I would argue the tension is released when the stormtrooper is killed. Who the guy is after that shouldn’t keep the audience concerned.
This. Keep in mind the flow of the whole scene in the context of everything else. (This is a film after all, not a series of clips. debatable depending on who you ask…)
Tension begins to build with the gang on the move running in danger, rises to a peak with a Stormtrooper catching them… and then releases with getting rescued. Who is under the mask isn’t really supposed to be a suspenseful thing, we know he’s good because he helped them out.
Him mentioning Leia sending a transmission doesn’t detract from any hypothetical suspense either. He could be lying or it could have been this whole thing of Leia didn’t know this old friend of hers turned evil and sells the gang out. Just like a DJ character or something, whatever.
Also I just wanna add, Leia sending Lando a transmission can work with the both ideas that he was already on Pasaana or that he was not. I personally also prefer if he wasn’t doing a Luke 2.0 (he was just keeping low and wearing a mask around the galaxy.) Keeping the line about recieving a transmission helps out that headcanon by giving it more of an explanation, so hey.
I don’t know, I don’t really see the point of removing this one line. It really doesn’t change enough to be worth it to cut, so what’s the point. Just leave it be.