On the Mary Sue thing, it's funny because in the video of Lucas responding to the trailer, he bemoans the fact that Rey is so skilled from the outset. It violates, in his thinking, the core of Star Wars films, which is what he calls "the hero's journey." He defines that as that you start out a nobody and make a lot of mistakes before you grow in power. But I'm thinking about the action of episode 4. In a matter of days, Luke goes from a farmboy fixing vaporators to a guy who takes down the most powerful weapon ever created in his universe. Lucas is thinking of Empire and all the frustrations Luke faces in his training with Yoda. But in the first movie Luke does more, again days after leaving home, than Rey has done yet.
How many days pass from when Luke shows up in New Hope?
1) Buy droids, find out at nightfall one has run off, 2) track down droid, meed old wizard, come back to find family murdered.
Trip to the wretched hive of scum and villainy? at most a couple of days (3-4)
I don't think they spend any time in Mos Eisley. They're looking for transport and we see them connect with their first lead. Jump in the Falcon quick. Go to lightspeed quick.
There's time for a game of chess and some blind lightsaber practice while going through hyperspace. But do any days pass? We don't see Chewy put on pajamas at any stage. But let's say (5)
Into the Death Star, rescue, out. No overnights there.
Hyperspace trip to rebel base, again, however much time is spent when you are in hyperspace, maybe less than a day. But let's say (6)
No time spent snoozing on the moon of Yavin. We've got the scematics from this little R2 unit and the attack is impending. But let's say one overnight to get rested for space battle (7).
So maybe six, seven days tops? Has anyone worked it out more fully than this?
So in that space of time, he goes from farmboy to savior of the Universe. What's MarySueier than that?