Full disclosure: I'm not going to be leading up to the conclusion that this one single second in cinematic history doesn't matter. People have been talking about it for almost twenty years now. You can walk into the lobby of DragonCon and announce at the top of your lungs "Benjamin Sisko was the best Captain!" and be threatened by nothing more than the gentle fervor of "I see your point. Kind of disagree, but, you know, he had his strengths." (progress has been made) But the passion for Solo's alignment change has not died down. Walk into the same lobby with the mere intention of putting that topic on the table...Lord help you. Nerds just know. You'll get as far as "Geor-" before hearing a chorus of "That rat bastard!" Even Greedo has been wearing 'Han Shot First' t-shirts. OBVIOUSLY it matters.
But why?
Let's eliminate the 'there are things that actually affect our real lives that we should be concerned with' dismissal and look at what's really at stake. Clearly it's an emotional issue, and probably nothing more. That in itself may sound like a dismissal as well, but remember how powerful emotional issues really are. It broke my heart when Bambi's mother was killed, but billions of people's mother have died throughout history for various reasons that I feel nothing over. That doesn't mean my priorities are askew (at least about that) it just means I'm only capable of feeling so much about the world. If I couldn't be cold to the bulk of sad things in the world I'd never be able to function. Subsequently my reactions to 'perceived' experiences in movies and other media may actually serve a purpose of keeping me from becoming TOO cold and distant.
So let's instead say that the debate of Han's self preservation is an emotional issue, nothing more, but nothing less. Fans care about Star Wars. We're invested in the franchise. What if in 1977 George Lucas had actually directed the scene as to show Greedo firing seventeen times before turning the blaster on himself in disgrace and Han taking a moment to honor the sad circumstances leading up to his competitor's demise. "He had so much to offer. Have you ever read his poetry?" Would we have invested any less time and energy loving Han and Star Wars for all the things they did well?
It comes down to when, as an audience, we feel disrespected. I love the show Once Upon a Time. There was an episode (probably last season, so spoilers glossed over) where Pinocchio was reverting to his wooden state and wound up being electrocuted. Wood doesn't conduct electricity. The fans know that. The fans made their knowledge of that quite clear to the creators. We weren't being disrespected, just a little stunned by how that basic science lesson slipped past the production team. The response? That basic science lesson slipped past the production team. They were sorry. Could you give us that one? All was forgiven.
As an audience member, I felt respected by Kitsis & Horowitz's response to the message boards (and as quick as we are to acknowledge when we're feeling disrespected, I think it's healthy to point out those times when the opposite happens). The same could be said for George Lucas. It probably won't be. But it could be. If at any point he steps forward and says, "You know guys, I hear you. The thing is, that moment always bothered me about Han. I went and changed it when I had the opportunity because it meant that much to me. While I stand by my choice, I certainly don't blame anyone for feeling cheated, and as always I'm deeply grateful that you care enough to feel this strongly about it" I believe the majority of fans could accept the fact that Lucas is right, it's his baby, his opinion matters more than ours collectively does. I think we would feel respected.
Instead a year or so ago Lucas went on record telling us that we were confused, and Greedo had always shot first. When he changed the order of the blaster discharges we felt disrespected. When he told us we were the ones who were wrong, we were being disrespected. To our brains there is no difference between the two, and in Lucas's defense I'm sure that may have been a reaction to the probable millions of disrespectful opinions that he's received since the Special Edition first hit theaters. As the fan base, we DO owe George Lucas an apology for a LOT of things we've said to and about him.
In fact, I'll do that now.
Speaking only for myself: Mr. Lucas, I sincerely apologize for the snide remarks and sarcastic comments that you probably will never be aware of but I've made at your expense over the years. But underneath it, I feel like I do have a valid point which is trying to come to the surface. Namely, this single second of film is a moment with which I've defined something unconscious about myself through your character, and I want to know that you know that it matters to me.
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