"Just My Luck" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of Ewoks. Written by Michael Dubil and directed by Dale Schott, the episode originally aired on ABC on November 22, 1986.
Plot summary[]
Malani's setback[]
Malani attempts to paint a portrait of Baga, who poses with a shrub bush. Wicket and Teebo compliment her for her efforts. An upset Malani says that she is not supposed to be painting a shrub bush but Baga. Baga loses concentration and sneezes, bumping into a tree which causes fruits to drop and paint to catapult over Malani's painting. A frustrated Malani says she will never be a good painter and cries.
Apprenticeships[]
Wicket tries to encourage his sister by retelling the story about how he tried to quit as a warrior once back when the young Ewoks were taking their skills test before Master Logray, Chief Chirpa and a third adult Ewok. Teebo presents a tibbet plant to the adults. Though Teebo did not managed to transform it into an adult plant, Master Logray permits him to train as a wizard's apprentice. Teebo is jubilant and says he will be a wizard. Kneesaa is pleased that she passed her test to be leader of the tribe while Malani says she will be training as a hood maker.
Kneesaa hopes that Wicket can pass his warrior's test tomorrow. Teebo says that Wicket only thinks about being a warrior. Kneesaa is concerned that Wicket is nervous. Meanwhile, Wicket practices with an obstacle course which involves pole vaulting, swinging on a lasoo, navigating through a log and walking over a tight rope. While navigating over the tight rope, he overhears Kneesaa and Latara expressing doubt over Wicket passing the test. A nervous Wicket falls into the mud.
After Wicket climbs out of the mud pit, Kneesaa expresses concerned that Wicket is nervous. Teebo tries to encourage Wicket to relax by bringing him a lucksprite. Wicket gets the lucksprite to help him shoot three arrows through a bullseye. Wicket feels relaxed and believes he will pass the warrior's test. Behind his back, the tree splits in half.
Depending on luck[]
At the test the following day, Kneesaa confides with Latara and Teebo that she has not seen anybody make a score like this before. Latara agrees and says that Wicket is blowing every event. Wicket tries pole vaunting a second time but the pole cracks under his weight. Chief Chirpa and the other adults watch with concern. Kneesaa asks Teebo where is his lucksprite. Teebo realizes he is missing. However, the lucksprite us up to mischief and tricks Wicket into picking up a spiny creature instead of the target teddy bear. In pain, Wicket loses his balances and lands on a log, which cartwheels into a wooden structure. Wicket lands in a bush with a bird's nest on top of his head.
A disappointed Chief Chirpa tells Wicket that he has failed the warrior's test, admitting that he had so much promise. Wicket tells Chirpa that he dreams of being a warrior. Chirpa says he can always retake the test but his marks make him an assistant bordok stable sweeper. Chirpa instructs Wicket to report to the bordok stable sweeper Orbo, who tells tells Wicket that he will start training the following day.
Wicket's despondency[]
Latara pities Wicket following his failed test. Teebo wonders what went wrong since he had luck going for him. The lucksprite surfaces and tells the Ewoks that they won't find a better "bad" lucksprite than him. The Ewoks narrowly avoid being run over by a bordok drawing a cart full of fruit. The lucksprite laughs and bids them farewell. Teebo reflects on his mistake of hiring a bad lucksprite while Kneesaa says that Wicket can rest with the knowledge that it was not his fault.
Latara, Kneesaa and Teebo relate the news to Wicket but he is despondent. Kneesaa reassures him that her dad Chirpa says he can take the warrior's test again. Wicket claims that he has found his true calling in life but a bordok's tail causes him to fall into a trough. Kneesaa reassures him that he dreamt about being a warrior all his life. Wicket is unwilling to listen and goes back to work. Kneesaa tells Wicket that he has to get his lucksprite to speak to Wicket. She tells Latara that she has got an idea.
To build up Wicket's confidence, Kneesaa hangs Latara with ropes over a bridge. Wicket soon arrives and Latara pleads for him to save her. Latara reluctantly tries to free her but she falls into the river. Downtrodden, Wicket goes to the "cavern of broken dreams."
The Cavern of Broken Dreams[]
Later, the three Ewoks manage to capture Teebo's lucksprite and bring him to the Cavern of Broken Dreams. Kneesaa demands that he explain everything to Wicket. Kneesaa calls out to Wicket but he tells her to leave him alone. Kneesaa asks if a little bad luck is going to turn him into a quitter. The group are attacked by a giant blue spider, which corners Kneesaa at the edge of a cliff. Kneesaa reaches for her lasso but the rogue lucksprite causes it to fall away with magic.
The spider pushes Kneesaa into her net. Wicket hears Kneesaa's cries. Teebo and Latara confront the lucksprite but he escapes by teleporting himself away. Before the spider can finish Kneesaa, Wicket uses a lasso to form a tight rope in order to reach Kneesaa. The spider attempts to dislodge Wicket but he lands on the web, causing Kneesaa to jump up with him. Wicket carries Kneesaa to safety but the lucksprite causes the rope to snap. Teebo restrains the lucksprite in a bag. Wicket turns the tightrope into an improvised lasso and swings over a the spider and lands on a bush. The spider pursues them but Wicket pushes a rock onto it, causing it to fall through the web into a deep ravine.
Wicket's triumph[]
Kneesaa thanks Wicket. Wicket wants to return to his cavern but Kneesaa tells him that he saved her like a warrior. The defeated lucksprite says that no Ewok has ever broken his bad luck. Wicket is relieved to hear that he is an Ewok warrior. The lucksprite is despondent since he has never defeated an Ewok warrior. The lucksprite wonders what to do now that he has been defeated. Giving the lucksprite a taste of his own medicine, Wicket tells him that he can work as Orbo's new assistant bordok sweeper. Wicket wonders how he could let a measly lucksprite beat him and resolves to pass the warrior's test.
In the present, Wicket tells Malani and his friends that he passed the warrior's test with flying colors the following day. He asks Malani if she knows what the moral of the story is. Malani says don't give up on your dreams. Wicket agrees and praises her drawing of Baga. Malani says that it was supposed to be him.
Credits[]
| Cast | Uncredited cast | Crew | Uncredited crew | Special thanks |
Cast
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Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
 Wicket saving Kneesaa.
|
Organisms
|
Locations
 The Cavern of Broken Dreams.
|
Organizations and titles
|
Sentient species
|
Vehicles and vessels
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
|
Behind the scenes[]
This episode flashes back to events that take place prior to "The Crystal Cloak"—which is the first episode of the second season.
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑
"A Star Wars CELibration" — Star Wars Insider 27
- ↑ "Star Wars Publications Timeline" — Star Wars Insider 23 dates the events of the Ewoks animated series, which include the events of "Just My Luck," to three years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which corresponds to 3 ABY, according to The New Essential Chronology.
