A Star Wars Virgin: My Questions Have Answers!

Yesterday, I posted Round 2 of my Star Wars challenge after I finished watching the prequel trilogy and I had some lingering questions and I wasn't sure if I would ever get answers (because I was NOT going on a Star Wars fan discussion board again).

This is where my brother in law, Rocco, is vital to my sanity. He has proven to be my own personal Yoda in this journey and I'm young and naive Luke. He's very wise and has a lot of insight into things I didn't even know were there. He has thorough knowledge of the characters, scenes, and facts about George Lucas and filming. It's been great to have an expert in my corner since I find these movies to have a lot of different parts and characters!

I think its worth stating that Rocco has been in my life for about 15 years. He is the husband of my older sister, Yana, and I've literally known him since I was 17 years old. And I have never, ever, gotten as many texts from him in those 15 years than I have in the past two or three weeks of me watching these Star Wars movies. But that's sort of the great thing about Rocco. He's not in anyway an overbearing person but when he's passionate about something...he's passionate. He always has insights into how movies were made and directed and unknown facts or has seen deleted footage...so I shouldn't have been at all surprised that he would text me after every one of my posts to drop some knowledge.

So after finishing six of these movies, I had a bunch of questions which I thought did not make any sense, some of which I would say could be considered plot holes. However, like the good Yoda that he is, Rocco sent me some answers to my questions and I couldn't help but share them with you.

Question 1. Why doesn't Obi-Wan recognize R2D2 in A New Hope? 

Rocco: Technically the appliance reference makes sense. R2 droids are extremely common and though droids become characters with us in the movies they are just tools. There is actually a very cool droid side story about how C3PO ends up with an orange arm in The Force Awakens. 

Question 2: How did the Jedi just end up using the storm troopers as an army?

Rocco: The Jedi investigate the planet that was removed from the maps (the scene with Yoda and the kids) and they discover a defect Jedi (later found to be Count Dooku...worst name ever) went there and had the clone people clone Jango Fett (Boba Fett's dad) into a clone army. The clone people were told by Dooku that this army is for the Jedi they will need in an upcoming battle. That battle is orchestrated from Palpatine with the trade federation as the "false threat". So the Jedi use the clones but they are also programmed to double cross the Jedi. They are also clones which is why they are so dumb later in episode 4...the gene pool is diluted. 

Question 3: What happens in between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope? How come it seems like Leia grows up to already be involved with the Rebel Alliance? How did the Death Star get created? 

Rocco: Almost all of these questions will be answered in Rouge One coming in Dec. except Leia. They tried to shoe horn Jimmy Smits as her stepdad/rebel leader so she is essentially born into the rebellion but never told she has the force

Question 4: Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he should learn to commune with Qui-Gon (his former master) while on Tatoonie...what? That doesn't make any sense? Why would they put that in there if it never gets mentioned in the next one?

Rocco: Yoda telling Obi-Wan to communicate to Qui-Gon is Lucas's half- assed effort to explain the ability to talk to the dead via the force as Obi-Wan does to Luke later. There is actually a deleted scene where Qui-Gon talks to Obi-Wan from the dead but its stupid and rightfully deleted. The force can allow communication with the dead but its never really explained and this was a bad attempt. 

Question 5: How did Princess Leia get her message for Obi-Wan to R2D2 if they were suppose to be randomly sold at the end of Revenge of the Sith? 

Rocco: Its said that the droids are like ever present beings throughout the saga. Somehow, someway, they end up in all the crucial moments. So short answer...fate or the force.

Question 6: Why does Darth Vader interact with Leia so nonchalantly throughout the first trilogy but immediately knows something is amiss when Luke is present? Does she not have "the force"? Or if so, shouldn't he be able to sense something with her too? When Luke and company arrive on the Death Star to save Leia, Vader says "I sense a something, a presence I haven't felt since...". Is he talking about Luke?

Rocco: Leia had the force but doesn't get in touch with it. It can be said that she didn't ignite the flame before she met Luke. I have always felt that the quote you're referring to is for Obi-Wan not Luke because later Vader senses Luke when they are flying around the Death Star.

Question 7:  In the first trilogy...Palpatine tells Vader "We have reason to believe that the pilot who destroyed the Death Star is Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker." Doesn't Palpatine know that's Vader? 

Rocco: Like Obi-Wan telling Luke your father died, technically he did and Vader is not his father. So Palpatine is continuing the long con that you are now Vader and there never was Anakin Skywalker. The dude is evil. 

He also imparted his wisdom on what I SHOULD be asking:

• Would an Ewok make a good pet?

• Why is Lando randomly wearing Han Solo's clothes when flying the Millennium Falcon?

• Why couldn't Kylo Ren kill two people who never picked up a lightSABER after he showed that he can literally stop a laser in mid air while talking to someone and giving orders to kill. 

While I still maintain my point that Obi-Wan should have recognized R2D2, it relaxes me to have explanations for my other questions. There is a lot to focus on and keep track of in these movies and it was tough to keep everything straight. Now I feel that I can fully move on and towards The Force Awakens with full knowledge on everything that happened.

So thank you, Rocco! You're going to be a great help for your sons if they ever grow up to love Star Wars...or...maybe they don't have a choice. :)

xoxo.