History YMMV / TheStarWarsHolidaySpecial

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: Bea Arthur, alone among all the big-name guest stars. To her credit, she's talented enough to [[MostlyNarmless elevate her sequence into something watchable and almost poignant]].

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: Bea Arthur, alone among all the big-name guest stars. To her credit, she's talented enough to elevate her sequence into something watchable and almost poignant.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[{{Maude}} Darth Maude]].

* FridgeBrilliance: The entire thing is a(n unintentional) dark and uncomfortable commentary on life around the holidays, save the brief moment of actual plot when the Imperial Soldiers search the house.
** Leia appeared drunk (because Carrie Fisher was, or stoned, or both). A lot of people drink heavily over the holidays to stave off the stress and high emotions.
** Han and Chewie took forever to get there as anyone caught in holiday traffic would.
** Lots of people watch cooking shows to help prepare meals. Some of these shows are legitimately as annoying and unhelpful as the sketch.
** Variety shows themselves can be pretty common during that time of year because they're cheap and quick to make.
** The special is incredibly dull and so is a lot of the last few days leading up to a big holiday for the average family.
*** I could go on, but I think the connections are probably coming to anyone reading this as well.

* [[MomentOfAwesome Only Moment of Awesome]]: In the cartoon, there's a couple of seconds where Darth Vader and Boba Fett are plotting. Compared to the rest of the special, this is positively epic.

* {{Squick}}: Elderly Wookiee Itchy is clearly masturbating to holographic alien porn, which is completely wrong and disgusting no matter how far away your galaxy is. He's also watching it ''in the middle of his living room'', in front of his daughter-in-law and '''[[HarmfulToMinors grandson]]'''. Worse yet, this is apparently a common enough occurrence that they don't even bother commenting on it.

* TearJerker: "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXKySxPFCI Goodnight, but Not Goodbye]]" has become bittersweet following Bea Arthur's death.
-->Now, it's goodnight, friend.
-->Goodnight friend.
-->[[BittersweetEnding Goodnight--but not...]]

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Several scenes, but this event has really never been mentioned in any other Star Wars story.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Several scenes, but this event has really never been mentioned in any other Star Wars story.

* [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Only Moment of Awesome]]: In the cartoon, there's a couple of seconds where Darth Vader and Boba Fett are plotting. Compared to the rest of the special, this is positively epic.

* HilariousInHindsight: One of the few things that isn't hilarious ''anyway'' - Itchy's "Holographic ''Wow''" features a "[[{{Ghostbusters}} proton pack]]". Clearly, bustin' isn't the ''only'' thing that makes Itchy feel good.

** Same can be said about the animated segement.

* SoBadItsGood: As long as you are not George Lucas.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[{{Maude}} Darth Maude]].

* [[strike:[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning]]]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Only Moment of Awesome]]: In the cartoon, there's a couple of seconds where Darth Vader and Boba Fett are plotting. Compared to the rest of the special, this is positively epic.

* AlienScrappy: Chewie's family.
-->'''Mike:''' Well, it's fairly obvious why Chewbacca volunteers for long tours of duty away from home.
* BLAMEpisode: The special is this, mostly, in the larger context of the ''Star Wars'' canon.
* [[strike:[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning]]]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Only Moment of Awesome]]: In the cartoon, there's a couple of seconds where Darth Vader and Boba Fett are plotting. Compared to the rest of the special, this is positively epic.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: The animated segment served as the introduction of Boba Fett, the biggest EnsembleDarkhorse of ''StarWars'' in general.
* {{Misblamed}}: Some fans blame GeorgeLucas for the quality of this. In reality, he had very little involvement, seeing as he was filming ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' at the time. In fact, Lucas had one of his trusted former USC classmates installed as the initial director, in order to make sure that the special would be at least somewhat faithful to the original film. Unfortunately, the producers proceeded to fire Lucas' favored director and replaced him with the guy that would go on to produce ''Pee-Wee's Playhouse''. The results, well, they speak for themselves.
* {{Narm}}: The whole thing, really, but special mention must be given the actor cameos and the attempt at "warmhearted" holiday cheer at the end.
* OneSceneWonder: While the premise was as silly as the rest of it, Bea Arthur's performance as the cantina owner is actually a bit moving. Sadly, it doesn't save the rest of the thing's horribleness.
* {{Squick}}: Elderly Wookiee Itchy is clearly masturbating to holographic alien porn, which is completely wrong and disgusting no matter how far away your galaxy is. He's also watching it ''in the middle of his living room'', in front of his daughter-in-law and '''[[HarmfulToMinors grandson]]'''. Worse yet, this is apparently a common enough occurrence that they don't even bother commenting on it.
* TearJerker: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXKySxPFCI "Goodnight, but Not Goodbye"]] has become a bit bittersweet in the wake of Bea Arthur's death.

-->[[BittersweetEnding Goodnight--but not...]]

* OneSceneWonder: While the premise was as silly as the rest of it, Bea Arthur's performance as the cantina owner is actually a bit moving. TheNostalgiaCritic repeatedly mentioned how he was much more interested and emotionally invested in Bea Arthur's character in the cantina on Tattooine than any other person or thing in the entire special. Sadly, it doesn't save the rest of the thing's horribleness.

* [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Big Lipped]]-- [[TheNostalgiaCritic No, no, no... if you point them all out, we're gonna be here all night.]]

-->'''Mike:''' "Well, it's fairly obvious why Chewbacca volunteers for long tours of duty away from home.

-->'''Mike''': "Well, it's fairly obvious why Chewbacca volunteers for long tours of duty away from home."

* [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Big Lipped]]--[[TheNostalgiaCritic No, no, no...if you point them all out, we're gonna be here all night.]]

* DethroningMusicOfSuck: Again, YourMileageMayVary, but Carrie Fisher's warbling isn't helped by her drug intoxication.
* DudeLooksLikeALady: An (extremely) unfortunate side effect of Hamill's scar-concealing makeup job. Did they really need to get mascara involved?
** Between the makeup and the hair, MarkHamill actually bears a striking resemblance to ''Dorothy'' Hamill.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: TheNostalgiaCritic repeatedly mentioned how he was much more interested and emotionally invested in Bea Arthur's character in the cantina on Tattooine than any other person or thing in the entire special.
* FridgeLogic: The show ends with the Wookiees using magic crystal balls to don red Snuggies and travel to where all the rest of the Wookiees are gathered for Life Day. That by itself is relatively acceptable, but how did the rest of the ''StarWars'' cast manage to get there? Especially Han, to whom they'd just said goodbye not two minutes earlier! If he was going to go to the same place, why didn't he just go ''with'' them?
* IdiotPlot: The Stormtroopers are pretty stupid in here, even by Stormtrooper standards. Particularly [[TVTropesDrinkingGame egregious]] is a scene where Han tricks a Stormtrooper into jumping over a balcony to his death by simply pretending to reach for a gun.
** "Hey, look, rebels!" (Proceeds to immediately shoot self) — TheNostalgiaCritic's commentary on said stupidity.
* {{Misblamed}}: Some fans blame GeorgeLucas for the quality of this. In reality, he had very little involvement, seeing as he was filming ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' at the time.
** He even expressed a desire to find every bootlegged copy of it and, if he had the time and a sledgehammer, smash them to bits. If ''that'' is evidence of involvement, what's their idea of hating it?
** Lucas in fact had one of his trusted former USC classmates installed as the initial director, in order to make sure that the special would be at least somewhat faithful to the original film. Unfortunately, the producers proceeded to fire Lucas' favored director and replaced him with the guy that would go on to produce ''Pee-Wee's Playhouse''. The results, well, they speak for themselves.
*** When you hire Bruce Vilanch as a writer, what were you expecting?
* {{Mondegreen}}: Jefferson Starship ''really wants to knoooooooooow'' if you'll light this guy on fire.

* OneSceneWonder: While the premise was as silly as the rest of it, Bea Arthur's performance as the cantina owner is actually a bit moving. Sadly, it doesn't save the rest of the thing's horribleness.
* SnarkBait: Many, many opportunities for this. Did we mention Bea Arthur is the cantina owner? {{xkcd}} also ran [[http://xkcd.com/653/ this strip.]]
* {{Squick}}: Elderly Wookiee Itchy is clearly masturbating to holographic alien porn, which is completely wrong and disgusting no matter how far away your galaxy is.
** He's also watching it ''in the middle of his living room'', in front of his daughter-in-law and '''[[HarmfulToMinors grandson]]'''. Worse yet, this is apparently a common enough occurrence that they don't even bother commenting on it. They have a ''guest'' over for crying out loud - and they're expecting ''more'' guests anytime! What are they gonna say!? "Ha ha! That's Grampa for ya! Just try not to look!"
* TearJerker: "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXKySxPFCI Goodnight, but Not Goodbye]]" has become a bit bittersweet in the wake of Bea Arthur's death.
-->"Now, it's goodnight, friend.

-->[[BittersweetEnding Goodnight--but not...]]"
* ThisLoserIsYou: Unintentionally. Critic Alex Jackson noted that ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' isn't just depressing because it's bad television, but it's bad television ''about'' people watching bad television. "You're forced to acknowledge the shameful passivity and experiential bankruptcy of what you are doing as you are doing it."