Roughly two and a half years after its first season aired, Star Wars Andor, the fiercely political collection starring Diego Luna who reprises the function of Cassian Andor he first performed in Rogue One, has returned for its second and remaining season. Overseen by Michael Clayton director Tony Gilroy, the present has an uncommon launch schedule this season: every Tuesday for the following few weeks, three new episodes will drop.
This week’s premiere, which kicked off the season with its first three episodes, gave us masses to speak about, and left us excited to see the place issues are going to go from right here.
Ethan Gach: Cassian Andor has by no means felt extra relatable to me as when he obtained into the cockpit of that new prototype tie-fighter and couldn’t determine how you can cease it from defaulting to inverted controls. Realizing he would hit “skip” at first of each recreation’s tutorial as properly appears like an essential window into his character.
Carolyn Petit: That was a wild and enjoyable second, one which made me need to play TIE Fighter once more! (I used to be fairly confused as to why Cassian hadn’t gotten coaching on how you can fly the rattling factor beforehand although, however this wound up being defined later.)
And what I really like about that entire intro sequence is that I feel it really works as a form of microcosm of what makes Andor such a compelling and sensible present. It has “enjoyable” moments which might be uniquely Star Wars however they’re supported by storytelling that basically foregrounds the political battle that has all the time been current within the collection.
Proper earlier than that scene with the TIE, Cassian speaks to an Imperial technician who has aided him at nice private danger to herself. She asks him a really affordable query: “If I die tonight, was it price it?” He offers her a lovely reply, one that features the phrases, “You’ll by no means really feel proper until you’re doing what you’ll be able to to cease them. You’re coming residence to your self.” It’s so true, I feel. So many people are struggling proper now with the potential danger concerned in standing as much as the malevolent political forces in our personal world, however on the identical time, not doing one thing means shedding ourselves as a result of we’re not being true to our personal ethical core.
Andor is aware of that performing in solidarity is gorgeous and that generally folks need to make some horrible sacrifices. And it confronts us with all of this a couple of minutes earlier than giving us the virtually comical motion of Cassian attempting to come back to grips with the rattling ship and mowing down heaps of stormtroopers within the course of!
Zack Zwiezen: It was a extremely robust begin to the present that immediately reminded viewers of what Andor is basically about, confirmed us how a lot he has grown in a yr, and in addition allowed the collection to incorporate a enjoyable Star Wars journey of stealing a TIE Fighter and barely escaping. Excellent opening to a brand new season. Different writers and showrunners ought to take notes.
EG: That second with the technician is without doubt one of the stronger scenes in your complete opening chapter (first three episodes) and an essential aspect of humanity that type of underlies the entire challenge and grounds it, which is that even the large unhealthy galactic empire is filled with folks simply ready to be tipped over the sting into rebelling.
For each collaborator there’s somebody prepared to abandon. The opening episodes actually do an amazing job of teetering forwards and backwards between hope and despair, not simply due to the insurmountable odds but in addition due to the grim, darkish, and even immoral sacrifices made to try to even them.
CP: That’s proper. It doesn’t attempt to scale back or simplify issues morally or in human phrases, one thing Star Wars, a collection that’s broadly about good vs. evil, “mild” and “darkish,” has arguably achieved at occasions prior to now.
In reality Andor is all about acknowledging the complexities, the fact that solidarity doesn’t all the time imply working alongside folks you’re in complete ideological lockstep and excellent concord with; generally it means working with folks you might have fierce disagreements with about some issues, however you’re aligned on one key precept or objective and also you let that be sufficient.
There certain are some terrible folks within the Empire, although; I proceed to notably detest that smarmy bureaucrat Syril, as an example.
And I used to be stunned to see, in what I feel is a primary for Star Wars as a collection, Andor referring to how the fascist oppression of teams of individuals and sexual violence in opposition to ladies traditionally go hand in hand, with that vile Imperial officer Krole making an attempt to rape Bix. It was chilling, however I feel Andor’s critical dealing with of its subject material earned it the proper to go there.
As for these “immoral” sacrifices you talked about, what can I say? I really like Luthen, and his willingness to do no matter he feels defending the Revolt calls for. Him telling Mon Mothma “How good for you” after he principally tells her, in his coded method, that he’s gonna need to take a sure legal responsibility out of the image and she or he acts like she doesn’t fairly perceive what he’s saying is such an amazing second, solely made higher by her attempting to lose herself in booze and music proper afterwards as some a part of her struggled with the painful realization that her dedication to this riot had ethical calls for that went past even what she’d beforehand imagined.
ZZ: I additionally cherished the best way Andor continues to point out that the riot wasn’t some completely organized group of individuals all on the identical web page within the struggle in opposition to the Empire.
Watching that ragtag group of rebels break into arguments after which get right into a protracted stand-off was an ideal reminder that a part of the issue you face when combating large organized fascist empires is that you simply are inclined to have lots of various folks and concepts attempting to work collectively. And that may trigger individuals who ought to be on the identical aspect to activate one another
I additionally assume it’s attention-grabbing that for a present named Andor, he’s not that massive part of the primary three episodes.
CP: Yeah! In that sense, these first three episodes did really feel a bit like set-up, placing Cassian himself to the aspect a bit so they may each concentrate on laying the groundwork for Mon Mothma’s arc (I proceed to be so impressed by the complexity of Genevieve O’Reilly’s efficiency) and with a view to plant the seeds for…one thing (ahem) to occur on Ghorman in a while.
ZZ: Man, O’Reilly’s efficiency in that is so good. Who may have guessed that the actress George Lucas picked to play Mon Mothma—primarily as a result of she seemed so related—for a number of scenes that had been largely deleted from Revenge of the Sith would go on to be so unimaginable 20 years later.
Additionally, they need to completely add that scene again into Revenge of the Sith. It’s a great scene and it might join the films to Andor in a enjoyable method for folks going again and re-watching them post-Andor.
CP: It was actually cool (in a horrifying method) listening to these Imperial propaganda consultants discuss concerning the methods wherein they manipulate galactic opinion about Ghormans by leaning into and perpetuating unfavourable stereotypes, one other factor that Andor takes proper from the historical past books about how fascism works.
And I do assume these three episodes efficiently generated suspense round Cassian’s absence, along with his buddies (and, after all, poor B2EMO!) feeling the stress rise as they awaited him. I do hope he will get to decisively shift right into a extra outstanding and lively function with the following three episodes although!
EG: Let’s discuss that wedding ceremony.
CP: NIAMOS!
ZZ: DJ DROIDBOT! I used to be impressed and loved that opening “oner” shot that walked us by the folks on the wedding ceremony and revealed Luthen on the finish.
EG: Think about having a number of principals on set to movie on the identical time!
ZZ: Think about having a set that massive!
CP: And discuss distinction. Superficially there’s the glitzy dancefloor, the wildly costly statue, the efficiency of pleasure and celebration, however all of the whereas there are such high-stakes political dimensions at play, and we actually really feel Mon Mothma working to remain targeted on her political targets that are a lot bigger than herself, at the same time as she’s coping with the very actual ache of a daughter who receives her coldly.
It’s grand and intimate unexpectedly, balancing the human and the political dimensions very successfully which I feel has lengthy been a talent that units Tony Gilroy aside.
EG: She’s attempting to create a greater future for her daughter who may be very content material to reside her comfy life below the Empire.
CP: Sure!
EG: In the meantime she’s offered out her childhood buddy for being within the midst of a late-life disaster.
I additionally favored the delicate look her husband offers her when she’s drunkenly dancing, like “Lastly she’s doing what all of us need her to do, simply shut up and have enjoyable.”
ZZ: Sure, that second together with her dancing and her husband watching caught out to me. This can be a aspect of Mothma we’ve by no means seen earlier than. Even the actress mentioned in a behind-the-scenes video that after doing that she realized extra about Mothma. And I feel all of us did, too.
Now, for a component I didn’t like: The dying of massive man Brasso.
To be clear: I don’t thoughts the present killing characters. This can be a riot in opposition to an evil empire. Persons are going to die. However I feel it was simply achieved actually sloppily. I wasn’t even certain what occurred. It was a uncommon second in Andor the place I felt just like the path simply didn’t work. I used to be confused by the second. Wait he’s useless? How? When? He was shot? I feel? I don’t know… didn’t work for me.
CP: Agreed; as a personality, Brasso deserved to exit higher (or no less than extra clearly) than that.
ZZ: I get that the perhaps the concept was, “Hey, look, heroes like Brasso can die simply as randomly as nobodies.” Certain. Effective. That’s a great level. I get it. However yeah, what a complicated dying for an superior character.
EG: Brasso had worse luck dodging blaster hearth than the Jedi mowed down by Order 66.
ZZ: Too quickly, man. Too quickly.
CP: The whole lot else concerning the scenario Brasso, Bix and the gang endured there actually resonated although.
I like that Andor is a present that, on one hand, we are able to write enjoyable lists of Star Wars Easter eggs about, and on the opposite, retains providing direct parallels to how precise oppressive and fascist governments work.
The language the Imperials used about them being not simply “undocumented” however “unlawful” had me eager to scream “Nobody is unlawful!” on the display screen, and Gilroy and co. are completely not being shy about making these connections as express as doable; that fucker Krole says one thing like “The Councils want the assistance or there’s no harvest. The assistance is undocumented,” driving residence how migrant employees which might be completely important to industries like agriculture are sometimes focused.
In the meantime, one factor I assumed was actually enjoyable: the informative video about these spiders on Ghorman. It had the texture of the sorts of government-produced academic movies I’d generally see in school in elementary faculty.
ZZ: I cherished it! But in addition, I’m undecided why Krennic confirmed a lot of it. Perhaps he actually likes spiders!?
One thing I actually appreciated concerning the assembly with Krennic and the opposite Empire members is how they aren’t all onboard, however others can type of persuade them to be worse. It’s delicate, nevertheless it reveals how these choices can occur. Even individuals who would possibly assume they’re good, with sufficient energy and within the improper place, can conform to some horrible shit. After which they will say, “Effectively, it was a bunch determination.” Or blame it on the Empire and never themselves.
Okay, we’ve talked sufficient about themes and writing and path and so on and so on. Can we discuss that Yavin-4 reveal?!
CP: Completely!
ZZ: I’ll admit it: I made a noise. Andor is a present that so hardly ever does that form of stuff that I squealed a bit. I’m a Star Wars sicko. And I cherished that reveal. I used to be so distracted by what was occurring that I didn’t even discover the very fact they didn’t reveal the planet’s identify he landed on. After which I used to be like “Oh, you bastards!”
CP: I’ve to confess, it was fairly cool.
I’m not somebody who will get enthusiastic about references for the sake of references however this felt earned someway; it’s cool understanding that this seemingly random planet really goes on to turn into a spot of important significance within the Revolt’s future. It appears like yet one more factor that deepens Cassian’s legacy as a personality whose experiences and actions echo on into the long run, even when he doesn’t personally reside to see how.
ZZ: Additionally, I assume the rebels are going to need to kill lots of large lizard pig aliens issues? Perhaps that’s a complete episode. Andor and the gang looking hogs.
(Additionally, pushes up glasses, it’s not a planet. It’s a jungle moon. Come on)
CP: Hahaha my unhealthy! I all the time admire the depth of your Star Wars knowledge.
EG: Deep lower to the principle plot level of Return of the Jedi.
How are we felling concerning the three-episode drop construction? It type of extends the arc of them a bit, and makes for weaker particular person episodes, however a probably extra nuanced and impactful 150 minutes? I’m not absolutely offered on it however I may additionally be too caught up within the excessive highs of season 1 which actually didn’t kick in till mid method by.
CP: I feel it is smart. These first three episodes actually felt like they’d their very own self-contained arc for me, and I anticipate the remaining three-episode drops will as properly.
ZZ: I feel it labored for me too. It principally is sort of a new Star Wars film each week.
I additionally assume it helps keep away from an issue Andor had with some folks in Season 1. That the present was too sluggish or took too lengthy to get to massive moments. Personally, I didn’t love the slower tempo of the primary two episodes of Andor season 1 however the third episode offered me on the present. So I feel dropping them like this helps.
CP: It’s additionally the type of factor that will make extra sense looking back, because the arcs of every three-episode cluster turn into clearer, with every group being set in a unique yr, if I bear in mind proper, as they rely right down to uhh…assist me out right here Zack, BBY 0, is that proper?
ZZ: Technically we’re constructing to BBY1 as BBY0 is A New Hope. It’s bizarre. (And will get weirder while you understand that OBBY and 1ABY are type of the identical time interval however not. Don’t take into consideration these items.)
I’m glad you introduced that up although, as a result of I feel that is the primary time we’ve ever seen BBY present up in a present or film. I ponder how many individuals had been like “What?”
CP: I do know! I used to be stunned to see them put one thing largely solely identified to the die-hards up there.
ZZ: “3 Years Earlier than Andor, the principle character of this present, fucking dies” was Gilroy’s first alternative, I’m informed.
EG: Can they get Gilroy to remake Rogue One?
ZZ: We are able to’t wrap this up with out speaking about Syril and Meero!
EG: Oh proper, that entire factor occurred.
ZZ: I noticed some folks on-line suggesting they aren’t a pair, which appears wild to me. It’s very clear these two are having some actually aggressive and but bland intercourse.
EG: He lives together with her proper?
ZZ: I feel that’s what the present was implying, yeah.
CP: Proper, what do we predict is occurring there? Him saying “We may…faux you’re not again” form of threw me off. Clearly the dynamics of their relationship are…odd, however I believe they’re collectively in some sense.
EG: I’m curious to see the place that entire factor goes. I care zero about his character, so I hope he’s used extra as a foil to deliver attention-grabbing issues out of her or power some surprising developments.
“We may…faux you’re not again” is what JD Vance’s sofa used to say to him.
CP: I feel Syril is fascinating as a result of he’s so loathsome. Only a gross nepo loser who thinks he’s doing nice and significant issues whereas taking a look at spreadsheets. Really a villain for the DOGE period.
ZZ: I feel they will flip. He’ll find out about Ghorman and see it as an amazing factor. She appears hesitant. She would possibly even flip on the Empire and him. Additionally, that second the place she smiles freaked me out.
EG: My favourite scene together with her is after the assembly when she’s strolling again on Coruscant together with her boss and so they present a transparent break up between the paperwork of the Empire and its autocrats.
Competent careerists who need to steadiness the ideology of the challenge and whims of their superiors with really getting the outcomes. Think about if we come out of this entire factor with an tried coup as a result of it’s clear the Demise Star is a extremely dumb concept.
“Push oppressed populaces to the brink to construct large weapon in area” is a reoccurring Icarus second for fascists within the Star Wars universe.
ZZ: I’d like to see a storyline like that. It’s one thing the films/reveals haven’t actually touched on. That the Empire was as soon as the Republic and never all of these individuals are immediately on board with worshiping a melted monster man wizard god and his creepy black-suited tremendous soldier dude.
The comics have touched on how the Empire’s numerous bureaucrats and troopers don’t actually get Darth Vader. Perhaps Vader even reveals up within the present in some unspecified time in the future. He can be the one the Emperor would ship to quash a coup.
CP: I’ve been questioning if that will occur.
I really feel like that would go one in every of two methods. It might be superior as a result of sure, he’s such a strong determine, he looms so massive within the Star Wars mythos and tactically it might make sense, as you say. On the identical time, a part of what’s made Andor so nice is that it largely avoids the form of recurring main gamers from different Star Wars tales. Nonetheless, if Gilroy and co. determined to go that method, I’ll be curious to see how they deal with it!
Earlier than we wrap it up, only one last item: I need to shout out an excellent piece by Aftermath’s Gita Jackson that ran in The New York Occasions a number of days in the past.
They make the essential level that merely watching a present like Andor isn’t, in and of itself, activism or resistance, an essential factor to recollect in an period when many individuals do appear to view “consuming” the proper media as some form of significant act. Andor is in the end nonetheless itself the product of a large company empire. However I do assume we are able to completely acknowledge that reality whereas additionally letting ourselves really feel stirred and impressed by the craft and artistry of what Gilroy and all of his collaborators on this challenge are doing.
I take into consideration how in season one, as an example, Cassian was incarcerated, sentenced for a number of years (really it most likely would have been perpetually) for no purpose in any respect, despatched to a brutal jail colony that supplied, in the end, only one method out. I feel if even a number of younger individuals are struck by parallels like these, really feel one thing stirring inside them, and be taught to know an evil empire after they see one, properly, that will be fairly rattling cool.
ZZ: Andor followers, welcome to the resistance.
However sure, I’m so comfortable this present is again for therefore many causes. It’s excellent. It makes me really feel issues. It comes at an ideal time. And I get to speak to folks I find out about Star Wars for a number of weeks with out them going, “Bleh, Star Wars is so unhealthy/boring/no matter now.” That’s good. So yeah, I feel I communicate for all of us once I say it’s superior that Andor is again.
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