(This post contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

Like many people, I was disappointed with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the official last Indiana Jones film (and with its box office performance, it’s likely to stay that way for a very long time). Going into my local theater the night of its premiere, dressed in my officially licensed fedora, leather jacket, gasmask bag, and beige pants, I was hoping against hope that the film would give Indy one last, glorious adventure that would celebrate his life, his legacy, and let him end his story on a high note. Heck, I even did a post last year theorizing about what might happen.

None of that happened.

Over the course of two and a half hours, my heart steadily sank as I realized that Dial of Destiny was falling into the same trap so many legacy sequels had fallen into over the years: The hero/s of the previous films are now old, tired, and failures, and only a young, smart, strong, and talented newcomer can rejuvenate them (while also setting themselves up to take over the franchise in future sequels). Instead of Indy getting the spotlight, I watched as his goddaughter Helena – an unlikable con artist, thief, and borderline sociopath – became the film’s protagonist, insulting Indy and upstaging him every chance she gets. And then, during the climax of the film – which, to remind you, is the last time we will ever see Harrison Ford as Indy – Helena is the one who saves the day while Indy literally just sits around, and then punches him in the face.

As the film faded to black, and the credits rolled, I stared at the screen, feeling nothing. Had this movie happened several years ago, I would have been crushed at seeing my childhood idol being denied the final adventure he deserved. But after enduring the disappointment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and Jurassic World: Dominion, it was easy to walk out of the theater into the night with my fedora in hand, drive home, and try to forget that the film ever happened.

But today, a realization came to me: I wanted a story where Indy saves the world from being conquered by the Nazis via time travel. Instead, I got a story where Indy – who has already accomplished more in one life than most people could in a dozen – saves a loved one going down the path of cruelty, selfishness, and greed by being the good angel on her shoulders. A grumpy, none-too-gentle angel, yes, but one that gradually convinces her (and her sidekick Teddy) to take the first steps down a better way of life. And as a reward for everything he’s done, Indy’s given not gold, treasure, or fame, but a treasure greater than anything he’s found: being able to spend the rest of his life with both Marion and Sallah, his best friend, by his side.

Dial of Destiny doesn’t have the story I wanted: it doesn’t feature Indy saving the world, or time-traveling to multiple eras in history, or Indy hanging up his hat at the end, satisfied that he’s stopped the Third Reich for good… but it’s a more intimate, emotional story of a great man in his twilight years saving others from going down the wrong path in life. That, I think, is a story worth telling.