An appreciation of The Last Jedi and why the phrase "subverted expectations" should not be simple mockery

I keep seeing people use "this subverted my expectations" as some sort of bizarre insult and it really bothers me.Though I really loved TFA, I was worried that TLJ was gonna borrow a lot of elements from ESB and ultimately be predictable. After the final trailer, I was even more worried. It heavily implied Luke training Rey after some initial reluctance, Kylo presumably killing Leia, and Rey facing Kylo and turning him to the light side. I was sure I knew exactly where the story was heading. But in the end, not one bit of the film's main elements went as expected. The adrenaline rush of pure shock I felt when leaving the theatre was something I'll never forget.Ultimately, a film subverting the viewer's expectations is a positive quality if done correctly. I often see the argument that Rian Johnson "focused too much on subverting expectations that he didn't write a cohesive or compelling story", but I think this is a huge oversimplification. Though some of the film's arcs may be unsatisfying to some, there are many that find the story very compelling and cohesive. "My expectations were subverted" has turned into pure mockery and to some has largely lost all its meaning. Almost two years later, I still see the phrase thrown at everything from TLJ and Game of Thrones, to Stranger Things. At the end of the day, filmmakers have absolutely no responsibility to fulfil fan theories or expectations. Simply arguing that a film is bad because it didn't do what you expected is disingenuous and takes away from actual valid criticism, and this is so often the impression I get from those who use the phrase.Say what you will about TLJ (it is absolutely fine to dislike it) but it very much did try something new. And I know that I personally would rather have a divisive film that goes in a new directions, than a simply bland one that everyone agrees was just "ok". I don't know about you but I am ready and waiting for my expectations to be subverted this December. via /r/StarWars https://ift.tt/2YCRucG