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by Cpoll 3372 days ago
Well put. I usually think of "The Big Bang Theory" as an example of this taken to the extreme.

> The line is technically using the word correctly but you have to know 40 years of Star Wars lore to know why.

That Han skirted closer to a black hole than anyone else, and that's why a unit of distance is appropriate? But I'm not sure if I've ever seen a canonical source for that, it's just fan rationalization :)

I suppose it's better than the "Han is trying to brag, but he's an idiot" rationalization, which is a bit hard to swallow considering he's otherwise a fairly capable pilot.
1 comments
cardiffspaceman 3372 days ago
> it's just fan rationalization

FWIW I had found a source[1] that said George Lucas gave this rationalization on the Blu Ray commentary track. I found it by a search on "12 parsec Kessel run". Is this a retcon-level waving away of a groaner after the fact or what GL was actually thinking when he typed the line?

[1] http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kessel_Run

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Cpoll 3371 days ago
> Is this a retcon-level waving away of a groaner

That would be my guess, considering that it's a bit too hard-sci-fi of an explanation to fit in with the space opera writing of Star Wars.

It doesn't really matter, I guess, because the commentary would make it canon. Today I leaned; thanks :)

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