Star Words: Episode V, Part 38

[matril]

After Chewie retrieves Threepio's parts from a junk pile, Lando shows up to offer everyone "some refreshment." Knowing what's coming, I have to wonder if he's still wishing he could somehow warn them away before it's too late, with his veiled references to Imperial influence. Whatever his secret motives, the betrayal is revealed as soon as the door slides open to reveal Darth Vader.

There's a lot of memorable visuals here, like Vader deflecting blaster bolts with his hand and snatching the weapon out of Han's astonished grip...as well as the speculation about what that "dinner" must have looked like afterwards. But let's look at Lando's words. A strained monotone, explaining that the Imperials showed up right before the Falcon; that he had no choice.

"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."

First off, this is a marvelously passive-aggressive way to reply to any apology. Of course I don't recommend it in serious situations, but in response to a flippant "I'm sorry," particularly from a fellow Star Wars fan, it's quite appropriate. ;)

I believe that Lando really is sorry. It was his old friend or his entire city, and he chose what seemed like the greater good. Frankly, I don't blame him in the least. Maybe I'm biased because my earliest memories of Lando come from the unambiguous hero in Episode VI, but I've always felt like he did the best he could under awful circumstances. He couldn't take the chance of endangering all of the people under his protection. And later on, when it becomes obvious that the Empire never really planned on leaving Bespin alone, he attaches his allegiance quite solidly to the good guys.

But the apology is obviously going to seem pretty hollow to Han and company. Lando can say he's sorry a thousand times; they've still been betrayed. Anger will come later. For now Han is just stunned, exhausted, offering a simple ironic response. I'm sorry too. Sorry you turned out to be a traitor. Sorry we thought we could trust you, sorry we came here, sorry we were ever friends at all. Those three words could carry a whole lot of meaning.

Next time, the cold calculations of Imperial bargaining...

Comments

[krpalmer]

In the small circle of Star Wars discussion I've followed, there was someone who'd start bristling at the most casual reference to Lando "betraying" Han and bringing up he'd done that for the sake of everyone in Cloud City. I do understand that myself, but I have to admit to wondering a bit about the exact circumstances of him joining the good guys, if the movie had fully established the Imperials wouldn't be leaving or if, by saving Leia, Chewie, and Threepio, Lando knew he'd be provoking that... (The novelization and comic book adaptation end the carbon-freezing scene with Vader casually following through on his previous threat to leave a garrison instead of "just" proclaiming he'd be taking the princess and the Wookiee with him.) I can certainly imagine elaborate explanations even if I can't quite articulate them here and now, but perhaps I'm also stuck with the thought that in a Star Wars movie where viewers had been ticked off earlier they'd be up in arms about a "plot hole."