I am the second most spoiler-averse person I know.

I once was considering going to an immersive experience, and someone told me the company that ran the experience, and this was enough for me to derive an important twist that'd happen to me in the first few minutes, and I was like "augh that was a spoiler!!!" and they were like "!??".

I then went to the experience, and indeed, it was a lot worse than it would have been if I had gotten to be delighted by the opening twist.

This is all to say, I think Toy Story 5 would be the kind of movie that, if it were good, it would be worth watching unspoiled. I am worried it will not be, but, I dunno.

But, also, I've been spoiled already, and meanwhile it's pretty interesting to think about in advance.

So, decide whether you're the sorta person who should stop reading after this opening section.

(Also, if you have not seen Toy Story 3, Toy Story 3 is particularly worth watching unspoiled)

Toy Story has always been a saga about the fear of abandonment, and obsolescence, and identity crisis. I have been impressed with how much they keep escalating both the stakes and depth there while keeping the same theme.

I.

In Toy Story 1, the toy Woody must confront that he is no longer his kid (Andy)'s favorite toy. His kid forms a new relationship with a new toy. Woody worries they are replacing him.

Meanwhile, Buzz Lightyear realizes he is not the person he thought he was. Space Rangers aren't real. His entire identity is destroyed. But, he learns to form a new identify, as a kid's toy.

Eventually they both make peace with their respective losses. And then, hurray, it turns out Andy has't really outgrown Woody after all. But, their relationship with him is forever changed.

II.

In Toy Story 2, Woody confronts the fact that, even though he got to keep a relationship with Andy... that relationship has an expiration date. Andy is is clearly growing, changing, and it's clear that eventually he fundamentally won't need Woody (or any of Woody's entire social world). But, Woody make the decision to stay by Andy for the part of his lives where Woody can help him.

("You're right. I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world.")

III.

Andy has grown up. The time has come. Woody's entire old life is over.

In the climactic scene where they are on the incinerator conveyor belt, my sister and I kept looking at each other, our eyes conv...

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