Les Jones: R2D2: the Spy Who Came in from the Cold of Space?

January 25, 2007

Star Wars > R2D2: the Spy Who Came in from the Cold of Space?

In A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope: Reconsidering Star Wars IV in the light of I-III Keith Martin tries to make sense out of the entire Star Wars universe after the third episode was released.

Martin's main theme is that the Rebellion had two agents reaching back in time to Episode III. One of them is R2D2. Some of it does make sense and is obviously true. R2 was certainly working for the Rebellion. He had the technical readout of the Death Star, chose to enter the escape pod, tricked Luke into removing the restraining bolt, and then made a dash towars Obi-Wan Kenobi to fulfill his mission, just as Princess Leia planned. Some of the other parts are a stretch, but not too bad. And unlike C3PO R2D2's memory wasn't erased, so he would still remember a young Obi-Wan from Episode III when he meets him again in Episode IV.

Martin is also dead on about Obi-Wan Kenobi. He didn't just happen to live near Luke. He was Luke's guardian angel, watching over him, and probably spying on him. In Obi-Wan's hovel he tells Luke he understands that Luke has become quite a pilot. Luke never gets wise to the game, even when Obi-Wan just happens to have his father's lightsaber. Obi-Wan really is a shifty devil who makes up lies as he goes along. "True from a certain point of view" my foot.

R2 is one of the Rebel agents Martin makes a case for. The second one is a lot less convincing, but I won't spoil it for you. Go read it yourself. Martin's theomachy is appealing to Star Wars fans - we want the movies to make sense, even when they don't. Some of it is plausible while some of it gives too much credit to Lucas, but it's a fun read.

Hat tip to jwz.

Bonus! - The destruction of the Death Star re-created using nothing but hand motions. Via BoingBoing.

Posted by lesjones | TrackBack

Comments

I agree that the case for Chewbacca isn't the best, especially for anyone who's read the Han Solo trilogy of books-which were actually written even before Ep. I came out.

I haven't seen Ep III (must get around to renting that), but I can understand how Chewie would go from being XO of the defense of his home planet to being on an Imperial slave gang, from whence he was rescued by (then Ensign) Han Solo, Imperial Navy. From that point on, he's with Solo constantly, so unless he was playing agent with Lando before getting put on the slave gang, there's one gaping hole in his theory.

He also wonders where the funds came from to trick out the Falcon like it was. According to the books, in addition to the Falcon, Solo won a buttload of money in the sabacc tourney, which he used to upgrade the ship. She wasn't nearly such a trick ride before he owned her.

Also in the books, Solo at one point spent considerable time-maybe a year or more-in the Corporate Sector, hiding from bounty hunters (he had a previous bounty on his head, from a rival Hutt syndicate). If Chewie were really a top Rebel agent, I doubt he would have been able to neglect his duties that long.

Posted by: Heartless Libertarian at January 26, 2007

Good stuff. When my home life gets back to the carefree point I have time to read novels again, I wouldn't mind reading some Star Wars novels. For now I barely have time to read comic books for 10 minutes before I to bed. Little babies are lots of work.

Posted by: Les Jones at January 26, 2007

How odd. For a long time, I've thought that li'l R2D2 was the real star of the saga -- He was there from the get go and knew it all. I am glad, though, I am not so consumed by the movies to have penned the essay.
And for what it's worth - the novels aren't really the work of Lucas. Chewie's role is somewhat problematic in the essay, though perhaps he had only recently been tapped as a courier ... then again, maybe I need to do something besides watch movie.
An interesting essay, at the least, which I happened to receive via a fanboy friend last week.

Posted by: Joe P. at January 27, 2007