Girlfriend has never seen Star Wars. In what order should we watch them?

[Scepticalscribe]

There's no way to tell from the question or thread. I like what I like, and repeatedly being subject to something I don't care for usually results in really not liking it.

I'd say try episode 4. If she asks for more, go ahead. If she doesn't, accept it. I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but never, ever mention episode 1.

Oh, heaven's yes; agreed, absolutely.

And I am with you - as well - on being subjected to the passionate enthusiasms of someone else - who may have a dismayed expression that you don't then thrill to it in quite the same way as he does.

If one is repeatedly subjected to something, yes, indeed, one may well end up really not liking it.

To the OP: There is a reason everyone is tendering the same advice. Start with No. 4. And - depending how enthused se is by the whole thing - take it from there.....

 

[oneMadRssn]

Watch 4-6 and pretend 1-3 were never made.

This is the answer. Watch the original trilogy in order. Then watch episode 7. It's best to pretend 1-3 were direct-to-dvd and totally optional.

 

[JaySoul]

Transatlantic Rebels podcast was talking about this exact issue last week.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Also, may I suggest the Despecialized Edition?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLsvexWBVM8IYSGopKuSfsGk5YIgCwQWd23bqb5ryD4/pub

 

[mobilehaathi]

Be prepared to deal with the possibility that she'll find Luke to be an obnoxious shrill whiny child, roll her eyes, and have zero desire to watch anything beyond episode 4. I know a few people like that.

 

[Fozzybadfeet]

Watch them in the order that they were made.

This reminds me of the episode of How I Met Your Mother when Ted's girlfriend had never seen Star Wars lol

 

[ucfgrad93]

Episode order.

 

[Nurse Michael]

Watch 4-6 and pretend 1-3 were never made.

Same with Indiana Jones btw. Watch 1-3 and avoid 4. Even the 1992 game plot was FAR better what they came up with.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Watch them in the order that they were made.

This reminds me of the episode of How I Met Your Mother when Ted's girlfriend had never seen Star Wars lol

Not everyone has.

Some years ago, - the late 80s - shortly after I had started as a university teacher of politics, a (very bright) kid submitted a completely original - and rather compelling - term essay (it dealt with - or addressed - stuff such as power, abuses of power, dictatorship, betrayed ideals) which examined Darth Vadar in this context.

The essay was quite brilliant - well argued, well written, original and confident in its treatment of the stuff that the kid was supposed to know - I ended up awarding it first class honours - but my problem was that I had never heard of Darth Vadar, and the course text books were of little assistance. (This was before computers, and Mr Google). So, I asked my brother, who supplied the answer over his shoulder 'he's the baddie in Star Wars'.

 

[juanm]

(Optional: 2, 3), 4, 5, 6, 7

 

[Porco]

I'm torn, as I personally prefer to re-watch them in Episode order now, but I think for someone who has never watched them before, I would recommend to watch in the order they were made, for a few reasons.

Firstly, quite a lot of people, I would guess the majority, don't enjoy the prequels as much as the original trilogy (or at all). I love all the main saga films, but I agree with those saying Episode IV, as the first film to be made, is really arguably the best introduction to the whole Star Wars universe, and a good point for people to form an initial reaction to it.

Secondly, as others have said, it might be unrealistic to even seem possible, but if she somehow didn't know 'the' big reveal, there is that. But even if one is vaguely aware of it, I think it would be best coming from watching Episodes IV and V in context rather than having it completely explained first in Episode I-III.

So IV-V-VI, I-II-III, VII would be my vote. Just in time for Rogue One if you're quick!

Alternatively explain the basic facts of the chronology and just let her decide what order she wants to watch them in.

 

[RedTomato]

As a film, divorced from context, ANH is a great film in terms of story telling, pacing, editing, and is apparently still studied in editing school as an example of perfect pacing. That's what you want to be starting with.

Counterexample - my other half loves, simply adores, grim documentaries about awful things happening to real people who don't deserve it. She has a shelf full of what I call 'misery literature' - biographies written by people who had awful things happen to them - survivors of incest etc. Do I want to read them? No way! Do I want to watch this stuff? No way!

However, because she's my special one, I don't criticise them. The very best documentaries I will occasionally sit down to watch with her, even though I don't really enjoy them. For example, we went to watch Ken Loach's 'I, Daniel Blake' last week at the cinema at her request. It's a phenomenal and emotional film, though it's not one I would usually choose to pay money to watch.

Only show your girlfriend the very best of the best, and hopefully she will accept that, in the same way that mine only asks me to watch the very best of the best with her, and I respect (and try to enjoy) her choices.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

It's a strange thought that I'm having on this. I want to say, 'the order they were made' because that's the order I saw them in, but 'chronological' makes more sense to me, regardless of the quality of the movies. Of course, my mind is thinking, "WHY OH WHY DO THE BAD GUYS KEEP MAKING DEATH STARS???? THEY DON'T WORK!!!"

 

[Mousse]

Of course, my mind is thinking, "WHY OH WHY DO THE BAD GUYS KEEP MAKING DEATH STARS???? THEY DON'T WORK!!!"

The first DS was a design marvel. It's destruction was a fluke. What are the chances a pair of proton torpedoes being shot into an exhaust port 2 meters wide? Neigh impossible, using the measuring stick of the SW universe (Stormtroopers are expert marksmen). Luke's shot would be the equivalent of a sniper hitting a target from 200 miles away (I'm guessing). And the other thing, exhaust port blows air/exhaust OUT, not suck them in (Duh). A machine the size of a moon with a 2 meter wide exhaust port. Those exhaust ports must expel gases/exhaust at a high volume considering size of the DS. How come those torpedoes did have troubles with turbulence flight down those tubes?

They should have kept that design instead of DS2, with a hole big enough for the Millenium Falcon to flight through.

 

[Bigsk8r]

It's far quicker, and far less psychologically damaging, to simply tell her that the relationship isn't working.

Agreed. Can she even be a quality girlfriend if she hasn't seen the masterpieces or suffered through the story of Annakin?

 

[RedTomato]

The first DS was a design marvel. It's destruction was a fluke. What are the chances a pair of proton
torpedoes being shot into an exhaust port 2 meters wide? Neigh impossible, using the measuring stick of the SW universe (Stormtroopers are expert marksmen). Luke's shot would be the equivalent of a sniper hitting a target from 200 miles away (I'm guessing). And the other thing, exhaust port blows air/exhaust OUT, not suck them in (Duh). A machine the size of a moon with a 2 meter wide exhaust port. Those exhaust ports must expel gases/exhaust at a high volume considering size of the DS. How come those torpedoes did have troubles with turbulence flight down those tubes?

They should have kept that design instead of DS2, with a hole big enough for the Millenium Falcon to flight through.

Now I can't work out if we're now up to DS3 or if the most recent one should be called DS0?

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

The first DS was a design marvel. It's destruction was a fluke. What are the chances a pair of proton torpedoes being shot into an exhaust port 2 meters wide? Neigh impossible, using the measuring stick of the SW universe (Stormtroopers are expert marksmen). Luke's shot would be the equivalent of a sniper hitting a target from 200 miles away (I'm guessing). And the other thing, exhaust port blows air/exhaust OUT, not suck them in (Duh). A machine the size of a moon with a 2 meter wide exhaust port. Those exhaust ports must expel gases/exhaust at a high volume considering size of the DS. How come those torpedoes did have troubles with turbulence flight down those tubes?

They should have kept that design instead of DS2, with a hole big enough for the Millenium Falcon to flight through.

I'm more concerned with DS3, which sucked up stars and had snowstorms on it.
That, and having sucked up the mass of a star into a smaller volume (essentially compressing a star) where the mass alone (using our sun) would make you (assuming you weigh 180 lbs) weigh (if it were the size of the sun... "small moon" notwithstanding...) 4873 lbs. Since it's compressed, it would be MUCH hotter and the gravity is much greater (inverse r squared).

On your point that it sucks things in... sucking is a movement of a gas (air here on earth) from high pressure to low, and they're in ... space, which is near vacuum. Nothing to suck. Yeah, I hadn't thought of that, and I thought it was a steering mechanism in the torpedoes, but then again, why do laser blasts go slower than bullets? I mean, Luke was playing fruit ninja with them on Endor's moon, but when I turn on a flashlight, it goes... the speed of light!

I know... suspension of disbelief and all...

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I would watch in order in which they were made.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

Just put them all in a big bag, shake it up and pull one out. When that one is done, pull out another one. If she doesn't notice something is wrong by then, she is only faking interest in it because she loves you. Marry her and make babies together. Name them Luke and Leia, dress them up like ewoks and R2D2/BB8 for their first two Halloweens. Watch star wars with her constantly until she finally breaks down and tells you she never liked them. Ask her what else she has lied about. Find out she has a girlfriend. Start drinking, lose your job and move back in with your parents who never liked her to begin with. Take a road trip to Mexico for cheap drugs and hookers. Get shot and killed by a bandito.

Or in the order which they were made.

 

[AngerDanger]

I say you hit her with the compelling romance and stunning CGI of Episode 2! Actually, how much does she like sand?

Hans shot first, dagnabbit!

 

[Mlrollin91]

I totally understand why people want to watch them in the order they were made. But I personally prefer chronological. I just prefer chronological with all movies I watch. I even waited to watch the Hobbit before Lord of the Rings.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Just put them all in a big bag, shake it up and pull one out. When that one is done, pull out another one. If she doesn't notice something is wrong by then, she is only faking interest in it because she loves you. Marry her and make babies together. Name them Luke and Leia, dress them up like ewoks and R2D2/BB8 for their first two Halloweens. Watch star wars with her constantly until she finally breaks down and tells you she never liked them. Ask her what else she has lied about. Find out she has a girlfriend. Start drinking, lose your job and move back in with your parents who never liked her to begin with. Take a road trip to Mexico for cheap drugs and hookers. Get shot and killed by a bandito.

Or in the order which they were made.

ROTFLMAO. Brilliant!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just put them all in a big bag, shake it up and pull one out. When that one is done, pull out another one. If she doesn't notice something is wrong by then, she is only faking interest in it because she loves you. Marry her and make babies together. Name them Luke and Leia, dress them up like ewoks and R2D2/BB8 for their first two Halloweens. Watch star wars with her constantly until she finally breaks down and tells you she never liked them. Ask her what else she has lied about. Find out she has a girlfriend. Start drinking, lose your job and move back in with your parents who never liked her to begin with. Take a road trip to Mexico for cheap drugs and hookers. Get shot and killed by a bandito.

Or in the order which they were made.

That is actually very, very droll. Thank you - I enjoyed that, and am still chuckling.

 

[Nermal]

Hans shot first, dagnabbit! Anyone who says otherwise is a "stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder."

I say otherwise!

... because Han shot only. Greedo didn't shoot at all!

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Just put them all in a big bag, shake it up and pull one out. When that one is done, pull out another one. If she doesn't notice something is wrong by then, she is only faking interest in it because she loves you. Marry her and make babies together. Name them Luke and Leia, dress them up like ewoks and R2D2/BB8 for their first two Halloweens. Watch star wars with her constantly until she finally breaks down and tells you she never liked them. Ask her what else she has lied about. Find out she has a girlfriend. Start drinking, lose your job and move back in with your parents who never liked her to begin with. Take a road trip to Mexico for cheap drugs and hookers. Get shot and killed by a bandito.

Or in the order which they were made.

Best. Post. Evah!!!

Do you write Country songs?