A Look Back on the Star Wars Holiday Special

Summary

Office Ladies – "A Look Back on the Star Wars Holiday Special"

Podcast: Office Ladies
Hosts: Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
Episode Date: December 12, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this festive rerun, Jenna and Angela revisit their lively, hilarious breakdown of the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special—a pop culture oddity often remembered for its strange tone, awkward pacing, and surprising celebrity cameos. The Office alumni and best friends serve up a mix of behind-the-scenes trivia, genuine confusion, snappy recaps, and culinary experiments as they try Life Day recipes inspired by the special itself.

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Episode Breakdown & Key Discussion Points

1. Why the Star Wars Holiday Special?

• The episode was suggested by their own Cassie Jerkins and echoed by many listeners who wanted a breakdown of this "strangest thing in the Star Wars universe."
• Both hosts had never seen the special before. Jenna only watched Star Wars for the first time the previous year!
• Guest Ainsley Bubaco (their associate producer) gave an outline for the show, noting the "what the hell is this?" factor.
• [05:04] Angela: "Holy crap sticks. Where do we begin?"

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2. Context & Fast Facts: Setting the Stage

• The special aired on CBS in November 1978, between "Star Wars" (1977) and "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980).
• Intended as a way to keep fans engaged and, not-so-secretly, to sell more toys.
• [07:14] Angela: "He [Lucas] has been quoted many times saying that he got talked into this."
• 1978 basics:
  • Bestselling album: Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (Bee Gees)
  • Hottest toys: Star Wars figures (especially Boba Fett), Hungry Hungry Hippos, pogo sticks
• [10:11] Angela on the rare Boba Fett figure: "One of only two still in existence... sold for $525,000!"

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3. Production and Cast: Reluctance & Disarray

• The production was marked by chaos: two directors, little creative oversight from George Lucas (who provided only a "Wookiee Bible").
• The original cast—Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Peter Mayhew—had to be coaxed to participate.
• Mark Hamill participated because of his lucrative merchandise deal; Harrison Ford was especially reluctant.
• [14:44] Angela: "But Mark Hamill. Good for you, buddy."
• Near-complete disownment by the cast and Lucas:
  • Harrison Ford jokes on Conan O'Brien, "It doesn't exist."
  • Carrie Fisher only agreed if she could sing, and kept a copy to play at parties to clear out guests.
• Critical reception: Overwhelmingly negative.
  • "The worst two hours of television ever." (David Hofstede) [16:26]
  • George Lucas: “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy... and smash it.” [18:02]

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4. Plot Recap & Comedic Observations

The Setup:

• Chewbacca and Han Solo rush home for "Life Day" (a Wookiee analogue to Christmas/Thanksgiving).
• Chewie's family includes wife Mala, son Lumpy, and father Itchy.
• [29:11] Angela: "Itchy has a severe underbite and no teeth. No teeth."
• Most of the opening features only Wookiee grunts—no subtitles or English.

Technology & Home Life:

• Observations about the Wookiee family’s surprisingly advanced home—multiple screens, holographic entertainment.
• Lumpy, the son, watches a Cirque du Soleil-esque hologram tape.
• Chewbacca’s family speaks only Wookiee. Quote from Bruce Vilanch (writer):
  • "You've chosen to build a story around characters who don't speak." [31:41]

Comedy & Variety:

• Multiple variety show segments feel bizarre and random.
• Mala watches a cooking show parody with Harvey Korman as "Gormanda."
• [43:15] Harvey Korman (as Gormanda): "Stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir..."
• Chewbacca’s father Itchy experiences a confusingly adult virtual reality segment starring Diahann Carroll.
• [60:29] Diahann Carroll: "I find you adorable... I am your fantasy. I am your experience. I am your pleasure."

Guest Stars & Musical Numbers:

• Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew all appear, looking uncomfortable.
• Art Carney plays kindly shopkeeper Sean Dan, distracting Imperial officers with gadgets and double-speak.
• Jefferson Starship (formerly Jefferson Airplane) performs "Light the Sky on Fire"—discussion devolves as Jenna and Angela riff on band names:
  • "Jefferson Kite," "Jefferson Hot Air Balloon," "Jefferson Boeing"... [68:11], [68:20]
• Harvey Korman appears as several comic relief characters: a clumsy robot instructor and a lovesick cantina patron.
• Cantina scene with Bea Arthur (pre-Golden Girls)—widely praised as the high point.
  • [77:18] Bea Arthur: "What’ll it be?... Now we’ll do it my way. What’ll it be?"
  • Arthur sings the oddly moving “Goodnight, But Not Goodbye.”

The Baffling End:

• Chewbacca and Han return, defeat a stormtrooper, and the family reunites—but without much affection:
  • [83:01] Jenna: "They come together like they're gonna kiss – but they just sort of breathe in each other's faces."
• Life Day “celebration” features all the cast in red robes, gold orbs, and a moral speech.
• Carrie Fisher sings a song set to the Star Wars theme.
  • [89:25] Carrie Fisher: “This holiday is yours. But we all share with you the hope that this day brings us closer to freedom and to harmony and to peace…”

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5. Food Experiment: Life Day Recipes

• Jenna and Angela try out recipes from the "Star Wars Life Day Cookbook":
  • Bantha Surprise (actually beef stew—well received)
  • Joe Blastow Punch (rainbow sherbet, cranberry and pineapple juice, 7 Up—much less well received)
• Jenna sings made-up Life Day lyrics; Angela attempts Wookiee with a Chewbacca mask.
  • [47:11] Angela in Chewbacca mask: “I looked up the language Wookiees speak because I wanted to greet you.”

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6. Critical Reception – Then and Now

• IMDb rating: 2.2/10. "Generous," says Jenna.
• Jenna and Angela’s final rating:
  • Bea Arthur gets a star, Harvey Korman gets a star, half a star for the “I hate fish” stormtrooper [91:19].
• None of the Office Ladies have become Star Wars superfans as a result, but enjoyed the collective absurdity of the watch.

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7. Funniest & Most Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• [06:25] Angela: “What is this? I don’t know.”
• [15:18] Harrison Ford insists the special "doesn't exist" and strangles Conan O'Brien as a joke.
• [21:34] Angela dons a Chewbacca mask and tries to speak "Shyriiwook."
• [43:15] Harvey Korman's "Stir, whip, stir, whip..." cooking sequence.
• [60:29] Diahann Carroll: "I'll tell you a secret. I find you adorable..."
• [77:18] Bea Arthur’s bar scene: “Now we’ll do it my way. What’ll it be?”
• [83:01] Jenna: "They come together like they're gonna kiss—but they just sort of breathe in each other’s faces."

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Notable Quotes (with Speaker Attribution & Timestamps)

• Angela [05:04]: "Holy crap sticks. Where do we begin?"
• Jenna [16:26]: “'The worst two hours of television ever.' That’s from what Were They Thinking? The Hundred Dumbest Events in Television History.”
• Angela [18:02]: "George Lucas is famously quoted... 'If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.'"
• Jenna [27:36]: "It opens in a somewhat promising way... You have no idea what lies ahead at this point."
• Angela [31:41]: "He [George Lucas] had what a director needs to have, which is this insane belief in their personal vision."
• Jenna [47:11]: "Joe Blasto Jo blasto Blasto Mooly raw o ta pan wyette..."
• Angela [83:01]: "They come together like they're gonna kiss, but they don’t."
• Angela [89:25]: “This holiday is yours. But we all share with you the hope that this day brings us closer to freedom and to harmony and to peace.”
• Jenna [91:43]: "Well, I never considered myself a fan.... No, it did not turn me into a Star Wars fan."

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Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–02:22 – Ads & Intro (skipped)
• 02:22–05:04 – Listeners' mailbag explained; why this episode
• 05:04–09:33 – History & context: What is the Holiday Special?
• 09:33–13:38 – Toys, 1978 trivia, Lucas’ reluctance
• 13:38–14:44 – Cast reluctance; residuals & merchandise
• 15:41–18:25 – Reception, critical reviews, Lucas’ disavowal
• 19:02–22:30 – Listener (Lee) memory; opening banter
• 27:20–30:32 – Plot begins: Chewie's family at home
• 34:04–36:01 – Calling Luke Skywalker; male-centric dialogue
• 39:28–40:38 – Imperial officer gadget shop scene: “I hate fish.”
• 43:15–44:06 – "Stir, whip, stir, whip" – cooking show
• 47:11–47:58 – Life Day music & punch experiment
• 53:22–54:57 – Recipe reviews: stew good, punch gross
• 56:52–58:04 – Constant Empire announcements & interruptions
• 68:11–69:26 – Jefferson Starship name game riff
• 77:18–79:03 – Bea Arthur's cantina scene
• 83:01–84:02 – The Chewbacca/Mala (non-)kiss
• 89:25–90:36 – Princess Leia’s Life Day speech and song
• 91:43–92:18 – Star Wars fandom aftermath, final ratings

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Tone & Style

The episode is packed with zingers, gentle snark, and warm best-friend energy. While both hosts are genuinely bewildered by the special's choices, they retain a spirit of fun, curiosity, and (mostly) affection—even when rating it just “two and a half stars.” There’s plenty of nostalgia, camaraderie, gentle mockery of bad dialogue and awkward moments, as well as celebrations of the impressive guest stars snagged for the production.

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Conclusion

This episode is a rollicking, detailed ride through the weird legacy of the Star Wars Holiday Special. Jenna and Angela’s mix of genuine confusion, behind-the-scenes trivia, and comedic riffing makes for an engaging listen—whether you’re a Star Wars fan, a lover of so-bad-it’s-good TV, or just missing your Office fix. The segment is peppered with pop culture references, honest reactions, and the delightful chaos of two best friends experiencing something bizarre together.

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For more exclusive breakdowns, behind-the-scenes stories, and potential culinary misadventures, tune in to future episodes!

Transcript

[A]

So, Jenna, you and I always say you're never too old to be curious about something, to learn something new. There's a great way to learn new things, and that is with Masterclass. And you get to learn from the best, to become the best. Like the best in whatever field that is. You get to take a class with them.

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[A]

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[A]

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[A]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Hello, office ladies, listeners. How are you doing?

[A]

We hope you're doing great this holiday season and we have something fun for you today.

[B]

We thought we would rerun our Star wars holiday special movie breakdown for you.

[A]

This movie, if you haven't seen it, oh my God, it is spectacular in so many ways. But, you know, so many people have traditions of watching their favorite holiday movies or holiday TV episodes every year. And a few of you said this would be on your wish list, that we play this every year. And so we're gonna do that.

[B]

Yes. If you need something to listen to while you're doing your last minute holiday shopping or holiday wrapping, we wanna keep you company. So we're sort of doing that thing where we move something to the top of your email inbox. You don't have to search for it. We're putting it right here for you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So.

[A]

So, Happy Friday. Happy holidays. And here is our Star Wars Holiday special.

[B]

I'm Jenna Fisher.

[A]

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

[B]

We were on the Office together and we're best friends. And now we're doing the ultimate Office lovers podcast just for you.

[A]

Each week, we will dive deeper into the world of the Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.

[B]

We're the Office Lady 6.0.

[A]

Hello. Well, hello to you. You guys, we showed up today. We had not spoken to one another this morning. We are both in black and white striped sweater things.

[B]

We just.

[A]

Look at us. I know we dressed almost the same today.

[B]

Should we talk about what we're doing today?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Well, you know everyone. From time to time, we are going to be dipping into our Dear office ladies mailbag and doing episodes based on your suggestions.

[A]

Yeah, you heard us right. Your suggestions will become an episode.

[B]

These episode suggestions can be office related or not office related. Which brings us to today. To kick things off, we had our very own Cassie Jerkins make the first recommendation. Cassie, would you like to share with everyone what you wanted us to do an episode about? So I was in the Office Lady's mailbag and a lot of people were requesting Star wars or like a fantasy movie breakdown.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I was thinking, like, okay, it's the start of December. It's the holiday season. So I think you all should break down one of the strangest things in the Star wars universe. The Star Wars Holiday Special.

[A]

Holy crap sticks. Where do we begin?

[B]

I mean, I had never seen this before. I'd never heard of it. I just watched Star wars for the first time last year.

[A]

I had never seen it either. I had heard not so great things.

[B]

When we were recording our second drink for this week, Sam insisted that it was, quote, unquote, great. Sam, it is.

[A]

It is really great.

[B]

You know, we had to ask Ainsley to do an outline of this for us. And we felt like she needed to be here because. Ainsley, what do you have to say? Well, I thought I was on drugs.

[A]

While I was watching it. I wasn't. Ainsley, when we got your outline and we started reading it, it was so funny. You were clearly so like, what the hell is this?

[B]

Well, should we get into it?

[A]

Lady, we better.

[B]

Here it is. The Star Wars Holiday Special, 1978. This was a story by George Lucas. It was written by Bruce Falanche, Rod Warren, Pat Proffitt and Leonard Ripps. With original songs by Mitzi and Kenny Welch and costumes by Bob Mackey. Fast fact number one is titled what is this?

[A]

I don't know what it is. I don't know.

[B]

The Star wars holiday special was a television special originally broadcast by CBS on November17. That was the weekend before Thanksgiving. This was prime placement. Star the movie had been released the year prior and had become the highest grossing movie in history. As well as a cultural phenomenon, the sequel, the Empire Strikes Back, was still two years away. So George Lucas was convinced by people to do this Star wars holiday television special as a way of keeping fans interested in the franchise.

[A]

Yes, he has been quoted many times saying that he got talked into this.

[B]

He wants you to know. Yeah, but they said we could sell more toys this holiday season and maybe this was one of their pitches. Maybe we could make some new fans who didn't see Star wars in theaters.

[A]

Yeah, there's like three of them left. Maybe they'll get on board. Everyone had seen this movie at this time except for you.

[B]

Except for me.

[A]

This was for you, Jenna. This holiday special was for you.

[B]

Oh boy. Well, wow. This movie special stars the main cast of the original Star Wars.

[A]

Everyone has a cameo.

[B]

Yes. And like traditional holiday specials of the time, it is a type of variety show such. So it has cameos by comedic actors, it has musical numbers. Angela, take us back to 1978. When this special aired, you said you wanted to talk a little bit about it.

[A]

Yeah, I just wanted to get you in the mood for 1978.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

First of all, the best selling album of 1978 was Saturday Night Fever. The soundtrack by the Bee gees. It spent 24 weeks at number one on the billboard. 224 weeks.

[B]

That's a long time.

[A]

I think we need to hear it to set the mood.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Huh? Where are my roller skates?

[B]

Come on. So this is what people were grooving out to.

[A]

Uh huh. Are you feeling it? Are you feeling 1978?

[B]

I'm feeling it, yeah.

[A]

All right.

[B]

I've. I can feel my Landline phone in my hand.

[A]

How happy are you?

[B]

I love it.

[A]

I'm feeling my roller skates.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And you might be curious what the most popular toys were. I'm gonna give you the top three. The first one, you guessed it, were the Star wars figurines that came out. Now, they came out in 1977. The toy manufacturer Kenner ran out of them almost immediately. They had to give out certificates. Like you could pay $9 and you got like a piece of cardboard that you could then mail into the manufacturer. And then they would, when they finally got back in stock, mail you a figurine.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

They were called the early bird figurines. They now go for thousands of dollars. For example, the 1978 Luke Skywalker Early Bird 12A figurine is a huge ticket item. But guess which one has sold for the most. It set a world's most valuable toy.

[B]

I actually weirdly think I know this because I feel like Mark Hamill did an interview about it once. Is it a Luke Skywalker something? No. I thought there was like some batch of him that was made incorrectly and someone has one.

[A]

Well, those always go for a lot, and you're on the right track here. But the extremely rare Star wars action figure that sold for $525,000. Half a million dollars for a little figurine was a hand painted missile firing model of the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Oh, yeah. It was never released to the public because it was deemed a choking hazard. In the 1970s, the toy, one of only two still in existence, beat all other of the world's priciest toy. This is the one everyone wanted. I thought it was pretty crazy. It features a rocket firing backpack. It's not available in stores, and it's a hot commodity.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

But don't choke on it. I guess you could possibly choke on it.

[B]

It would be a real shame to spend like $500,000 on something and then choke on it.

[A]

It would be really bad. Yeah. The other two top seller toys at the time were Hungry Hungry hippos.

[B]

Had it.

[A]

Had it. I think we still had it.

[B]

Also maybe a choking hazard.

[A]

Also maybe. And a pogo stick. Tried one. Painful.

[B]

Had it.

[A]

Painful.

[B]

Toys were very mean to you back in the 70s, huh? They posed a lot of.

[A]

They were a roll the dice.

[B]

Is this when the lawn darts came out as well? Feels like maybe lawn dart time. Okay. Well, thank you for that, Angela. I feel like I'm in 1978.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Are you ready for fast fact number two?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I titled this one this was a show from the beginning. I found an amazing Vanity fair article from 2008. They did a whole write up on this movie. It was like a look back. They interviewed a bunch of people from the article, and writer Bruce Falanche said that it was George Lucas intent on building the Star wars holiday special around the family of Chewbacca and and Life Day. That is the Wookiee equivalent of like Christmas.

[A]

Yeah, big holiday.

[B]

Bruce and Lansch said the writers really struggled, which I think is clear if you watch it by the dialogue, by the whole thing. They also went through two different directors on this project.

[A]

Oh, no, that's never a good sign.

[B]

No. First there was David Acomba. He was around for all of the pre production, but he only shot a handful of segments, Most notably the one starring Bea Arthur and also the Jefferson Starship musical number. They brought in Steve Binder mid shoot to take over directing. And Binder's only contact with George Lucas was that they gave him a Wookiee bible. Oh, like our show Bible. And it was a brochure that was a backstory of the entire Chewbacca family.

[A]

But if he had a question outside of that Chewbacca bible, Lucas was like, not available. Not taking a phone call.

[B]

He was super available from my research.

[A]

Got it.

[B]

Steve Binder's primary job was to try to bring this production, which was over budget and behind schedule, to a close. He also had to shoot the scenes that involved the members of the original cast. There was Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca. Guess what? None of them wanted to be in this special. They all had to be begged to participate.

[A]

I read that too.

[B]

Mark Hamill was asked about the holiday special at a fan convention and he said he didn't want to do it, but George Lucas convinced him to do it to help sell toys. And you might know that Mark Hamill famously negotiated a very good deal on merchandise. And he made so much effing money on merchandise.

[A]

Well, I have read that Mark Hamill's deal with Star wars because he made so much money that now studios, they took note in all these big action movies like Marvel and where they have action figures, Actors don't get the same deal because Mark Hamill kind of broke it.

[B]

No, I mean, listen, we know that with the office, we are everywhere on calendars and mugs and sweaters and all that sort of stuff.

[A]

We don't see money from that.

[B]

What do we get? I think in 2018, I got a check for $700 for all that merchandise. Something like that.

[A]

Yeah. Like, eight years ago, I think I got a check for 173 bucks.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

My face is on a shot glass.

[B]

Right, Right. Thanks, Mark Hamill.

[A]

But Mark Hamill. Good for you, buddy.

[B]

Good for you. Yeah. Well, I don't know if it helps sell more toys, but that's why Mark Hamill did it. Harrison Ford was especially reluctant to do it. Remember when Allison Jones was on the podcast and she talked about how, like, to a film star, doing tv, especially TV comedy, was kind of bottom of the barrel?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, these were the biggest film stars. They were in the highest grossing movie of all time.

[A]

I watched Harrison Ford on Conan o'. Brien.

[B]

I did, too. Did you? When he asked him about it, he.

[A]

Was like, what about the Star Wars Christmas Special? And he was. He just kept shaking his head. And then he said, it doesn't exist. And Conan was like, I do have a tape. And then Harrison Ford pretended to strangle Conan.

[B]

Yes. Carrie Fisher said she would do it, but only if she got to sing. And she did. All right, time for fast fact number three. I'm calling this one. How was it received? How did people respond?

[A]

How'd it go over?

[B]

Well, it was seen by close to 13 million television households.

[A]

That seems like a lot.

[B]

But it finished second. ABC's Love Boat. Oh. And the ABC miniseries Pearl beat it.

[A]

Hmm. Yeah, I did love Love Boat.

[B]

Well, yeah. You might have watched Love Boat instead. Here are some things that critics have said over the years about this special. David Hofstede, author of what Were They Thinking? The Hundred Dumbest Events in Television History, ranked the Star Wars Holiday Special as number one, calling it, quote, the worst two hours of television ever.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Alex Carter from Den of Greek said, quote, words have not been invented to describe how bad it is. Alan French from Sunshine State Cineplex wrote, quote, you will curse God for this show's mere existence. Like we said, the cast hates it. They barely speak of it. Carrie Fisher revealed that she asked for a copy of it so that she could play it at parties to make people leave.

[A]

I read that, too. And I guess the reason she got a copy. George Lucas would not give any copies out. In fact, supposedly, this is the only copy he gave out. All the ones you see on YouTube were bootleg copies. Right. But Lucas wanted Carrie to do a DVD commentary, and she said, I will only do it if you give me a copy of the Star Wars Holiday Special.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, everybody, this was the time when, like, if you didn't see it live on tv, that Was it?

[A]

Yeah. I just think it's hilarious that if you went to a party at Carrie Fisher's house and she was ready for you to go, she put this on.

[B]

I know.

[A]

This makes me laugh. Speaking of George Lucas not wanting to give out any copies of this, I also read that in Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith, they had to show the Wookiee planet for the first time in the movie. So the artist to portray Kashyyyk had to go to the holiday special because.

[B]

It had been established.

[A]

Because it had been established. It was already in the world. Right. So they had to go to George Lucas and ask for a copy. And I guess he was super annoyed about it.

[B]

That's what I read.

[A]

George Lucas is famously quoted about the Star wars holiday special. He has said, quote, if I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it. That's what George Lucas has to say about it. But, Ainsley, you found some comments on the YouTube page where we all watch this. What are folks saying there?

[B]

Yeah, what's the fan response? Well, it's pretty unanimously bad. One user said, three seconds in and I'm already upset. The Incredible Hulk will not be presented this evening.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that was the ad before it.

[B]

Another said, imagine setting your VCR for the Incredible Hulk and coming home to this one is a spoiler. So I won't say that right now.

[A]

It's probably okay.

[B]

Love how all the comments are related to the first 10 minutes of the movie, because no one could clearly make it any further. Yes, this special is the reason Ben.

[A]

Gave up during his battle with Vader. He foresaw this.

[B]

And if I don't die now, I'll have to star in it as well. And my favorite, because I relate to it, is this is what Star wars looks like to people who don't like Star Wars.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

I did see an interview with Mark Hamill where he said, at this point, we should just celebrate it. You know, we should just lean into it, which I think is really, really fun. And now, I guess there's even a documentary about this holiday special. It's called A Disturbance in the Force. It came out in 2023, and it kind of shares how this whole thing came about.

[B]

Well, I told Lee that we were breaking this down this week, and this is what he said. Lee went like this. He went, oh. When I was a little kid, my parents said, do you want to go to a hockey game, or do you want to stay home and watch The Star Wars Holiday Special.

[A]

Oh, man, he loves hockey.

[B]

And he said, I want to stay home and I want to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special. Oh, no. So Lee's dad took his brothers to the hockey game, and Lee stayed home. And he said about four minutes in, he so greatly regretted his decision, and he's remembered it all these years.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. The core memory.

[B]

So, everyone, we're gonna break it down.

[A]

So sit back, relax. Cause here it comes.

[B]

Oh, crap.

[A]

I forgot something. Okay, wait, let me get it. Let me get it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

This is part of my bit. I didn't really forget. Oh, I'm doing a bit. Oh, did I sell it? Did you really think I forgot something?

[B]

Of course.

[A]

Okay, before we go to break, I just had one thing I really needed to say to you. Okay, Okay. I just need one thing to help me say it to you.

[B]

Angela has gotten underneath the podcasting table, and I don't know what she's doing. I don't know what's happening. What is that? Oh, my gosh.

[A]

Angela has a.

[B]

Has a Chewbacca mask on that makes noises.

[A]

I love it so much. It's bra. I'm so tickled. Buy it. I bought it special. And listen, the Chewbacca people speak Shire Wook. And this is how they say hello.

[B]

Angela. I think the rest of the podcast could just be Jenna talking and you speaking Wookie. And that would be the movie. That would be the movie. And I'll just sing from time to time as well and maybe do a couple cartwheel and then you will have the full experience.

[A]

I looked up the language Wookiees speak because I wanted to greet you with their hello. And it just says, then I bought the mask because I thought maybe it sounded better than my interpretation. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Well, let's go to break.

[B]

We'll be back.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

View important [e-mail] officeladies so lady, you know that during the pandemic I converted my guest bedroom into an office.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

Well now I'm gonna convert it back into a guest bedroom and I'm gonna need a great mattress and you just got one so tell everybody about it.

[A]

Guys, we got a Leesa mattress. L E E S A I am delighted to tell you about this mattress because I look forward to laying on it.

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This is messages you've left me.

[A]

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[A]

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[A]

You know, some people in your family can be hard to shop for. And what I love, lady, is I love to go to Shutterfly and I love to take a picture from a special moment in our life.

[B]

Right.

[A]

An adventure. We went on a trip, we went on, a family member we got to spend time with and turn that moment into a gift for the holidays.

[B]

Yeah. My sister and I do this for my dad. We bring together pictures of our kids and we put all the photos in a collage on a coffee tumbler. We call it Pawpaw's Coffee Tumbler. And we update it so that you know. Cause the kids are growing, but he has all of them. It's so sweet.

[A]

I just love that. You know what I do? I take our Christmas card that I make for the year, also on Shutterfly, by the way. I take the Christmas card and I put it on an ornament and I send each set of grandparents that same ornament. It's such a big hit. Grandma Snyder loves them. Make something that means something. This holiday shop shutterfly.com officeladies for gifts like custom mugs, photo books, calendars, blankets, and tabletop prints. And right now, get free shipping on your order with promo code officeladies. This promo can be stacked with any other offer. Details are on site.

[B]

All right, we are back. And the special opens up on the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca and Han Solo are racing through space. Yeah, I mean, it opens in a somewhat promising way. You have no idea what lies ahead at this point.

[A]

At this point you're hopeful it's another Star wars movie. Oh, my gosh. The Imperial Forces. What's going to happen?

[B]

Yes. This is when we're to going to find out the plot of the whole thing, which is that it is Life Day and Chewbacca is trying to get home. Life Day is a holiday that is a combination of Christmas and Thanksgiving. And Han Solo says, I will get you home in time to celebrate with your family.

[A]

You don't worry.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's it, everybody. That's the plot. Will they get home in time? Well, after that opening sequence, we've got a real healthy bunch of opening credits. Yeah. Where we introduce all of the actors and their characters and blah, blah, blah. And now we're gonna get into the meat of this story. We open on an exterior shot of a wooden home. It's built around a tree.

[A]

Let's just say it's not a real structure. This is clearly, like, a drawing that they're using. It's fakey.

[B]

I mean, it looks like it was made out of matchsticks, maybe. Or it's a drawing. I couldn't tell.

[A]

It has a little bit of, like, a Ewok treehouse vibe, but nowhere near, like, as cool looking.

[B]

Yeah. We're gonna now push inside. And it is Chewbacca's family home. And I wrote this. I'm four minutes into this movie, and I'm already wondering if I can finish it.

[A]

Well, we meet the family. We meet Chewbacca's wife, Mala, his son Lumpy, and his father, Itchy. And the opening shot here, it looks like, you know, Itchy is maybe whittling. He's whittling a wooden starfighter, maybe the T65X wing, maybe. And Lumpy keeps flying his wooden X wing by his grandfather's head. And Itchy's getting really ticked off. He, like, growls at him. He's like, itchy has a severe underbite and no teeth. No teeth.

[B]

I found it upsetting.

[A]

It's a little un.

[B]

He's hard to look at.

[A]

He's a little unsettling to look at. At 4 minutes and 7 seconds. It cuts over to Mala in the kitchen. She's wearing an apron. Looks like she's starting to take out the trash. Little side note here. I really loved the light in her kitchen. She gets great light in her tree house. She had some plants, but that was.

[B]

Your takeaway from this scene.

[A]

She is.

[B]

Good for her.

[A]

Good for her, good for you. Mala, you've got some plants. It looks like she has a nice stovetop with a hood, maybe a kitchen island. The living room has a potbelly fireplace. I mean, this is a pretty nice tree house.

[B]

They have turf for carpeting, which I thought was a strange choice.

[A]

Well, they're in a tree house, but.

[B]

Why bring the outside in?

[A]

I don't know. Lumpy. Now guys really wants a snack. There's a bowl of something. Maybe worms. It's hard to tell. And his mom was like, uh, you take out the dang trash.

[B]

But hold on. I just need us to note that no one is speaking anything but Wookiee language.

[A]

Oh, yeah. It's all just like. But this is my interpretation. Lumpy takes the trash out to their porch. Then he looks over the banister. You guys, they are high, high up in a tree. You can hear birds. Lumpy is, like, peering over, and guess what he decides to do? Walk on the top of the railing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What the heck? It's super high.

[B]

It's very dangerous.

[A]

I was very stressed out during this time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Meanwhile, back inside, oblivious that Lumpy is, like, doing a tightrope walk, Itji is still whittling. And Mala goes over to her bookshelf. She gets a photo of Chewbacca in a frame. She's really looking worried. And I did notice a few things on the bookshelf. They have very nice speakers.

[B]

So great light, good speakers.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay, I want to tell you a little bit about what Bruce Valanch had to say. Now, he was quoted as saying, quote, you've chosen to build a story around characters who don't speak. He went on to say, this was George Lucas vision, and he could not be moved. He said, and of course, Star wars was so gigantic that he had been validated a hundred times over. So he had what a director needs to have, which is this insane belief in their personal vision, and he was somehow gonna make it work. He also shared that it was George Lucas who named Chewbacca's father, father and son, Itchy and Lumpy. But I guess the names are actually abbreviations of attach a cuck and Lump a warump.

[A]

This sounds like when you have to make up a name, lady. This is like Belly. What was your name?

[B]

Oh, Betsy Bellywelly.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You could come up with Star wars names.

[B]

Yeah. They also remind me of the names that Michael named his children a little bit.

[A]

Or when you ask your kids to name the family pet, you get Lumpy and Itchy.

[B]

Well, those are their nicknames.

[A]

Okay, well, Lumpy is back from, you know, walking on the balance beam thing, and he runs in, very excited. He's got this little gray square. Guess what? It's like a cassette tape. They have an enormous tape player. But it's not just any kind of tape player. It plays music in, like, a little tiny holographic pops up, and different aliens parade out, and they dance in these colorful outfits. They juggle. They do acrobatics. Imagine a tiny Cirque du Soleil.

[B]

It was Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil had just hit the scene, and this was Cirque du Soleil.

[A]

Lady, that is crazy.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Well, there's one dude in a really big, green, leafy leotard. He's kind of in charge of things. Imagine, like, a genie in a bottle vibe. But then he becomes bigger.

[B]

Yes. Yeah. Mm. There still has been no talking outside of the Wookiee language.

[A]

No, there hasn't been.

[B]

We're a good, like, 10 minutes deep now.

[A]

Yeah. And you know, Lumpy wants to keep watching his hologram tape, but his mom really wants him to do chores and she keeps pointing to something in the kitchen and then he has to go dry the dishes.

[B]

Well, now Mala is gonna attempt to scan for any incoming ships. You know, is Chewbacca on his way? And initially she has no success, but she eventually contacts Luke Skywalker. An R2D2.

[A]

Yeah. Here's the thing. They have so many computer screens in their house. I think they have too much computer.

[B]

Screens, too much technology.

[A]

Too much technology. Cuz she goes to the big family computer and it doesn't work. Then she has a secret compartment in the bookshelf that she slides the doors open and there's another smaller computer. And they video call Luke Skywalker. He answers, he's with R2D2, and I think we need to hear their phone call.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Hello, Mala. Where's Chewbacca?

[B]

Wait a minute.

[A]

One at a time. Yeah. Not now, R2. Oh, wait a minute. I don't like the looks of this. Let me get this fixed. That's their phone call. That's it. If you want to know what the first 10 minutes of this movie are like, that's it.

[B]

Well, Luke is going to assure her that Han and Chewbacca are on their way, despite the lack of communication, because, come on, he's never missed a life day before and he's not going to miss it. This.

[A]

He tells her to smile.

[B]

What did I soapbox about?

[A]

I know, I know.

[B]

And there's another one coming up too. I'm gonna point out.

[A]

I pointed it out. It's that kiss. Oh, yeah, I know.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. He tells her to smile.

[B]

Well, now Mala is going to reach out to Sean Dan.

[A]

Yeah. But again, she's on the computer for a long time. She has to type a bunch of stuff. Finally, it flashes up on the screen. It says Trading Post Wookiee Planet C.

[B]

And Sean Dan is played by Art Carney. Art Carney was an actor and a comedian. He was one of the stars of the Honeymooners. He played Ed Norton opposite Jackie Gleason. He was nominated for seven Emmy Awards and he won six. He also won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 1974. So right before this, he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for this movie, Harry and Tonto. It's about an elderly man who goes on a road trip with his pet cat. I want you to hear the people he beat, okay? Albert Finney, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I just want everyone to understand the gravity of the actor that we got to play this role of. Sean Dan.

[A]

And his first line of dialogue. Get ready for the beautiful writing here. He says, oh, Imperial officer, I guess you'll want to see my identification. And then in a very deep voice, this Imperial officer, whose helmet kind of looks like a bonnet and he has a really big mustache, he says, no, I'm off duty. I've come to look at your shop. He's got this really deep voice. It cracked me up.

[B]

Yeah. And Mala is gonna call him while this officer is there. So they're gonna have to kind of talk in code now. Yeah, because you know, why? Why are they talking in code? This I did not understand. Why are they here? Why are they on this Wookiee planet? Why don't they want Chewbacca to come home for life day? Why are we sneaking? I don't get it.

[A]

Well, Chewbacca is part of the Resistance, so maybe there's that.

[B]

At the end of Star wars, didn't we get rid of all this Imperial business? Didn't that happen? Did we blow. They blew up a whole planet, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Am I remembering this correctly?

[A]

No, you're remembering it too. No, no, you're right.

[B]

It doesn't make sense after Star wars and the happy ending of blowing up this planet. Now in this Christmas special, I'm learning that we're under the thumb of the Imperial forces again. They blew up the Death Star, but.

[A]

They didn't obliterate the Imperial. They didn't get rid of the Imperial army, but they got rid of, like.

[B]

Almost everyone in it.

[A]

They got rid of, like. Yes, they got rid of their floating death ray machine.

[B]

Reorganize so quickly and have everyone under control again. Like, what was even the point of blowing up the Death Star? Like, four seconds later, we're all. Everyone's scared of the officers again.

[A]

Yeah, both in the Star Wars.

[B]

Who's in charge, by the way? Who's in charge?

[A]

And why do we need to see this Imperial officer in a gadget shop? He doesn't really like anything. My favorite moment. I think we need to hear it when we learn that you can buy a pocket aquarium. Listen to his reaction to this gadget. Ah, here we are. Here it is. A pocket size aquarium. Wonderful, isn't it? And you can take it with you anywhere. And the tank is a snap to clean.

[B]

I hate fish.

[A]

I'm telling you, I live for this guy. His voice, his reaction to everything. This scene is bonkers.

[B]

Well, at the end of the Scene. Shawndan is going to convince the officer that he needs this special groomer, and he's going to discuss the multiple uses of the groomer with the officer. He's going to make a sale, and I'd like us to hear it.

[A]

Just a groomer? You say.

[B]

A lot more than that.

[A]

Evidently, you haven't read the instructions of the warranty and the guarantee. Besides shaving and hair trimming, it's guaranteed to lift stains off clothing, faces, and hands, cleans teeth, fingers, and toenails, washes eyes, pierces ears, calculates, modulates and syncopates life rhythms, and can repeat the entire Imperial penal code, all 17 volumes in half the time of the old XP 21. Just the thing to keep you squeaky clean. Mm. And you guys, if you see it.

[B]

It'S like a stick with a brush on the end.

[A]

Capulete, modulate.

[B]

Well, after this, we are gonna cut to Darth Vader.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How exciting.

[A]

Very exciting.

[B]

Darth Vader tells his henchmen that he wants to find and identify the rebels, even if it means searching every home in the system.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

I have a fun fact for you.

[A]

What?

[B]

James Earl Jones is the voice of Darth Vader, but he was originally uncredited in the Star wars movie, so this special marks the first time he was actually credited as the voice of. Of Darth Vader. Oh.

[A]

I have a tidbit for you.

[B]

What is it?

[A]

Apparently, George Lucas is not in the credits.

[B]

He's not?

[A]

That's what I read.

[B]

I didn't notice. We're gonna go back to the wookie home because that's where most of this special is set.

[A]

Mala's busy cooking.

[B]

She's watching a cooking show. Yeah, she is watching Gormanda, who is played by Harvey Korman. Sort of a take on Julia Child. I think this is one of his.

[A]

Three characters he plays.

[B]

Yes. Harvey Korman rose to fame thanks to his role on the Carol Burnett show. During his 10 year run on the show, he received six Emmy nominations and he won four. He also starred in the Mel Brooks films Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety and the Disney film Herbie Goes Bananas. And I was relieved when this bit came up. I did appreciate this comedy bit.

[A]

Well, that's what he's there for.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

He is wearing a gray sort of pompadour wig with a pink dress and a cape. His hands have these big gloves that come up.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

There might be more hands coming.

[B]

There will be. Chef Gormanda is teaching you how to make bantha. Surprise. This is a traditional dish served on Life Day and Mala is following the instructions.

[A]

It seems like the way you make it is you just kind of whip things into a frenzy.

[B]

Yes. Here's an audio clip.

[A]

Cooking step one, we stir the mixture. Stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, sir. Very nice. Now, step two, while we're stirring, we also whip. So it's stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir, stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir. Let's try it again together at an increased tempo. Because precision is very important in this recipe, and we do want to have a fine consistency, don't we?

[B]

So.

[A]

And on the count of one. Stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir, stir, whip, sir. Whip, whip, whip, stir. Come on, faster. Altogether now. Cooking can be fun. Stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir, stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir.

[B]

Wah. There you go.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And during all the stirring and whipping, Gormanda gets a third arm and then a fourth arm.

[A]

Yeah. Well, here's what happens after that segment. Gormanda's like, you also gotta beat it. So then another arm comes out to beat it, and then you've gotta taste it, and another comes out to taste it. And then there's forearms going, this is comedy gold, you guys. I mean, Harvey is trying to keep up that one of the arms is feeding him, the other one's whipping, the other one's stirring, one's beating. His wig starts to fall apart. I mean, hilarious.

[B]

Angela, did you know what banthas were? They serve as mounts for Tuscan raiders, and the two share a close, almost mystical bond. But Wookies eat them. Oh, yeah.

[A]

They have big horns. They're like giant sheep. Oh, that's right. That's what they are. And they ride them.

[B]

They look like a giant sheep. Woolly mammoth.

[A]

I know what they are now, Combo. I just didn't know the name. But you know what? What is this? Kind of like eating a horse, then?

[B]

I mean, it feels like it's eating a unicorn because the thing has a mystical bond with its rider or eating a dragon or something. I mean, I don't know, but the Wookiees love it. I'll have you all know that if you would like, you can purchase the Star Wars Life Day cookbook. I'm holding it in my hands right now. It contains official holiday recipes from a galaxy far, far away. And this was released after the holiday special. And there is a recipe for bantha surprise, which I thought maybe Josh could make for us.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And he did.

[A]

Jenna emailed Josh. Josh was like, angela, I just got a really weird email from Jenna. I was like, what do you Mean, she was like, she wants me to make a type of stew for the podcast.

[B]

Yeah. If you look at the recipe, it is basically a recipe for beef stew.

[A]

Yes. It's got carrots and onions, celery, and.

[B]

So I'm excited to try it.

[A]

I brought it today.

[B]

Well, the human version, the recipe calls for beef rather than bantha. And, Cassie, I know you're a vegetarian and you won't be able to partake, so I did make us a special punch according to the Life Day cookbook that you can. It's called Joe Blastow Punch.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Do you know who Joe Blastow is? I guess Joe Blastow is a classic. Husty's Life Day jingle.

[A]

It's a song. Joe Blastow is a song, not a person.

[B]

I guess it's a song. It's not in the special. The song is not in the special.

[A]

You sing it on Life Day.

[B]

Yeah. And then here are the words in the cookbook.

[A]

Oh. Sing it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Make up your own tune. Yes.

[B]

It's written in both Wookiee and English.

[A]

Do you want me to do the Wookiee part with my mask and you do the English part?

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I don't know the melody. Rumor has it that R3X, the DJ droid over at Oga's Cantina, has a collection of Joe Blasto remixes so extensive that it could play all Life day without ever repeating. So here's the Wookiee. I love that you're standing over my shoulder as if this means anything to you. And I'll sing this part in a melody that I make up on the spot.

[A]

And then I'll sing the Wookiee part.

[B]

Yeah, sure. Over my shoulder.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Are you ready? Joe Blasto Jo blasto Blasto Mooly raw o ta pan wyette bo IO pichopa g balakaya tup I can't. I can't. That's all I can do. That's all I can do. No one wants to hear that. No one wants to hear us do that. I apologize.

[A]

I don't even want to hear us. I.

[B]

I. Everyone.

[A]

Well, that was special. We've now just made our own show. Holiday special.

[B]

Everybody, we are going to take a break. We're going to get out the bantha surprise. I'm going to get out the Joe Blastow punch and we'll be right back.

[A]

Support for Office Ladies comes from Sixpenny. Home is many things. It can be chaotic at times. It can be joyful at times. It can be serene at times. Choosing beautiful pieces to live with is a thoughtful way to turn home into a space you love.

[B]

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[B]

That's s I X P-E-N-N-Y.com OfficeLadies Lady, I think there's something weirdly therapeutic about getting fresh socks. Brand new socks.

[A]

Yeah, nice, good socks.

[B]

It's such a treat. It's a nice thing to do for yourself. And I think the best socks are Bombas socks. I asked for Bombus socks for Christmas. My father in law said what do you want for Christmas? I said I want Bombus socks like every year. Just get me fresh Bombus socks. And he does now every year that's what I get. And I absolutely love it.

[A]

They're my daughter and I's favorite. I just ordered a two pack. I got her one and me one of the women's modern ribbed ankle sock. You can get it in an eight pack. I love them. I wear them all the time and so does she. But I have to share one other thing that I put. I put it on my Christmas list.

[B]

What?

[A]

Okay. Did you know that Bombas is making slippers now?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I mean lady, did you see them? They're so cute.

[B]

Yep, I did. Well, I just love this company because for every pair of Bombas that you purchase, Bombas donates one to someone facing homelessness on your behalf.

[A]

We love Bombas. You guys head over to bombas.com officeladies and use code officeladies for 20 off your first purchase.

[B]

That's B O-M-B-A-S.com officeladies use code office ladies at checkout. The United States Postal Service has been connecting families, friends and businesses near and far for over 25050 years. And during the holidays, that promise is more important than ever. Because it's about more than just gifts and cards. It's the Peace of mind, knowing your love will arrive reliably and affordably. That's why they're building a better network to meet your needs this season.

[A]

Working around the clock to ensure timely deliveries, offering easy and affordable ways to ship, and providing everything you need to make your season full of holiday cheer. From stamps to packages, this holiday season, trust the United States Postal Service to carry your most precious deliveries. Visit USPS.comholidays to find tools and tips to help you ship with confidence. The United States Postal service delivering since 1775.

[B]

Do you see those lists around the holidays that are like gift guide, like, here's a good gift or top 20 gifts that you maybe haven't thought of. I'm a real sucker for those. I clicked on one guess what was number one on their list?

[A]

What?

[B]

The aura frame, which we've talked about.

[A]

It's such a good gift.

[B]

Such a good gift. You're getting the pictures off your phone and into the home onto the frame.

[A]

My mom loves hers. It sits right there in the kitchen, like on the corner of the kitchen island. So she walks past it every day.

[B]

You can preload photos before it ships. And you can keep adding photos from anywhere, anytime.

[A]

For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off ORA's best selling Carver mat frames named number one by Wirecutter by using promo code OfficeLadies at checkout.

[B]

That's auraframes.com, promo code OfficeLadies. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Okay, everyone, we're back. We've got our bantha surprise, our stew, and we have our punch. Ainslie is also a vegetarian, so, Sam, Angela, let's try our bantha surprise. Okay, here I go.

[A]

I mean, it's stew.

[B]

Great. It's beef stew.

[A]

This is great.

[B]

Highly recommend.

[A]

If you base the movie off of this, this movie's great.

[B]

Movie is terrific.

[A]

Yeah. We'll put the recipe in our stories and Josh will show you how to make it.

[B]

All right, now let me try my punch. By the way, the punch, I should tell you what's in it, right?

[A]

This punch is insane, by the way.

[B]

Insane in a good way.

[A]

I need a sip of water. I don't think I can go from beef stew to this. It looks like a rainbow ice cream in a cup.

[B]

Well, here's what it is. It is cranberry juice, pineapple juice 7 up. And then you mix that together and you top it with a scoop of rainbow sherbet. Woo hoo. Here we go. Okay, everybody. And Ainsley, Cassie, you've got some.

[A]

I told you this isn't a game. Okay, here we go.

[B]

It was more tart than I expected. The combination of.

[A]

Oh, my Lord.

[B]

Of like, rich beef stew.

[A]

I can't believe you didn't take a.

[B]

Sip of water between the two chased with this punch. Okay, let me take another sip.

[A]

All areas of the tongue. It makes my mouth want to expel it. I want to. I don't know if it's because I've had the mayonnaise and olives, but I'm like, this ain't so bad. Yeah, this is fine. Nothing can ever be as bad as that.

[B]

Ainsley, Cassie, how did you like the punch? It tastes exactly the way it looks and kind of like what I imagine unicorn droppings to taste like. Yeah, it's way too tart. But it's close. But not as good as this punch my grandma makes for the holidays, which is just hi C. Ginger ale and sherbet. And that's really sweet and yummy and highly recommend with so much sugar. Well, Ainsley, you saw me make it. I measured it per the instructions. You did.

[A]

It looks like something like when our kids were young and we played potion. You know, like, make your own potion. And it was like, what do we got in the kitchen that I'll let them pour into a cup?

[B]

Oh, you know what it looks like when you get one of those lush bath bombs? Yes. And it gets all frothy and rainbowy.

[A]

And it stains your bathtub.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, I guess Wookiees really like a tart in Drink the Holidays, but. Okay, so I recommend the Bantha Surprise. I would pass on the Joe Blasto punch.

[A]

I'm. I'm not hating the punch. Okay.

[B]

All right, everybody. Well, let's keep going with our breakdown. But I. I want to say I. I haven't hated this experience. I feel like maybe. Maybe my tone so far is communicating a type of grumpiness.

[A]

That's the highest compliment Jenna Fisher can give. I didn't hate it.

[B]

You know, it's this experience. I look back on it with fondness. In a way. Anyway. All right, we're gonna get back on the Millennium Falcon again, and Han Solo is still having a hard time getting Chewie to his home planet.

[A]

Well, lady, the coordinates weren't the best, and they came out of hyperspace into an Imperial convoy.

[B]

I've got some gems From Han Solo. How about this line? This is one Life day we won't soon forget. And this one. Why do I always think taking you home for life day is gonna be easy? Why does he always think that?

[A]

I don't know. But guess what? I just lost control of the remote cannons. I gotta go to the back and operate them manually. How do you operate them manually?

[B]

I don't know. We're never going to see. We don't spend too much time.

[A]

Well, now the Empire is going to declare martial law. No ships are going to be permitted in or out without further notice. I have one thing to say.

[B]

One thing. Go ahead.

[A]

The number of times the Empire has to pop on your TV screen. It's constant. They're popping up all the time. To tell you something. I'm like, can you turn it off? Do you have to have these people, People just popping up at your bar, at your home?

[B]

Also, I guess they can see you. They can just pop up and they see you. Like, what if you're walking through your house like post shower, and they just pop up on your screen?

[A]

I didn't think they could see you. I thought you could only see them.

[B]

I. Well, it's not clear.

[A]

It's not clear.

[B]

Well, now, Sean Dan is going to come over to the Wookiee home.

[A]

Yeah. He's got a toy for Lumpy, and I thought it was a sewing machine for Mala, but it's not. It's a projector.

[B]

I don't know what he gives Mala, but before he gives her the gift.

[A]

She gotta give him a little kiss on the cheek.

[B]

Give him a kiss on the cheek for a gift she didn't ask for.

[A]

Why? Why? Why doesn't Shondan's shirt have a button or a zipper? It is, like, all the way to his navel. It is open.

[B]

It's very open.

[A]

A lot of open real estate there.

[B]

Yeah. He is going to give Itchy a proton pack so that he can get his mind evaporator working.

[A]

Yeah. It's like he sits down in, like, an old timey hair salon dryer. And, you know, he kind of leans down to Itchy and kind of smirks and goes, I mean, this is wow. And then, if you know what I mean, happy life day. And I do mean happy life day. I'm like, what's with the creepy dialogue? And then.

[B]

What's with the creepy dialogue? It's foreshadowing for what we're about to see. Here's what happens. Itchy puts this virtual reality headset on.

[A]

He sits under it. It's like a hairdryer.

[B]

Yeah. And then Mermia is this very sexy holographic image played by Diane Carroll.

[A]

I just want you guys to hear.

[B]

I want you to hear some of the things she's saying.

[A]

Yeah, let's just listen to it.

[B]

Yeah. She's wearing a sparkly wig and this off the shoulder gown. So just imagine Diane Carroll looking incredible, very sexy. And Bob Mackie.

[A]

This is the gift that Sean gives to the grandpa.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yes. I can feel my creation.

[A]

I'm getting your message. Are you getting mine?

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Oh. We are excited, aren't we?

[B]

We'll just relax.

[A]

Just relax.

[B]

Yeah. Now we can have a good time, can't we?

[A]

Oh. I'll tell you a secret.

[B]

I find you adorable.

[A]

I'll tell you a secret. I find you adorable.

[B]

I find you adorable. I find you adorable.

[A]

Yeah. He keeps rewinding it. She says it over and over. This is crazy to me. Grandpa is sitting in the middle of the kitchen getting off. Happy holidays.

[B]

She's gonna go on to say things like, I am your fantasy. I am your experience. I am your pleasure.

[A]

Experience me.

[B]

Then she's gonna perform a song. This was an original song written for the special called the this Minute now, and it is the least melodic song I've ever heard in my life. And I thought we should listen to some of it, really, because there's one.

[A]

More coming up that's going to give it a run for its money. If we could only bend this minute.

[B]

Infinitely, extend this minute, then I. I.

[A]

Could live my whole life right now.

[B]

Reality is sweet.

[A]

This minute.

[B]

Okay, I can't anymore with it. Okay, that was enough.

[A]

It sounds like when you sing to your cat or when you sing to your pets.

[B]

Yeah, it does. It really does. Can I talk to you, though, about Diahann Carroll?

[A]

Yes, please.

[B]

Diane Carroll is such a freaking badass. She was an actress, a singer, a model and an activist. She starred in this television show called Julia. And this role was significant because it was the first American television show to star a black woman in a non stereotypical role. And she won the Golden Globe for her performance. She also received an Emmy nomination. She didn't win, but she was the first black woman nominated for a Primetime Emmy award. She was also the first black woman to win the Tony Award for best actress in a musical for her role in the musical no Strings. She's very famous for playing Dominique Devereaux in the primetime soap opera Dynasty, and she has appeared on Grey's Anatomy.

[A]

She's a badass.

[B]

She is an absolute powerhouse. And, you know, I'm sort of noting all of the cameo stars, the level of their fame. These were, like, huge gets for this Star. Star wars special.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we haven't even gotten to Bea Arthur yet.

[A]

No. Well, now Princess Leia and C3PO are going to contact the Wookiees. And, lady, this conversation. I know we keep saying this where you're just kind of like, what? I have to read it to you? Okay, I transcribed it.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

They come on the screen and Princess Leia says, tamala, Happy life Day. And then Mala says a bunch of stuff, right? And then C3PO translates and says. She says, it might seem like a happy life day for you, but personally, she's seen happier ones. Princess Leia doesn't react at all. She goes, I don't want to tie up the channels. Can you put Wookie or Han on the phone? Like, what?

[B]

She's just told you.

[A]

She's upset. She's like, yeah, can you put someone else on the phone? Then Mala says a bunch more stuff, and basically they find out that they haven't arrived yet. There's been no communication.

[B]

It's the same information that we started the special with.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

We have to repeat it over and over again. Everyone who Mala calls, or anyone who calls Mala.

[A]

But guess what Princess Leia's reaction is to this. What? She says, are you alone? And Mala says, no, I have a friend here. And Leia goes, can I talk to him? Like, what? What the.

[B]

Why?

[A]

Why can't Mala speak for herself? So now Shawn Dan comes to the screen, and Leia asks him to take care of the Wookiees until Chewie's arrival and that she'll be contacting him again soon. She couldn't tell Mala that. She couldn't say, hang tight, exactly.

[B]

Mala can understand her. She could have just said that right to Mala. It's not like Shondan then translates it into exactly.

[A]

It's just hilarious to me that Princess Leia just keeps saying, is there someone else I can talk to?

[B]

All right, we're back on the Millennium Falcon. We're gonna check in. Han Solo decides they need to land on the north side of the planet for safety reasons. There's just too much Imperial traffic.

[A]

It's gonna be a long walk. Chewbacca's not happy about it.

[B]

Now there is a commotion in the Wookiee home. Mala and Lumpy assume that it is Chewbacca who has arrived at last. So she opens her front door only to discover two stormtroopers and an Imperial officer.

[A]

Yeah, they sort of scan the place, and then they say, all right, this unit is occupied by four Wookiees. Two males and one adult female and one male child. Where is the other male?

[B]

Yeah, where is he?

[A]

The first thing they're going to do is check out Shondan's identification. And it checks out, but Lumpy is upset. He kind of growls at the guard. And Sean is trying to get Molly to come in the kitchen because he has a plan. He's going to try to distract the stormtroopers. And he plays that music video box, which I think is the gift that he gave her for one of the stormtroopers. And he watches Jefferson Starship.

[B]

I was very confused because I. What are they distracting them from? They're keeping them in the home by engaging them in this music box. But really, everybody, this is an excuse to get a performance from Jefferson Starship. Taking you back in time, Jefferson Starship was huge. They were originally Jefferson Airplane. And you might know their hit, Somebody to Love. Let's take a listen. When the truth is found to be.

[A]

Realize Know the joy within you D Don't you want somebody to love? Don't you need somebody to love? Wouldn't you love somebody to love? You better find somebody to love.

[B]

That's right. We love that. Yeah, right. They were a very popular band. They're from San Francisco. In fact, they were one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Two songs from their breakout album, Surrealistic Pillow, were on Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest songs of all time. One was Somebody to Love, and the other was White Rabbit. Remember that song? But shortly before this special came out, they had broken up, and a few of the original band members created a new band called Jefferson Starship. And they.

[A]

Not an airplane.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Still a flying object.

[B]

Correct. Still Jefferson.

[A]

Not Jefferson Submarine.

[B]

No, no, no. Flying in the air.

[A]

Flying in the air.

[B]

Could have been Jefferson Jet, maybe.

[A]

Yeah. Jefferson Boeing.

[B]

Jefferson Hot Air Balloon.

[A]

Jefferson Kite.

[B]

All things that are in the sky.

[A]

They went with Jefferson Big bursh.

[B]

Stop. Jefferson Eagle.

[A]

This is making us loopy. Breaking this down is making us loopy.

[B]

Okay, well, in this special, they played a song that they wrote called Light the Sky on Fire. During production, though, the song was given a different title. This was the working title of the song.

[A]

So this is what would have been like on a script. Like, now Jefferson Starship plays this song.

[B]

They changed it to Light the Sky on Fire when they released it, but the working title was I Can't Believe this. Didn't stick because it rolls off the Tongue.

[A]

It is.

[B]

It is. It has parentheses in it. It is Cigar shaped object. Parentheses. Vanished without a trace.

[A]

What?

[B]

Can you believe that? That name didn't stick.

[A]

Cigar shaped object. Cigar shaped object.

[B]

Vanished without a trace was the original title of the song. This appearance marked Marty Balin's final appearance with Jefferson's Starship. He was one of the members who broke off the lyrics of the song. Mention a quote, cigar, great God. I didn't get the cigar. Oh, here, this might be it. They mention a great God named Copa Khan, who, quote, came from the stars and vanished. So is Copa Khan a cigar? Cigar shaped. Who is Copacant? Do we hear about this person later in Star Wars?

[A]

Not that comes to memory.

[B]

We don't know. Okay, well, the version that they played on the special was never released, but a shortened single was released. But rather than listen to it, Angela, I would like to instead take you back to the late 80s to your middle school school mixer, okay. So that we can listen to this song by Jefferson Starship. You're welcome. All right. I'll get up and dance with you. The pony.

[A]

Remember the pony.

[B]

We're doing the pony. That's right.

[A]

Get my high tops with my scrunchie socks.

[B]

Crimp my hair. We needed this palette cleanse.

[A]

We did.

[B]

We really did. We built this city.

[A]

We did.

[B]

That was the song that we couldn't wait to come on at the mixers when I was in seventh and eighth grade.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right, well, we're basically gonna go now from a five minute musical performance to a ten minute cartoon.

[A]

Well, here's what happened. You know, Lumpy, he kind of growls at a guard, and the stormtrooper's like, really mean. They shove Itchy to the ground. Lumpy starts freaking out. The general says, keep him quiet or else.

[B]

Yeah, or else what?

[A]

So Mala puts on one of Lumpy's favorite cartoons. The stormtrooper walks over, he's like, what's this all about? And then quickly, Lumpy pretends to be playing, like, a video game. And then when he walks away, it cuts to, he's watching this cartoon.

[B]

Why he couldn't know that he's watching a cartoon? I don't know.

[A]

It's about the resistance.

[B]

That's probably why. So maybe it's like, right. But while he's watching the cartoon, the stormtroopers are gonna supposedly search the residence. How big is the residence? I can see the whole bottom floor. And when they go upstairs, it looks like one bedroom. It's just Lumpy's room up there. That's large when the cartoon came on. It's called the the Faithful Wookiee. And I didn't watch it.

[A]

I watched the whole thing.

[B]

I just. I just. I couldn't watch it.

[A]

I watched it. It's much better than the holiday special. Truly, it's better. If you're gonna watch anything, just watch this.

[B]

Well, according to the Nielsen data, you can see that the ratings for the special fall off after the cartoon. People stayed for the cartoon, and then they were like, I'm out.

[A]

You can find just the cartoon on YouTube now, and you don't have to watch the special. But basically, I'll sum it up for you. Luke Skywalker, C3PO, and R2D2. They're searching for a talisman, and the Millennium Falcon crashes on the water moon of Panna with the main characters on board. Then they run into Boba Fett, who saves Luke from a giant monster. And he claims to be there to help them. But as it turns out, he's actually working for Darth Vader.

[B]

Well, here's a fun fact. This cartoon introduced the character of Boba Fett to the Star wars universe.

[A]

Well, some might think that. But yes, it introduced everyone to Boba Fett in a television medium, on a screen. But some fans might be surprised to know that the very first proper public appearance of Boba Fett wasn't on the big screen or even on tv. Boba first appeared at a parade for the San Asilmo County Fair in September of 1978. He was in a parade? Before he was ever on screen, he was in a parade.

[B]

How did anyone know who he was? How'd he end up in the parade?

[A]

Well, I will tell you. There is a documentary called under the the Legacy of Boba Fett on Disney, and it talks all about it. Huh.

[B]

Well, there you go. I have a question about the cartoon. Cause I did watch a little bit of it, and I am trying to wrap my head around it. So what's happening is Lumpy is watching a cartoon about his actual dad.

[A]

Yeah, his dad must be famous.

[B]

Cause his dad is it into a cartoon. Okay. He loved it.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

Now we're going to cut back and see that the Wookiee home is just being completely destroyed by the troopers. And this officer. They found nothing. They've trashed Lumpy's room. And then the officer is like, clean up your room. It's hilarious to trash a child's room. So funny.

[A]

They discover that Lumpy stuffed animal, which was a bantha, had been decapitated.

[B]

Well, they ripped his Head off.

[A]

I know.

[B]

They're jerks. Lumpy is now going to for a reason I didn't understand.

[A]

I don't get it.

[B]

Gonna watch an instructional video on how to rebuild his mini transmitter.

[A]

You kind of just have to make the jump that the stormtroopers wrecked it and now he's trying to fix it.

[B]

I guess this is gonna be another comedy bit by Harvey Corman.

[A]

This is really just a bunch of physical comedy. It's the worst instructional video ever because the person giving it slowly.

[B]

He's a robot.

[A]

He's a robot who slowly shuts down.

[B]

He's, like, malfunctioning. Why would you publish this video? If you took this video, it's not live, right? It's not a live video. No. Right. He's watching a video. Like, if we went on YouTube to be like, how do I fix my dishwasher?

[A]

And the one that you're watching is broken. It shorts out as you watch it.

[B]

If the robot instructor keeps shorting out, why would you post it? Why wouldn't you get your robot in order before you posted the video?

[A]

Don't know. Okay, But Harvey Korman does some really funny physical comedy here.

[B]

He does? He does now on the tv.

[A]

I'm not sure why, but we're transmitted to Tatooine.

[B]

We're at Bea Arthur's bar, Acmeena. Acmeena is played by Bea Arthur. She runs this bar. She's tasked with managing the bar. It's very busy. And now we have another character played by Harvey Korman. His name is Krelman. He has six fingers and he drinks liquid by pouring liquid into the top of his head. He's going to come over and he's going to order a drink. And I just really love Bea Arthur in this scene, and I thought we should hear it. She's not taken any of his bs.

[A]

What'll it be? Hello? At Mina. Okay, we'll do it your way. Hello. Now we'll do it my way.

[B]

What'll it be?

[A]

Can we talk? Well, of course we can talk.

[B]

We are talking.

[A]

You're not ordering. I'm not pouring. We are not drinking. We are talking. Okay, I'm moving this to make room for a drink so that next time I say, what'll it be? And you tell me. I can put it right there. Doesn't matter.

[B]

Give me any. I'll have one of those.

[A]

I'm sorry I couldn't get back before. Before what? Until now. Until tonight. I thought about it a dozen times, but I had to be sure. Excuse me. I have a customer waiting.

[B]

I'll be right back.

[A]

Come back soon.

[B]

I'll be waiting. I just love her. I feel like she's the Jo Bennett of the Star Wars Special.

[A]

She is.

[B]

She's like, fine, we'll do it your way. Hello. Now we'll do it my way.

[A]

What do you have exactly? Well, you know, I read that Bea Arthur's performance by all the critics at the time was singled out as a highlight of this holiday special.

[B]

It was the highlight for me. This whole section, and this was all directed. Her whole section she's about to see was directed by the first director. And I guess there are some rumors that the shoot was 24 hours.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

It was a crazy, crazy shoot day.

[A]

I saw in an interview that Bea Arthur said she was cast as Acmeena thanks to her friendship with Ken and Mitzi Welch, two of the show's producers. They also wrote the song Good Night but Not Goodbye, which is the song.

[B]

That she's gonna sing in a second. Bea Arthur's commitment to the reality of the scene is really incredible. She is so fantastic. These Imperial Guards are gonna come on the screen, and they're gonna impose a curfew. Everyone has to leave the bar.

[A]

Yeah. She said, guys, we're closing. They're closing me down. You gotta leave.

[B]

But everyone saw the Imperial Guard come on the screen and impose this curfew. It's not like she took a phone call in the back.

[A]

No. They pop up on a screen like they do. Mm.

[B]

But no one will leave.

[A]

They don't care.

[B]

Why? Why won't they leave?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

Why is she the only person afraid of this curfew?

[A]

She's, like, begging them. You guys, you gotta go.

[B]

She's like, I'll give you one more round of drinks, and I'm gonna sing you a song. And then you got to go.

[A]

You gotta leave. She should have put on the holiday special.

[B]

You know what? She didn't have it yet.

[A]

She didn't have it yet.

[B]

She didn't know. Let me tell you a little bit about Bea Arthur. She was an actress, a comedian, and a singer. She began her career on stage, where she won a Tony for playing Vera in Mame. So she was really a famous stage actress, musical theater star. By the time she did this special, she was very well known for being in the comedy series all in the Family and Maude, for which she won an Emmy award. The holiday special was Pre Golden Girls. Though here's a fun fact about Bea Arthur. She has received the Third. Third. Most Emmy award nominations with nine. Do you know who's received the most?

[A]

Lucille Ball. No.

[B]

Julia Louis Dreyfus.

[A]

Oh, my goodness.

[B]

Has been nominated 11 times. Mary Tyler Moore has been nominated 10. And Bea Arthur has been nominated nine. Like, real chops in this special. Everyone.

[A]

Yeah, like, serious amazing talent showed up for this thing.

[B]

Well, she does eventually get everyone to leave. And one other fun fact about this scene is that some of the same aliens that we saw in the cantina in Star wars are in the cantina again. Including the band.

[A]

Yes, I clocked that.

[B]

Yeah. Do you know the band's name?

[A]

No, I don't.

[B]

Okay. Figgrin d'. Anne. And the modal nodes.

[A]

Again, very similar to your. What is it?

[B]

Belly Well, I thought it was Betsy Belly Welly or something.

[A]

I'm telling you. Maybe you and George Lucas. Same brain.

[B]

Yeah, we're really good at naming things.

[A]

To sound like snoofer lockers.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Flunky Lokis.

[B]

All right, back at the Wookie House, we hear an announcement. The Imperial Guards are being told to return to base. Return to base. But are they. Are they being told that? Or is it a trick from Lumpy, who got his little device working? Yeah, we don't know.

[A]

Again, there's just so much keeping up with the Imperial soldiers. There's so many announcements.

[B]

I know.

[A]

I would just have announcement fatigue.

[B]

Well, the Stormtrooper goes upstairs and catches Lumpy on his device. He takes it and he snaps, smashes it. And he chases him downstairs. And all of a sudden, guess who walks in the door? Han and Chewbacca.

[A]

They made it.

[B]

But the Imperials are still present. Chewbacca immediately runs to protect Lumpy. Han confronts this whole situation, and he kills the Stormtrooper by tricking him into falling off the balcony. This is probably why.

[A]

Maybe they established how high up they were.

[B]

Yeah, it's a very, very short fight. So all of this has been leading up to possibly one of the shortest fights I've ever seen in a movie. It's like two punches and a fake, and then the guy's off the railing and it's over.

[A]

Sometimes that's all it takes.

[B]

I guess that's all it takes. The Wookiees embrace each other. And then there's this. Ange, what is happening between Chewy and his wife? What was that?

[A]

I don't know. First of all, it's like they're.

[B]

They come together like they're gonna kiss.

[A]

Yeah, but.

[B]

But they don't kiss. They just sort of breathe in each other's faces.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Is it. Was I meant to feel that as. What is it? Is it longing? Is she mad? Is she, like, I'm still kind of grumpy because you.

[A]

No, it looked tender. It looked tender. I don't exactly.

[B]

Anyone back there. Did you. What was your take on the chewy Mala embrace?

[A]

We've lost them. Please hold.

[B]

They've left.

[A]

Yeah. They just kind of breathe in each other's mouths for a minute.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. They don't ever kiss. Or maybe that's. Do Wookiees not kiss?

[A]

Maybe that's their form of kissing. No, Wookiees kiss.

[B]

Wookiees gotta kiss. And, like, I don't know, Mala's been making that dinner worried about him, and that's all she gets.

[A]

I like how quickly you guys were like, no, they kissed. Let me tell you.

[B]

No, Cassie. My thing was that I thought Mala was, like, giving him, like, a cold shoulder a little bit. Like, he came in to kiss, but, like, he could tell she was still a little pissed or something. I like that. I don't know. He's got a really winner back later tonight. I guess. He does.

[A]

I love that you're writing backstory for it. The one thing that really got me is just how Han is like, hey, you guys are like family to me. And then I'm sure in the stage direction, it's said Mala looks at Han with adoration or something like that. But if you zoom in on Mala's face, the look is so crazy. She's like. Like, the look is so crazy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Anyway.

[B]

Okay, well, they don't make a lot of different facial expressions.

[A]

There's not a lot.

[B]

Well, Han is going to leave. He's off. He's like, bye.

[A]

I got to go.

[B]

Les killed that guy. Where is he going? For life, Dan.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

We don't know. We'll see him later.

[A]

Harrison Ford just looked happy to exit stage right.

[B]

But no sooner is the family reunited than another Imperial officer appears on the screen. So many announcements now, this is an alert. There's a missing stormtrooper. They've already discovered that this stormtrooper is missing.

[A]

And this is why I think that they can't see you. Because then Sean Dan is like, I got this. He puts in his identification. He's like, he robbed me and went off to the forest. And they're like, thank you very much. We'll go send out a search party. Case closed. Done. Is it, though?

[B]

Are they just leaving this stormtrooper's body at the bottom of this tree thing? Where does that go? Also, how do you get up there? Is there an elevator? How did you get on the front porch of this thing? It's just. It's built around a tree, really high up. Like, do you zip line in? How do you get to the balcony? To the front door?

[A]

Lady, you didn't zoom in?

[B]

No. Is there a bridge?

[A]

There's an escalator.

[B]

You're. You're messing with me.

[A]

Could you imagine, though? Like, little escalator.

[B]

What, though? Seriously, are they gonna bury? They're just like, oh, they tricked them. Like, what?

[A]

There's a lot of things you've got to just make a mental jump for. Okay, these are two of them. How do you get into the treehouse? What happened to the body?

[B]

Okay, well, with the danger now past, Chewbacca's family prepares to attend the Life Day festival.

[A]

There's these gold glowing orbs, and they're wearing red robes. They kind of look like they're in a church choir. And somehow, are they teleported to this Tree of Life ceremony?

[B]

I think so. I'll have you know, in the Star the Life Day Cookbook, it's not just food recipes. There are also instructions on how to decorate and dress for the holiday.

[A]

For Life Day.

[B]

For Life Day. That's right. So you can make a Life Day orb if you'd like. Here is how you're going to do it. You are going to buy 12 clear glass ornaments, white glass paint, and 12 balloon lights. And basically pour glass paint into a paper bowl, hold the ornament by the top, dip it in the paint about a third of the way up, let it dry, and then when it's dry, put a balloon light inside the end. Or would you like to make a Life Day robe?

[A]

Can I just order one for my church?

[B]

Nope. Here's how you make it. You're going to need 2 yards of red fabric scissors and 2 yards of red ribbon. And cut diagonally.

[A]

That's important.

[B]

And that's it.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

Yes. Measure the fabric to the desired length of the robe. Cut a hole in the top. Put your mop through it.

[A]

Come on. This is like.

[B]

And then tie a ribbon around your waist. I'm not joking. That's it.

[A]

Come on. This is what you do. Like, if you want to be a ghost at Halloween, but you didn't get your costume in time, so you just cut a hole in a pillowcase for your kid.

[B]

This did not need a page in a book. No, this did not.

[A]

You know what that is?

[B]

What?

[A]

Fluff.

[B]

That's some fluff. At the end of the month.

[A]

That's some fluff. Yeah.

[B]

Take us to the end of this special, Ange. Tell us how it ends.

[A]

Well, I sure will. So everybody pretty much is all gathered together. There's a lot of folks in robes. Han Solo's there.

[B]

Princess leia, Luke Skywalker, C3PO, R2D2. They're all there.

[A]

Everybody's there. And Princess Leia has a pretty big speech and then goes into songs. I think we should hear it. This holiday is yours. But we all share with you the hope that this day brings us closer to freedom and to harmony and to peace. No matter how different we appear, we're all the same in our struggle against the powers of evil and darkness. I hope that this day will always be a day of joy in which we can reconfirm our dedication and our courage, and more than anything else, our love for one another. It.

[B]

Here's the song.

[A]

It's called this is the Promise of.

[B]

The Tree of Life, Life Day.

[A]

This reminds me so much of how I try to sing good at church. Yeah, I love Carrie Fisher. It's got a little bit of that for me, though.

[B]

Yeah. This, incidentally, you're hearing it now. This is set to the main title music for Star wars by John Williams.

[A]

Yes. It starts to come in there. As she sings this, everyone slowly files out, everyone in their robes that they cut a hole in and tied a ribbon around their waist. They're all filing out, and the camera pushes in on Chewbacca's face. He's kind of looking off in the distance. And we see a montage of scenes from the first Star wars movie. And then it comes back to Chewbacca and his family, and they're sitting down for dinner with the gold orbs in the center of their table. They bow their heads as if to pray, and the credits roll.

[B]

Yeah. There you have it, everybody. The Star Wars Holiday Special.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Thank you, Cassie. Yeah.

[A]

Cassie, you are no longer allowed to write into. Dear office ladies, I just want you to know you've been banned.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

I want to know what your review of it. How many stars out of 10?

[B]

Zero. Zero stars. Maybe one star for Be Arthur.

[A]

Bea Arthur. Bea Arthur gets a star. IMDb rates it at 2.2 out of 10. Yeah.

[B]

Mm. Generous.

[A]

You know what? Bea Arthur gets a star for me. And so does that first stormtrooper that says, I hate fish. So that's two. He gets a one and maybe one and a half star.

[B]

Well, maybe he gets a star. Here's what I think it is. Bea Arthur gets a star. Harvey Corman, three characters. Yes.

[A]

He gets a star.

[B]

He gets a star. And then a half a star. For the stormtrooper who doesn't like fish, there's our rating. Two and a half stars. And, Jenna, can I ask, do you still consider yourself a Star wars fan? Well, I never considered myself a fan.

[A]

I feel like that this didn't turn the tides for you.

[B]

No, it did not turn me into a Star wars fan. Ainsley, have you ever seen Star wars ever? Not until 2019. I think I saw the first two. Okay, so you're a bit. I have no idea what happened as an adult. You. Yeah, and I did like them. I liked those three. But I'm stopping. I don't need to see any more of the world. But I really did enjoy Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but that is. I'm done. And now I've seen this.

[A]

I will watch all of them. This is my least favorite in the fandom, but I will watch them all.

[B]

Well, a big thank you to Ainsley for joining us today for this recording. And thank you so much for your outline for watching it.

[A]

We're sorry, but we had to have you here with us to bear witness to this moment.

[B]

And we feel like, as a gift, you should be the one to take home the Star Wars Life Day cookbook. I am so honored, and I will take it.

[A]

Please, please make one of the robes and show it to us someday.

[B]

Yes. Okay. Well, everyone, if you have an idea for an upcoming Office Ladies 6.0 episode, we'd love to hear from you.

[A]

And if your name is Cassie. Sorry, do not.

[B]

Angela is going to post a link to our dear Office Ladies mailbag in the Office Ladies pod stories today. And remember, it can really be any topic. Just what do you want to hear us talk about? Please, though, can I have a break from fantasy sci fi? I'm begging you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Can we make Angela watch a horror movie?

[A]

No, I don't want to watch a horror movie. I hate horror movies.

[B]

Maybe.

[A]

No.

[B]

Write in and let us know. And please join us next Wednesday for our interview with Kathy Bates.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. We were so excited.

[B]

We'll see you then.

[A]

This sherbet and stew are such a disgusting combo. It's coming back on me in a gross, gross way. I drink my whole drink. Yeah, I feel. I feel weird. Gross.

[B]

I think we should end on that. Yeah. Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.

[A]

Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.

[B]

Our executive producer is Cassie Jerkins, our audio audio engineer is Sam Kiefer and our associate producer is Ainslie Bubaco.

[A]

Odyssey's executive producers are Jenna Weiss Berman and Leah Reese.

[B]

Dennis Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basel.

[A]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton. So Jenna, you and I always say you're never too old to be curious about something, to learn something new. There's a great way to learn new things and that is with Masterclass. And you get to learn from the best, to become the best. Like the best in whatever field that is. You get to take a class with them.

[B]

I have a stat. They surveyed Masterclass members and 88% of people said Masterclass had made a positive impact on their lives. I don't doubt it. Yeah, I like to stretch my brain. I like to learn something new.

[A]

With Masterclass you get thousands of bite sized lessons across 13 categories and they can fit even into your busiest schedule.

[B]

Masterclass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to masterclass.com officeladies for the current offer.

[A]

That's up to 50% off at masterclass.com officeladies masterclass.com officeladies.