All Star Wars

[Eva]

Why didn't the Death Star simply catch all the X and Y Wings with the tractor beams?

Oh, I know... if we hadn't conveniently forgotten about the existence of that gizmo, we wouldn't have the awesome ariel battle scenes and climax that defined the film.

[Local Trouble]

Probably the same reason they couldn't effectively target them with their turbolasers.

[KiramidHead]

I'm guessing whatever Obi-Wan did to the tractor beam wasn't fixed before the battle.

[Local Trouble]

Or that.  Although nothing he did seemed difficult to reverse.  IIRC, all he did was turn some dials and toggle some switches.

[SM]

They'd be too small and quick for a tractor beam I reckon.

I'm guessing whatever Obi-Wan did to the tractor beam wasn't fixed before the battle.

And maybe that too.

"Hello, tech support.  Tractor beam not working?  Have you tried turning it off and on again?  Could you hold on?  Got another call - something about a chain reac-"

[KiramidHead]

Yeah, but for all we know those switches sent the system back to factory settings.

[SM]

They cut the bit where Ben typed in Format c:/

[Eva]

I'm guessing whatever Obi-Wan did to the tractor beam wasn't fixed before the battle.

Makes sense. Good thing for the Galaxy that Obi-Wan decided to assign that task to himself instead of Han, huh..?

[Local Trouble]

Fair enough.  It's just a good thing he didn't detonate the fusion reactor, right Eva?

[First Blood]

I'm guessing whatever Obi-Wan did to the tractor beam wasn't fixed before the battle.

Makes sense. Good thing for the Galaxy that Obi-Wan decided to assign that task to himself instead of Han, huh..?

[Eva]

Fair enough.  It's just a good thing he didn't detonate the fusion reactor, right Eva?

Well actually, fusion reactors can't go BOOOOM... If the fusion process is interrupted or the fuel overheats and melts the reactor walls, the process just... stops and nothing fancy really happens, apart from the lights going out.

[Local Trouble]

I seem to remember a fusion reactor making a big boom in Aliens.

[Nightmare Asylum]

Fair enough.  It's just a good thing he didn't detonate the fusion reactor, right Eva?

Well actually, fusion reactors can't go BOOOOM... If the fusion process is interrupted or the fuel overheats and melts the reactor walls, the process just... stops and nothing fancy really happens, apart from the lights going out.

Stop trying to mix science with my Star Wars!

[Eva]

Never!

I seem to remember a fusion reactor making a big boom in Aliens.

Well, that's Jim Cameron not understanding the major differences between a fusion power plant design and a thermonuclear bomb design. In other words, he needed a Deux Ex Machine moment to propel the plot forwards.

[Local Trouble]

Yeah, well I've never seen no plants grow out of no toilet!