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[Thursday,
June 29, 2000]
The
official website keeps adding fuel to our speculation
by their announcement of Joel Edgerton being cast as
Owen Lars! It's a very important clue for the reconstruction
of our Episode II Plotline 'puzzle'. According to the
novelisation of Return of the Jedi, Owen is Obi-Wan's
brother. What else do we know of Owen Lars?
Owen
in Episode IV
- In
Episode IV, he's married to Beru and lives as a farmer
on Tatooine.
- In
Episode IV, he calls his brother 'a crazy old man'
and is angered and alarmed by the mention of Obi-Wan's
name. Something must have happened between Obi-Wan
and Owen that has damaged their relationship. "I
don't think he exists anymore. He died about the same
time as your father".
- Owen
must have known Anakin, and must have witnessed his
fall to the dark side. "Luke's just not a farmer,
Owen. He has too much of his father in him."
"That's what I'm afraid of".
Obi-Wan
about his brother:
- (Luke:
"My father didn't fight in the wars. He was a
navigator on a spice freighter") "That's
what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with
your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed
here and not gotten involved".
- "I
have something here for you. Your father wanted you
to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle
wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow
old Obi-Wan on some damned fool idealistic crusade
like your father did."
- Luke:
"I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's
not that I like the Empire! I hate it! But there's
nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long
way from here". Obi-Wan: That's your uncle talking."
Clues
for Episode II
In
these pieces of dialogue of Episode IV, we might find
some important clues for the situation in Episode II:
Owen,
Obi-Wan and Anakin are on Tatooine at some point in
Episode II.
The phrase "Thought he should have stayed
here and not gotten involved" indicates that
Owen is on Tatooine before Anakin 'gets involved'
(in the Clone Wars?). Anakin is on Tatooine as well,
but doesn't want to stay because of his ideals. Owen
doesn't agree for some reason.
The
damned fool idealistic crusade is Obi-Wan's initiative
Obi-Wan seems to be the one who invites Anakin
to go with him on this 'idealistic crusade'. It's
likely that Obi-Wan is on Tatooine as well at that
point. What exactly is this 'idealistic crusade'?
Serving Bail Organa during the Clone Wars?
Owen
didn't live on Tatooine before Episode II
Did Owen always live on Tatooine? Although we
don't know for sure, it's a bit unlikely. In Episode
I, nothing indicates that Obi-Wan has ever been on
Tatooine before, neither that his brother lives there.
He suggests Tatooine as a good place to hide from
the Trade Federation, but he doesn't say "let's
go to Tatooine, I know the place, that's where my
family lives." I think it's more likely that
Owen joins Obi-Wan and Anakin when they go to Tatooine
in Episode II, possibly to free the slaves (fulfillment
of Anakin's dream).
Could
Owen be a Jedi just like Obi-Wan?
Since the Force seems to be strong in certain families,
it's not impossible that Owen is a Jedi just like
Obi-Wan. Since a Jedi Master can only have one apprentice
at a time, it's no problem we haven't seen Owen in
Episode I. He might have been a Jedi already, or an
apprentice of another Jedi Master. If Owen is a Jedi,
it's relatively easy to insert him into the plotline.
"Anakin, meet Owen, my brother. He's a Jedi just
like me, and he'll go with us to Tatooine to free
your mother". If he's not a Jedi, it's trickier.
Why would he end up with Obi-Wan and Anakin on Tatooine?
Why
does Owen want Anakin to stay on Tatooine?
Difficult question. Why would Owen be opposed to Anakin
following Obi-Wan to fight in the Clone Wars? Perhaps
Owen and Obi-Wan have different political views. Obi-Wan
is very idealistic, just like Anakin, whereas Owen
might be more skeptical or pragmatic ("I can't
get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I
like the Empire! I hate it! But there's nothing I
can do about it right now. It's such a long way from
here". Obi-Wan: That's your uncle talking.")
Once Anakin has been reunited with his mother and
brought an end to slavery on Tatooine, it must have
been tempting to stay on Tatooine and settle there,
far away from the crumbling Old Republic. But Anakin
can't stay because there's a war to fight, and he
leaves his mother again. Owen however decides to stay
on Tatooine, perhaps because he's fallen in love with
a local girl named Beru?
Owen
and Threepio?
One
last thing. Owen doesn't seem to recognize Threepio
in Episode IV. However, we know that we'll see Threepio
in his familiar golden plating in Episode II. What
could this mean for the plotline? Here's my theory:
Threepio is still in his unfinished form at Anakin's
mother's house. Perhaps she hasn't activated him for
years. When Anakin visits Tatooine in Episode II,
he takes the unfinished Threepio with him when he
leaves the planet again with Obi-Wan and gives him
his golden plating later on in the movie. Since Owen
decides to stay on Tatooine, he'll only have seen
Threepio in his 'unfinished state'. It all makes sense!
These
are just some thoughts about the possible role of Owen
in Episode II and the implications for the plotline.
Feel free to discuss these theories and add your own
thoughts in the discussion forum.
The
next update will feature more plotline speculation based
on recent news and rumors!
Roderick
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