needs to counterbalance Kylo. Somebody needs to save him. It's clear that that somebody is not Luke. If Luke could have saved him, he would have already. Plus, Luke already saved Vader. Have Luke save Kylo would be rehashing a similar story (not that it isn't already, but that's a story for another day).

TFA already pits Kylo and Rey against each other. And Rey is tempted by the Dark Side -- in the novelization, she has the opportunity to "finish" Kylo and kill him. But she doesn't. Only after she makes that decision does the ground rip apart and separate them (10 things we learned about 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' from the novelization -- #7).

Plus, an important theme of the Star Wars story is redemption through family. As Luke's daughter, Rey would be Ben's son. Perhaps she is better equipped to help Ben deal with Vader's legacy, as a member of the next generation, in a way that Luke could not.

Kylo Recognizes Her

First, when he is told that BB8 is in the hands of a "girl" from Jakku, he reacts very strongly to this, despite the fact that it's a piece of rather vague information. Remember, too, that the Empire has the rest of the map leading to Jakku. If he knows that Luke has a daughter and that Luke was at Jakku, he realizes what this could mean. 

This is made more apparent in the novelization, in which Kylo spends some time trying to figure out who Rey is:

[Kylo] can't believe that [Rey is] just a random scavenger. When she retrieves Luke's lightsaber with the Force to commence their duel, he mutters to himself, "It is you." 

This disturbs Rey, who observes to herself that Kylo "seemed to know more about her than she did about herself." (#8)

Kylo has suspicions about who Rey is that are confirmed for him later. Plus, the symbolism of this confirmation occurring with Luke's lightsaber seems significant.

Second, I noticed Kylo didn't make a strong attempt to injure Rey when he first captured her. Yes, he knocks her unconscious using the Force, but his only 'attacks' on Rey are to capture her and for defense. If he's curious she may be his cousin, this would make sense. (But I admit he may have just been curious about another Force user and would want to attempt to turn them to the Dark Side.)

Third, why is Kylo so confident that the BB8 is not necessary? He knew that Rey had seen the map inside the BB8. But does that mean she would remember it distinctly? I am not certain how his mind-reading Force power works. Perhaps he could recall something more clearly and accurately than Rey herself could were she to attempt to remember on her own. Maybe the map is not that complicated. But the conviction seems fueled by his suspicions about her identity. He may be assuming that Luke told Rey where he was going. He may be certain that Rey "knows" for this reason, and not just because she has looked upon the map.

Finally, the parallels to TFA and the original trilogy are clear. Kylo tempts Rey to the Dark Side, just as Vader tempted Luke. While I'm sure Snoke would love for Kylo to recruit any and all Force users, from a storytelling standpoint, there just seems to be something poignant about this scene.

Rey's Dreams of Oceans and an Island

When Kylo is torturing Rey, he finds out that she has trouble sleeping. He says that she sees oceans and an island. Keep in mind that she has grown up on a desert planet, that has no oceans. Plus, she is amazed when they first arrive at Takodana and she sees how green it is. It seems clear that she has no memory of having ever left Jakku, a theory reinforced by her desperation to return there.

Later we find out that Luke has been living on an island surrounded by a large ocean. The way that Kylo describes it, it does not sound like one dream Rey had. She dreams of it often, this place she has never been to, this place where Luke Skywalker is.

Is she merely glimpsing the future through the Force? Or is she so strongly tied to Luke that she can tell where he is? Using the Force, Luke is capable of both Farsight and Telepathy, skills that are enhanced when there is a strong bond between the users. It seems reasonable that Rey's connection to Luke are causing the dreams.

Takodana & The Lightsaber

In her castle on Takodana, Maz meets Finn and Rey for the first time. After Rey realizes Finn intends to flee, Rey chases after him. The first words out of Maz's mouth are, "Who's the girl?"

While this is interesting because Maz is identifying Rey as important and she seems to know that Rey is Force-sensitive, it's also interesting that she points this question to Han and the camera immediately pans away. We can expect Han to answer "just a scavenger from Jakku," and maybe he does. But when Maz asks the question, it seems like she's expecting more.

However Han answers, Maz knows where to find Rey, for she soon finds her downstairs, clutching the lightsaber that had previously belonged to both Anakin and Luke. Upon touching this lightsaber, Rey had a vision (see below). Maz tells her who the lightsaber had belonged to, and then she says, "And now it calls to you."

Han asks Maz how she came upon this device, last seen at the end of Empire Strikes Back, when Vader cuts of Luke's hand. She says that's a story for another time. The movie is going out of its way to emphasize the importance of this lightsaber. It would have been much easier for Maz to have had any lightsaber. She's been around for 1,000 years, so it's entirely possible that any number of them could have crossed her path at some point. Had they wanted Rey to be "no one," just a new Jedi, then why go out of their way to connect her with this lightsaber?

Later, when dueling on Starkiller Base, both Kylo Ren and Rey struggle to pull the lightsaber to them. Ultimately it whips past Kylo and flies into Rey's hands. Kylo is surprised; he had earlier claimed the weapon belonged to him when talking to Finn. He believes this because it belonged to his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker. Yet it goes to Rey--it belongs to Rey (though she had not used it yet at this point). If there was any other person with more a right to this saber than Kylo, it would be Luke's daughter, since he also wielded it.

Rey is Powerful

Despite have very little experience, Rey quickly learns to use the Force. She uses the Jedi Mind Trick to escape Kylo's torture chamber. She picks up lightsaber dueling pretty damn quickly (ANH!Luke would be super jealous... or would he be proud papa?!). She is the only person who can resist Kylo's mind-reading trick. And she uses the Force during her duel with Kylo.

How is she so good at using the Force when she's barely used it? 

I'm not saying that the Skywalker family is the strongest family of Force users. But well, I think the trailer says it best:

The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power, too. (Official Teaser #2)

It's clearly Luke speaking here. Who is he talking to? These lines don't actually occur in TFA. It's possible it could be for a flashback scene where he is talking to young Ben. But it's strange to explain something so formally when Ben likely knew that his Uncle Luke was strong in the Force. Also why would he say "my sister" instead of "your mother"? 

Eliminating Ben, it seems likely these words are spoken to Rey. And if Rey is a non-Skywalker Force user, why would Luke go to the trouble of explaining that the Force is strong in his family? "Look, that's a great back story, Master Luke, but can we get back to my training now?

Lor Sen Tekka Knows Much about the Skywalker Family

Who is Lor Sen Tekka? We're given very little information about a very important man. This is the man who has the final piece of the map to the Jedi temple and therefore Luke Skywalker. This is also a man who knows Kylo Ren's true identity. Based on the fact that he brought this up at all, it would seem that few truly know this. Plus, apparently Han and Leia are almost mythological by this point. 

How did he obtain this piece of the map? It's possible that Luke left it with him. If that is the case, why would Luke choose this man? Why wouldn't Lor Sen Tekka contact the Resistance earlier? Why would Luke trust him with that information? 

No, I don't think Luke ever gave this information to Lor Sen Tekka. I think Lor Sen Tekka gave it to Luke. Jakku is a remote planet. Luke had to track Lor Sen Tekka down in order to get this information. Jakku was the last planet Luke visited before he went to the Jedi temple. 

Thus, what does it mean that Rey is on the last planet that Luke visited before he abandoned his entire life? If Luke was on Jakku at the same time as Rey, he would sense another Force user there. 

Yes, I cede that it's possible he sensed this anonymous Force user and ignored it because he felt he had failed at being a teacher. But then, why exactly is he searching for the Jedi temple originally? If he was so forlorn at what he had done, why retire to that specific place, and not Dagobah, Tatooine, or any other random planet in the galaxy? I'm suspicious that Luke may be searching for some answer and some way to balance the Force, the way that it was promised Anakin would do. He is looking for a way to help his nephew. 

If Rey is an anonymous Force user who happens to be on Jakku, and the above hypothesis is true, why leave her behind? He could train this person as well. A new opportunity in a new place. Perhaps it would be a distraction, fine.

But if Rey is Luke's daughter, would he bring her to the temple with him? What if he is afraid of Vader's legacy in his bloodline? An anonymous user may not be so easily tempted to the Dark Side as Anakin's grandchildren might. But after Ben, Luke may be afraid to watch his daughter walk down the same path. Furthermore, bringing Rey along could put her in further trouble. If he trains his daughter in the Force, it increases the odds that she will face Ben some day. Perhaps that is a confrontation Luke wants to protect his daughter from. It would be dangerous, for one thing, plus it would be a great pain for Rey to bear, to go up against a family member -- a pain that Luke is very familiar with. 

What I propose is this: Jakku was Luke's last stopping point. He brought Rey with him as long as he dared, unable to say goodbye but knowing he would have to. Jakku was a safe place due to its remoteness; it even sadly reminded Luke of his own childhood home. After spending some time with Lor Sen Tekka (obtaining the map and mentioning what had happened with Kylo), Luke trusted Lor Sen Tekka to watch over Rey, in the same distant way that Obi-Wan watched over Luke, he bid a tearful goodbye to his five-year-old daughter and left, believing and hoping that he had ensured his daughter's safety.  

More Reasons Luke is Rey's Father

These don't necessarily fit into neat buckets like the reasons above, but I feel they are all noteworthy!

Rey's Vision

Rey sees a number of images when she touches Luke's lightsaber. This includes a vision of Luke touching R2D2, as well as a vision of Kylo Ren. It's unclear if this is supposed to be in the past or the future, but as the vision draws to a close, we hear Obi-Wan's voice say, "These are the first steps."

Nothing in the vision definitively appears to be a "step" of any sort; there's no instructions or directions. There isn't even a vision of the ocean and the island that Kylo later sees in her mind. Perhaps it is simply telling her the first steps to--something--are to find Luke and to face Kylo Ren. Yet it's not clear what path these first steps would lead to.

I also think it could be possible that remembering these events in her past are the first steps to Rey accepting who she is and what may have happened to her. If Rey has any previous training as a Jedi, regardless of whether she is directly related to Luke or not, then she likely would have been present when Kylo killed Luke's other students. On top of that, she was abandoned to a stranger at a young age. It seems likely that she would have repressed these memories.

Consider her reaction to the vision and to Maz's revelation that the saber that belonged to Luke Skywalker now calls to her. She is upset, she rejects it, and runs away. If she didn't care so strongly about these visions, she could have said no and returned upstairs to Han. But instead she runs away. Why would these visions spark so volatile of a reaction to her if she had never seen Kylo and Luke before? 

Rey and Leia Meet -- And Immediately Hug

When the Millenium Falcon returns to the rebel base at the end of the movie, after Starkiller Base has been destroyed, Rey is one of the last to leave the ship. Yet Leia is waiting there for her. You would expect Leia to grieve with Chewbacca--their hug previously in the film indicates closeness, and they were the two people in the world that Han loved the most (aside from Ben).

But no. Leia waits for Rey, and the two hug.

Why?

Rey has not met Leia at this point. Leia arrived on Takodana after Rey had been kidnapped by Kylo. Also, we have not seen Han talk about Leia at all, so there's no reason Rey would think this person waiting for her is Han's widow. Yet immediately upon meeting her, Rey hugs her.

Is it possible that Leia and Rey recognize each other? Perhaps Leia knew Rey as a child. Han doesn't seem to recognize her, but then maybe it takes him some time to realize. Maybe he never met Rey but Leia had. If Han and Leia knew Luke had a kid, perhaps they assumed he'd taken her with him, never believed he could have left her behind as well. Perhaps it was understood that Rey needed to be kept secret, so they never openly told anyone else that Luke had disappeared "along with his daughter."

Leia Sends Rey to Bring Back Luke

Seems like kind of a big, important mission for a new recruit to the Resistance. Yes, her abilities as a Force user may have influenced this decision, but I could see other Resistance officials arguing about this. If anything, they'd want to send Leia, Luke's sister.

But Leia may have suspicions of her own regarding Rey's identity. And perhaps Leia believes that Luke's daughter would have a better chance of bringing him home.

The Way Luke Looks at Rey

At the end of the movie, they spend a lot of screen time staring at both Rey and Luke's faces when they finally meet. I fully admit I could be looking too hard, but I swear when Luke turns around, he looks at Rey, and then he kind of looks up a little more. I think it's fair to guess he would know that it was Rey the second she landed, or even sooner, given his abilities with the Force. But he wouldn't know exactly what she looked like; fifteen years have gone by. Could this be a reaction of a father looking upon his daughter for the first time? (Or maybe he is just surprised by the saber, I'll admit. Still, it seems they went to extra lengths to make this scene particularly poignant.)

Rey Looks Like Padmé

I think this is more of a pleasant coincidence. If this casting call for Episode VII is true, it calls for any ethnicity for Rey's role. Nevertheless, the similarities between Rey & Padmé are eerie. And girls inheriting their grandmother's traits is totally a biological thing. I have absolutely no evidence to back that up, but it's totally a thing.

Convinced? Not convinced? Did I miss something important? Let me know below!

Updated: 12/26/2015. Added bit about Rey's dreams, the importance of Luke's lightsaber, and Rey's vision after seeing the movie a second time.

Star Wars Episode VII Awakens a New Hope for Fans

Warning: Mild Spoilers

There's no doubt that Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens draws many parallels to the original Star Wars film that aired almost thirty years ago. Whether or not these parallels contribute to or diminish the overall "goodness" of the film may be up for debate.

I could spend time dissecting the parallels and differences between the plot of ANH and TFA (stay tuned for that at a later date), but for me there was one major difference that not only separates TFA from ANH, but separates the seventh episode from the entire rest of the series: the spirit.

It comes through in the writing. Not necessarily the plot, but the dialogue and the way the characters interact with each other. I overheard someone say that TFA isn't quotable, that it lacks one-liners. Well, maybe that's because people don't talk in one-liners. Like Harrison Ford once said of Lucas' writing:

"You can type this shit, George, but you sure as hell can't say it."
(Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer by Tom Shone, p. 54)

But TFA is full of lines people can say. Their words flow naturally, they talk how people really talk. We get witty back-and-forth, from Poe and Finn, Finn and Rey -- but don't think The West Wing walk-and-talk, it's not over the top. Even BB8 has a wit, when it flashes a "thumbs up" by sticking out's lighter. Han, of course, keeps up the sarcasm we know and love.

Consider this line from an opening scene, when Kylo Ren captures Poe Dameron. There's a long, awkward pause, you know, the kind everyone has had. And finally Poe says, "So who talks first? Do I talk first?" It's nervous chatter, and it's so unexpected in a Star Wars film. It's even somewhat self-aware and on the verge of parody, making fun of those dramatic entrances, undermining the villain's big first scene. Could you imagine Leia saying that to Vader in ANH? And yet it's also so perfect because you can imagine Han maybe saying something similar. It's not totally out of place.

Poe's nervousness demonstrates another part of what makes TFA feel fresh. People have emotions. Not that there are no emotions in Star Wars (Luke and Anakin are experts at whining). It's just that there are emotions other than anger.

There's honest fear in Finn's desire to flee as far away from the First Order as possible. (Compare that to Luke's eagerness to attempt to rescue a stranger, nevermind how pretty she is, from the freaking Death Star and Darth Vader. Even Han's worry of being caught in ANH is played out more as pragmatic than shakin'-in-his-boots. Not that we would expect Han to be afraid, but someone ought to be.) Meanwhile, when Rey is given Anakin's lightsaber, she flees. She doesn't want that. She just wants to be home. She just wants to see her family again. Compare that to Luke's desperate "my life is so boring I want to go fight in a war" attitude that he barely mourns his aunt and uncle before jettisoning off to Mos Eisley, so he can finally begin the adventure he'd been whining about forever. Out of both of those reactions, which one is the more probable?

There's honest joy when Rey and Finn escape the First Order and leave Jakku -- exhilarated from their success and overcoming a new challenge, they run into the hallway raving about the other's quick learning and prowess at their individual skills (flying and shooting). It was raw enthusiasm, unrestrained. While Han yells at Luke "Don't get cocky" when he celebrates hitting a TIE fighter, this is a rarity in previous Star Wars films. (Besides, we all know Ford ad libbed a line or two.) So much of Lucas' dialogue is stilted, and even Luke's spectrum of emotions is quickly tamed by Empire Strikes Back.

There's honest concern between Finn and Rey. They bond fast after their escape from Jakku -- who wouldn't after that kind of experience? For Finn, Rey is one of the first people to actually treat him like a person. So when Finn decides not to run after all, but to go back and save Rey from Kylo Ren, it feels real. The way John Boyega and Daisy Ridley perform it feels sincere and natural. There's true feeling and caring behind the words being spoken. Compare to ANH: Luke is eager to rescue Leia mainly because he thinks she's beautiful and she's a princess! Later, when Leia comforts Luke after Obi-Wan's death, it feel strange. Luke lost a person who he'd known as a strange hermit, who he'd actually known for only a couple of days. Leia lost her home planet and the people who raised her. Leia had just been imprisoned and tortured by one of the most ruthless men in the galaxy.

Are there parallels between ANH and TFA? Of course -- but isn't that what you want? The callbacks to the original trilogy, those were the moments that triggered the biggest reaction from the audience. (Good to see you too, C-3PO.) That's what makes The Force Awakens the perfect reboot of our beloved series. It takes what we loved about the old, and fixes what we hated.

The campiness? The corniness? Diminished. But the fun? It's still there.

How to Hike Old Rag for Non-Hikers

“It’s hero time!” The twelve-year-old Boy Scout looked at me encouragingly. I responded with a dubious look into the eight-foot deep crevasse below. My boyfriend had already descended; in fact, I had already watched several other hikers descend.

This is it. Do it, or turn back and live with myself.

We were already two miles up Old Rag Mountain, a 3,284-foot tall peak in Shenandoah National Park. It is a rite of passage for Virginians—or at least, my boyfriend and I decided so. When he emailed me a week earlier, with the innocent subject “Fall Date Ideas,” he had no idea what we were getting into. But as the week progressed, we slowly learned from coworkers just what the hike entailed: a one-mile rock scramble not recommended for inexperienced hikers.

The safety video on Shenandoah’s National Park’s website did little to quell my concerns. “If you’re not sure you can do it, don’t come.”

I turned to my boyfriend. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

He waved his hand and uttered those words that are somehow never reassuring: “You’ll be fine.”

What to Wear

The early fall temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit could not have been better suited for this hike. Capri-length gym pants, a tank top and a Nike dry-fit pullover were perfect; and though the climb was a workout, I was always pleasantly cool.

The only issue with my ensemble was my shoes: sneakers with a slightly worn tread did not mess me up too much, but they did slip in a few places. 

Hiking shoes recommended.

We decided then that ascending the mountain would count as our Virginia rite of passage. As newcomers to the area, we had spent much of our free time hitting up the tourist spots in DC, but little time exploring the vast rural areas Virginia has to offer. It was time.

I woke up at seven (on a weekend! If you know me at all, you know this is a feat in and of itself), had a good breakfast and we were out the door a little after eight. As we drove through scenic rural Virginia, watching the county welcome signs fly by and rocking out to The Beatles’ White Album, I put my fears behind me and determined that today would be a Good Day.

We pulled into the parking lot around ten and began our ascent.

Hike to the False Summit

We passed plenty of scenic views on the Ridge Trail before we even arrived at the first false summit. The trail zig zags up the mountain, and along the way we saw many outcroppings and rock steps that cut into the face of the mountain and seem like something Tolkien described in The Lord of the Rings.

About a mile and a half up the trail, we reached the first of many spectacular views. But it was the second stop that would take my breath away.

"Oh, this isn't so bad..."

After scrambling up an (easy) rock face, we stopped and sat on one of the many granite (I think?) rocks and looked out at the mountains and trees below. I don’t know what it was—the hike behind us, the feeling of triumph at even coming this far (and we probably weren’t even halfway up by this point), or the view itself, but as I looked out at the surrounding view… I had no words. I know it’s cliché, but our Earth is full of beautiful, magnificent places, which we take for granted day-to-day.

We didn’t pause long. We had a long way to go.

After that first scenic overlook, we passed many, pausing to snap pictures and grab a quick snack. We didn’t bring lunch—a mistake—but we gobbled up our snacks, sipped some water and enjoyed the view.

Then we were back on our way.

The Rock Scramble

Eventually, we came to a point in the hike where we thought, “This must be the top.” Then, we turned the corner. This would happen many times. It turned out, we really were only at the beginning.

A line had formed at the start of the Rock Scramble, for which Old Rag is well known and which gives the mountain a 4 out of 6 rating on Hiking Upward. Even at this point, a bad feeling rolled in the pit of my stomach. This was it, this was the place we would have to turn back.

But as we rounded the corner, it didn’t seem so bad. The climb just required some shimmying between two sloped rock faces. Sure, we had to balance, and be careful not to slip—but it wasn’t hard. As we progressed through the rocks, Boy Scouts scrambled in and out of the rocks around us. “Elijah, come back!” shouted one chaperone. “Climb back up right now!”

Just as the kids started to climb back up, we turned the second corner—and realized perhaps the kids had found the right path. But it was too late to turn back; and besides, the path the kids had found had required fitting through crevices too small for an adult.

Into the Crevasse

I watched as several hikers passed me, descending the eight-foot crevasse with, well, maybe not quite
“ease,” but without struggle.

“Brace your left foot here,” my boyfriend explained, “then put your right foot here.” He pointed out the steps. I watched a few other hikers pass.

“It’s hero time!” the Boy Scout next to me said.

Thinking of the Nike logo emblazoned on my dry-fit pullover, I looked down at the crevasse. “Just do it.”

For most of the rock scramble, the true challenge lies in the mind, and not in the body. This is not to belittle the truly strenuous physical activity the hike requires, but ultimately, going up the mountain takes more than the power in your legs, the strength in your arms and the grip of your fingertips. It takes willpower of the mind. It takes a firm determination. It takes a mental attitude that doesn’t accept the idea of quitting.

Now safe in the crevasse, I plowed ahead, the trail being relatively flat. We weaved through rocks; parts of the trail were even pounded dirt. But then a break through the trees showed us: large rocks piled up into the sky. Above us, tiny hikers stood out on small rocky outcrops, enjoying the view.

But I had made the first, and most important, choice. There was no turning back.

We continued our ascent, the phrase “Come back Elijah” a constant accompaniment to the sound of our footfalls.

At times, confident and practiced, I scrambled up the rocks like I had always known what to do. Other times, of course, I must have looked ridiculous, crawling and crabwalking over the rocks, unable or unwilling to stand. In some places, the scramble ascended like steps; in others, a certain application of physics—namely, put pressure with one foot on that rock and pressure with the other foot on that rock—was required. After that first crevasse, though, no challenge was too difficult.

The Road Ahead

Until, of course, it was. We reached another crevasse just as a large group caught up to us. Feeling suddenly flustered by the knowledge I was holding up other hikers, I stepped to the side and watched dubiously as they crossed the crevasse.

This one did not require a descent, but rather, a long stride up and across. Each hiker would place their left foot at the edge of the ground, stretch out their right leg and place it in a foothold on the other side, reach their right arm up and clutch the rock, and then, usually with the help of another hiker, hoist themselves up.

“I can’t do it,” I told my boyfriend.

“Yes, you can,” he said from above.

The end of the line to cross the crevasse was not in sight. There was no hope of waiting for everyone to pass. And I knew I couldn’t go back.

“Are you going?” the boy behind me asked.

I had no choice. Get it over with.

“Yes,” I said. I planted my left foot at the edge of the rock, as I had seen others do. I stretched my right leg across the crevasse. I gripped the mountain and clung to my boyfriend’s left hand. And I pushed myself forward.

Still Intimidated? 

Don’t fear. I quickly discovered a pleasant camaraderie between the hikers—a certain unspoken agreement to help your fellow man and share the joy of reaching the summit. Strangers hold out their hands, offer advice and dole out encouragement. Even hikers who arrived alone walked among friends.

Still, ultimately, you know your abilities the best. If you are hesitant, get more experience hiking other, easier trails, before conquering Old Rag. This trail is not recommended for new hikers.

It wasn’t pretty, my landing on the other side, and I crawled up the sloped rock awkwardly. But I had done it, and it was behind me. Time to keep moving.

“I’m never climbing this mountain again,” I declared, as we turned a corner to yet another crevasse, this one requiring a small leap.

Other, younger, hikers jumped across with seemingly no trouble. Looking across, I could see the distance of the jump was easy—if you were on flat ground, jumping over a small ditch, that is. But the crevasse went deep below, shadows obscuring its bottom.

I knew I would do it. I had already made the choice, after all. But I just needed to regroup. Around me, two other women, only slightly older than me, also hesitated. People passed us. But from across the way, other hikers encouraged us.

“It’s not as hard as it looks.” “You can do it.”

My boyfriend held out his hand, and I jumped.

I waited as he helped the other two women cross, relieved to learn it was just as the others had said—it’s not as hard as it looks.

From then on, the rest of the climbing was within my skill level. It was difficult, but not too difficult. And I had already passed three obstacles, three checkpoints that stood in my mind like doors that had been closed and locked.

That knowledge in my head—it’s too late to turn back—propelled me forward.

The Summit

Back half of the descent

Finally, we had done it. We had ascended the Rock Scramble—nature’s playground for adults—and had earned the reward. The summit is actually quite large; hikers can choose from three directions to view the surrounding mountains. Many scrambled over the rocks; and of course, my boyfriend found the highest rock, climbed it and stood atop it for five minutes as he took a Google Photo Sphere.

Many hikers picnicked here; others enjoyed a romantic moment as they stared out at the view. But as we had no food, we only lingered for twenty or so minutes before beginning the blessedly easy descent.

As we hurried down the mountain, the view from the summit still in our mind’s eyes, I turn to my boyfriend.

“When are we doing that again?”

Take the challenge. Reap the rewards. And enjoy the view!

Mission Accomplished!

Just Keep Editing...

Second draft: done!

That took a little bit longer than I expected, but what matters most is that I've gotten this far and that I keep chugging away. It's been a long road to get to this point, and just accomplishing as much as I have is a feat, I know. (Or so I keep telling myself.) I shaved it down a good chunk. Not great, but a good start. Bit by bit, as they say.

One of my close friends, who is also a writer/copyeditor, has been kind enough to offer to review it for me. I'm simultaneously nervous and excited to see what he says. I've had two people reading it for me as I wrote, both friends from high school.

I'm going to take a break from working on it for a little bit, and then ... time to start researching the next steps!

First Draft -- Check

The ghost emerges -- where has she been? Finishing my first complete draft of my novel, Linden! At 117,000 words, it's way too long for a YA novel, even for fantasy, which I've read is given a little more leeway. Time for the real work to begin!

7 Reasons to See Argo

Don't let this movie give you the slip. Here are seven reasons you should go see Argo.

7. The Spies!

It doesn’t take a secret agent to know that America is obsessed with spies. James Bond, Jason Bourne, Ethan Hunt... We love the espionage, the mystery, the idea that lives are all balanced on the thin point of a complicated plan and in a moment everything could collapse. Oh, yeah, and we love seeing people take names and get stuff done.

In Argo, Ben Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA agent responsible for rescuing six Americans stranded in Iran during the Iranian hostage crisis. For the young, non-history geeks out there, think the Arab Spring in Egypt but much more violent. It was a period of violent unrest channeled directly at America and Americans in the country at the time. It was a period of revolution. No one was safe. In this setting—in this hell—six government workers are stranded at the home of the Canadian ambassador with no way out.

So, naturally, Mendez does what any CIA agent would do: construct a mad, elaborate plot way too ridiculous to work. Their cover story: they are filming a science fiction movie Argo and are in Iran scouting for locations to shoot. As they say, "This is the best bad idea we have."

As a spy movie, Argo has it all, from pie-in-the-sky plans to disguises and cover stories to lots of sneaking around--and, of course, explosions. Okay maybe they’re just tear gas bombs but hey, it counts!

6. The Cast

Ben Affleck seems to either get it all wrong (coughDareDevilcough) or completely right (Good Will Hunting, The Town). In the case of Argo, it's the latter. Affleck not only appeared in Argo as main character Tony Mendez, he also produced and directed it. If that’s not enough, the film also stars John Goodman and Alan Arkin, both of whom contribute the much-needed but not overdone comic relief in this tense thriller. 

5. The Details

If you stay for the credits (which you definitely should), you’ll see side-by-side shots of the movie and actual historical events. They incorporated shots throughout the film that match real photographs taken during the time. It may seem trivial, but touches like that go far to establish a mood and contribute to the authenticity of a movie.

Argo covers a complex story in only 120 minutes, so it has to move quickly. No doubt it was difficult to succinctly convey the full scope of the situation and all the details involved in Mendez’s elaborate plot, but Argo manages it well.

Some nice touches: the storyboard-esque pictures in the opening sequence that briefly explain the context of the hostage crisis; the accuracy of the storming of the embassy; and the make-up that made the actors look just like their real-life characters.

4. It's Funny

The best movies are a proportionate recipe of action, tension, character and, of course, humor. Give me a movie that runs the gamut of the emotional spectrum: from tears to happiness, I want the full experience. An action-packed thriller? Great. A nice sprinkling of humor? Even better.

Humor can go a long way in relieving tension, and a movie like Argo (or any spy movie) benefits from some good comic relief. Of course, the jokes must still fit the mood. A movie like Argo should not have you rolling on the floor with laughter. That would be inappropriate. Fortunately the jokes are apropos (if maybe occasionally a liiiiiittle bit too obvious in their pokes at Hollywood).

3. It's History

Maybe It makes me a nerd, but I always enjoy a good historical piece. And what better way to learn than through an entertaining film? Learn about one our nation's most humbling moments that helped define America's relationship with Iran for decades to come.

2. It's Relevant

It's easy to forget about the plights of the rest of the world, but as I said somewhere above, the Iranian Hostage Crisis was sort of like the Arab Spring in Egypt... only (I cannot emphasize this enough) a lot worse. Our world is in turmoil. Revolutions still happen. And it's important to see, up close, how the passions of the people can change the world.

1. It’s true!

In case you haven't guessed by now, Argo is in fact based on a true story. That's right. The CIA really did concoct a wild plan to create a fake movie to rescue six Americans who managed to escape the embassy before the revolutionaries took control. How could you not want to know that story?

The best thing about Argo is this--the Iran hostage crisis was a moment of tragedy in American history. For over 400 days, fifty-two Americans were held hostage in the embassy basement. A rescue attempt went horribly wrong and resulted in the deaths of eight servicemen. Americans, anyone who might possibly be American and anyone who helped Americans were questioned, detained and sometimes even killed. But the Argo mission was one shining moment in CIA history. And it wasn't even declassified until 1997.

For almost twenty-years, the American public--the entire world--believed that the Canadians alone were behind the rescue. For a moment so tainted by tragedy, there was this other moment of true heroism that no one ever knew. This is that story; this is part of our history and a reminder that even when we mess everything up, some thing can still go right.