Win / KotakuInAction2
KotakuInAction2
Communities Topics Log In Sign Up
Sign In
Hot
All Posts
Settings
All
Profile
Saved
Upvoted
Hidden
Messages

Your Communities

General
AskWin
Funny
Technology
Animals
Sports
Gaming
DIY
Health
Positive
Privacy
News
Changelogs

More Communities

frenworld
OhTwitter
MillionDollarExtreme
NoNewNormal
Ladies
Conspiracies
GreatAwakening
IP2Always
GameDev
ParallelSociety
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Content Policy
DEFAULT COMMUNITIES • All General AskWin Funny Technology Animals Sports Gaming DIY Health Positive Privacy
KotakuInAction2 The Official Gamergate Forum
hot new rising top

Sign In or Create an Account

33
Rewatching Star Wars and just noticed how much the characters will talk to the droids for pure exposition.
posted 2 years ago by Mpetey123 2 years ago by Mpetey123 +33 / -0
29 comments share
29 comments share save hide report block hide replies
Comments (29)
sorted by:
▲ 17 ▼
– AlfredicEnglishRules 17 points 2 years ago +17 / -0

Yoda walked in on the conversation between R2 D2 and Luke.

I can understand why Obi Wan did that. All of his coworkers were crazy and the most sensible people are either dead or someone he can't have a relationship with.

permalink save report block reply
▲ 14 ▼
– Adamrises 14 points 2 years ago +14 / -0

Exposition generally has to happen at some point. Especially in fantasy and scifi settings where we can't just assume its our world with all the same background and rules.

Its just one of those tricks to make it sound less 4th wall breaking, the same way most stories introduce a noob or kid character to ask the questions so they can exposit at them the same way.

permalink save report block reply
▲ 6 ▼
– Ender910 6 points 2 years ago +6 / -0

Indeed. Like it's a little glaring when you actually do notice it, but it's usually subtle enough that most people don't see it.

It's sort of a loophole of the "show don't tell" motif of storytelling, because it's usually done in such a way that it's still allowing things to unfold with the proper level of suspense and at an appropriate pacing, and doing so without being totally obvious.

I've never actually read/seen Hamlet, but wouldn't the whole thing where the main character is often seen talking to a skull be another classic example of this?

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 8 ▼
– AlfredicEnglishRules 8 points 2 years ago +8 / -0

He's not talking to a skull, he's talking to a friend about who the skull once was.

However, he does talk to himself a lot for ot reasons.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 2 ▼
– Ender910 2 points 2 years ago +2 / -0

Ohh, that offers a much different context than I'd been assuming for so many years. I'll honestly have to actually watch/read it sometime when I have more time on my hands.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 7 ▼
– DefinitelyNotIGN 7 points 2 years ago +7 / -0

Only one scene, and Hamlet is talking to Horatio in that scene, not the skull.

"Alas poor Yorick... I knew him Horatio: A fellow of joy and jest.", lamenting on the fact that when they're dead, they're gone.

Shakespeare actually does straight-up tell the audience moments a lot, though. But you see, it isn't called bad writing when he does it, it's called "soliloquy".

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 2 ▼
– Ender910 2 points 2 years ago +2 / -0

Only one scene, and Hamlet is talking to Horatio in that scene, not the skull.

Ah, right. I knew that someplace in the back of my mind but I've had a lot going on lately. Plus I only think I knew of it from second-hand references in other pieces of media.

Shakespeare actually does straight-up tell the audience moments a lot, though. But you see, it isn't called bad writing when he does it, it's called "soliloquy".

Well I think it's also a little more difficult to judge live theater by the same metrics too. "Show don't tell" is a lot more challenging when you have to do everything on the fly. No second takes, no editing, the audience can't rewind bits they weren't paying attention to, etc. Just the live performance itself and everything the audience is able to hear and see.

Even so, it's fair criticism. Just because something is considered a classic doesn't mean it isn't without at least some drawbacks or flaws.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 6 ▼
– Adamrises 6 points 2 years ago +6 / -0

I can't speak to Hamlet as I also haven't seen it but yes I think it does count from what I know of it.

I think its just a real damned if you do or don't situation. Because without the exposition you will end up with a lot of things just looking pulled out of your ass or just not making sense, ruining big moments and underlying tensions.

Its why books are usually considered a "superior" form of entertainment, because its the only place you can exposit without anyone really saying anything or an awkward narrator doing it for you. Which makes it even more hilarious and a red flag when hack writers don't realize that and have characters explain things out loud in story.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 10 ▼
– current_horror 10 points 2 years ago +10 / -0

Are you talking about the prequels?

permalink save report block reply
▲ 7 ▼
– deleted 7 points 2 years ago +7 / -0
▲ 4 ▼
– NoEyesNoGroin 4 points 2 years ago +4 / -0

Lmao @ watching the prequels

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 1 ▼
– Filo76 1 point 2 years ago +1 / -0

The only redeeming value the prequels has are the memes it spawned.

Okay…and clone wars animated.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 2 ▼
– deleted 2 points 2 years ago +2 / -0
▲ 3 ▼
– NoEyesNoGroin 3 points 2 years ago +3 / -0

True but it's just time that a person could be using to watch movies that are great, like the 2 dozen in yesterday's movie recommendation thread.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 3 ▼
– deleted 3 points 2 years ago +3 / -0
▲ 2 ▼
– NoEyesNoGroin 2 points 2 years ago +2 / -0

Hey, it's your life you're wasting.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 9 ▼
– deleted 9 points 2 years ago +9 / -0
▲ 1 ▼
– Knife-TotingRat 1 point 2 years ago +1 / -0

Considering just the original movies back when they were first made, the Stormtroopers are basically The Faceless Enemy.

The Black Hole doubled down on the creepiness of facelessness.

And the og movies didn't have "animated" droids, they had dudes in costumes and puppets. And yeah, the focus at first in A New Hope is, in fact, on the robots. There even used to be a rumor that Lucas originally envisioned the story as being told from the droids' POV. (We see droids. They show us Leia. Then Darth Vader shows up. Droids escape, and lead us the audience to Luke.)

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 9 ▼
– ghostfox1_ 9 points 2 years ago +9 / -0

Well, I viewed it as a sort of 'journal'.

I don't see anything too wrong with it, or as a way (even irl) to get stuff straight in your head. Sometimes talking out loud helps you get through an issue vs grappling with it only mentally.

Was it a bit rough at times? Sure, but it doesn't make it bad for them doing it imo.

permalink save report block reply
▲ 6 ▼
– deleted 6 points 2 years ago +6 / -0
▲ 10 ▼
– Cyberguy64 10 points 2 years ago +10 / -0

It's easier if the appliance is anthropomorphized enough. I found myself thanking my roommate's smart lights for a while, just because I was used to thanking people for doing stuff for me. And that was just a voice.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 6 ▼
– deleted 6 points 2 years ago +6 / -0
▲ 7 ▼
– ProdigalPlaneswalker 7 points 2 years ago +7 / -0

But it's kinda funny to see people just talking to appliances.

Alexa, what is the CIA?

[The CIA is a federal agency of the United States government.]

Alexa, are you connected to the CIA?

[...]

Alexa?

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 5 ▼
– DefinitelyNotIGN 5 points 2 years ago +5 / -0

When I'm upstairs and my oven timer beeps at me constantly as I go down to turn it off, I often say "Yeah, yeah, I hear you, I hear you! Shut up.". I don't think it's terribly unusual, humans are social animals.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 2 ▼
– Knife-TotingRat 2 points 2 years ago +2 / -0

What got me turned onto Bob's Burgers was seeing Bob talking like an ass to stuff in his kitchen, too.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 9 ▼
– The_Shadow_of_Intent 9 points 2 years ago +9 / -0

This is one of those veteran sleights of hand that make Star Wars great. Droids are such a cool concept that gives you all the idiosyncrasies of humans and pets but also a greater range of plot devices to characterize the adventure. It wouldn't have been as funny if Leia had all her limbs blown off on Cloud City.

permalink save report block reply
▲ 5 ▼
– deleted 5 points 2 years ago +5 / -0
▲ 2 ▼
– MLGS 2 points 2 years ago +2 / -0

They're stupid but sincere, where the sequels are stupid and insincere.

permalink parent save report block reply
▲ 4 ▼
– lgbtqwtfbbq 4 points 2 years ago +4 / -0

Such a lazy way of doing it.

My all-time favorite method of exposition is in the movie Gettysburg, where Generals Lee and Longstreet are at a map discussing battle plans. General Lee has his finger on the map pointing at the town "Gettysburg", but they have to say "Gettysburg", because it's the name of the movie for god's sake! But it wouldn't make sense for General Lee to say it, because his finger's on the map both Generals are looking at; and they can both just read the name on the map.

So they have General Lee leave his glasses on his desk, and he mentions this and that he can't see the name of the town to General Longstreet, and has him say it.

That's when you know someone's put some thought into what they're doing.

permalink save report block reply

Original 8chan Links to Gamer Gate:

.

The main GG discussion is on the videogames board: https://8chan.moe/v/

.

GamerGate archive is at https://8chan.moe/gamergatehq/

.

GamerGate Wiki:

https://ggwiki.deepfreeze.it/index.php/Main_Page

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

Rules:

.

ONE: Do not advocate for illegal violence or post other illegal activity. (Be aware of your local laws.)

.

TWO: Don't threaten, harass, or impersonate users. Also: don't be a psycho. New users will be held to a higher standard.

.

THREE: Do not post porn.

.

FOUR: NSFW/NSFL content must be flaired NSFW.

.

FIVE: No vote manipulation. Do not break communities.win's features.

.

SIX: No spam or reposts. Do not make more than 5 threads a day.

.

SEVEN: Do not post falsehoods and hoaxes that are obvious to an uncontroversial degree.

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

Moderation Logs:

.

(Two different versions, Scored has more features and is cleaner, but .win let's you see a few more details in certain instances.)

  • Scored
  • .win

Moderators

  • DomitiusOfMassilia
  • C
  • BandageBandolier
  • CarmenOfSandiego
  • The_Shadow_of_Intent
  • SocraticMethod1
  • Kienan
  • Smith1980
Message the Moderators

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

2026.02.01 - w2qgj (status)

Copyright © 2026.

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy