#han solo
I know the Star Wars extended universe treats “spice” like it’s this big scary drug, but I kind of like to imagine that it’s basically just space weed, and the only reason Han got in trouble with the Imperials over Jabba’s cargo is that he was evading import tariffs.
If we’re just looking at mentions in the original trilogy, is there evidence it’s even a drug and not something you put on bland food to make it taste like something? What if Han was just carrying a cargo of like cilantro, mint, etc, none of which grow on Tattooine and are thus highly expensive and heavily taxed commodities?
I am fully prepared to believe that the infamous Han Solo ended up in a life-or-death vendetta with the most notorious crime lord in the galaxy because somebody didn’t want to declare taxes on three thousand kilos of cilantro.
Every who pays a certain amount of attention to Star Wars knows this story already, but I was lucky enough to hear it recounted first-hand last year, so I’m gonna give it yet another retelling.
So The Husband and I were at Sci-fi Weekender (a British based annual Sci-fi and Fantasy convention) last year, and one of the guests that year was Kevin J Anderson, one of the very notable Star Wars Expanded Universe writers. During one of the events, a quiet little interview in a cafe on the event site, he fielded a question from an audience member about what it was like to write for a franchise like Star Wars which often had lots of cooks working on one broth, and he had the following to say (wording recounted as best as I can from memory):
“So in one of my stories, Han Solo, he, he travels to this asteroid planet called Kessel, which is where a lot of Spice comes from, these Spice Mines of Kessel, and I got to really describe the effects of this Spice, this terrible drug and the addiction and all this and before publication I get this call, I get this call from the lawyers, and they say “Kevin, you say in this story that Spice is a drug, you can’t say that, you can’t say that Spice is a drug”, and I say “What? What do you mean it’s not a drug, of course it’s a drug”, and they say “Han Solo used to smuggle Spice, and you cannot, let us be clear, you cannot imply that the Hero of Star Wars used to be a drug dealer”. And I just stood there, at a loss for words, and I eventually said “So what is it then?” and they said to me, very sternly, “It’s a food-additive”. Now, now obviously this is ridiculous, and I won’t back down, and they won’t back down, and none of us will back down, and the book is very close to getting pulled, which I don’t want because I worked hard on it and they don’t want because they already paid me the advance, and eventually, with this great air of superiority they say “OK Kevin, we’ll take this to the top. WE’LL TAKE THIS TO GEORGE”. And they go to all this trouble, this was a long while ago when such things were not so easy to arrange, they go to all this trouble to set up a conference call with all of them and me and with George Lucas and they say “George, Kevin is trying to say in his new book that Spice is a drug, it’s a food additive, tell him it’s not a drug, George”. And there’s this long silence on the other end of the line and eventually George says “It is a drug, though. It’s, it’s a drug, it’s a food-additive? What? Of course it a drug, it’s space heroin, what else would it be? What?” And that was then end of that.“
I can’t help but notice how everything DLF are putting out these days is set in SW’s past. The Mandalorian and the BoBF - set in the post OT years. Obi Wan - post ST. Even the books and comics are set in the past. Why? They killed off the Skywalkers to ‘move forward’, so how come they are still trying to milk their era until it runs dry. Something to do with the fact that Rey Palpwalker is about as interesting as a packet of soap powder, and that they choseto kill off the ST’s best character? Serves them right.
The classics and the prequels were all about the past - the classics of course were about the present, but there always was a strong link to the past, the current generation having to repair what the old one had messed up. The only guy who had no link to the past whatsoever was Han Solo.
One of the nice things about the sequels was that they were like a breath of fresh air.
Finn has no idea where he comes from. Neither has Rey - she removed what she knew, and even that was very little. Poe does, but it obviously is not of importance for the story. Rose loses her sister, her last link to her personal history.
Ironically, the one person who has an actual link to the past is Han’s son. We see him with his grandfather’s helmet, asking for advice and promising to follow the same dark path. In his dialogue with Rey, we learn that he ardently wishes to have the power Darth Vader used to have. He promises he will “finish what his grandfather started”.
Ben is desperate to leave the past behind and start something new. He kills Han, he kills Snoke, he asks Rey to join him and make “a new order” in the galaxy.
I was certain that the sequels would start something new and better. But the old school fans ranted and raved until the studios gave in warming up stories about the “glorious past” for years to come.
The only new thing is the Mandalorian’s mysterious child, who will most probably live very long and still be there when - hopefully - the future will finally be approached again.
The sequels are the proof that new and interesting Star Wars stories and characters can be thought up and told.
The problem are not the studios. It’s many of the fans.
George Lucas used to say that Star Wars is for twelve-year-olds. It seems not: it’s for people who used to be twelve forty years ago and who now must be appeased at all costs.
I do believe that DLF will tell new stories in the GFFA some day, but who knows when they will dare to do it.
The scoundrel himself
Can You Play Me A Memory?
A Playlist of songs that inspired fan fiction titles, plot lines, and just the general vibes of fics I’ve written. Some fics are song fics but most are not. (Fics that each song inspired are linked in order below the cut)
Steve Rogers
- Star Spangled Man - The Star Spangled Singers Star Spangled Gal
- Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley Jealous Eyes / (Steve’s Ending)
- Holy Ghost - BØRNS Holy Ghost
- The Day I Died - Five For Fighting Two Roads Diverged
- I’ll Be Seeing You - Jimmy Durante I’ll Be Seeing You
Bucky Barnes
- The Way To Your Heart - Soul Sister
Way To Your Heart - Shut Up and Dance With Me - Walk The Moon
This Woman is my Destiny - Play That Song - Train
Play That Song - Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Just The Way You Are - My Ideal - Fran Sinatra
- Roll To Me - Del Amitri
Violets, Red Velvet and Our Song - Yesterday- The Beatles
Yesterday Came Suddenly - When You’re Gone - Avril Lavigne
Pieces of My Heart - I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family
So What am I So Afraid Of? - I’ll Be Seeing You - Jimmy Durante
I’ll Be Seeing You
Tony Stark
- I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles I Wanna Hold Your Hand
- Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms Jealous Eyes / (Tony’s Ending)
- That’s What I Like - Bruno Mars That’s What I Like
- A Thousand Years - Christina Perri I Have Loved You
- Say You Won’t Let Go - James Arthur Say You Won’t Let Go
- Champagne Problems - Taylor Swift Champagne Problems
Peter Parker
- Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
Bruce Banner
- Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Chasing Cars - Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers
Something Just Like This - Can You Feel The Love Tonight? - Elton John
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - A Whole New World - Lea Salonga & Brad Kane
A Whole New World - Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
I’m The Love That You’ve Looked For/Part Two
Han Solo
- If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
If I Could Turn Back Time
Poe Dameron
- My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift If I’m Dead to You Why Are You At The Wake?/Part Two/
Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Kiss Me - Six Pence None the Richer
The Milky Twilight - Happiness- Taylor Swift
Across Our Great Divide, There is a Glorious Sunrise - Long Live - Taylor Swift
Fighting Dragons With You/Part Two/
Remus Lupin
- Sit Still, Look Pretty - Day
Sit Still, Look Pretty - We Are Young - Fun.
Set The World On Fire
They talk/debate/bicker about ships.
Leia: oh, I like the new Nubian Royal starships.
Han: what are you talking about? That’s clearly a Nubian starfighter.
Leia: no, it’s the new starship.
Han: no, it’s their starfigher.
Leia: starship.
Han: starfigher.
Leia: ship!!
Han: figher!!
Leia:ship!!!
Han: I’m gunna go ask!!! -marches off-
Leia: you do that!!!!!!
Han: -walks back-
Leia: well?
Han: -grumbles-
Leia: that’s what I thought.
This is cracking me up..why on earth did they delete his response in the movie!? hes so offended LOL
UNMUTE THIS
ready to slay the battlefield
This week’s Jewish character of the week is: Han Solo
(He hadn’t meant to get sucked up in this rebellion, but once he was there, he wasn’t leaving.)
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what could have been
Sorry for the slew of poor quality sketches recently, everything digital is an unfinished commission still in the making. I really want to use this drawing as a springboard work this one up though into a finished piece someday!
Post link
A part of me wants Kylo Ren to not be redeemed at the end of the trilogy. When he killed his father, I saw it as his final moment to choose between the light and dark. This act of patricide was the act that solidified his journey to the dark side. For me, it paralleled the choice Darth Vader made to save Luke. In that instance, Anakin chose the light side and redeemed himself. But Kylo Ren ultimately chose the dark side and closed the door for his redemption. If he was redeemed in the end, it takes away from Han’s death. (And he KILLED Han Solo. Like, bro, no. You can’t be redeemed. It still hurts to think YOU were the one who ruined ever seeing the trinity {Luke, Leia, Han} back together on screen. You will not be forgiven.)
BUT, my Reylo shipping heart wants Rey to be the one to bring Kylo to the light side and be redeemed.
More background Rex
My boy Rex so scene stealing they had to put him on the sideline
Why is skysolo also the name of some vape company like i just wanna see my gay space dads please
AAAND?
i love behind the scenes star wars vids so much
also HAPPY MAY THE 4TH EVERYBODY
what’re you looking at? hurry up and get back to shining my shoes bitch
these three together ❤️
space lovers
he’s just so-
power couple right here
y’all see this? they’re so cute
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE LOML!
