The EU and "The Star Wars Holiday Special"

I just finished viewing "The Star Wars Holiday Special" for the very 1st time. In my opinion, the film was very weird, especially for SW. Anyway, in the film, there is a ten minute cartoon that introduces Boba Fett to SW.

I am relatively new to the EU, but in this cartoon, Chewie and Han meet Boba for the first time, and if I am correct these 3 knew each other, according to the EU, long before the events of "A New Hope" (for those of you who do not know, the Holiday Special takes place in between ANH and TESB). So, am I correct in assuming that the writers of the EU do not consider the Holiday Special to be canon?

 

I think it is meant to be Luke's first time meating Boba Fett not Han's.

 

The Holiday Special is indeed canon, and it was, if I remember correctly, the first source to portray Chewie's family and Kashyyyk (though I believe the third y was silent initially).

I believe Solo's failure to recognize Fett was explained in another source, though what that explanation was eludes me at the moment.

 

I think the best explanation I've heard is that the cartoon is Rebel propaganda "based" on actual events.

 

I agree, since when can Fett ride a sea monster? And why wasn't he affected by the sleeping virus? He is after all, human.

The only reason that the Holiday Special is considered canon is that HTTE goes there and everything else is based on that.

If they didn't it would simply be regarded as an embarassment.

 

This HNN has the four armed cook seen in Holiday Special.

Chewie's family is originally from SW:HS, as is Life Day.

I really don't think the film is all bad: the cartoon is the best part. The rest, however *shudder* is bad in a bad, bad way. Singing in Star Wars?

 

As to why Han doesn't recognize Fett, the official explaination is that Han was still under the effects of the sleeping virus, and so didn't realize who Fett was. Hard to mistake his Mandalorian battle armour, but nevermind...

 

maybe Han was groggy enough that he couldn't remember if the armored man was Boba Fett or Jodo Kast... he'd hate to insult Fett by calling him Kast, but he'd hate to stroke Kast's ego by calling him Fett.

some of those music scenes were truly awful... especially the ones that take place in the computers/video systems.

 

This still does not explain why Chewie does not recognize Boba.

 

Perhaps he does? He keeps his mouth shut because Fett's his best shot at saving Han.


Still...

I had an idea about this:

What if the cartoon IS rebel propoganda, and that the *actual* story involves the Rebels meeting Boba Fett disguised as...Jaster Mereel. After all, what sense does it make for Fett to cozy up to the Rebels and pretend to be good natured when pretty much everyone in the galaxy at this point knows who he is. Luke *especially* should know, having quite a tremendous bounty on his head.

 

The answer to Han not recognizing Fett lies in the original Essential Guide to Characters: Solo was groggy from the effects of the sleeping virus. Fett was probably not effected because his armor can be sealed air-tight. Chewbacca knew full well who Fett was--the cartoon states that he didn't trust him from the start, as Luke had, because of his "smell". One can infer that he recognized the scent of Boba Fett, and knew he was not Jaster, Jodo, Alfreda, or any other Mandalorian-armor wearing individual.

Also, while the presentation of the cartoon in the holiday special confirms its status as a piece of Rebel propaganda, the recaps of the story in various sourcebooks show that everything occurred more or less as it did in the cartoon version.

TC