Star Words: Episode IV, Part 27

Our heroes are cornered in the prison block, but the quips keep coming. 'Looks like you've managed to cut off our only escape route.' 'Maybe you'd like it back in your cell, your Highness. Once again we see the contrast between our two heroes. In the face of Leia's scathing critiques, Luke is flustered and defensive, scrambling to get help from Threepio. Han just gets grouchier and more sarcastic. But neither one offers a workable solution, so Leia takes matters (and a blaster) into her own hands and creates a new way out.

"Somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, flyboy."

Another highly quotable line. Leia has a way with words that is highly adaptable to the given situation. We've already seen the lofty, eloquent tone she takes with Vader and Tarkin. Quite the shift here with Han, though no less incisive and cutting. Efficient, no wasted words, but still time to throw in a dismissive epithet. As we're all aware of Carrie Fisher's considerable skill at crafting snappy dialogue, it's hard to guess where she ends and Leia begins.

And thus begins the war of words that will characterize Leia and Han's eventual courtship -- a combative dance that, depending on your viewpoint, is either delightfully reminiscent of bickering couples from Hepburn and Tracy all the way back to Benedick and Beatrice, or disturbingly verging on dysfunction and toxicity. (Consider Han's initial assessment -- "Wonderful girl! Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her!" and the curious conflation of antagonism and attraction). We'll explore the many ramifications of that much more during the entries from Episode V, but one thing is clear from the start -- Han and Leia's interactions are never dull.

Next, a bit of gallows humor in a very tight situation....