A Thousand Stars: Episode V, Part 18

[matril]

As Luke sets up camp on Dagobah, his sense of the eerie continues. Notice how even with all his technology, it's visually overshadowed by the misty swamp that surrounds them. Artoo has already gotten so muddy he's starting to blend in with the organic world. It's strange and unsettling, though Luke can't quite put his finger on it.

Then this little guy shows up. Luke, jumpy and suspicious, responds with his weapon. He hasn't learned Dagobah's lesson that nothing is what it seems. Even as his suspicions dissipate, his reaction turns to amusement and dismissal. And can we blame him? The tiny newcomer behaves like a silly child, rooting through Luke's things and fighting over a trinket with Artoo. When he insists that he can help Luke, no wonder he's skeptical, looming over him in superior height and, he assumes, superior knowledge.

Yet when Luke reveals that he's looking for a Jedi, the visitor knows that he's speaking of Yoda. Luke is astonished, and then realizes if he wants to fulfill his quest, he'll have to play nice. If he'd ever read any folk tales he should have already known, you never dismiss the strange little man who shows up on the roadside. You never know what his unassuming appearance might be concealing. Luke has a lot to learn.

Next time, close quarters...