The truly sad thing is, Finn spending TLJ in a coma could actually have been brilliant–but ONLY IF it the story had taken care to involve and center him. Obviously not in the way RJ described it in his tasteless joke, with Finn being inert and unimportant while only getting occasional cuts of him stirring in his sleep. That’s not just bad, that’s positively malicious (as much of the movie was tbh). But if the plot had involved Finn heavily, and the coma had been used as an actual opportunity to explore his story and the setting? In that case it would have been better than what we got in TLJ.

Consider: Finn is so seriously injured that he doesn’t wake for most of the movie’s runtime, and due to the haphazard circumstances of the evacuation the Resistance were not able to bring all the necessary equipment and medicine. On top of that they are under constant bombardment and the infirmary is flooded with patients, further complicating his recovery. This would emphasize the gravity of what Kylo Ren did to Finn while showing that the First Order is a direct threat to Finn as well as the Resistance as a whole.

Snoke berates Kylo not only for losing to Rey and being so conflicted over murdering Han Solo, but also for failing to kill Finn. Hux and Snoke are both extremely threatened by Finn’s defection, and Phasma reports unrest in the ranks for which she executed and reconditioned a number of troopers. Snoke makes it clear that he is chasing the Resistance’s main fleet so doggedly in large part because he wants to make sure Finn is dead, or better yet, to drag him before the assembled troopers and make an example of him. This further establishes the FO’s evil and heightens the sense of suspense because Finn is a character that the audience actually cares about, not a nameless extra like many of the Resistance members we saw die on screen.

Rey is worried about Finn and keeps trying to contact the Resistance. When the Force Skype happens she is angry with Kylo over Finn’s injury as well as Han’s murder. Kylo manipulates her in large part by telling her about the Resistance’s plight and the personal danger to Finn–and he insinuates, or lets her believe, that he would let the Resistance go and spare Finn’s life.

We continue the bond between Finn and Poe by having Poe go on the Canto Bight mission (or some better mission that makes more sense, getting help from Lando?), and Rose going with him because she is deeply affected by Finn’s heroism.

Most crucially, however, Finn’s coma is not just about him lying there but is an exploration of his past and trauma, even his connection with the Force. We see some of the Before the Awakening materials where he is an elite cadet whose only flaw is too much empathy. We get to see his relationship with a living Slip, his other squadmates, and Phasma. (Give Phasma more to do, you cowards.) This would parallel and contrast the exploration of Kylo’s past, continuing the foil relationship. Finn was already a cadet when Kylo Ren formally joined the FO, and this
intersection in their stories would have been interesting to explore.

We see glimpses of Finn’s traumatic kidnapping as a child, something that distresses him so much that it registers on the medical monitors. Finn also relives the massacre of Hosnia and many other things he wasn’t physically present for, including present events, though he is only able to affect things in small snatches such as shouting a warning to Poe at a crucial moment which Poe actually hears.

Finally, on Crait, Finn’s Force projection grows strong enough that he helps provide the crucial clue for getting out of the mines, and he leads Rey to the back entrance. Even Chewie sees him by this point and roars out a greeting. She is overjoyed at the connection with Finn and is happy and confident when she lifts the rocks, in direct contrast to her tension and sadness when talking to Kylo.

Finn finally wakes, Sleeping Beauty style, on the Millennium Falcon with Rey by his side and stroking his hand. They have a joyful reunion and everyone on board celebrates this flash of hope among the darkness, making the hopeful ending seem actually deserved.

Lesson: You can keep a character in a coma for a whole movie and still advance his story as long as you give half a shit about him. It’s telling that RJ’s treatment of Finn was so reluctant and half-assed that it was fully possible to tell a better story based on a throwaway joke of an idea.