Why did the stormtrooper blow up C-3P0 in TESB?

In the small room that C-3P0 wandered into in TESB, he came across a stormtrooper who angrily asked "Who are you?" C-3P0's subequent apologies were not sufficient to quell the stormtrooper's anger, who proceeded to blow him to pieces. Why did the stormtrooper do that? After all, he was only a protocol droid, of which there were many wandering around on Bespin City. The stormtrooper had no reason to believe that C-3P0 was in any regard special and/or that he was affiliated to the Rebel Alliance. So what was it about this protocol droid's sudden appearance this provoked this extremely aggressive response?

Here's the only explanation I can come up with. That small room was a room of a certain type we're all familiar with. Even a fantastic, ethereal city like Bespin must have facilities that enable its inhabitants and visitors to address certain down-to-Earth matters like the call of Nature. Of course, doing so is a very private matter and no one would like to be interrupted while engaged in this activity. And as far as this stormtrooper is concerned, I think we're talking Number 2. He was male and I think we can infer from the angle of C-3P0's head while apologising to him that he was sitting down. Figure the rest out for yourselves.

Even though this interpretation of what happened to C-3P0 is humourous, I'm nevertheless being quite serious when I say that I genuinely wonder if this is the intended meaning of this scene. We know from the PT that GL isn't above toilet humour. Having said that, the PT doesn't, in my opinion, provide any examples of subtle, intelligent toilet humour. Is what I've just described an example of such a thing in the OT? If you're skeptical about this, go watch the scene again with this interpretation in mind. It's tempting to imagine that this is what's going on, isn't it?


DL

P.S. Mods, please don't lock this thread and/or say this belongs in some humour thread. I really do think it's worth taking seriously the possibility that this is what GL or whoever wrote the scene had in mind. Also, I've chosen the title of the thread in such a way that it can be used to propose ond discuss other theories of why the stormtrooper blew up C-3P0.



TLJ Edit: nope, doesn't quite work out and there is a thread debating who it was

 

Err well considering the Imperials sneaked into Cloud City and probably didn't want anyone knowing they were there, I'm sure the stormtrooper felt quite justified in blasting a little droid that wandered into his hideout.

 

Didn't want anyone to know they were there? Really? Lando, the administrator of the city, was fully aware that the Imperials were there as soon as they arrived. Okay, they wanted to get there before the rebels, which would require a certain amount of secrecy (from the rebels), but once they had achieved that, and once the rebels had subsequently arrived, no more need for secrecy as far as I'm concerned. Besides, it's impossible to 'sneak' into Cloud City. Think of the trouble Han had to get landing permission.

DL

 

yeah, that's pretty much it

that's also why I see little reason to comply with your request to keep it open.

 

Well, in addition to what I said in my first post, I'm just floating the idea and would like to know what other people think of this theory. I see no harm in giving people an opportunity to post their opinions on either this theory, the second theory or indeed to suggest other theories which explain this event.

Please watch the scene with my theory in mind. I'm sure it will make you laugh and wonder if that's really what's happening.

DL

 

I admit, I haven't seen Empire in half a year, but isn't it an ugnaught that blasts threepio? Do you actually see a stormtrooper do it?

 

So you're saying 3PO got wasted because he caught a Storm Trooper taking a...

...

And you're just "floating" the idea, huh?

This better turn into something insightful... or really funny.

 

Yes 3PO walked in and saw this
[image=http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q87/darthgordon/storm_trooper_1.jpg]

and for some reason there was also an artoo unit in there.

I'm pretty sure it was just to keep him from blabbing to everyone that the Empire was there. Everyone didn't know that the Empire was there. Remember how everyone reacted when Lando announced it. Ice cream guy took off running.

 

sure didn't sound like a Stormtrooper; it sounded like a gruff voice.

 

I thought those things make funny higher pitched noises. Kinda like a cat in heat.

 

Okay, but the Imperials could keep Lando quiet. Now if Han and Leia were browsing around Cloud City and overhear "Hey, did you see all those stormtroopers with that tall dude dressed in black making some ridiculous breathing sounds?" then I'm sure they wouldn't stick around for long.

 

Yeah, it's not a stormtrooper that blasts threepio. It's an ugnaught or someone else that works on Bespin. Why would you assume it to be a stormtrooper?

 

He was male and I think we can infer from the angle of C-3P0's head while apologising to him that he was sitting down.

I just rewatched that scene and thats not what I saw. C-3PO's head is upright while apologising. I think C-3PO was blasted because he was just annoying. The real question is, why didnt someone blast him earlier ?

 

C3P0 was shot by a stormtrooper, or Imperial officer. The evidence of this occurs later, when Chewbacca is trying to reassemble him. He was disabled from the time he got shot, until Chewie hooked him back up, and he knew that there were Imperials there. The only place he could have possibly seen them was in that room, where he got shot. C3P0 wasn't there when they had their dinner with Vader. He wasn't there when Han was tortured. The only place C3P0 would get the knowledge that there were Imperials there was when he got shot, in that room. That was the only chance he could have stumbled upon an Imperial, and he did.

 

"Stormtroopers?... I have to warn the others... oh no, I'VE BEEN SHOT!" duh! He obviously saw a stormtrooper or several. He may have been shot by an imperial with a gruff voice. Maybe he caught them goofing off on the job and they didn't want him to tell Vader. So they shot him.

 

So a Stormie was sitting on the throne, an R2 unit and a silver protocol droid keeping him company, and he still had the rifle within reach? I have to admit, I've never thought much about that scene, but it sure conjures up a funny image!

 

Darthgordon's right, it was a stormtrooper who blasted 3-PO, and the evidence is there when Chewie (haphazardly) puts him back together. I always thought it was an ugnaught however, as the voice sounded pig-like and gruff, not the montone drawl of a stormy, or the Cambridge accents of the Imp officers. So why did they blast poor old 3-PO? My guess is that they were dusting off the torture machine and they didn't want 3-PO to ruin the surprise for Han.

 

Well I'd guess this whole blowing up 3-po thing was about the fact that the Stormtroopers were hiding out until Vader showed himself and until Luke landed on cloud city. He's a protocol droid and obviously not the ones stationed there, they can only assume that this is a droid travelling with the Falcon crew. Plus the way 3po rambles they can guess that if they let him go he's going to mention it to someone.