Nothing Could Stand in his Way: How Kylo Ren was (Almost) Ruined pt.1

Episode VII: The Force Awakens sits third behind Episodes V and IV, but ahead of VI in my favourite Star Wars film rankings and a biggest reason was how fantastic Kylo Ren is as a character. The acting, the costume, and the overall storytelling were phenomenally done and I very much look forward to seeing how the awakening of both the dark side and the light plays out in the next two films.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET.
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Most people's biggest gripe is how much this movie mirrors the original trilogy. However, being an instant Kylo Ren fan, there were two things that bothered me even more: 1) The trailers used material that spoiled and emotionally undercut the best character building scene of the entire film. 2) The sloppy reveal by Supreme Leader Snoke who almost casually tells us the true identity of Kylo Ren ruined the intrigue and shock value.

1. Overall the trailers were spectacular, but showing Darth Vader's helmet while Kylo Ren eerily swears an oath to, 'finish what you started,' was too much.. The comparison to Vader was already apparent with the mask, black attire, and red lightsaber. Even though the trailer halted at revealing Vader as his grandfather there was no need to prematurely show us any further aspects of this connection. We essentially heard or saw the bulk of this scene in the trailer.

The main frustration I have with the trailer showing us the skull and helmet of Darth Vader is the loss of character clout and emotional punch for Ren.  The way this scene was written, filmed, directed, acted, and edited left the viewer wondering who Kylo Ren was speaking with until the very last line and shot of the scene.Think about it.  If you had been viewing the film for the first time having never seen a trailer you would not know that Ren was talking to his dead grandfather, Darth Vader's burnt skull. 

We had already heard from Supreme Leader Snoke that Han is Ren's father, but up to this point we don't know for sure if Leia is his mother. This scene confirms that easy assumption, which leads to my second problem.

Part 2 coming soon...