‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’ Just Took A Big Step Toward Becoming Canon
I haven’t read the new bookStar Wars: Aftermath – Empire’s End, but the internet has done a fine job of picking its bones clean over the past few days, discovering every Easter egg and tiny reference it has to offer. The third and final novel in authorChuck Wendig’sAftermathtrilogy is mostly about the last stand of the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance’s final victory in the time afterReturn of the Jedi, but it also finds time to explore the fringes of the galaxy…and expertly trollStar Warsfans.
The latest example of Jedi-level trolling: a chapter that suggests that the much-malignedStar Wars Holiday Specialmay be canon.
If you’re aStar Wars fan (or just a pop culture fan with a love of all things diseased and unwatchable), you owe it to yourself to suffer throughThe Star Wars Holiday Specialat least once. Produced quickly and cheaply to capitalize on the success of the original 1977Star Wars, it’s deeply unpleasant and boring and genuinely fascinating – it’s like a bad dream spurred on by eating too much spicy food and sleeping in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable bed. For those of you who haven’t endured it, the special takes place on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk, where Chewbacca’s family eagerly awaits his arrival to celebrate “Life Day.” Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher all put in awkward, embarrassed appearances. Art Carney, Bea Arthur, and Jefferson Starship all stop by to say hello.
One of the key characters in the special is Lumpy, Chewbacca’s young son…andEmpire’s Endfeatures (viaScreenRant) a chapter set on Kashyyyk, where a young Wookiee named Lumpawaroo battles the Empire’s forces to free captives from a labor camp. After being cornered by a vicious Imperial officer, Lumpawaroo is rescued in the nick of time by his father…Chewbacca. And then the victorious father and son “sing a song of family.” Holy shit.
This obviously doesn’t makeThe Star Wars Holiday Specialpart of the new canon, but it’s a knowing wink toward one of the most despised corners of the franchise’s history. And here’s the thing: George Lucas spent decades trying to destroy this special, never officially releasing it and essentially refusing to acknowledge its existence. This only made it more infamous, its sins againstStar Warsall the more grand. Everyonehadto see the thing Lucas didn’t want them to see. And with one dumb joke, one small reference that will fly over the heads of many, Wendig has gone and defused theHoliday Special’s awful, toxic power. By acknowledging that Chewbacca has a son named Lumpawaroo/Lumpy,Star Warsis officially in on the joke. I called it trolling above, but it’s actually a pretty canny touch.
For additional Wendig trolling, you only need to look forhow he treats Jar Jar Binks in the book. Or how he rewrites one of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s most eye-rolling momentsinto something so dumb that it almost makes sense.
