Jedi Minute 103: Nanta

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Date

May 27th, 2015

Summary

Two Ewoks are struck down by laser blasts. One tries to awaken his friend, then realizes that he is dead.

Guests

Greg Wyshynski

Notes

Film

• Starts with Artoo and Threepio fussily making their way to the bunker, and ends <dramatic pause> with a dead ewok.
• This is the only direct interaction between Han and Artoo in the Trilogy. Han uses him as a shield.
• Anthony Daniels had already gone home by the time they filmed this scene, so this is one of only two times in the Trilogy (both in this movie) when it's somebody else in the C-3PO suit.

Podcast

• People being into both sports AND Star Wars.
• R2-D2 basically took down the Death Star singlehandedly. Steps the Empire could have taken to make their technology R2 unit-proof.
• Adult themes in the Original Trilogy (intentional or otherwise).
• How people in Star Wars relate to robots. Han has no regard for Artoo's safety. Won't somebody please think of the droids?!
• The gadgets and tools that are present (and those that are missing) within Artoo's open panels.
  • Referenced: The "Full Monty", "Dr. Who".
  • What happened to his rockets.
• Han attempting to hotwire the door.
• Leia is often relegated to stating the obvious.
• Why the Empire stupidly focuses on killing ewoks rather than defending the bunker. How long the grudge has been building.
  • The ewoks are in this fight because their god commands it.
    • An atheist ewok.
  • The Imperial playbook requires them to pick off fleeing enemies.
  • Running competition between imperials to rack up the most ewok kills. Referenced: Lord of the Rings.

Dead Ewok

• It's suggested that other ewoks have already died, but this is the one we linger on.
  • Mentioned: 2-1B, FX-7.
• Ewok soccer team.
• His name.
  • Corpsey
    • Nominative determinism.
  • Nanta. They made an action figure.
• Is he really dead? Shouldn't there be more damage?
• The saddest moments in the movie.
• Nanta's friend Romba.
  • Nanta named after Romba's dialog.
  • Mentioned: Martin Short,[Howard the Duck, Captain EO.

Meta Minute

• 48:11 podcast episode length.
• When this episode first aired, it became the longest episode, surpassing yesterday's by a good three minutes. This episode held the title of longest episode until the crown was taken back by Chris Radtke in minute 85 of TPM.
• Alex misuses the term "fatwa". In Islam, a fatwa is closer to a legal opinion handed down by a judge, rather than a holy war. The word he was looking for may have been "jihad", which literally translates as "striving" or "struggling toward a noble goal", but can be interpreted as referring to a holy war.
• Bounty paper towels doesn't actually have a mascot. Alex is thinking of the Brawny Paper Towel man.
• Pete, you'll get your wish in episode VII, where we have a scene that humanizes the Stormtroopers.

Quotes

• Alex: But you know, in a way, isn't "Corpsey" written on all our birth certificates? Greg: Deep, man.
• Greg: (à la Robert Siegel) Today on all things Nanta...
• Alex: Giant blue pianist. Pete: Now I'm making Watchmen.

Link

http://www.starwarsminute.com/2015/05/27/jedi-minute-103-nanta/

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