Saga Droids: R2 gets royal commendation, 3PO gets kicked out of bar

Does it jive? Why the huge discrepancy between the two events?

a. The Naboo society holds droids in high esteem, outer rim folks don't.
b. In the 30 some years between the two events, the galaxy changed how they view droids.

Or something else?

If droids are considered to have human traits such as valor or initiative, why are they disrespected by so many?

Seems a useful "manservant" protocol droid would garner more respect than an simple astromech who beeps and does limited repairs on spacecraft.

 

Following the Clone Wars the galactic populous was very distrustful of droids, due to their role in the war.

There are likely other explanations, however this the most simplistic.

 

Pretty much this, battle droids did a lot of damage during the Clone Wars.

Also, it doesn't really apply because the bartender didn't know, but R2 is a very competent droid while 3PO is an annoying piece of garbage that just gets in the way.

R2 goes above and beyond his programming and therefore worthy of accolades. 3PO is a detriment and deserves to be scrapped.

 

Lets not forget that when Anakin and Padme were flying as refugees R2 went to get drinks and was shooed away by another droid saying "We don't serve droids."

But as others have said R2's special programming and quirky personality allows him to be more recognized by most especially Naboo royalty.

 

Apart from the fact by the time of ANH anti-droid-sentiment from the Clone Wars had been an established norm we should also look at it in context.

If we use an analogy of WWII Black soldier, then likewise - despite racist sentiment - if he had saved the lives of his company through his heroics, it is not unreasonable to think he would have been presented to a high commander. If the commander is of the same nature as Padme he would have, likewise, offered a commendation. When also factoring in Padme's nature, it could have been a mere 'this 'person' saved our lives' presentation, to which Padme responded through her good nature. This is not unreasonable to think... once this commendation is made by the high commander it is likewise not unreasonable to think other troopers/officers would follow suit (although we don't see this in TPM).

Apart from the Queen we only really see the Jedi, Anakin and the Clones (in TCW) interact with droids in the PT. The Jedi are impartial (mere appliances it seems), Anakin is compassionate (he works with droids) and the clones seem to view them as comrades (because they are clones, if Jango had the trait of not generalizing and viewing certain droids as allies, the clones likewise would - like a Black-American or Asian-American comrade in World War II).

We see the general populations view only at certain times - in AOTC and in ANH. The Alliance seems to be more accepting of droids because of their 'Padme-like-resistance-to-tyranny' nature and because they would know the truth of the Clone Wars (i.e. no real baddies apart from the Separatist Inner-Circle, High Command and Palpatine).

You also have to consider distrust of droids might have started after the Invasion of Naboo, thus making sense of the AOTC scene.

 

It's as much of a discrepancy as some people liking cats and some people not liking cats.

 

Thanks. Good answer, and I hadn't considered this.
I do wanna say I think the GFFA folks should have delineated between warrior droids and guys like 3PO and R2.

Can someone elaborate on the general "hierarchy" or "totem pole" of droids? Specifically where astromech and protocol droids stack up. And say the pod repair droids found in Watto's shop, etc?

Or is a droid a droid? No matter their level of programming, role, or helpfulness?

I say "general" because of course - if your running a moisture farm, a protocol droid has no role to play. If you're running a inter-galaxy consulate, an astromech has no role to play.

But in general? What is the totem pole?

 

Wasnt there a situation on the transport ship on ep 2?? Where a droid told R2 to go away or something?

 

I doubt there is a 'totem pole' hierarchy to be honest. I think most of the galactic populous simply views them as appliances, and as such I would think they would be regarded all the same. The reason that we view droids differently is because we are viewing the galaxy through the lens of C-3PO and R2-D2 - two very unique droids. Generally I think the 'droids-a-droid' mentality prevails.

Not to mention the fact that droids would be dirty... I think there may be a certain degree of practicality of them not being let into the bar.

Obviously not for Cliegg Lars

 

It's ridiculous storytelling that gets R2 the attention -- a really shaky plot device so someone can hear his name called out onscreen to confirm it is the little astrodroid the audience is already familiar with. He doesn't have goldenrod to banter with yet and probably wouldn't get his name called out until he runs into Anakin. It's poor storytelling to give us his name.

The royal crew didn't seem to be too worried about the droids when they were getting picked off making the repairs, but all of a sudden they bring a dirty survivor to the queen (why would they do that in the first place?) and she just about knights him -- and tells the REAL QUEEN to perform menial labor to scrub him clean.

In the entirety of the six films, droids are shown to be disposable and not worth acknowledging -- with the exception of Luke and Anakin.

 

My initial thoughts are: "that's just the way it goes!"

And it really *is* just the way it goes: one droids gets royal commendation, the other is kicked out of a bar (although, I think the topic-starter will find, it's droids plural, in the latter, with Artoo and Threepio jointly getting the boot).

* * *

I don't really consider that moment "poor storytelling". It's a moment of levity in an otherwise-solemn escape.

The crew are especially relieved to have made it through the blockade after all their other droids were picked off. It was looking pretty hopeless until Artoo, in the words of RLM, "stuck a thing in a thing" (or, more accurately, used some lateral thinking and bypassed the ship's main power drive).

I can well imagine them being particularly grateful to Artoo, then.

I think they WERE worried. They were trying to maintain focus, but even the previously-unflappable Obi-Wan freaks out a bit when he says, "We're losing droids, fast!"

Also, having Padme clean Artoo is a good way of continuing the ruse, and it allows her to make contact with Jar Jar, a potential friend and ally. So, there was a tactical dimension to Sabe's order; yet everyone seems to have missed it.

 

I just understood it to be that Naboo in particular held droids in higher esteem than many other parts of the galaxy, respecting them as people. We see this in a few instances involving either Naboo or Padme throughout the films. So I figured the variable here was Naboo.

 

Yeah, I figured the Naboo's treatment of droids was a sign of their naive ways.

 

Why does R2 get a royal commendation? Because he's R2, and also the people of Naboo are nice to their droids. They're not as nice to the Gungans, but that just puts it into starker relief.

Why does Threepio get kicked out of a bar? Well, droids can't order drinks, for one thing.

 

How are they not nice? It seems to me that the gungans are a bit defensive. Desa got a grand army, you know.

 

Also I'll point out that security dude, when asked what the droid's designation is, looks around the base of his neck as if reading, and then tells us it's R2-D2.

Pretty sure there is no writing on R2. Oops.

 

I always wondered where that guy was reading "R2-D2"... figured there must be some tiny writing stamped on him somewhere, maybe next to a serial number and manufacture date.

 

They were both kicked out of the bar.

 

We're seriously expecting Renaissance Fair Planet people and Outer Space Hillbilly Bar denizens to have remotely equivalent opinions on anything?

 

The bartender kicked both droids out. Luke only spoke to 3po, but R2 never came in the cantina did he??

 

R2 came inside as well.

 

How far in did he go?

 

Exactly as far as 3PO did.

 

Sooo as I was saying R2 was kicked out also??????????????

 

Indeed. "We don't serve THEIR kind"