Rian Johnson’s divisive blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi has provoked a great deal of conversation since its release last week, as fans of the franchise loudly debate all sorts of questions about Johnson’s handling of the material entrusted to him. But while there are multiple points of conversation surrounding the film—Did the comedy work? Does the script disrespect Luke Skywalker? Are you, or have you ever been, pro-Porg?—there remains only one true question for fans of this newly resurgent Star Wars trilogy: Do you ’ship Finn and Poe?
If you do, you’re in good company, as noted by actress Laura Dern, who stars in the film as the enigmatic General Holdo. Dern showed her ‘shipper bona fides during a longer conversation with The L.A. Times this week, discussing the continued need for more LGBTQ representation in the films. (Holdo is implied to bisexual in one of the movie’s tie-in novels, but Dern says she didn’t know about that material when she was working on the film.)
“I know there have been references by fans about Poe and Finn. I mean, my God—they’d be the most beautiful couple ever!” Dern told the Times. But she also made it clear that implications and side material aren’t enough, in terms of representation. “Most importantly, I do believe that this team of filmmakers will not rest until the LGBTQ community is deeply represented, and I don’t think that we would want Holdo to be where it stops, because it’s not clear, nor was it our intent.”
Dern’s not alone among the film’s cast members in her support of the Finn-Poe pairing, meanwhile. Actress Kelly Marie Tran—who plays heroic mechanic Rose, who has her own connection with John Boyega’s Finn—is also a fan (of the franchise in general, but also this specific match-up specifically.) “Oh man, I ship a lot of people,” she recently told Variety. “But I would say I ship Finn and Poe pretty hard. I’m excited to see what happens next.”
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