i keep seeing people say they’re disappointed the trailers for phm are showing rocky because “it spoils the big twist of the story!” and um. no. so much of the story is about the relationship between these two that you couldn’t market the movie without it.
the real twist is in ryland’s backstory. this story is such an interesting take on this type of narrative and the “chosen one” archetype because they’re inverses.
we’re drip-fed ryland’s backstory in flashbacks as he remembers it while on the hail mary, and in those flashbacks, it’s said time and time again that ryland has no intention of volunteering to go on the mission. and we (and present-ryland) are thinking “well, he must’ve agreed or had someone change his mind eventually because he’s here!” cuz that’s the entire second half of the story.
the twist comes in learning that, when presented with the choice, he refused. he turns down the choice (thinking it is one), and no one convinced him to do it. we hit that moment of “will you do this” and were expecting him to say yes cuz we know where he ends up, and he walks into stratt’s office and says no.
it’s such a purely human moment that also fittingly goes directly against something that happens earlier. he got roped into this project because of his theory about life not needing water, and he was proven wrong. he then willingly came back and asked to continue to be included because of his kids. he cared so much about his students that he wanted to keep experimenting with astrophage. i’m CONVINCED that was the moment stratt knew there was something different about this guy, and she (rightfully) calls him on his bullshit at the end when he refuses. “if you really cared about those kids, you’d get your ass on that ship!” or whatever she says. because his refusal is cowardly, but in a very human way of “i don’t want to die”.
speaking of stratt, she’s such a fascinating character. driven, with a deep passion for saving humanity, and VERY desperate. someone who is quite literally willing to do whatever it takes to save her species. she presented going on the hail mary to ryland as a choice as a courtesy, but in the end it didn’t matter. he was getting on that ship whether he wanted to or not; stratt was just hoping it would be of his own volition.
ryland grace is a “chosen one” because he was never given a choice.
