The Hutts and Lars

I got around to watching the TCW film recently and one thing that really stood out is the convoluted mess that Hostage Crisis creates.

In the film, when Ziro's plot against Jabba was exposed, I believe it was said by Jabba's interpreter that the Hutts would deal with Ziro for his treachery. However, he gets apprehended by the Republic. When Hostage Crisis was released, I recall that at least one article reported that Bane was hired by the Separatists, which made sense since they were the ones that Ziro was in league with. However, I think in the decoded version of Hostage Crisis and other sources, it was stated that "the Hutts" had hired Bane.

That wouldn't be a problem if perhaps the Hutts wanted to make an example of him and hired Bane to bring him in. However, it's implied that whoever hired Bane is friendly to Ziro, as Ziro compliments Bane on his work, and Ziro himself is expected to pay Bane for his services. Why would Ziro pay to have himself turned over to the Hutts so as to be punished? Cad Bane's databank article also says that he was hired by the Hutts to rescue Ziro from "languishing in a Coruscant prison."

Jabba surely isn't happy with Ziro, and there are "the Hutts" that will deal with Ziro. However, there are also "the Hutts" that seem to be sided with Ziro and spring him from prison. I'm a bit disappointed that Ziro's character didn't show up in season 2, and it doesn't appear that he will at this point, so this ordeal remains unresolved.

At any rate, unless it gets switched around once again to the Separatists being responsible for Ziro's escape, it would appear that there is a schism in the Hutt Cartel that, at the very least, involves Jabba on one end and Ziro on the other. It seems plausible that the war could expand to Tatooine if the Hutt Cartel wars with itself with the Republic wanting to protect the routes that Jabba had granted them, and Ziro and "the Hutts" on his side, being backed by the Separatists.

I recall that when the TCW film was first released, some fans were disappointed by Anakin revisiting Tatooine, and that people didn't want to see him return there again. Personally, I think at least one more retread back to the planet would be nice, for several reasons:

1) There is the aforementioned schism in the Hutt Cartel with one side being comprised of Jabba and "the Hutts" angered by Ziro's betrayal, while the other side is comprised of Ziro and "the Hutts" that rescued him. That conflict could easily pull the Republic in on Jabba's side and the Separatists on Ziro's in open war.

2) In ROTJ we see that, despite the Emperor having created a centralized government and having troops garrisoned on Tatooine, Jabba's rule hasn't been infringed upon. Thus it seems that the free movement of Republic/Imperial troops is maintained well into the Imperial Era, after the Separatists are long gone, and Jabba is allowed to maintain control of the region, possibly as the result of a Hutt-Republic alliance beginning in TCW.

3)Obi-Wan tells Luke that his uncle thought it best that Anakin not get involved in the war. On top of that, he suggests that Owen has this preconceived notion that Obi-Wan is the kind of person to go on some "idealistic crusade." The problem with this is that Obi-Wan, as of yet, had never talked to Owen during the war. Last time we saw Owen was in AOTC, before the war started, and even with the war going on in TCW, we've not yet seen it touch Tatooine beyond political manipulation and diplomacy. In ROTS, there's the case where Obi-Wan is able to apparently track down Owen and Beru, neither of which he had ever met, and delivered Luke to them. TCW offers an opportunity in which an armed conflict between Jabba and Ziro, backed by the Republic and CIS respectively, could result in Obi-Wan and Luke being deployed to Tatooine and could explore the relationships of these characters. Obi-Wan's allusions to Owen and Beru's apparent reluctance to help them out could be explained, as they may feel that it does not concern them, and that getting involved would just be asking for trouble

 

I'm under the impression now since it's been changed to the Hutts hiring Bane to spring Ziro from prison is that it's a separate faction apart from Jabba that through Ziro's funds or whatnot facilitated his escape...it really doesn't make sense like you said to have Jabba hire Bane and then Ziro paying for his own escape only to be delivered to his enemy.

But I truly don't know why they changed it in the first place, I was alright with the Separatists hiring Bane to spring Ziro angle; it made sense from the standpoint that the CIS supported Ziro, but I'm guessing that perhaps they wanted to change it to the Hutts because Dooku didn't want to get involved with Ziro any longer and thus wouldn't put up the effort to spring him from prison. I don't know, it does open a can of worms though that I also think could be explained by having Ziro(or the Hutts that apparently helped him) appear some more in this series...and I for one wouldn't mind seeing Capote Hutt again.

 

As I mentioned before, I would certainly approve of one last trip to Tatooine by Anakin and Obi-Wan, as long as they used that opportunity to properly establish their relationship with Owen. That whole thing is just a major plothole in the Saga, which can be easily fixed by TCW.

And with the talk of season 3 featuring the Hutts prominently (which we now know can't mean more than a couple of episodes), this scenario seems all the more likely to happen.

 

Owen doesn't really need to meet Obi-Wan pre-Ep III though. Whatever opinion he had about him could have been formed later on after he had taken on Luke. Owen knew that Anakin had left Tatooine to become a Jedi and had ultimately come to a bad end because of his involvement in the war. Owen likely blamed the Jedi for that, embodied by Obi-Wan who had stayed on Tatooine to watch over Luke. Owen disapproved of him having contact with Luke in case he got it in his head to go off with Obi-Wan and end up being killed in a conflict that had nothing to do with him.

In ANH Obi-Wan mentions Owen's fears when telling Luke about the lightsaber he claims his father wanted him to have. So it's implied that at some point post-ROTS when Luke was old enough, Obi-Wan tried to give Luke the saber but Owen would not allow it. So this also points to a combination of Owen's parochial outlook and his distrust of the Jedi who he blamed for Anakin's demise crystallised as a hatred centred on Obi-Wan. And that would have happened after Ep III. It simply isn't necessary for them to meet at all prior to Ep III and it certainly isn't a plot hole.

It may even be better if Obi-Wan and Owen do not meet before Ep III because then there will be no room for Owen to think anything good about him. Whatever relationship they have is wholly negative and begins when Obi-Wan drops off Luke in Ep III, then continues downhill from there.


In ROTS, there's the case where Obi-Wan is able to apparently track down Owen and Beru, neither of which he had ever met, and delivered Luke to them.

I don't think it's too hard to imagine how he could have done that without meeting them before. Information on who lived on Tatooine might well be freely available so Obi-Wan just looked up their address as he flew there. Or Anakin could have simply told him where they live some time in the past. Failing that, there's only going to be a limited number of farms on the planet, so he could have just asked around.

 

Anakin had only met Owen one time, and under the circumstances it was a short and not a very warm and friendly visit. There was the uncomfortable realization that Anakin learned his mother had been sold, freed, married, and had given Anakin a half-brother all which Anakin learned in a very short time.

Why would Owen resent the Jedi for this guy turning to the Dark Side, which he knew nothing about? Or being key in the fall of the Republic, which didn't really affect Owen?

He never met Obi-Wan (as it stands), and when Obi-Wan arrives with Luke for the purpose of keeping Luke safe why would Owen suddenly doubt Obi-Wan and think he was going to run off on a "crusade?" Obi-Wan was in hiding post-ROTS, why would Obi-Wan have notions that Obi-Wan was going to run off and put Luke in danger? Obi-Wan himself seemed to think that Owen's fears were irrational. And Beru is able to recognize that Luke has too much of his father in him? The guy she knew for a matter of hours? It would be easier to accept IMO if Owen got to see Anakin's recklessness and Obi-Wan's idealism first hand, allowing him to formulate his own opinions of them. In the TCW movie, Anakin had some business on Tatooine that was largely diplomatic. But if full scale war came to Tatooine it seems plausible that Anakin might want to go there to help out the only family he has left. And Owen might be left resentful for what follows. The Lurmen didn't want the Jedi to take up arms in their defense, and similarly if Anakin and Obi-Wan show up following the ideals that they are protecting the Republic, which "doesn't exist out [there]," they might come to be seen as pretentious idealists that are getting Owen involved in a war that he feel doesn't concern him.

 

Obi Wan probably got the location of the Lars home from either R2 or from 3PO before he got his mind wipe.

 

Everyone complains when the webcomic explains continuity between episodes of TCW, so I can only imagine the uproar if TCW had to explain continuity between the movies.

 

I;m scared to read this post because I'm afraid it will just give me a headache. I'm at the point where if I don't notice a problem or inconsistency in SW I'm not going to go looking for it, because I probably won't like what I find and it will just lead to more inconsistencies. Something about the rabbit hole...

That said, I so want an Obi-wan on Tatooine episode, where he encounters Owen Lars (perhaps on Tatooine) and we get Owen's view about this whole war going on and his step-brother's role in it while he essentially was stuck taking care of Anakin's mom back home.

 

Also remember from the clone wars movie ashoka was asking anakin why he doesn't like being home and him just saying I don't feel like talking about it. She needs to find out eventually right. Maybe she will be off on her own side adventure and learn of his killing of the tusken raiders and then some how that story get brought up to palpatine. Theres still a story for that planet that needs to be told.

 

I don't think Ahsoka needs to find out. Especiallu just for the sake of it. As far as Palpatine goes, in ROTS it is said that Anakin told him about it. I don't specifically need to see Anakin telling him about it, just more of the developing relationship between the two of them which goes from almost nothing in AOTC to very close allies in ROTS.

 

There are plenty of stories that can be told pertaining to Tatooine beyond establishing Obi-Wan's and Anakin's relationships with Owen and Beru.

For instance in TPM it is suggested that more Hutts than simply Jabba control Tatooine, due to the constant use of the plural, "Hutts." A conflict on Tatooine could offer an opportunity in which those other Hutts could rise against Jabba, who unilaterally agreed to grant the Republic access to routes in the Outer Rim.

Also, when Padme visited Tatooine in TPM, she was surprised that the Republic didn't have any influence out there and that slavery still existed. If Palpatine is called upon to honor his alliance with Jabba, it could create friction between Palpatine and Padme. Palpatine might support Jabba on grounds that it's in order to protect the Republic, whereas Padme might try to convince Palpatine to pressure Jabba to make concessions to the Republic, rather than seeing Jabba's corrupt regime protected.

Being deployed on Tatooine also allows Ahsoka a chance to learn about Anakin's past. She doesn't have to learn about Anakin's past, but it would offer a situation in which Anakin, hero of the Republic, might appear more vulnerable in the eye's of his Padawan.

I wouldn't want Tatooine to be repeatedly returned to in the same way that Felucia is during the war. But I would love a single return to the planet that might create a story arc across a couple episodes.