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… but George Lucas pulled the final punch?

The anticipation for the Star Wars prequels was the stuff of legend: a built-in audience rabid with fandom and shaking fistfuls of dollars. The Clone Wars, a young Obi-Wan, and the fall of the man who became Darth Vader. If Luke and Leia were the destined offspring, procreation was a must and Anakin’s doom would have to be intricately linked to some poor woman and seal her fate.

So where did it go horribly wrong?
Maybe it didn’t. Maybe… it was simply never taken as far as intended.

Stay with me on this.

“She will be mine… oh yes, she will be mine.”

Let’s say that the apparent lack of chemistry between Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman was intentional; after all, weren’t there rumors of every late-tween actor in Hollywood was being screen tested with Ms. Portman? Let’s say that from the first time Anakin “dreamed” about Amidala, he was secretly entering her thoughts, like the slow thrall of a vampire, draining a little of her soul and stealing her will each time he was in her presence… and that was when he was ONLY ten years old. The worst part? He didn’t know; he just wanted her to love him.

Fast forward to Episode II. When Anakin is away, Amidala isn’t so enamored with him, even if he is never far from her thoughts. Her personality changes abruptly when he appears – from a determined and idealistic politician dedicated to preserving the sovereignty of her people and planet to a plaything reminiscent of the royalty-raised concubine from Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America who was so fond of saying “Whatever you like.” In the secret wedding scene, Anakin doesn’t look happy so much as he looks lovesick; Amidala looks like she just completed her final treatment to become one of The Stepford Wives.

“Operation Mindcrime.”

In Episode III, Amidala finally realizes who and what Anakin really is. Could that be because, in his guilt, he allowed her to know at that moment? Falling into depression and despair, she dies giving birth to the twins. Whether the Emperor truly lied about Darth Vader killing Amidala or not, what if the scene with Anakin, Obi-Wan and Amidala had gone differently? What if Amidala realized that she NEVER knew the real Anakin, an epiphany manifested from his own fears of losing her because of the truth he had hidden even from himself?

Amidala: “I could never see it until now. You made me want to be with you. How could you do something like that? It was all a lie, all the secrets… you took away my life! I never had a choice.” (coldly) “I never loved you, Anakin Skywalker. How could anyone?“

Cue Force choke.

Dark as all get out? Yep, but it carries weight. Was George Lucas actually building up to something like this and changed it at the last minute, deciding that “mind rape” wasn’t exactly in the spirit of Star Wars? Who knows. Of course, slavery, war and genocide are just fine for kids of all ages, so there you are.