Anghraine

I really like that interpretation with Leia -- it is an interesting departure from both Anakin's lack of trust in the system and Padmé's trust in the system but not in the people. And "advanced citizenship" is exactly it -- the influence of Alderaan, maybe? (But something that can reasonably be demanded of Jedi, so that works out.)

I inherently like them because I like the concept, but I've never been completely satisfied, either.

This, exactly. It is a difficult scenario -- what afterwards? And I find it incredibly interesting for reasons that ... I didn't get to that point in Revenge, but the original plans I was working off of actually involved a repentant Vader as the Atoner. This could have been canon gah.

Re: ESB -- oh, I see. I didn't see much of a change in Han and Leia's relationship in terms of the combativeness (which I see in ANH too), but for me it's a lot skeevier in ESB and that's really my issue with it. Newsflash, Han: no means no.

I did think the ending was essentially hopeful (that final image omg <3 <3 <3), though certainly not as optimistic as ANH! And it's definitely a harsher movie in general. (I think I have a list of all the reasons I love it so much floating around, but I don't know whether you've run across it or not.)

ROTS is ... it makes me care for him more than I did before, which was pretty much not at all. I mean, I wanted to like him because I loved OT!backstory!Anakin and I tried to work with him on the strength of Darth Vader, but any investment I had in his character came from outside the movie until ROTS.

But "nothing" to "mild concern" is still a bit underwhelming, and his turn was just bizarre to me. The thing is that there's a lot of material there to play with in terms of his character and background, but I don't think the movies actually do that.

Like, the parallels between Anakin's messed-up-ness and the Order's -- I'm not sure they're even intended in the movies? Or that the Jedi Order is supposed to be worse than a little hidebound? There's potential for compelling, meaningful stuff, but I don't see it realized in the text itself. I guess for me, it makes for fascinating meta but isn't fascinating itself.

and there is enough that I love in it that the parts I don't are precisely what turn my brain on and make me get creative and reflective and transformative about it!

Right! I mean, that's SW as a whole for me, but I understand what you mean.

And then there is the level at which I like picking at the disconnect between my impression of what the story was designed to do and what it does from my point of view

Yes, this -- this is exactly what I was talking about, ha. And it is interesting in an analytical way. I really enjoy the picking. It just ... doesn't make me like the movies any more? IDK.