The attempted mind-reading instead became a revealing telepathic duel that sets up so much to follow. The Force had indeed awoken; up till now, we just weren't sure it would be with Rey.
Flash-forward to perhaps the new film's most pivotal moment: Finn has heroically tried to fend off Kylo Ren with the lightsaber that Rey originally wanted no part of - after touching it at the cantina sparked some disturbing visions and memories. Finn is overmatched, and when Kylo Ren knocks him out, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber is there in the snowbank for the taking. Kylo Ren extends his hand seeming assured of his Dark Side powers, summoning the lightsaber toward him. But when the lightsaber doesn't respond to Kylo, we see the frustration and confusion on his face. He doesn't understand what's going on.
But we do.
It's Rey. She was outside of the frame, but when the camera finally zooms her way, we see her standing with defiant self-empowerment - and very strong with the Force. Rey summons the Skywalker lightsaber toward her, and unlike with Kylo Ren, the lightsaber obeys her, zipping into her hands.
She then lights the saber up, and Round 3 in this family feud begins. Whether Rey is indeed a Skywalker herself is still a mystery - a feeling unconfirmed - but there's no doubt that this lightsaber battle between them is just the beginning.
Kylo Ren was likely scooped up by the First Order, who will finish his "training." So the next time he goes into battle with anyone, he will be even more lethal and connected to the Dark Side.
And at this film's end, we see Rey having done what no one else in the film had managed to do: She reached Luke Skywalker. No words are exchanged between Luke and Rey, but the final act of Rey's extending Luke's lightsaber toward him was her saying (without saying): "Train me."
Adding intrigue to a Rey-vs.-Ren rematch: We still don't know what their connection is. Are they siblings? Cousins? We know who Kylo Ren's parents are. Is Luke Skywalker Rey's father? If so, who is the mother? Has Kylo Ren always known Rey was out there? And did Rey gain anything from the brief time she was inside Kylo Ren's mind?
A legendary lightsaber battle between the light and dark sides of the Force - between Kylo Ren and Rey - is destined. But what might distinguish this fight for the viewer - setting it apart from the Duel of the Fates matchup in Episode I, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker's blue-bladed lightsaber duel in Episode III (more or less the best lightsaber fights we've ever seen) - is the prospect that it is a family matter.
Yes, we know, Darth Vader vs. Luke was drenched in the Oedipal. But in the end, their duels weren't fatal. Son believed father still had good in him. Father saved son. The end.
Yet with Kylo Ren having already killed his father - someone Rey was appreciating as paternal after her life of isolation), there is already a revenge factor. And just who will be strong enough to stand up to a recharged Ren? All signs point to Rey and her shiny blue lightsaber.
And will this rematch unfold in Episode VIII? So much, as with Rey's hero journey, is yet to be discovered. For two years, at least, we will eagerly await the next round of magic.
