Alright. So I watched the new Empire Strikes Back today, and noticed they changed the Emporer's (head's) conversation with Vader. It seems like the Emporer is just informing Vader that this new threat to the Empire, this kid who blew up the Death Star, is his (Anakin's) son. The "son of Skywalker."

Okay, fair enough, I suppose. The Empire doesn't have the military intelligence to find out the guy's last name, or something. I mean...right? But...

Near the beginning, when the admiral or whatever finds the rebel's base on Hoth and tells Vader, Vader says something along the lines of "That's it, the rebels are there, and I'm sure Skywalker is with them."

...Yeah. So, if someone could please clarify this for me, that'd be great. I'm sure I must be missing something anyway. (But I'll be pretty darn peeved if one of these stupid DVD changes messed up one of my favourite movies.)

Skywalker could be one of those names you have several times in a galaxy.
The Emperor just gives Vader the definite answer that it really is Anakin Skywalkers son.

From what I understand, the way it's going to pan out in Ep 3 is that Anakin knows of Luke, but not Leia - he hides the knowledge from the Emperor in hopes of one day (as he says in ESB) taking over himself with Luke at his side. This is more or less a "surprise! I already know!" thing.

^ What he said.

[edit - I'm a moron, and didn't read your explanation very well...let me rephrase:]

You'd think if Vader already knew about Luke, the Emporer would have known he knew, being all powerful and whatnot. At least sometime in the last 20 years or whatever, Palpatine would have picked up something from Vader.

And if Vader already knew, then the "What...? Huh? Uh, how is that possible...?" little bit of acting on Vaders part is just dumb. Darth Vader shouldn't pretend. This just makes that line in ESB confusing. Considering the result of both conversation is the same, the only thing they added I guess was Vader's bit of theatre. He still suggests Luke would be a powerful ally, and they shouldn't kill him.

Vader knows who Luke is. The rebels definitely propagandized who blew up the Death Star and Vader knew that Luke was strong in the Force (he said something about it in the trench). Also, didnt Obi Wan say that when der momma got pregnant that they hid her from Anakin because he was being a douche?

Yes, yes, exactly. Of course Vader knows who Luke is, and the Emporer must know Vader knows...it's not like Vader was keeping it a secret that he knew this, again: "That's where the rebels are, and Skywalker is with them!"

So then the question comes back to "why the heck did they change the conversation on the DVDs to make it sound like Vader didn't know?"

Still confused, here.

The assumption that Vader is hiding the fact that he knows Luke is his son is correct. The Emperor doesn't trust Vader and Vader doesn't trust the Emperor. They're both trying to get rid of each other. The Emperor wants Luke to destroy Vader, and Vader wants Luke to destroy the Emperor.

The Emperor is not all powerful, and Vader could have easily kept it from him. In the beginning of the movie, when Vader proclaims that Skywalker is on Hoth, nobody thinks anything of it because none of them know Vader was once Anakin Skywalker. Only he and the Emperor know this.

That makes perfect sense. But that's exactly how the Original Trilogy played out in the first place.

Vader knew Luke was his son, that's the reason he suggested to the Emperor "he would be a powerful ally" instead of agreeing to kill him. Then, when the end of RoTJ comes along, we see Vader and Luke overthrough the Emporer, as (assumedly) Anakin Skywalker has always secretly wanted to do.

So I'm still at "why did they change the conversation?" What purpose does the new dialogue serve that the old dialogue couldn't? We still see Vader suggesting they keep Luke alive, which is the whole point of that scene.

And when Vader says "I'm sure Skywalker is with them," it's not that I think everyone who hears him assumes Vader knows Luke is his son; it's that, since no one makes a big deal about it, it makes it seems like it's common knowledge. "Yes, of course Skywalker being on that planet would be reason enough to check it out, he blew up the Death Star, Vader must be mad!" If this is so, if even most Imperial Officers know about Luke Skywalker's name at least, then can't we assume that DARTH Vader would have heard something about it? And thus, can't the Emperor assume that, too?

(For the record, this may very well be the nerdiest conversation I've ever been a part of.)

I think I'll be called a hypocrite for this but... You all are analyzing it way too much. I never sensed anything wrong in the dialogue.

You're absolutely right...I'm probably getting a bit carried away.

But come on...we shouldn't even have to analyze this, it made perfect sense in the first place. I guess I'll remain confused...hopefully until Episode 3 comes out (though I don't know what they could say to explain it.)