Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 18
Posted by CapnRex101,
Imperial personnel and vehicles have dominated this Advent Calendar throughout the last several days. Presumably that focus will move before we reach Christmas.
Let's find out whether it changes today...
IT-O Interrogation Droids are designed to extract information from suspects, but can seemingly be repurposed for medical roles. One such droid therefore appears briefly during The Mandalorian, hovering above the captured Grogu, so is included in this Advent Calendar. Similar models have previously appeared in 10188 Death Star and 75159 Death Star, although this example features a trans-red photoreceptor.
The spherical shape and syringe both look reasonable, while the trans-clear stand is a pleasing inclusion. However, I believe a new 1x1 round tile should have been provided to represent the droid's complex sensors. Such elements are frequently introduced elsewhere and I am confident that a tile displaying those sensors could easily be re-used for other purposes.
Overall - 2.5 - The model is recognisable, but there is certainly potential for improvement and this droid only appears very briefly during The Mandalorian, so seems an odd inclusion.
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And now we will discuss the hidden location of this calendar's value.
What devil art thou that dost torment me thus? This torture should be roar'd in dismal hell
In my search for a suitable quotation, I also came across a fun fact: Shakespeare is the first recorded user of "torture" as a verb. It was previously used only as a noun.
As for this droid, it's not bad! I'd have liked a Doctor Pershing somewhere to go with it.
@MisterBrickster:
It’s used as a noun in that quote. Did he use it as a verb elsewhere?
@PurpleDave said:
" @MisterBrickster:
It’s used as a noun in that quote. Did he use it as a verb elsewhere?"
The first torture in the quotation is indeed a verb.
@Plisskin82 said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @MisterBrickster:
It’s used as a noun in that quote. Did he use it as a verb elsewhere?"
The first torture in the quotation is indeed a verb.
"
There is only one "torture" in the quote. The other one is "torment"
@Plisskin82:
The first use of “torture” in the quoted line is the only use of “torture”, where it is a noun. Torment is used as a verb in the first sentence.
This quote is from Romeo & Juliet. I’ve found reference to use of the word “torture” in two other works of Shakespeare including The Winter’s Tale, but I’m guessing the verb usage mentioned is from The Merchant of Venice, when Shylock says, “I am very glad of it. I’ll plague him. I’ll torture him. I am glad of it.”
Nothing evokes the holiday season like a terrifying interrogation droid!
This is a reasonable build for this droid, though still arguably a little skimpy. Still, it’s nice to have something else we can consider a “(mini)figure” in this, along with the other six I know of - two of whom aren’t technically minifigures, as this isn’t, though they at least have dedicated figure parts; this is entirely just regular basic bricks, and I agree a dedicated printed element might have increased the real value to be found in the calendar.
Like surely many here I love Star Wars , and it’s the AC theme I’ve gotten most consistently, but following these Brickset reveals / reviews this year I’m inclined to think this is the weakest of this year’s five (!) LEGO ACs. I’m still enjoying it, and looking forward to the seasonally-attired Din and Grogu I know are coming (I assume the spoiler is okay, since they’re prominently shown on the box), but the Friends, Wizarding World, and Marvel calendars all seem to surpass this one easily, and the City one seems to do so as well if by a lesser margin.
Dr. Ball m.d. <3
@PurpleDave said:
" @MisterBrickster:
It’s used as a noun in that quote. Did he use it as a verb elsewhere?"
Good spot! The runner-up quotation for today's evil floating torture-ball (this is a kid's toy, after all) was from Richard III
Thus hath the course of justice whirl'd about And left thee but a very prey to time, Having no more but thought of what thou wast To torture thee the more, being what thou art.
I just came across the fact while searching for a good quote!
@J0rgen said:
"Dr. Ball m.d. <3"
I said good day!
How do they get repurposed? Do they flick a switch or something?
"And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base."
Oops wrong setting!
@gunther_schnitzel said:
"How do they get repurposed? Do they flick a switch or something?"
Presumably they can be reprogrammed to deactivate their sadism circuits!
While evoking nostalgia was doubtless a factor in their appearance, I like the idea that Moff Gideon's faction within the Imperial remnant seemingly has no access to dedicated medical droids on Nevarro.
@gunther_schnitzel:
Update their bedside manner subroutine to make them rude.
But seriously, it’s got a syringe on it’s starboard flank. Just swap the torture drugs for medical drugs, and torture programming for medical programming. We’ve seen at least four instances of medical droid usage in the SW films (Luke & Leia being delivered, Vader being “born”, Luke on Hoth, and Like getting his robotic hand), so in the SW universe it’s clearly not that big a stretch. In our world, torture would be pretty easy if you didn’t care about how long the victim survives (poking, cutting, and burning are easy to program). Medical droids are a bit beyond our present capabilities, though. I suppose robotic vaccinations might be a possibility, but I wouldn’t want an automated robot performing surgery (robotic surgery is different, as a real surgeon performs the operation remotely, and presumably you have live assistants and nurses on site to react to any life-threatening complications).
I enjoyed this, mostly because a reprogrammed torture droid features prominently in the recent Alphabet Squadron trilogy books. Not to spoil anything, but it becomes a therapist...
@unslipped:
“All I know is pain.”
Wait, wrong property...