Let's now continue to TLJ, remember being a clutz can be fine if it's built towards something. Luke Skywalker was a clutz but when
Empire hit he was much more focused, serious, he was becoming a Jedi Knight. While he ends up losing at the end, it's not treated as some joke but as someone giving it their all and losing nonetheless. With that said, let's look at Finn, the co-lead of the last film. How is he reintroduced to us?
With a joke re-establishing his clumsiness to the audience. The fact that he's a buffoon.
We are off to a great start. Of course, it only gets "better" from there. He quickly meets up with Rose who proceeds to treat him like a child the entire movie, constantly dragging him around, reminding him the importance of their mission, reminding him, a slave, that slavery exists, and generally talking down to him.
Don't forget my favorite part where he's scared so bad by a alien horse, he lands right next to steaming pile of horse shit. Naturally, Rose is unfazed.
Thus, despite all the events of TFA, Finn is still a damn buffoon who gets clowned by everyone much of the whole movie. He doesn't really grow, but instead circles around the same character arc he had in the first movie. Also, Rose's attitude towards him the whole movie is what makes the kiss feels so weird and creepy at the end. At no point in the film does it look like she's attracted to Finn, she's constantly treating him as a child, as I said before. I think the worst moment for me is when they actually infiltrate Snoke's ship and Finn gets ultra serious since this is his territory. He knows the stakes here. He knows how to act. He's the one with all the knowledge at this point. Yet, Rose can't leave him alone here either. When she asks him how they'll escape, Finn mentions he knows where the escape pods are. Rose then answers in a tone that almost borders on contempt with, "of course you do." As if to imply, "of course Finn, the coward, knows where the escape pods are." Instead of the fact that Finn has grown up on FO ships his whole life and would know every section like the back of his hand. Yet, when we get to the end Rose confesses that she "loves" Finn. What? How?
I like Finn, but I don't love Finn, especially after his galactic side tracking in TLJ. TFA at least managed to balance his buffonery with some good serious moments sprinkled throughout the film, but TLJ basically tilts him to full carny saving all his serious moments til the very end (basically everything from Snoke's ship to the end). His arc is just a step above a retread of his arc from TFA. The sidelining of his romance with Rey is baffling. And, he's yet to feel like a competent person at really anything.
JJ can still salvage him, but he's going to have to really work at it.
