The Astromech Awakens

One of the most poignant moments in Star Wars: The Force Awakens occurs when BB-8, after returning to the Resistance base on D’Qar, removes a dusty tarp to discover an old astromech unit in a “low-power mode.” C-3PO informs him that his counterpart, R2-D2, placed himself in this comatose-like state when his master, Luke Skywalker, vanished. This was a powerful moment in the film that showed just how close R2 and Luke had become over the years. It also made me realize one thing: R2-D2 has seen it all. R2-D2 never had his memory erased. Bail Organa gave explicit instructions to Captain Antilles to only wipe C-3PO’s memory. This fact makes R2’s scenes throughout the saga all the more fascinating. (For what it’s worth, I believe whole-heartedly that R2 and Obi-Wan recognize each other on Tatooine.)

C-3PO often exclaimed that they were “made to suffer.” It was their “lot in life.” R2 would probably agree. Decades prior, this same droid was present at Luke’s birth. However, the moment was bittersweet, for he also witnessed the loss of his close friend (and Luke’s mother) Padmé. No, R2 isn’t just mourning Luke; he’s mourning all the ones he’s lost.

Luke … Padmé … and Anakin. In battle after battle during the Clone Wars, the two were inseparable, R2 serving the same role for Anakin that he would for his son years later. Anakin was lost to him too, leaving the droid unable to comprehend how his friend would betray them.

And Bail Organa? After the war, R2 came into service for house Organa and spent a great deal of time on Alderaan. With one single demonstration of power, the Empire wiped out yet another master.

It’s no wonder, then, that R2 responds the way he does when Luke leaves. While we are presently unsure what exactly transpired to cause Luke to flee, we know the toll that it took on R2-D2. He’s seen everything, experienced everything. LIVED everything. He simply cannot handle another loss.

I’ve always believed that the prequel trilogy gave Yoda some much-needed depth of character. For one thing, it showed his flaws. In the same way, The Force Awakens gave R2, in just a short amount of screen time, a very human and relatable characteristic: discouragement.

How does one respond to to the constant struggles of life? One of the most unhealthy responses is to expect life to be pain-free. It isn’t. Life is a roller coaster of circumstances; from joy to sadness, to contentment and pain. Perhaps, one of the most difficult things to deal with when considering this new chapter in the Star Wars saga is that our beloved characters from the original trilogy did not, in fact, live “happily ever after.” This was as jarring for me to deal with as it was for R2-D2.

What R2 had to discover in The Force Awakens is that hope is never lost. One critique I heard of The Force Awakens was this: “I’ll never be able to watch the celebration on Endor again, because all I’ll think about is the bad things that happened afterward.” But isn’t that real life? Doesn’t this fact actually make the saga we know and love more impactful and powerful? While life brings struggle and pain, it also brings joy and victory. A good life isn’t a life devoid of struggles; a good life is a life that rises above the struggles to find purpose. There’s always a ray (pun intended) of hope.  The force wasn’t the only thing that awoke. R2 woke up too.

 

The Cantina Cast

The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!

You can find Adam on Twitter and his other literary contributions at liberatinggrace.com