We didn’t get the memo, but apparently, there’s nothing that Star Wars fans actually hate about the prequels anymore. As hard as it may be to believe, some are actually defending the Midi-chlorians, even going so far as to acknowledge that the initial backlash to the concept introduced in Episode I – The Phantom Menace may have been uncalled-for.
If you were to ask a Star Wars fan back in the early ’80s what the Force is, he’d probably describe some sort of energy field that “surrounds” us and “binds” the galaxy together, with the implication that almost everyone could tap into the Force, though some are more prodigious in this regard than others. That comprehension changed drastically when George Lucas introduced the concept of Midi-chlorians in the prequel trilogy, microscopic beings that resided in the cells of all living beings, allowing them to make a connection to the Living Force.
If that connection is strong enough, the person could use the Force, destined to either become a Jedi and serve the light or succumb to the darkness of Sith ideologues. For some reason that Star Wars fans can’t quite put their fingers on now, the audiences reacted negatively to this concept in 2001, but now that we apparently love everything about the prequels and all the things they “got right” as opposed to Disney’s ghastly sequels, some are rising to the defense of Midi-chlorians.
Maybe the backlash had to do with a poor understanding of what the Midi-chlorians were supposed to represent?
Perhaps folks simply thought the Force didn’t need any scientific explanations, deeming it an exercise in repetition.
If you’re curious enough to take a trip down this rabbit hole, some Star Wars fans are happy to indulge you.
If we were to take a wild guess, we’d say the world is only a few years away from hailing the prequels as the best live-action trilogy in the history of cinema. Though what that says about the reception of any artistic project is a fierce debate that could do with being addressed eventually.