Author: theLogBook.com

On Tatooine, Luke Skywalker is occupying Ben Kenobi’s old desert hut, preparing a new lightsaber for himself – to be wielded in the artificial hand that has replaced the one Darth Vader cut off at Cloud City. A carefully orchestrated plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt is finally set into motion, despite Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca having seemingly vanished after coming to Tatooine themselves. Luke sends R2-D2 and C-3PO to Jabba, with orders for Artoo to play a message Luke has recorded for Jabba’s eyes only. But when Artoo plays that message, Threepio is horrified to hear Luke’s voice offering the droids to Jabba as a gift – as a token of his esteem in hopes that a deal regarding Han Solo can be worked out. Artoo is pressed into service as a waiter aboard Jabba’s sail barge, and Threepio is forced to serve as the sluglike ganglord’s interpreter. A new bounty hunter, Boussh, arrives – with Chewbacca in chains. Jabba is delighted by the new arrival and allows Boussh to stay in his palace, but the bounty hunter is not all that he – or she – appears.

written by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

Season Three Cast: Joshua Fardon (Luke Skywalker), Perry King (Han Solo), Ann Sachs (Princess Leia Organa), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Bernard Behrens (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Ayre Gross (Lando Calrissian), Edward Asner (Jabba The Hutt), Paul Hecht (The Emperor), John Lithgow (Yoda), Brock Peters (Lord Darth Vader)

Season Three Supporting Cast: Ed Begley Jr. (Boba Fett), Samantha Bennett (Arica), David Birney (Anakin Skywalker), Peter Dennis (Moff Jerjerrod), David Dukes (Bib Fortuna), Peter Michael Goetz (General Madine), Ian Gomez (Salacious Crumb), Martin Jarvis (Barada), Jon Matthews (Wedge), Natalija Nogulich (Mon Mothma), Mark Adair Rios (Admiral Ackbar), Yeardley Smith (9D9), Tom Virtue (Major Derlin), Ken Hiller (Narrator), with Samantha Bennett, Rick Hall, Andrew Hawkes, Sherman Howard, Karl Johnson, John Kapelos, Ron Le Paz, Joe Liss, Paul Mercier, Steven Petrarca, Jonathan Penner, Gil Segel, Nia Vardalos and Ron West

Han has been released from his carbonite prison by the bounty hunter Boushh, who has in turn been unmasked as Princess Leia – just in time for both to be captured by Jabba the Hutt. Leia is put in chains (and not much else) to serve as Jabba’s new dancing girl, and discovers that more help is already close at hand – Lando Calrissian has disguised himself to take the place of one of Jabba’s palace guards. Han and Chewie are reunited in Jabba’s dungeons, but the reunion may be a short-lived one – both are sentenced to death. A mysterious figure arrives in the dead of night, convincing Jabba’s lackeys to give him access to the gangster lord himself. The stranger reveals himself to be Luke, here to bargain for the release of his friends. Even though he has arrived unarmed, Luke demonstrates an increasing command of the Force as a weapon when the negotiations turn hostile.

written by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.

Sentenced to die by digestion in the belly of the Sarlacc, Luke and his friends stage their last stand in a desperate battle aboard Jabba’s sail barges. After blasting their way out of captivity, the Rebels have a new obstacle to contend with – Imperial star destroyers have blockaded Tatooine. Artoo signals the surviving bounty hunters and mercenaries at Jabba’s palace to convince them that the Empire is here for them, and a fierce firefight ensues – during which the Millennium Falcon and Luke’s X-Wing are able to slip away without firing a shot. Luke, with Artoo in tow, splits off to visit Jedi Master Yoda on Dagobah, while the Falcon rejoins the Rebel fleet. Darth Vader arrives aboard the still unfinished second Death Star, and while his presence is enough to stir terror in the heart of the Imperial officer overseeing the station’s construction, Vader brings even darker news: Emperor Palpatine himself is en route to the Death Star as well, intent on personally witnessing the destruction of the Rebellion. And perhaps the Emperor is closer to his goal than he realizes, for across the galaxy, before Luke’s eyes, and before he has completed his training, the last Jedi Master has become one with the Force.

written by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.

Notes: A bit of throwaway dialogue in this episode – written well after Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy of novels – tries to set one foot into the expanded universe when Han says he heard that Lando “almost wrecked the Falcon on Coruscant” – which seems like an insanely dangerous place for anyone to take the Falcon if, as implied in the prequel trilogy, it becomes the seat of the Imperial government. Then again, maybe it’s a different Coruscant, as here the planet’s name is pronounced “chorus can’t.”

Gathered near the planet Sullust, the Rebel fleet is preparing for an all-out, last-ditch attack against the Imperial forces. Lando, piloting the Falcon, will lead Rebel fighters in a direct assault on the new Death Star, while Han will lead a ground assault on the third moon of Endor to take out a shield generator protecting the space station. Chewie, Leia, Luke and the droids join Han’s team bound for Endor in a stolen Imperial shuttle. Once there, the Rebels find the Empire is guarding its installation more heavily than expected – Imperial scout troops on speeder bikes spot Han and Chewie and take off to sound the alarm. Luke and Leia give chase on a leftover speeder, and Luke “liberates” a speeder of his own from one of the Imperial troops in midair. But when Luke finishes off the last of the troops, he returns to Han, only to discover that Leia hasn’t returned.

written by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.

Notes: As Mon Mothma, Natalija Nogulich is on familiar ground – in her previous recurring role as Admiral Nechayev, she had been directing Starfleet strategy in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.

Han, Luke, Chewie and the droids are captured by furry natives of the third moon of Endor while searching for Leia. The primitive creatures are quite impressed with Threepio, thinking that he’s a god – and Luke uses that opportunity to impress them even further with a demonstration of the Force. Threepio brokers an alliance between the Rebels and the furry Ewoks, and discovers that they’re no happier about the Imperial presence in their forests than the Rebels are. But even when the Ewoks offer their help, something troubles Luke – namely a revelation from Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi that Leia is his sister. Luke shares this with her, and then goes off to face his destiny, in the form of Darth Vader and the Emperor, alone.

written by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.