Roofer Rebuffs Death Star Defense, Says Workers Accept Client Risks

Abs

Tradesmen hired to construct an Imperial superweapon bear responsibility for their own deaths because contractors must weigh lethal client hazards against lucrative paydays.

AI-assisted summary of Clerks - Death Star Contractors — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2009-08-29

Key ideas

Dante and Randal debate the morality of the Star Wars franchise, contrasting the completed first Death Star with the unfinished second Death Star destroyed in Return of the Jedi. (0:03)
Randal argues that thousands of civilian independent contractors—such as plumbers and roofers hired to build the second Death Star—were innocent victims of the Rebel Alliance's attack. (1:10)
A professional roofer from Done and Ready Home Improvements refutes Randal's theory, arguing that contractors are fully responsible for the risks associated with accepting work from dangerous or corrupt clients. (2:05)

Detailed notes

## Background This video was uploaded to YouTube by the channel Abs on August 29, 2009. No show notes or description were provided by the uploader.

## TL;DR While working at the counter, Dante Hicks and Randal Graves debate the merits of Star Wars endings, leading Randal to argue that the destruction of the unfinished second Death Star in Return of the Jedi was morally corrupt because it killed thousands of innocent civilian contractors. An eavesdropping customer from Done and Ready Home Improvements interrupts the discussion, claiming that a tradesman's personal politics always come into play when accepting high-risk jobs. Sharing an anecdote about dodging a deadly mob hit by turning down a contract for gangster Dominic 'Babyface' Bambino, the roofer asserts that any contractor working on an Imperial superweapon knowingly assumed the lethal risk.

## Atmosphere & style The exchange captures a dry, deadpan slacker dynamic where mundane retail boredom fuels hyper-detailed, absurd pop-culture philosophy. The mood shifts effortlessly from Dante and Randal's casual, dismissive bickering into an unexpectedly solemn and earnest sermon from an eavesdropping customer. Watching the debate feels like listening in on an authentic convenience-store argument, grounding galactic fantasy in gritty, everyday blue-collar reality.

## Bulletin - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=3s) Dante and Randal debate the morality of the Star Wars franchise, contrasting the completed first Death Star with the unfinished second Death Star destroyed in Return of the Jedi. - [01:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=70s) Randal argues that thousands of civilian independent contractors—such as plumbers and roofers hired to build the second Death Star—were innocent victims of the Rebel Alliance's attack. - [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) A professional roofer from Done and Ready Home Improvements refutes Randal's theory, arguing that contractors are fully responsible for the risks associated with accepting work from dangerous or corrupt clients.

## Key takeaways - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=3s) Dante prefers The Empire Strikes Back over Return of the Jedi because its downbeat ending feels more realistic than a victory alongside Muppets. - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=3s) The destruction of the original Death Star is viewed by Randal as morally clean because it was fully finished and staffed strictly by Imperial military personnel. - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=3s) The second Death Star in Return of the Jedi was actively under construction when destroyed, complicating the ethics of the Rebel Alliance's assault. - [01:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=70s) Randal asserts that Stormtroopers lack the trade skills to install toilets and aluminum siding, necessitating outside civilian labor. - [01:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=70s) According to Randal, the contractors on the second Death Star were politically neutral everyday workers seduced by lucrative government contracts. - [01:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=70s) Randal characterizes the Rebel Alliance's destruction of the unfinished battle station as left-wing militants killing noncombatants. - [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) A visiting customer from Done and Ready Home Improvements intervenes to argue that a contractor's personal politics must guide job selection. - [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) The roofer recounts turning down a lucrative roofing gig for notorious gangster Dominic 'Babyface' Bambino due to safety risks. - [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) A colleague who took the Bambino job in his place was murdered during a hit carried out by the rival Falcone family. - [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) The roofer concludes that independent contractors working on the Death Star were culpable for their own deaths because they prioritized money over conscience.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=3s) Debating Star Wars Endings and the Two Death Stars

Dante Hicks is preoccupied with his own personal drama, trying to tell Randal Graves that a newspaper announcement was true and that Caitlin Bree is actually getting married. Randal completely ignores Dante’s crisis, brushing it aside by asking him what movie he preferred between *Return of the Jedi* and *The Empire Strikes Back*. When Dante answers *Empire*, Randal calls it blasphemy, prompting Dante to defend his pick on the grounds that *The Empire Strikes Back* had a far superior, realistic ending: Luke Skywalker loses his hand and discovers Darth Vader is his father, Han Solo is frozen in carbonite and hauled off by Boba Fett, and the film concludes on an absolute low note. Dante argues that this reflects real life, explaining, “I mean that's what life is a series of down endings all all Jedi had was a bunch of Muppets.”

Randal pivots the conversation toward a realization he had while rewatching *Return of the Jedi*. He points out that the Galactic Empire had to construct a second Death Star. The original space station was fully operational and completely finished before Luke Skywalker destroyed it, meaning its destruction was ethically clean because it was strictly populated by the Imperial military, officers, and dignitaries. By contrast, the second Death Star was still incomplete and in the middle of construction when the Rebel Alliance, led by Lando Calrissian, blew it up. For years, that detail had bothered Randal, and he finally figured out why the rebel victory felt morally compromised the second time around.

[01:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=70s) The Plight of the Independent Contractors

Randal explains his theory: a colossal building project like the second Death Star would demand vastly more labor than the Imperial Army could ever supply on its own. To finish the battle station quickly and quietly, the Empire would have had to hire external labor, bringing in outside plumbers, roofers, and aluminum siders rather than relying solely on Imperial personnel. As Randal rhetorically asks Dante, “think the average Stormtrooper knows how to install a toilet man all they know is killing in white uniforms.”

When Dante asks why Randal is so distressed by the battle station's destruction, Randal passionately argues that thousands of innocent civilian contractors were obliterated in an attack on an unfinished facility. From Randal's perspective, these tradesmen were everyday people trying to earn a living to support a suburban family and pay a mortgage. Enticed by a lucrative government contract with exceptional benefits, they were suddenly slaughtered by "leftwing militants" firing lasers within a three-mile radius. In Randal's eyes, these blue-collar workers were politically neutral noncombatants who had no stake in the Galactic Civil War, only to end up as collateral damage.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Two Death Stars Moral Comparison accDescr: Diagram illustrating Randal Graves' moral distinction between the destruction of the first and second Death Stars.

subgraph DS1["First Death Star (A New Hope)"] A["Status: Completed & Operational"] --> B["Personnel: Stormtroopers & Imperial Military"] B --> C["Blown up by Luke Skywalker"] C --> D["Verdict: Evil punished; no moral ambiguity"] end

subgraph DS2["Second Death Star (Return of the Jedi)"] E["Status: Under Active Construction"] --> F["Personnel: Imperial forces + Independent Contractors"] F --> G["Blown up by Rebels (Lando Calrissian)"] G --> H["Verdict: Innocent blue-collar workers killed"] end ```

[02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) A Roofer's Perspective on Collateral Risk

An eavesdropping customer interrupts the conversation at the counter to find out what they are arguing about. Dante summarizes Randal’s stance, stating that his friend is trying to persuade him that independent contractors killed on the unfinished Death Star were innocent casualties. The customer introduces himself as a professional roofer from Done and Ready Home Improvements and immediately pushes back against Randal's argument, declaring, “and speaking as a roofer I can tell you roofer's personal politics comes into play heavily when choosing jobs.”

The customer shares a personal anecdote from three weeks earlier, when he was offered a simple reshingling job on a lavish property up in the hills. The clients offered to double his rate if he could knock the entire job out in a single day, but upon realizing the home belonged to the notorious gangster Dominic "Babyface" Bambino, the roofer decided the hazard outweighed the payday. Acting on his personal politics, he turned down the contract and passed it along to a friend. The very next week, the rival Falcone family launched a hit on Bambino's house, and the friend was gunned down before he could even finish reshingling the roof. The contractor points out that he survived because he respected the danger associated with that specific client, concluding that any contractor working on an Imperial superweapon knew full well the lethal hazard they were stepping into. If they died, it was entirely their own doing, because, as he taps his chest to emphasize, a true professional listens to their conscience rather than their wallet.

- The customer works for Done and Ready Home Improvements. - The gangster whose house was offered for reshingling was Dominic "Babyface" Bambino. - The rival mob family behind the drive-by shooting was the Falcone family. - The roofer’s closing lesson to Dante and Randal: “A roofer listens to this, not his wallet.”

## Notable quotes > [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA&t=125s) and speaking as a roofer I can tell you roofer's personal politics comes into play heavily when choosing jobs. — Customer

## Mentioned Dante Hicks, Randal Graves, Caitlin Bree, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Lando Calrissian, Dominic "Babyface" Bambino, Falcone family, Done and Ready Home Improvements, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Death Star, Galactic Empire, Rebel Alliance

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQdDRrcAOjA)

中文简报

屋顶工驳斥死星辩词，称工人须自担客户风险受雇建造帝国超级武器的手艺人需对自身的死亡负责，因为承包商必须在高昂报酬与客户带来的致命危险之间权衡取舍。丹特·希克斯和兰达尔·格雷夫斯在柜台工作时争论起《星球大战》不同结局的优劣，兰达尔进而主张《绝地归来》中摧毁未完工的第二颗死星在道德上是有问题的，因为这导致数千名无辜的平民承包商丧生。来自“搞定就绪家装公司”的一位从旁偷听的顾客打断了讨论，声称手艺人在接下高风险工作时始终会受个人政治考量的影响。这位屋顶工分享了自己因拒绝黑帮分子多米尼克·“娃娃脸”·班比诺的合同而躲过致命黑帮火并的亲身经历，并断言任何为帝国超级武器工作的承包商都是知情并自愿承担致命风险的。丹特和兰达尔探讨了《星球大战》系列的道德性，将已完工的第一颗死星与《绝地归来》中被摧毁的未完工第二颗死星进行了对比。 (0:03) 兰达尔认为，受雇建造第二颗死星的数千名平民独立承包商（如水管工和屋顶工）是义军同盟袭击的无辜受害者。 (1:10) 来自“搞定就绪家装公司”的专业屋顶工反驳了兰达尔的观点，认为承包商必须对接受危险或腐败客户工作所带来的风险承担全部责任。 (2:05)

Reading summary

A debate between clerks Dante Hicks and Randal Graves over the destruction of the Galactic Empire's second Death Star examines the moral culpability of killing civilian laborers on military targets, a theory ultimately challenged by a working contractor. Military Targets Versus Under-Construction Stations (0:03) While discussing cinematic conclusions, Dante Hicks defends the somber ending of *The Empire Strikes Back*—featuring Han Solo frozen in carbonite and Luke Skywalker losing a hand—as an accurate reflection of life's downbeat realities compared to *Return of the Jedi*. Randal Graves counters by focusing on an ethical distinction between the two Imperial battle stations destroyed in the films. He asserts that the first Death Star was fully operational and staffed strictly by Imperial officers, dignitaries, and military forces, rendering Luke Skywalker's attack ethically unambiguous. By contrast, the second Death Star was destroyed by Lando Calrissian and Rebel Alliance forces while still in mid-construction, which Randal argues introduces severe moral complications. Civilian Labor and Collateral Casualties (1:10) Randal argues that a construction initiative on the scale of the second Death Star could not have relied solely on Imperial military personnel, claiming the average stormtrooper lacks specialized trade knowledge like plumbing. Consequently, the Empire would have had to hire external independent contractors, including roofers, plumbers, and aluminum siders, to finish the station. In Randal's view, these workers were politically neutral noncombatants seeking steady income to pay suburban mortgages, motivated by lucrative government contracts and benefits rather than ideology. He contends that their deaths represented the unjust slaughter of innocent blue-collar collateral damage by rebel fighters. Contractor Accountability and Awareness of Danger (2:05) A customer employed by Done and Ready Home Improvements refutes Randal’s defense of the contractors, asserting that personal politics and risk assessment heavily influence project selection in the trade. He recounts turning down a lucrative, double-rate reshingling job for gangster Dominic "Babyface" Bambino after judging the client too hazardous. The job was passed to a friend, who was fatally gunned down the following week in an attack by the rival Falcone family. The contractor concludes that tradesmen bear direct responsibility for the hazards associated with their clients, arguing that anyone accepting work on an Imperial superweapon should have known the fatal risks rather than prioritizing financial gain. The dialogue leaves unresolved whether civilian noncombatants contracted by violent regimes remain innocent victims of war or implicitly accept responsibility for their fate by putting financial compensation ahead of ethical risk.

精炼阅读摘要

在探讨电影《星球大战》剧情时，兰德尔·格雷夫斯（Randal Graves）提出反抗军摧毁尚未完工的第二颗死星在道德上存在污点，因其杀害了大量无辜的外部民间承包商；而一名专业屋顶工则反驳称，承包商为邪恶客户工作是出于金钱诱惑忽视危险，必须对自身选择承担全部风险。两座死星的伦理分歧与完工状态差异 (0:03) 但丁·希克斯（Dante Hicks）与兰德尔就《星球大战》系列电影结局展开争论，但丁更推崇《帝国反击战》（The Empire Strikes Back）以断臂、冷冻与绝望收尾的现实主义基调，而兰德尔则将话题引向《绝地归来》（Return of the Jedi）中建造第二颗死星背后的道德争议。兰德尔指出，卢克·天行者（Luke Skywalker）在第一部中摧毁的死星是已全面完工且投入运作的正规基地，驻员全部为帝国军事人员，因此其毁灭在道德上无可厚非。然而，当反抗军同盟在蓝多·卡瑞辛（Lando Calrissian）率领下摧毁第二颗死星时，该太空站仍处于施工建设阶段。兰德尔认为，正是死星处于未完工状态的这一事实，使反抗军的第二次胜利在伦理层面产生了严重问题，不再是一场纯粹惩恶扬善的军事行动。外包劳工假说与平民附带伤害指控 (1:10) 兰德尔进一步提出了帝国工程外包假说。他认为，建造体量如此庞大的太空超级武器，所需劳动力远非帝国正规军力所能支撑。为了在保密的同时快速完工，帝国势必向社会广泛招标，招募水暖工、屋顶工以及外墙铝合金板安装工等民间专业技术劳工，因为普通的帝国冲锋队除了穿白色制服杀人外，根本不掌握安装马桶等专业施工技能。兰德尔为此激烈辩护称，在袭击中丧生的是数以千计无辜的蓝领技工。在他看来，这些工人属于政治中立的非战斗人员，他们接受帝国的丰厚合同与优渥福利只是为了偿还郊区房贷和养家糊口，与银河内战的意识形态争端毫无关联，最终却沦为反抗军激光轰炸下的附带伤害。承包商的行业法则：良知与风险自负 (2:05) 一名来自“Done and Ready Home Improvements”公司的屋顶工顾客当场打断了两人的谈话，并明确反对兰德尔将外包工人视为无辜受害者的观点。该屋顶工指出，承包商在选择施工项目时，其个人政治立场与对危险的权衡至关重要，绝不能仅仅以利益为导向。该顾客分享了自己的经历：三周前黑帮头目多米尼克·“婴儿脸”·班比诺（Dominic "Babyface" Bambino）曾提出以双倍报酬雇用他一天内完成豪宅换瓦作业，但他意识到危险后拒绝了这份报酬丰厚的工作并转交同行，结果下周该同行就在敌对黑帮法尔科内家族（Falcone family）的火拼中中弹身亡。该屋顶工强调，凡是选择为帝国超级武器施工的人，都清楚自己踏入的是高危军事目标；真正的专业人士应当倾听良知而非钱包，因贪图暴利丧生完全是咎由自取。该讨论通过对虚构电影设定的争论，提出了关于战争附带伤害与平民职业伦理的现实议题：在面对带有破坏性质的雇主时，普通劳工究竟是被生存压力驱使的无辜受害者，还是明知工程风险却因经济利益选择合谋、从而应当风险自负的责任主体。

Source quotes

[2:05] Customer: and speaking as a roofer I can tell you roofer's personal politics comes into play heavily when choosing jobs.

Original transcript

[0:03] thanks you know that article's accurate [0:05] Caitlyn really is getting married you [0:07] know what I just watched me pulling a [0:09] can off some [ __ ] fist we return it to [0:10] Jedi didn't you hear me Caitlyn is [0:13] really getting married what did you like [0:16] better Jedi or the Empire Strikes Back [0:19] Empire [0:21] blasphemy Empire had the better ending I [0:23] mean Luke gets his hand cut off finds [0:26] out Vader's his father uh hand gets [0:28] Frozen and take away by boba fet end on [0:30] such a down note I mean that's what life [0:32] is a series of down endings all all Jedi [0:35] had was a bunch of Muppets there was [0:37] something else going on in Jedi I never [0:39] noticed it till today they build another [0:41] dead Star right yeah now the first one [0:43] was completed and fully operational [0:45] before the rebels destroyed it Luke blew [0:46] it up give credit what credits do and [0:48] the second one was still being built [0:49] when they blew it up compliments Orlando [0:51] Calis something just never sat right [0:53] with me that second time around I could [0:55] never put my finger on it but something [0:57] just wasn't right and you figured it out [0:59] the first death star was manned by the [1:01] Imperial Army the only people on board [1:02] were Stormtroopers dignitaries Imperials [1:05] basically so when they blew it up no [1:08] problem Evil's punished and the second [1:10] time around the second time around it [1:11] wasn't even done being built yet it was [1:13] still under construction so so a [1:15] construction job of that magnitude would [1:17] require a hell of a lot more manpower [1:19] than the Imperial Army had to offer how [1:21] bet they brought independent contractors [1:22] in on that thing plumbers aluminum [1:24] Siders roofers not just impos is that [1:26] what you're getting at exactly in order [1:28] to get it built quickly and quietly [1:29] they'd hire anybody that can do the job [1:31] think the average Stormtrooper knows how [1:33] to install a toilet man all they know is [1:34] killing in white uniforms all right so [1:37] they bring an independent contractors [1:39] why are you so upset at its destruction [1:41] all those innocent contractors brought [1:42] in to do the job we killed casualties of [1:44] a war they had nothing to do with all [1:47] right look you're a roofer some juicy [1:49] government contract comes your way you [1:51] got a wife and kids the two story in [1:53] Suburbia this is a government contract [1:55] which means all sorts of benefits Along [1:57] come these leftwing militants and blast [1:59] everything within a 3M radius with their [2:01] lasers you didn't ask for that you have [2:03] no personal politics you're just trying [2:04] to scrape out a living excuse me I don't [2:06] mean to interrupt but what are you [2:08] talking about the ending of Return of [2:09] the Jedi my friend here is trying to [2:11] convince me that any independent [2:12] contractors who are working on the [2:14] uncompleted dead star were innocent [2:15] victims when they was destroyed by the [2:17] rebels well I'm a contractor myself I'm [2:19] a roofer done and ready Home [2:21] Improvements and speaking as a roofer I [2:24] can tell you roofer's personal politics [2:26] comes into play heavily when choosing [2:27] jobs like when 3 weeks ago was for the [2:30] job up in the hills beautiful house tons [2:32] of property a simple reshingling job [2:35] they told me if I could finish it in one [2:37] day I would double my price then I [2:39] realized whose house it was whose house [2:41] was it Dominic Bambino's Babyface [2:44] Bambino the gangster the same the money [2:47] was right but the risk was too high I [2:50] knew who he was and based on that I [2:52] turned the job over to a friend of mine [2:54] based on personal politics right and the [2:57] next week the fessi family put a hit on [2:59] baby face his house my friend was shot [3:02] and killed didn't even finish [3:04] reshingling no way I'm alive because I [3:06] knew the risk involved in that [3:08] particular client my friend wasn't so [3:11] lucky any contractor working on that [3:13] dead star knew the risk involved if they [3:16] got killed it's their own fault a rofa [3:19] listens to this not his wallet