Andor: Anti-f*scist Art

[@VelkanKiador]

You look like Bucky Barnes if he became a dad.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

The Winter Father

[@onlyinsomniac]

I have to know what kind of conditioner Sage uses because it's workinggg

[@_Quzey_]

Dude, gold star comment

[@treymclemore3418]

With even more glorious hair

[@olivierpeartnoy]

Daddy Barnes

[@yoggsaron986]

As a Scottish person, I found the Aldhani arc very interesting. That arc was filmed in the highlands of Scotland. The forced eviction of the shepherds from the highlands and relocation to the lowlands mirrors the highland clearances when the tenant farmers of scotlands highlands were forcibly evicted and forced to the lowlands and industrial cities by the landlords, often violently. This devastated alot of Gaelic language and culture. Even to this day the population of the highlands hasnt recovered.

[@seonaidhkennedy6784]

Part of the brutal process of proletarianisation that formed the working class: people forced from the Highlands ended up in the cities, begging for scraps, with new legislation passed to punish them for being "idle". They were herded into factories and assembly lines. Seeing this stuff leak into Star Wars, which has always had its anti-imperial angle, is so fascinating. And overdue.

[@CemeteryCottagesystem]

i thought that too, the empire could be the brittish empire with jets instead od tie fighters and it would be the same story. I also find it funny when americans say the engineer being " grey and protecting the child" when he only protecting one of his own. never to help the kids and oppressed people, it is a us vs them menitilty and they were the other and the kid were the us also the talk about them being filthy and " smelly " were the sacred sites were discrated is about power. I loved all of it and the build up and the ruin. i want too see more in seasion 2

[@belisarius6949]

​​@@CemeteryCottagesystem The empire literally has posh british accents and most people on ferrix have more working class/scottish accents.

[@CemeteryCottagesystem]

@@belisarius6949 ohh i know it well the *govner/overlord voice we call it. aye many in the house of lords, vicroys of the empire etca talked like that so i was like aye english imperialists. yes they do sound " comman" thats the point that the empire is a class issue too over the middle class and managers of empire vs the poor workers or if you were unlucky work camps.

[@belisarius6949]

@@CemeteryCottagesystem Yeah, the other security officer next to Syril had a very memmorable accent (He also ends up in a smelter haha). I think to symbolize that even despite their position of power, they are still subjects of the empire. They are as much in charge as for example Kino Loy.

[@gunterthekaiser6190]

One thing I like also is how the stormtroopers are not the main ennemy. They fight naval troopers, enforcers, but the only time you see the stormtroopers is when things get out of control and they are unleashed on the townspeople. They absolutely massacre them and you can feel the fear and terror they bring. Instead of being treated as a joking rank and file bad guy, they are portrayed as the crushing fist of the Empire.

[@alphaviki7987]

Definitly one thing I was missing from the other movies / shows. In ep. 4 they only let the heroes go, because it was part of the plan, but a misinterpretation of that + the battle on endor which could have been better portrayed + the children focus kinda ended that feeling about stormtroopers in the process of it being realised. This also finally shows another lesson how to make a good villain: You need to show how dangerous there are or there are no stakes to the story.

[@inkandesk]

The whole show is fighting basically cops, and then the fucking military rolls in and shit gets fucking bad

[@Paulysolo]

I think it's either episode 4 or 6 of Andor when you see the first stormtrooper guarding an air/spaceport. That really won me over.

[@justinstoll4955]

First time since the OT that the Empire is imposing.

[@everburn]

​@@justinstoll4955OT didn't really do storm troopers any justice either

[@jakehorsburgh2878]

Luthens speech to Lommi about what it has cost him is brilliant, “I share my dreams with ghosts”

[@ItWasSaucerShaped]

'I am condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them.' It is a marvelous performance, and a chilling speech.

[@MessiahRamsay]

It’s one of the best moments in starwars cannon. Crazy how many of those moments were in the show lol

[@jennshine8777]

I rewatch it every once in awhile and I get chills. He’s such an amazing actor.

[@LeonardoNicolasNiqqo258]

@@jennshine8777 same lol

[@MrCosmik1]

"I've turned my mind into a sunless space", amazing

[@tcampbell215]

What's also rather interesting about the action scenes is the sense of genuine _threat_ they all share. Every time, it's not "the heroes mow down the baddies" but rather "people are fighting, and some of them will die". Both the narrative, and the characters, act like this is the case.

[@empdisaster10]

With andor you never know whos going to live to the end of the scene, I mean asides from Cassian himself

[@3mi3mi]

Yes. I really liked the scene in the warehouse in the second episode, where the danger was those things falling on them. Simple, realistic but the threat felt real.

[@notpigeonnuwu5158]

and in rogue one with all the morally right characters you feel genuine loss when scarif is blown up

[@mabdinur85]

It just hit me now ... he said it's better to live, eat and sleep to Luthen ... that was a metaphor for the prison life. He saw that in prison he can eat, sleep, and live but the empire had him imprisoned and whether outside or inside of prison the Empire still has everyone in prison. That's epic man, to have an ahha moment weeks after watching the season finale ... that is a good show.

[@waldotheranger3987]

HOOO

[@BugRib]

That's a great observation! 👍

[@jacobdreilinger2508]

Survival is not sufficient

[@kinemajaa]

But he also says "to do what you want", no?

[@sachinaraszkiewicz785]

This... is actually an excellent point that I'd totally missed! Thank you!

[@haydenb123]

Another interesting thing from episode 3 was the corpos said it would take 10 minutes to get to the warehouse where Cassian and Luthen are, and in real time I set a timer for 10 minutes, and the corpos got there in that exact time. Good editing! That's not easy to pull off!

[@joshuasims5421]

That's fantastic!

[@dan-zz5cm]

i bet i could do it i'd just time how long the final warehouse scene took then tell them to say that

[@haydenb123]

@@dan-zz5cm haha!

[@RFC3514]

It's extremely easy. I've done that in a couple of films I've edited / post-produced. You just record them saying a few different times and then use the one closest to the edit you settled on. In one of them we actually just recorded the audio, and didn't show the actor's mouth when he said it.

[@RFC3514]

@@TheCursedCat1927 - What are you on about? There is zero mention of "the producers", and the final sentence of the post I replied to is *literally* "Good *editing!* That's *not easy* to pull off!" It _is_ quite easy to "pull off". It's a narrative decision, not a challenging achievement. Talk about "a whole paragraph of missing the point"...

[@Furore2323]

ANDOR is like the 'finally some good f-ing food' meme given a budget.

[@dieauferstehung]

funny how about some videos that are anti communist, communism the ideloogy responsible for the biggest famines in the world. MAN MADE FAMINES like Holodmor and china famine sickening.-

[@cagneybillingsley2165]

anti fascism is code for communism. and we know what nazi stands for. national SOCIALIST. it's all the same people

[@Furore2323]

Wow so North Korea really IS a democracy!

[@udbhavseth799]

now that's an ascended meme

[@itzel6698]

Haha forgot about that one

[@pinkflame7237]

"The exhaustive period is over" Oof. Now we're in the "It's even more exhaustive, because Andor showed us what we could have instead" era

[@OfficialROZWBRAZEL]

yeah... 😞

[@JurzGarz]

What’s really been out since Andor to make you feel that?

[@pinkflame7237]

@@JurzGarz Mandalorian Season 3

[@JurzGarz]

@@pinkflame7237 A sample size of one isn't exactly thorough. Jedi: Survivor was pretty excellent, for example.

[@chineseobama6043]

​@@JurzGarzjedi survivor has a very mixed story in quality, some aspects and parts are great but others fail to deliver as consistently

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

Andor is the first Star Wars story that feels genuinely interested in ideology, not as a background or dramatic plot- but as the point

[@megpaul8076]

Well said!

[@tormunnvii3317]

Yes, and one of the very few where good Ideology is the antidote to bad ideology. Most of the time, a show about Ideology will just take a centrist perspective and critique all ideology as equally destructive. Andor doesn’t do that, instead it makes the protag’s Ideological awakening a necessary and desirable precondition to his eventual success. I cant believe Disney approved this show! 😆😆 so glad they did tho

[@grantcriddle1326]

Nope- the Lucas stuff is full with ideology- both political and religious at the forefront

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

@@grantcriddle1326 note that I specified “genuinely interested”, the politics of the prequels feels bland and unnuanced, the closest Lukas gets to genuine political exploration is Padme’s line “this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause” the rest feels very, baby’s first political drama- like the background rather than the point.

[@LordVader1094]

I mean the original trilogy and prequel trilogy were too

[@canadianboyd1848]

the most powerful scene in the entire series for me though was when mon mothma looks at her daughter with that haunted fear when she hears what that scumbag proposes for their deal. you see her actually fight with the reality that she’s considering it, and more broadly you see the moral and ethical cost of rebellion. you realize that all these people are forced into positions where they must make choices they themselves don’t agree with because they’re desperate. i think that’s the real cost of rebellion. everything else is acceptable, noble to an extent, but when you’re forced to sacrifice your own conscious for others, that’s when you realize the true cost.

[@maxs.1880]

Yeah, didn't Cinta say something like: "the rebellion comes first, and we take what's left. That line then got picked up by Vel when she meets Mon and later again by Mon herself. It shows very well how everyone has to pay a high price for a greater good.

[@steelresilience]

Luthen told Mon, "If you're not willing to sacrifice your conscience, you're not ready for rebellion.) Or something like that.

[@shoe7ess2]

It really fleshes out what was originally mostly black and white, rebels versus empire. At least with Rogue One, (not saying it was great, but it's probably the only Disney SW movie I really like), the movie really hammered that fact in with: Andor, _almost_ following the strict order to kill Jyn's father regardless of the contents in the message to Saw, Andor killing his ally because his injury meant he couldn't escape after killing the storm troopers, rebel ships killing Jyn's father's crew (as well as her father) when they lost comms with Andor, etc. It feels like the "Andor-verse", to me anyways, really helped blur the lines and show that it's not as simple as it was portrayed in the Lucas era (though, back then the Kurosawa influence was sort of the point, good vs evil and all that).

[@henryprice3432]

Im late to the party, but to add on I think its even worse than that. Her daughter likes the old ways of Chandrilia. Her daughter might be fine with an arranged marriage, But Mon was forced into one and clearly regrets it. She’s forced to choose something for her daughter that she knows that the daughter will end up hating but probably be ok with it now

[@charlesphilips2045]

All I want for Christmas is Nemek's complete manifesto, in a fine leather-bound, pocket-sized journal. Nemek was the one for me, in a cast of absolutely brilliant characters.

[@Commander_Shepard.]

It would be ironic if Disney sell Nemek's manifesto as merch.

[@MD-yd8lh]

@@Commander_Shepard. ahaha

[@mickiemallorie]

I would bet the Giroy's wrote it too.

[@sophied.1647]

So many instant classic characters... Nemek is already iconic, and he was but a small part in the show.

[@dawoifee]

Way to revolutionary to be sold by Disney.

[@devinosland359]

You know how good Andor is? I throughly enjoyed it even though I completely forgot that Andor was a character in Rogue One. I didn't know this was a sequel, I thought it was a stand alone story and I never felt lost and always enjoyed myself. Only now watching this video where he mentions Andor's story in Rogue One did I realise they were connected

[@benjaminroe311ify]

It's a prequel

[@marcriba7581]

Same happened to me, even though Rogue One was my favourite Star Wars experience I recalled in a cinema.

[@FoxdevilswildUnic]

I went into it because I love Rogue One and it just made me bawl my eyes out at every turn because I knew he would die soon with the way he chooses. Whole series murdered me.

[@kobaltmyst8074]

​@@FoxdevilswildUnic i mean, not soon.. hes still got 5 yrs

[@Hoju3942]

"Never more than twelve." floored me with how much was communicated in a single line. I binged the whole show the other day, I don't know how I would have handled having to wait a WEEK after seeing that.

[@Markel_A]

Waiting a week after that... it was something

[@hoos3014]

It was tough

[@TomTasker]

it was rough.

[@frappes_]

That was a rough ride waiting each week, but the euphoria that came after watching had me laughing like Luthen after Aldhani, and crying like Mon after deciding to betroth her daughter.

[@jayhartRIC]

I was so excited I binged the first 10 episodes waiting for 11

[@vasari9198]

When Andor is being transported to prison, Diego Luna’s acting is extraordinary as he shows pure terror.

[@victorperezurbano9504]

Diego Luna is such a great actor

[@motan7864]

@@victorperezurbano9504 they are all excellent

[@rocker00000]

I also think it is more then just terror. At first it's pure shock at the situation and absurdity/irony of him surviving the heist, getting paid, getting to a vacation planet, only to be immediately thrown in jail for essentially no reason not even jay walking.

[@Kairac112]

Andy Serkiss perfectly incorporates what prison institutionalisation is all about

[@FilmsStuff]

Andor being made in the Disney+ Machine is like if Chernobyl were somehow made by the CW. A genuine masterpiece of television, everything that could've gone right, went right.

[@shanefoster2132]

Wait, it's that good? Like, I should get Disney+ for a month to at least watch this show?

[@jonathanlin1000]

​@@shanefoster2132 it's almost so good that I would buy you, a total stranger, a gift subscription just so you could watch it. I'm not quite that nice, but yes, it is utterly worth signing up for D+ just to watch this show.

[@minerman60101]

@@shanefoster2132 Yes, if you think the slow pace, low focus on laser battles, high focus on dialogue and character interaction sounds good to you. Although you could wait for season 2 to come out two years from now

[@thenewapelles6448]

​@@shanefoster2132 It's a solid 9/10. I didn't find myself constantly questioning the show's logic. BOBF and Obi-Wan suffered from a lot of narrative problems (as did The Mandalorian, to a lesser degree). Andor felt cohesive.

[@SwagSwagSenate]

@@thenewapelles6448 9/10????? LIES DECEPTION ITS A 10/10

[@BernardLangham]

Did you notice that the prison structure Andor is locked in is literally built in the shape of the Imperial ensignia? it's a Panopticon, which i never noticed until this series. Brilliant.

[@simonpantermuller6997]

And when the prisoners escape from it, it looks like it was bleeding

[@jimmyjohnson1870]

Omg, I had no idea. I'm too unintelligent to be radicalised.

[@dylanjwagner]

@@jimmyjohnson1870the MAGA movement is evidence that statement is untrue. Just have to ensure you’re not blindly following emotions and actually looking for empirical evidence for what is real.

[@abhinavpatil759]

It's especially delicious that the mechanics of the prison make it the anti-Panopticon: where in the Panopticon they have made it so you are under constant threat of surveillance, on Narkina 5, they *don't even need to be watching*. The prison practically regulates itself. Pure genius.

[@Dradeeus]

One of my favorite parts was when Mon Motha chooses the "peaceful" artifact over the sword at the store, but after some troubles, returns it. She's offered the sword, and she takes neither. It's a way of symbolizing she was beyond pacificism, but not ready to escalate things. Also I'd say it's on purpose that you never really learn what they're actually making in prison. It's probably supposed to feel as pointless and detached as possible. Edit: People have pointed out that they do, in fact, show you what the things they're making in prison are for in an after-credits scene I missed. Thank you!

[@frapuz]

Well, we did learn what they were making in prison, and I lover they waited that much, it's an even more powerful reveal

[@caseys6536]

Watch the after credits scene. The reveal is perfect and horribly tragic.

[@Dradeeus]

@@caseys6536 I actually didn't know that there was post-credit scenes in these shows, so thanks.

[@haraberu]

@@frapuz It's Death Star parts, isn't it? That's what makes the most sense from a narrative symbolism perspective.

[@hllyenaylleth9576]

@@Dradeeus Star Wars was greatly inspired by symbolism, Joseph Campbell admired the movie for some of the symbolisms in it.

[@Milan-tp4wc]

I think my favorite thing about Andor was it did have references. It just referenced the smaller aspects of the lore such as the Rakata or the Ghorman Massacre. Andor didn't feel like a rejection of the lore, it felt like it was made by star wars fans who wanted to make a new story.

[@redbloodcell4047]

Maybe the references felt earned and relevant rather than forced, like they have been up to press. Plus the details are small enough to be mistaken for fresh lore.

[@fritzophrenia3146]

Tony Gilroy has explicitly stated that he's had nothing to do with those references, they're all the "art department" and he doesn't know anything about them ... Which I think is why they work so well, because all those little nods only serve to flesh out the world and provide easter eggs to those who are looking, while someone who hasn't played KOTOR isn't going to know or care who the Rakata are, but them being mentioned isn't going to detract from the experience. The story is complete without the inclusion of fan service, even though it's there in very tasteful amounts

[@joshuasatterwhite9520]

Shoutout admiral Yularean and Star Killers armor

[@anqareliouth2921]

Hopefully one day KOTOR will be canon again.

[@walrusArmageddon]

My biggest takeaway from the show: this is the first time I have never wanted to live in star wars. You can see why everyone hates their lives under the empire for once, you cant even enjoy the beach without being arrested. Even in the most grime episodes of Clone wars, I was like "it'd be kinda fun to hang out at that clone bar Fives goes to", but with this show, no thanks.

[@URProductions]

Can't go to the beach without getting arrested? Reminds me of the lockdowns.

[@dqarqeer8603]

@@URProductions 😑

[@dqarqeer8603]

@@URProductions 🤓

[@peterrobinson2780]

@@URProductions bro missed EVERY point of the show smh

[@itsd0nk]

@@URProductions Declaring that capitalism MUST continue on as usual, even if it means a half million extra people will die as a result, is the definition of fascism. This is why the same people that wear swastikas and stormed the capital are the people that couldn’t stand lockdowns to curb a deadly virus from spreading and overwhelming hospitals. The empire would enforce that everyone MUST go into work despite a disease plaguing and spreading amongst everyone, while hanging the scientists who try to enlighten the population about the safety concerns in the town square.

[@KevinJennissen]

It kind of feels like Andor was the first piece of Star Wars media made for adults.

[@Shoegaze-]

Why do people even act like they are fans?? There are dozens of pieces of media a lot more or equally as mature as Andor. There are the comics, the games, the later seasons of clone wars dealt with conspiracies and politics. Even if you are talking about the “canon” or Disney media there are the original movies and rouge one. Or do you mean aligns with your ideology and weird biases when you mean “for adults”???

[@KevinJennissen]

@@Shoegaze- Sounds like you've got a lot of background thoughts on this topic that you might be projecting onto what I said, but you've got a point. What I meant by this comment was not to disparage other Star Wars media. I simply meant that this was the first Star Wars thing I've experienced that excludes children as part of its target demographic. I would disagree that any of the video games or movies (with the possible exclusion of Rogue One, good point) aren't also made for kids. I've not read all the comics, but I think you're right about that one too; I've definitely seen some that are squarely not targeted at kids.

[@Dominis.]

Episode 9 with "how many guards" was the best thing I watched all year

[@PixlPlayer]

That one line was a masterclass in setup and payoff. Didn’t hurt that it was Andy Serkis that delivered it

[@radiusone216]

The prison episodes were great. I loved the look of the prison and it looked a little like the George Lucas movie, THX 1138 with the white uniforms and cells. I also weirdly really wanted to stay in somewhere that looked like the cells as I thought they looked like some sort of higher-priced room at one of those "capsule hotels" that can be found in Japan or could also be the sort of design that would be perfect to have in a train as a tiny personal sleeping/living compartment. Obviously living in them full-time would be rough, but as a very short stay compartment for travelling I really wanted to try it out for a few hours. I'm not that bothered by food a lot of the time either so having a tube of paste that is purely just to sustain you and you can add your own flavor seemed ideal.

[@HiHi-lt1cb]

"Never more than twelve"

[@trbz_8745]

In the last episode, in the riot scene on Ferrix, when that first pipe bomb was thrown and we cheer for the rebels knowing full well that they are "terrorists" in the eyes of authority, that's when I knew that this show had truly done something special.

[@leshacke1041]

Do you think we live a fascist regime?(this is a genuine question)

[@investoroncoke]

The shows finale is reminiscent of the Berlin wall falling

[@sydssolanumsamsys]

@@leshacke1041 who's "we"?

[@leshacke1041]

@@sydssolanumsamsys people living in a developed country

[@sydssolanumsamsys]

@leshacke1041 im all but certain you'll think I'm a lunatic for this, but all capitalist nations are a bad 5 years from fascism. the US in particular has had a bad ~7 years and could be fascist by 2025.

[@larkstonguesinaspic4814]

Watching Andor as an Iranian in the middle of the current revolt against the Islamic Republic was very interesting. It's a PERFECT depiction of what life under a totalitarian dictatorship is really like, and fighting against them feels like. Even some of the dialogue in the series are things I hear daily in streets of Iran right now. Some scenes were actually difficult to watch. Like when Brix's boyfriend gets shot, or when she gets tortured. That shit is happening for real, in even more violent manner in Iran right now.

[@MehrdadNsr]

Okay, this was the last place I expected to find a fellow Iraninan! 🤣

[@larkstonguesinaspic4814]

@@MehrdadNsr مگه ما استاروارز نمیبینیم؟؟

[@raniakassim]

Iran's government is not totalitarian. Too incompetent to be even if they tried. And the revolt failed, sadly. Mainly because no viable alternative was offered. What was the plan? Chanting "Down with the government" and stabbing Iranian police officers to death is all well and good, but what happens after if the government suddenly collapses? What is it going to be replaced with? Ask 10 Iranians what they want to replace it, and you'll get 11 different answers. They have no idea of what their preferred government would look like after, how it would be organised etc. Just shows a lack of any political maturity or ideology beyond shallow social media buzzwords & slogans. At least in 1979, the revolutionaries had books/tapes discussing their ideology, their beliefs, their planned system of governance etc which they had to spread secretly through networks of trusted sources across the country to get people on board nationwide. There was a plan. There were leaders. Thinkers etc. Not just torrents of shallow 2 minute videos with a few words and pictures spread on instagram and twitter. It's called "Slacktivism" for a reason. All the protesters are offering so far is chaos and destruction for the sake of it. Burn it all down and hope that the outside imperial powers like the US, who are like barbarians at the gate, that have been besieging Iranians with brutal sanctions will not use the power vacuum to their advantage, foment civil war and eventually balkanise Iran, like they've been hoping for. If you're looking to imperialist media outlets like Disney to inspire your revolution, you're gonna have a bad time. Are Americans overthrowing their tyrannical government any time soon based on Star Wars? No. They are The Empire. And the will continue to stand by and let their empire plunder the earth, because they mildly benefit from being top dog and they dont want to lose that benefit. They didnt care when Iran was brutalised by US government sanctions to the point people died from lack of medication. As much as they virtue signal now about caring about the plight of Iranian women, they didnt care that these sanctions put millions of Iranian women into poverty. Going further back, they didnt care when Saddam Hussein invaded and tried to annex Iranian territory. In fact, they armed him with chemical weapons to use on your countrymen. A million dead because they were arming Saddam to the teeth. These people dont care. Their elites certainly dont care. If you think one of the biggest corporations in the imperial core is producing content like this to inspire revolution, and consider it some sort of guideline.....your revolutions in trouble.

[@febosxyz1778]

stay strong brother, you have all my support from Italy, just know, you are making history books now, and know that one day your children will admire you just like how I admire my partisan greatgrandfather. Stay strong, the night is the darkest before the dawn ✊

[@userJohnSmith]

Go get em. Stay safe.

[@rigololi]

About what the prisoners were building in Prison: If you watch the post-credit scene at the end of the last episode, you can see the droids carrying the same large cross-like pieces to embed them in what is revealed to be the Death Star. So Andor was helping build the super weapon that he eventually destroys.

[@BlapwardKrunkle]

That he dies destroying.

[@newrecru1t]

The last bit about Luthen's speech paralleling with Kino's subconscious thoughts? Also pairs nicely with the other Andor in the show, Marvaa Andor, whom also burned herself for a tomorrow she'll never see. Andor is truly one of the most remarkable pieces of Star Wars to come out and it's strange to think Disney actually approved of this.

[@LOLatvid123]

I love that her ultimate fate was to be turned into a brick that- a) Is an important part of Ferrix’s culture, similar to Aldhani’s eye ceremony. b) Was used to bash multiple fascists’ heads.

[@BenjaminRodriguezReyes]

@@LOLatvid123 I really loved that bit hahaha this show made me genuinely cheer for a brick

[@samuelcarter2624]

And the whole theme connects with Cassian Andor eventually dying stealing the Death Star plan. It’s all so fucking meticulously connected I love it

[@Owesomasaurus]

Marvaa is so incredibly unbelievably based that she had to die so she wouldn't take over the entire goddamn franchise.

[@Advent3546]

Andor was the massive sigh of relief the franchise needed

[@odin_191]

@GiRayne I agree with you that Andor is definitely an outlier. But hopefully this will inspire Disney to bring in more great screenwriters to make something in the Star Wars universe, even if they're only miniseries (because, after all, you have an entire *galaxy*'s worth of content to work with). I think if they keep up a streak of making shows like Andor AND shows like Kenobi they satisfy both sides of the fanbase, which has been something they have been struggling with for every piece of SW media post the original trilogy.

[@1.11-y1z]

@GiRayne play more pc star wars games. Lucasarts deserves

[@Crowley9]

While ironically being the most tension-filled Star Wars I have ever seen.

[@stevensmith7791]

Seriously! When Boba, Kenobi, and Andor were all announced, Andor was the one I was least excited for by a mile. But fast forward to now and boy was I wrong. Andor is exactly what the franchise has been needing.

[@hamhockbeans]

Just compare Andor to the Ewoks movie. Talk about night and day.

[@bryand7667]

One of the many things I loved about this show was the thematic ties to the original trilogy. You can draw a straight line between everything andor thinks about the empire and Luke's line to the emperor in Ep6: "your overconfidence is your weakness". This show expands that line and shows it, rather than tell it.

[@CRF250R1521]

wow nice catch!

[@itsd0nk]

Yep. Hubris from total power. It’s what brought down Rome, the British Empire, the US during Vietnam and subsequent wars, the Titanic, the Hindenburg, and Elon Musk.

[@Axterix13]

@@itsd0nk Well, the Hindenburg isn't quite that. It was supposed to have Helium, not hydrogen. Except escalating tensions led to the US embargoing Germany from certain strategic resources, and that included Helium, which the US was the main producer of. Also worth noting that we tend to think of the Hindenburg as a Titanic level disaster, but only 35 people died, out of 97 on board, plus one extra fatality on the ground. To compare that to a few others: the British R101 lost 48 of 54, both a higher total and a higher percentage. Then there's the USS Akron, with 73 of 76 dead, though many of those drowned after the airship crashed into the ocean, rather than as a direct result of the crash. And, of course, the French Dixmude, with 50 out 50 dead, after a lightning strike caused it to explode, mid-air.

[@andromededp5316]

One of the things I really liked about Andor was how it focuses on the regular people a lot, and it really makes us see why the rebellion is worth fighting for. It single handedly improves every other element of the franchise by showing us why the characters on the screen do what they do and why they decide to take arms against the empire

[@scelonferdi]

Honestly, regarding fan service, Saw Gererra in Rogue One is how to do it right. They wanted to include an extremist type rebell and someone came around saying we already have someone (from story group iirc) like that in TCW. So they used him. If you need someone or something to serve a certain purpose, looking for what already exists in that vein is the right move imho. You don't have to reinvent the wheel and it's a nice way to tie what you're doing into the existing universe.

[@RudeAndObscene]

Honestly Saw Gererra is the perfect character too. He's Vader for the Rebels, a man who has fallen into rage and grief due to the loss of his loved one who was a moral compass for him. Over time, he's slowly been more and more corrupted until he has become what he swore to destroy.

[@CABRALFAN27]

Saw has honestly been one of the best parts of the new canon. We see where he starts and we see where he ends in TCW and Rogue One respectively, and you can pretty much track his progression with how other media has showed him at different points along his path from Point A to Point B.

[@fluffywolfo3663]

Another interesting thing about Andor's fanservice - there's much, _much_ more than just the blue milk in there. There's the fact that it canonizes KOTOR by mentioning the Rakata, there's Andor's Bryar Pistol, Saw Gerrera, Mon Mothma - but you don't need to know _anything_ about any of that beforehand to get maximum enjoyment out of the story. All that stuff I just mentioned has plenty of its own relevance, so it feels natural. Like the Rakata. It's cool if you know it, but you really don't _need_ to know the crystal's intricate backstory. Cause the crystal has a lot of relevance to Luthen's wealth, how it signifies Cassian as an outsider and mercenary, how it spurs on the rift between him and Skeen... It's how I think fanservice and referencing the Expanded Universe of a work should be. It's not a main course, it's more of a condiment that can enhance the meal as needed.

[@CptApplestrudl]

The interrogation scene with the headset was brilliant. It had lovecraftian class to how the "unfathomable horror" was described only by what effect it had.

[@diiod]

that was my favourite scene in the show. it was so incredibly horrifying

[@quantummidget]

And, the lack of actual sound gave brilliant meme potential.

[@bowietwombly5951]

Also the extremely powerful metaphor of the empire encountering a species that can force empathy out of potential attackers in order to avoid harm, and not only being completely unphased at an institutional level, but then weaponizing this deepest call to common humanity (for lack of a better word when talking about aliens) for acts of almost unimaginable inhumanity. Reminds me of the quote from Assata Shakur: “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” Hard to imagine a better representation of that then what we got in Andor. Seriously an incredible show.

[@GravenAshes]

Actually Andor does have a few pretty intentional Easter eggs namely references to the Rakata and the planet Belsavis, both elements from the old republic games. The fact that most people missed this including sage tho shows that Andor does fan service and Easter eggs well. A moment of excitement for die hard fans without confusing non fans and getting in the way of the story

[@benjaminroe311ify]

Yep and "are we in on Wobani run?" A few more things like that. Not obvious. If you know you know kind of stuff.

[@KarazaBasilea]

And the place where Luthen sells artifacts. The fun thing is, it's all stored in his art store and he uses it to distract the empire from his fight against them. If this was intentionally made to say: f*** you Disney! then it's even more impressiv.

[@dziooooo]

And the reason behind the rebellion colors. Red for the Daughters of Ferrix. Orange and white of the prison uniforms.

[@sugoruyo]

It’s fan service but, like anything else Andor does as a show, it’s done intelligently and not in your face.

[@Keithustus]

@@sugoruyo "worldbuilding" in Star Wars is the fanservice that normies don't notice and feel left out about for not recognizing.

[@rahhar3785]

And I love the show's depiction of the capture of Andor. It wasn't for anything, it was accidental and petty. Just shows that even if they don't get you for rebelling, they will find something, anything. As long as fascim and its oppression exists it will find a way to get you and it's petty and basically shit luck. It was a nice touch

[@lomiification]

Well, they'll get anyone for nothing at all, and nobody will care

[@joshuasims5421]

While the empire was so desperately looking for Andor, they didn't know they already had him in captivity, because they had so carelessly thrown him away.

[@mechanought3495]

It's the rebuttal to "You have nothing to fear if you've done nothing wrong" in regard to police-states.

[@rahhar3785]

@@mechanought3495 100%

[@omegaham5433]

​@@mechanought3495 The thing that I really appreciated was the disparity between the Imperial ideal (Dedra & Friends in their clean boardroom ruthlessly but intelligently pursuing the Rebels) and the reality for the trillions of sentients under Imperial rule. For those trillions, the drunk corpos and rubber-stamp judges sentencing everyone to life sentences of slave labor are the real Empire, not the stormtroopers and ISB. Totalitarianism cannot even police itself; it is inherently unable to prevent its own corruption.

[@MoovySoundtrax]

I am so ready for the tidal wave of Andor video essays

[@sophied.1647]

YES.

[@fiore1394]

RIght?! It has well and truly begun. Here's a quite good one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5nKiYuemLWEe68

[@Despair505]

I've already watched like, 4 in a row and I'm eager for more

[@VaQm11]

😄

[@sunsetsimon]

One thing about the Skeen arc that is also important to Cassian's reaction is that Skeen lied about his brother and how the Imperials possessed and flooded his brother's land. Andor's loss and search for his sister in contrast to Skeen's lie is one of the reasons here why he takes the shot beyond the other moral reasons.

[@boretr0n]

I still think he did it to survive. Take him up on the deal? High chance of getting backstabbed and killed later as a loose end. Stalling/refusing him? Sure way to get skewered right there and then. He just took the safer option, like when he murdered that cop

[@stevepittman3770]

I disagree, and the scene in which Andor shoots Skeen is one of my favorites in the whole show. Let me break it down a little.. First Skeen shares his plan with Cassian - obviously he's been thinking about this for a while, but ya know, who wouldn't? But it's just talk, and I think Cass, still in 'fighting the empire is futile I just want to live my life' mode, might even be a little sympathetic to it. Then Skeen reveals that he has a hide-out picked out. Ok, this is a bit more serious, this suggests that Skeen has been doing more than thinking about it, he's been working out how he'd pull it off. Here you can see Cassian starting to be a little skeptical of the idea, of Skeen specifically, but still he does nothing. Finally, Skeen starts talking about what he's going to do with the money, the kind of life he's going to set up for himself, and it's here that Cassian realizes this isn't just a pipe dream, this isn't a half-assed idea this guy cooked up for if the opportunity arises. He's already been dreaming about what he'll do when he has the money, and that means that he's been doing more than just working the details out in his head, he's already gone through the planning stage and is anticipating the rewards - Cass realizes Skeen has no compunction against killing the others, that he will kill everyone without remorse if that's what it takes to make that dream come true. Cass realizes in that moment that Skeen is already planning to kill them all, and so the only reasonable response is to kill Skeen first to preserve his own life, even if he doesn't actually care about the others (but he's definitely started to care about them a little bit.) The lie about his brother is part of it obviously, it tells you what kind of person this guy is, tells you that his motives aren't as noble as the rest of the crew, but I think it's really the realization that Skeen has already worked out how he's going to kill everyone that is the final nail in the coffin so to speak.

[@wafflingmean4477]

@@stevepittman3770 The scariest thing about Skeene to me is that he might have been lying when he said he wanted to split the money with Kassian and run. To me that came across as Skeene testing Kassian to see if he'd be willing to screw the rebels over or sell them out. I think he was waiting for Kassian to agree and then Skeene would have been the one to quickdraw a blaster. Instead, Kassian pretended he hadn't quite decided yet and he shot first. But at the end of the day it's impossible to know.

[@stevepittman3770]

​@@wafflingmean4477 I didn't get the impression that Skeen was testing Cassian, I think he felt like he had better odds dealing with the rest of the crew with him than without and then figured he could easily kill Cassian down the road when he wasn't expecting it. Skeen made it pretty clear where he stands in regards to the other members of the crew when he said 'Oh I'm a rebel, but it's me against everyone else', and I think part of the reason Cass shot first is because he knew that if he agreed with Skeen's plan he was going to have to be watching over his shoulder even if he got away somehow.

[@Onderon87]

I was rewatching Andor yesterday and I noticed another "punishment" for Syril. During the scene where he gets briefed on his new job at the bureau of standards, you can see a mouse droid going straight towards Syril and he is the one who has to step aside to avoid collision. It's almost like Syril is such a loser that can't even get recognized by the most humble droid.

[@Jessie_Helms]

Andor also has excellent use of referential props _that make sense._ Andor’s blaster is the same exact one used by Kyle Katarn in the Dark Forces/Jedi Knights series and Luthan’s gallery featuring a treasure trove of canon and legends references alike are great examples of this. But there’s no one going, “Oh Cass! It’s so cool that you shot that storm trooper with your K-16 blaster!” In the show itself

[@isaac3140]

Funnily enough all of the reference props weren't ordered in by Gilroy, it was the art team who did it behind his back. It was that subtle, very cool.

[@brandonphipps_PP]

Props and art design teams fucking crushed it in this show

[@JanSenCheng]

Kind of halfway between prop and cameo, but Andor being arrested by the KX droid is wonderfully done. Star Wars prequels are absolutely littered with "X pair meet here" scenes (Like, all of Solo was basically that), so a pretty big part of me expected this to be that meeting between Andor and K2SO. But no, the droid's just a droid arresting Andor, and never shows up again. I fully expect we will be getting Andor and K2 meetup some time in the future seasons (we know the show is planning to cover all the time up til Rogue 1), but to me, that bit was a pretty hefty rejection of Star Wars' self referentialism.

[@jaywingate187]

@@JanSenCheng not to mention the droids in that scene are genuinely creepy. Unnaturally tall and slender, strong, and acting with a sort of base sadism. Given recent news about police departments wanting to utilize drones and robots in policing, it was kinda eerie to see a familiar droid being used as mass produced robocops.

[@user-vp9lc9up6v]

@@jaywingate187 Currently robots can't be used in the same capacity of a terminator that can 1 v 10 a bunch of crack addicts under a bridge unless you strap an explosive charge to them... I can see the robots that are being brought into law enforcement as a new chance to protect mentally ill people that are often brutalized by impatient and apathetic cops

[@tombot64]

No Alien chacters but the dogs on Ferrix? How could you forget the squiggly fishermen, the prison killed all their squiggles near and far. Great video :)

[@user-vp9lc9up6v]

I guess he meant aliens that aren't humanoid to a degree where you'd need CGI

[@Appletank8]

@@user-vp9lc9up6v While understandable to keep costs down on what is probably an expensive show to film, I'm a bit sad at the diversity of the Star Wars universe and the Rebel Alliance being put to the side a bit.

[@schroecat1]

@@Appletank8 I think I'm on the other side of that position. Having more aliens would take away from the fundamental humanity of the story in favour of fan service and/or visual appeal. Sure, in a story about authoritarian oppression, there are definitely statements about racism which can be made and which would be well illustrated through the use of alien characters and showing the horrifying way that the Empire treats them, but the reason Andor works so well is because of it's laser focus. Broadening that focus wouldn't have served the story or its message.

[@Appletank8]

@@schroecat1 Sure, but if its just humans, then it loses a little bit of its aesthetic distinctiveness to me. The Star Wars IP has a toolbox filled with an wide variety of options but this only uses a handful. Like buying a mansion only to use a single room. Andor does very great things with its single room, but it still bugs me.

[@mrmanolomax7328]

@@schroecat1 Part of the big symbolism in SW is that the empire is ALL HUMAN while the rebellion is a mix of people of all kind of different spices that joined under the ideal of figthing for something better. The only place we see that, probably due to resources being put in the most important places, is with Saw Guerrera. Anyway, loved the show.

[@Volcarion]

"wonder why every frame of the prequels got meme'd" "the prequels describe how democracies get infiltrated by demigogues and power hunger people use young men's confusion on their place in the world to get more power" I think you answered your own question there. George never claimed to be good at writing character dialogue, but damn if he didn't have a message and a will to send it out

[@tofuteh2348]

the prequels may have those themes but executed on them poorly as if a preschooler wrote it

[@scottfitzpatrick1939]

I love the way you articulated fan service. When a story becomes so self referential that there is no longer a self to reference. I understand the marketing success behind the concept but as a fan you just get so tired of sitting through it. Fan service, post credit scenes, and easter eggs have become the fart jokes of modern writing. :(

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

Very much why I didn't enjoy the latest Spiderman film. It felt like it was entirely fan service with little substance, despite the potential for a good story

[@sophied.1647]

You absolutely nailed it with that last metaphor. Totally gonna use that again.

[@dawoifee]

Actually it is way more enjoyable if you don't consume the entire internet backnoise of every franchise. Most people don't get all the Fan service outside of this internet bubble I used to be a part of. Just ignore it and roll with it. It will become way more fun this way.

[@MichaelCasanovaMusic]

@@WerewolfRiver I think the difference is that a lot of the Easter Eggs in Andor are lesser known and background items rather than just being like "HEY KIDS REMEMBER LUKE SKYWALKER"

[@dieauferstehung]

funny how about some videos that are anti communist, communism the ideloogy responsible for the biggest famines in the world. MAN MADE FAMINES like Holodmor and china famine sickening.-

[@afriendofepicproportions]

'The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.' After seeing a platter of f*scist memes delivered to me on Facebook each day (by my groups making fun of the original posts of course), this line gave me some mental ammo against the modern resurgence of the idea that people need to be violently controlled to conform. And this show gave us the best clapback. We've needed some strong, anti-authoritarian quotes as of late.

[@Nikelaos_Khristianos]

Here, here. 👊 When he said that, I genuinely said to myself, "It also requires the people to be completely apathetic to their own suffering." Like look at how the West reacted when the war in Ukraine first kicked off, that was (and still is) a real-life demonstration of how apathy can be taken as consent in the eyes of tyranny.

[@Slurptacular64]

@@Nikelaos_Khristianos loads of people from western countries flew over and volunteered to fight on behalf of ukraine, and a multitude of countries sent billions in actual money, military aid with supplies, ammo, guns, anti-air weaponry etc. This is apathy how?

[@Nikelaos_Khristianos]

@@Slurptacular64 Bru! That was not a universal reaction, nor was it instantaneous. The West started piling on the aid when they realised that there was a moral high ground to be won, Russian expansion could be stopped and only after Ukraine didn't fall within a week. Don't forget how reluctant France and Germany were to send aid. Nor the fact the UK admitted less than 50 refugees in the first month alone. Absolutely, lots of independent people have gone over to help on the ground. Lots of humanitarian movements. But there are even more people all over who are fence-sitters, claiming that there are two equal and legitimate sides to this war who want to ignore how much fucking genocide is going on in Ukraine right now by Russian hands.

[@MrRawrCEO]

@@Nikelaos_Khristianos I think it's fair to say that the international response has surprised everyone by how much big it was, but that's mainly because everyone is so used to apathy that ANY degree of cohesiveness is shocking. Nonetheless I agree with your criticisms and I'm scared of people losing interest.

[@Nikelaos_Khristianos]

@@MrRawrCEO That's the truly scary part, if people lose interest and become wholly apathetic after everything that has happened, then the moral high ground is forfeit. The whole point of responding at all was to send a clear message that this type of war cannot be used to establish a precedent. If it is allowed to, then the existence of international law literally becomes pointless if it can be circumvented by sheer brute force by a genocidal lunatic. That for me, is the scariest part.

[@hian]

Despite the lack of fan-service, Andor's visual story-telling and shot composition is probably the most consistent with the Lucas Trilogy since Disney took over the franchise. Pay attention - every episode is loaded with "ring shots", characters framed by large spherical arcs, patterns on floors, doors, gateways etc, which was a huge thing in the Lucas films. Rather than overt fan-service for fans whose ideas of being serviced is getting props and characters, Andor is full of service for fans who loved the more subtle visual iconography and camera work of the Lucas trilogy. No, I'm not joking. Look for it. Characters are endlessly framed by circles in every episode lol.

[@mistahnuke]

agreed, it's more kurosawa esque

[@jackiepike1466]

@@mistahnuke And in this respect, it paid better homage to George Lucas than anything else Disney produced...

[@aleczanderruggles7419]

The entire prison arc is a reference to THX 1138 one of George Lucas‘s first movies

[@calliph]

And the fan service they did engage in was way less "look look! It's the thing!" The tie fighter pilots getting into their ships for example. We have the stunning backdrop of the eye with the closeup of the classic pilot outfits and little knobs and shit. A perfect mix of the new and old.

[@Ruylopez778]

Shaky cam in Lucas' movies? Names of planets on screen? Devoid of proper action and humor?

[@GTanya07]

Andor is 10/10 from cinematography, writing, characters, acting, even their fashion are literally perfect 💯

[@RFC3514]

The middle episodes drop in quality a bit. I remember episode 5 in particular having a lot of poorly framed shots and dodgy edits. Same director as episode 4 (which wasn't brilliant but was mostly alright), though. Reminded me a bit of S02E04 of The Mandalorian (also noticeably weaker than the other episodes).

[@biovmr]

I was actually looking forward to Andor, primarily because Rogue One was my favorite film of the franchise. Once I began watching Andor, I realized I would NOT need to put on my 12-year-old-mindset to enjoy this one. This series IMHO is worth half the Disney+ annual subscription by itself. Three cheers for excellent work on this video... Thanks very much.

[@GTanya07]

same, Rouge One is my fav of all franchise and Andor literally the TOP series even one of the best series outside Star Wars saga

[@wallycola5653]

I loved this series. It's one of the first pieces of Star Wars media that feels like it was written by an adult

[@euronimo34]

Agreed Skarsgard's monologue is literally the most well written part of any Star Wars script.

[@bainbonic]

To be fair, if memory serves, this is the first Star Wars show aimed at adults, or at least an older audience.

[@Kriae]

and not trying to sell toys

[@andyb1653]

@@Kriae They weren't, but I'd buy a Lego "Fondor" in a heartbeat. edit: Or Mon Mothma's car. That'd look nice on my shelf too. With a minifig of Perrin and his silly haircut.

[@GermanOlle]

Sad Timothy Zahn noises. :(

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

What I love is that Luthen's gallery was basically a shiny trove of easter eggs to force fans to pay attention to what was happening in those scenes. And I say this as someone who actively had to contribute to the algorithm by writing about the easter eggs. At the same time, there are a few "easter eggs" that are made more into themes that I adored. The refrain of "climb" throughout is about Cassian and other rebels taking a leap of faith and rising up against the empire, while also calling back to K2SO's last words to Cassian.

[@belisarius6949]

The easter eggs are also very neat and often obscure. Like a Gungan Energy Shield, or the DLC evil path armour for the game Force Unleashed. Or Luthen mentioning the Rakkatans. This will pass over 90% of the people, this is stuff meant for Star Wars nerds, and as a star wars nerd that makes me feel seen and validated.

[@animore8626]

@@belisarius6949 Also one that I couldn't help but like was the Bryar blaster pistol that Cassian used. Having grown up on the Dark Forces games, it hit close to home a little bit.

[@peterpan1886]

@@belisarius6949 It also features Padmé's headdress from her visit to Theed in Episode II, which actually ties in nicely with Mon Mothma's doomed struggle to oppose the Empire in parliament. To quote this scene from AOTC: "The day we stop believing democracy can work, is the day we lose it." This perfectly sums up how the senators are leaving during Mon Mothma's speech in the senate. I think season two will feature her switch from parliamentary opposition to extra-parliamentery opposition, thus becoming the public face of the rebellion.

[@Oddman1980]

One thing I noticed in Andor, is they sort of depict how something that is badly designed by the lowest bidder can cause big problems. In one of the prison episodes there is an easily broken wall, which is coupled with an electric floor that apparently has no drainage.

[@colinmorrison5119]

When Vel spoke of the Aldhani highland clearances, while filming on location in the Scottish Highlands, which were cleared in exactly that manner, I may have gasped. Ferrix is very much a Star Wars equivalent of a British working class town (damp, red bricks). I wouldn't be surprised if the final episode was based on when Thatcher crushed the miners' strikes in the 70s/80s.

[@felicitys3621]

And the fact that Fiona Shaw is an Irish actress who radicalizes the people

[@MrTIMPOSTER]

@@felicitys3621 Tony Gilroy said he wanted that scene to be part New Orleans funeral, part IRA funeral...

[@colinmorrison5119]

@@MrTIMPOSTER Do you know where he said that? The IRA caused a lot of suffering in my country, they were utterly barbaric. Their funerals weren't/aren't musical, but there were usually men in balaclavas with pistols and paramilitary uniforms. I don't see a resemblance.

[@silentgnome]

@@colinmorrison5119 History is not binary, stop thinking black and white.

[@radiusone216]

Do you know roughly when this happened? Was it around the time of the industrial revolution where more people were essentially economically forced into the cities?

[@freazeezy]

I love how Andor doesn't ignore anyone in the empire. In any other star wars show Syril (rent a cop) would have been forgotten about after the botched capture. I expected him to disappear and was surprised when he didn't. Because the show doesn't ignore the threat he is. He's pathetic, he's only barely competent enough and he is a dyed in the wool loyal fascist. He is careening towards something. He's gonna crash into someone and it's very tense waiting to find out who. I also want to nominate Syril and Dedra as the WORST couple of the year with a standing ovation.

[@Relugus]

Syril is not a fascist. He is obssessed by justice, he is an outsider, tormented by a narcissistic, nagging mother. Order is the only thing that sustains his life. He is not aware of the things the Empire is doing, and its very clear to me that he would be horrified by what they were doing if he knew. He is all about justice. He sees Andor as a criminal. As many have pointed out, he is the Javert to Andor's Valjean. Dedra is the actual fascist.

[@Slurptacular64]

@@Relugus unfortunately, as complicated as it makes things, the way someone is classed in their political ideology doesn’t, or shouldn’t, just depend on what they believe, but how they act. You’ve listed REASONS for why he does what he does, but not beliefs, and his actions show that he is perfectly fine with enabling and allowing fascism with enthusiasm at times. This makes him a fascist, even if he isn’t going into it thinking “I enjoy this fascism thing we have going”. Its the same as the whole banality of evil thing that is shown throughout and talked about so much when talking about ww2. You could describe 85% of nazi’s how you described him just now in your comment. But they WERE nazi’s. Someone’s reasoning or excuses for doing something inform their beliefs sure, but so do their actions and INACTIONS, as is seen here and in history.

[@Angrenost02]

@@Slurptacular64 Your logic would make every single cop, security guard and soldier in the world fascists.

[@SGresponse]

@@Slurptacular64 Regulus already says what Syril believes in: order and justice. His firm belief is that justice is above everything. But he views justice as "upholding the law". He is Tunon the Adjudicator personified. You have a serious need to reject Syril and brand him as a Nazi. You dismiss his beliefs in lawfulness as not a belief, because it's not Nazi enough for you. You have the audacity to call it a "reason" just to make sure. In D&D terms, Syril is a paladin. Pure Lawful Good. He rejects the notion that the two security guards that Cassian killed in E1 had it coming. They were security, thus they were upholding the law, thus even resisting them (nevermind killing them) is unlawful, thus it is EVIL. Let me restate that: *Syril is Lawful Good* And I suspect the main reason you want so desperately to undermine his belief system is that you cannot fathom an antagonist to be this way. Or maybe it's to alleviate the gut feeling, that you might relate to him in some way - but he's Empire, he's Nazi, he HAS TO BE EVIL, amirite? Syril's problem is twofold. First off: his belief in Law And Order does not leave any room for nuance ("Lawful Stupid" they call it). In another setting he'd be the uptight cop paired with our antihero protagonist who constantly nags about warrants and proper use of sidearms, while the protagonist Gets Shit Done. Yes - him exactly - without ANY change to his specific character. His second problem is that he is not in that setting - he's a proxy (corporate) enforcer to an authoritarian regime. He will do things by the book, but the book was written by sociopaths. His failure to see the rot of the Empire just makes him lack a moral spine and in fact *his whole arc is growing a moral spine*. He starts seeing that rot everywhere around him. He hits the rock-bottom of self-loathing not when he comes back to mama's but when he needs that rot (nepotism) to survive. He despises the rot and concludes that being By The Book is not enough - you have to go above and beyond your line of duty to be a truly moral person. But he is by that point already obsessed with Andor and that twists his actions to focus on one spot instead of seeing the broader picture. And that's where Dedra comes in - she is the Angel to the god of Seril's Holy Book Of Law. His feelings are truly platonic - as the feelings of a true paladin should be. He clings onto her desperately, because she is the only person he finds that actually fights the rot. Competent, driven and unwavering. Yes, he will go for Andor still, but my belief is that for him Andor slowly becomes the means to get into the ISB and serve, truly serve and uphold Order and Lawfulness. And then he will work together with his Angel to "restore Peace and Order throughout the Galaxy"

[@gabeinthebox]

@@SGresponseThat was a great response 👏🏽

[@AlexWhyte139]

Andor finally went places that I've personally wanted Star Wars to go for ages. Brilliant stuff from start to finish

[@RoguePlutonia]

it makes me more confident in using darker themes in my SW fanfic

[@samuraipizzaman]

The Chant of "ONE WAY OUT" has stuck with me harder than any other anti-f*csist slogan. I loved this show so much

[@LauraPlatt]

I'm in the rough, mid-recovery stage from some serious surgery I needed to get quite suddenly earlier this year, and when I started watching Andor I was not at all expecting how genuinely hopeful it would make me feel. I haven't enjoyed too much Star Wars because I've felt it can at times feel lacking in depth to the writing, but the significance of the idea of everybody having "their own rebellion" against seemingly infinite unjust systems really moved me. You articulated your thoughts on the series beautifully!

[@orion0915]

The part where Luthen and Saw are talking and Saw lists all the other Star Wars-world ideologies that he is competing with was so cool to me. It just baffled my mind that they would get that explicitly political and identify Saw as an anarchist

[@drobinka]

It's just like in real life you have dozens of versions of socialism, anarchism and communism and it only divides the movement because of petty differences (excluding tankies which are no different from imperial scum).

[@orion0915]

@@drobinka Amen on the Tankies, comrade

[@Winward87]

Good thing Saw ends up dying and can’t bring the evil that is anarchy to fruition in the galaxy! Mon Mothma does a much better job of guiding the Rebellion

[@orion0915]

@@Winward87 Libbed up Shawty

[@Winward87]

@@orion0915 Try English instead of gibberish if you want to be understood.

[@Krooow118]

My favorite thing about Andor is that soldiers actually use cover and infantry tactics. Unlike in almost every other show where everyone stands in the open and shoot from the hip

[@sudevsen]

And the troopers aren't bumbling idiots with poor accuracy.

[@kman1893]

They finally made stormtroopers and imperials threatening and not brain dead cannon fodder

[@soapbroker0095]

There are 3 military advisors credited for the show, which is pretty awesome

[@Keithustus]

@@kman1893 Same with TIE Fighters. If you're not a Jedi and even ONE of those things is nearby.....fuck everything else going on.

[@CableAnna]

In ep 6 the Eye when it’s all over and Cass is talking to Skeen and Skeen is like “You and I are the same, you just care about yourself so let’s just take all the money”. I’m pretty sure for him it was like looking in the mirror and being horrified that “after all that, am I just like this heartless douche?”. Then he kills him in a bit of a panic decision from not wanting to be faced with the reality of that self-reflection. So good! Great analysis btw!

[@Sbart75]

That could be part of it. Also: he doesn’t entirely trust Skeen. And he doesn’t want to be partnered with him, certainly not on the run from Luthen and his crew. If Cassian splits the money with Skeen and runs, *he’ll be looking over his shoulder the rest of his life, fearing for Luthen to get him.* And you’re right that he’s probably just punting down the road him grappling with his own moral greyness.

[@vikingchad44]

Tension. Yes. That's how I always describe Andor. Tension. The tension is why its pace is never boring. Masterpiece.

[@BrianBullington]

The other word that kept popping up in my mind was "suffocating" in terms of the Empire. Other Star Wars did a pretty good job of establishing the empire as a military threat. But this one did such a great job of establishing the day to day threat to the civilian. Do you know if you can trust your childhood friend? Do you know when they will check your bank account? Do you know if who you meet with is being tracked? How risky is it to have your friend's back? How much force can be brought against you at any time? Who would know if you are arrested? The show does such a great job of establishing the empire's presence in every room to really make resistance feel futile (to cross fandoms) and impossible. The other thing that is interesting is that what makes the enemy a threat is not only their power, but their competence. The Empire aren't bumbling fools, for the most part. Our hapless police man actually did a decent job. In 24 hours he basically solved what he saw as a cop killing, put out the right APBs to get a tip, vetted it, mobilized, and would have arrested Andor had he not unexpectedly run into an accomplished rebel who boobytrapped the meeting place. The intelligence officer was clever, saw patterns where others missed them, put together a compelling case, and essentially laid out an outline for the actual spy network. She was brutal and evil, but very good at her job. I find media where the enemy is super competent to be quite compelling, and builds that tension you were talking about.

[@victoriagill1588]

The music was spot on for tension too. That high cello, like the Chernobyl and Joker. I actually googled if Hildur Guðnadóttir did the music when i heard it. Intense stuff.

[@NealHoltschulte]

I felt like the Mon Motha actress was going to give me an ulcer.

[@jhamod556]

😂😂😂

[@SplitGoose]

lol Andor was definitely boring

[@summerstarr3446]

First, your hair is amazing. I'm so very, very jealous. Second, I really loved how you spoke about Cassian's growth through each arc and how he grew from someone who wanted to keep their head down and remain unseen and out of things to someone who was down to fight the fascists. I also enjoyed how you spoke about the community of Ferrix because for as dirty and as grimy as that place appeared, man - talk about a place I'd like to live. They *knew* each other. Brasso took time off work early to check on Cassian's mom. Bix had her own shop and still had time to have a life. They were able to send out an early warning that the cops were snooping around, they held the funeral at their own time with their own numbers as their first real act of resistance because they weren't about to let the Empire dictate their grief, and they were willing to throw down for their neighbors. Everyone had work gloves; everyone knew where everyone lived; and their ancestors were all around them, giving them protection from the elements even as they were baked into the town's foundations. I loved how this show highlighted the good that a tight knit community could do and bring forth. Also, if you told me a year ago that MON MOTHMA'S FAMILY LIFE would have me holding my breath at times, I'd have laughed 20 lbs off because there was absolutely no way that was happening. And yet. Here we are.

[@kamau506]

you should mention the irony of Nemik literally being crushed from the weight of Emperial capital.

[@two_owls]

Could you explain the irony here?

[@MM-vs2et]

@@two_owls The irony is Nemik is by far the most ideologically inclined against the Empire in the show. He is the revolution personified in one person, and its ironic that the personification of that revolution is physically crushed by the Empire's money, when the revolution itself is going to struggle against the Empire's money not physically, but financially or intangibly. I think irony is not quite the best word describe it, I would use something like twisted metaphor.

[@ProdCritic]

@@MM-vs2etLove the comment, this isn’t needed but figured I’d clarify it anyways 🤷 In the text, Nemik’s death is situational irony. In the meta it’s symbolic

[@Stoddardian]

@@MM-vs2et Brought to you by a )ewish billon dollar corporation. So stunning. So brave.

[@prollymarkus]

@@Stoddardianone of those words wasn’t necessary…

[@edgarroman-rosa2480]

33:56 Nemek equates his manifesto to the navigational device. The very same one that he used to guide their ship through the Eye and allows the heist to succeed, even as he was DYING. There are layers atop layers of each symbolic moment in this show that makes me cry sometimes.

[@johnmccarron7066]

My biggest joy with the look of andor wasn't trying to find Easter eggs, But the indication of how clearly the filmmakers wanted to stick close to the filming conditions, or the appearance of filming conditions, surrounding New Hope. I love the small little appearances of items that belong in that movie, but honestly, what gets me more is the Seventies style haircuts. To me that's the difference between an Easter egg, and an homage or ambience. It's not there to get a wink reaction from the audience, but to sell the setting.

[@messigoat1062]

It’s amazing how you did such an amazing and thorough analysis of this show for 50 minutes and yet there is so much more to talk about. You didn’t even get to touch on Luthen, Mon Mothma, or Saw. Just goes to show how amazing and deep this show is

[@odin_191]

Fr - why is no one talking about Mon Mothma!!

[@Getwright-]

Even Bix, who in a lesser show might just be the throwaway side love interest, got some really interesting and heartbreaking story elements with her frustration and loyalty to Andor and The Buyer .

[@Aon_Duine]

@@odin_191 Mon Mothma was so cool in this show!!!

[@doodmonkey]

Andor, even outside the Star Wars universe, was one of the best TV stories told in a long time.

[@jennshine8777]

So this past year I finally watched all of the stars wars movies for the first time. I had seen the force awakens and the last Jedi. But when we finally got to the mandalorian and andor. They instantly become some of my favorite Star Wars media. It’s all well crafted and I enjoyed it a lot. So yeah I agree!

[@jhamod556]

😂 how

[@GTanya07]

true that, I'm not even a fan star wars franchise juat movie lovers, but because Andor (literally only Rouge One I truly enjoy of entire star wars saga), I watch other Star Wars series like Mandalorian

[@TheCursedCat1927]

@@jhamod556 Because it doesn't relly on empty nostalgia, and makes you want to see more of the new characters introduced in it. Because it doesn't waste the tropes that it sets up early on, and gives you actual satisfactory outcomes of said events (example: we keep getting little drops here and there, that Maarva is willing to do anything to keep Ferrix safe, and hell - at the end, her Mologue is probably the strongest moment in the entire Show). Because it actually works well with the Story, that it sets up. Because it keeps things going, while not doing much - it keeps the tension, without outright telling you "oh this will happen now." Because it keeps the viewer interested in how the Story will unravel. Becuase the characters depicted in it, feel real - they have realistic motivations and go through on them. They aren't 1-dimensional cardboard cutouts, that are the same all the time - they evolve and develop in various complex ways, in real time in front of the viewers. And I could go on...

[@dukejohnson1956]

@@GTanya07if you like andor and rogue one you should enjoy the original trilogy as well

[@dxjjw]

I rewatched Andor after finished Ahsoka and the level in quality in basically all departments is night and day.

[@Keithustus]

Screen Junkies / Honest Trailers said: "Andor ruined Star Wars by showing how terrible the rest of it is."

[@3dartxsi]

Considering how explicit Andor was in it's messaging, I'm frankly surprised that it was even allowed to be made.

[@ExternalDialogue]

"They dont care enough to listen because they dont need to"

[@ViciousTheDesolate]

Why? LARPing as anti fascist and a socialist is very trendy and these days. Not surprising megacorps are moving in to explicitly capitalize on it.

[@MichaelCasanovaMusic]

Why? It's not like right wingers are famous for media analysis that they'd notice. These people spend 40 hours a week being an Imperial Stormtrooper and think that they're Han Solo.

[@ericgabrielbautistajaimes9187]

Is like in that movie of Cantinflas when they said that the politicians go to theater to see movies or plays about politics and they don’t realize that the movie is making funny of them

[@RigelOrionBeta]

@@ExternalDialogue I guess you could say Andor is self referential in this aspect 😂

[@MichaelSmith-zo3tf]

A brilliantly-written and executed piece of observation and critique! Excellent work! One piece that I wanted to add onto in the Andor - Skeen - Nemik triangle: Skeen and Nemik are each trying to convince Andor of their respective positions: Skeen the self-invested cynic and Nemik the selfless idealist. The idealistic Nemik is crushed by the unsecured pallets of credits (capitalism) during the heist escape. The cynical Skeen is killed by Andor when Skeen tries to convince him to sell out his morals and comrades. Soon thereafter, Andor is given Nemik's manifesto, and only takes his share of the money. It's a well-crafted arc! My partner is a big (if slightly jaded) SW fan, and I'm very much not for many of the reasons you articulated in the opening of the video. So when my partner told me about Andor, describing it as a sort of neo-noir while also praising the very same things you did, I was curious. For him to recommend it to me - knowing that I wasn't keen on SW (I did like Rogue One) - had me willing to give it a shot and I'm glad I did: neo-noir, heist, subversion; intrigue, and more. This clicked buttons for me that I didn't expect it to click. Andor is a show that has something meaningful to say. A clear perspective; a stand. And it comes from a franchise that I thought had long-since divorced itself from anything resembling it. It's an excellent piece of television and I'm glad my partner told me about it because I never would've crossed paths with it otherwise. Just goes to show the importance of giving something a chance: it may just very well surprise you.

[@sentientslimemold]

To expand a little bit -- Skeen died because he could not express solidarity and was only in it for himself. If Nemik died from the weight of capitalism, Skeen died from a lack of class consciousness.

[@GregoryJohnson-l1g]

Another way of phrasing the skeen nemic thing is that they were killed by the things they didn't care about. Nemic was literally killed by money, skeen was killed because of ideology.

[@itsd0nk]

Nemik getting crushed by capitalism and Skeen getting killed by someone he tried to trust is a really nice catch. They both got killed by the forces they were fighting against. I didn’t fully catch that. I did appreciate how the idealist (Marxist) got killed by a pallet of money on first viewing just as pure irony, but did not consciously pick up on the triangle between those three characters. Damn, this had some great writing.

[@OlleForsberg]

Bush getting a standing ovation to the sound of Duel of the Fates is wayyy too scary.

[@coleG112]

"...with thunderous applause." hits all too real when you put it in the context of real life speeches.

[@skidmoda]

Agreed sounds like today's president. It is kinda a cool mirror on how that mentality exist still to this day. "If you don't agree with me you're are ist/ism..(fill in today's insult). Wish this show came earlier, I am sure it would've done much better.

[@christianwise637]

​@@coleG112 That line from Padme was literally going through my head when watching that clip, it's honestly chilling

[@pennyforyourthots]

@@skidmoda I find it so ironic that you're using the current president as the comparison, rather than the previous one. Like don't get me wrong, Joe Biden is still part of the system of oppression, but he's not what's being described. In reality, Joe Biden is the Weimar Republic/corrupt republic senator. He pays lip service to democracy and freedom, but is ultimately still a part of the system that maintains those behaviors. The people he calls out as racist, sexist, etc generally ARE those things, but his problem is that he doesn't actually care, he only points it out so far as it benefits him. This isn't contrast to somebody like Donald trump, who more greatly fits the "if you're not with me you're my enemy" archetype. Any Republican that isn't in his camp as a traitor, anybody who doesn't want to bring about his 1950s version of America is umAmerican, anybody who was straight or cisgendered is a groomer, etc. Joe biden's problem isn't that "anybody who disagrees with him is an ist/ism", but that he doesn't believe in anything. He will just as quickly agree with Donald Trump as he would Bernie Sanders if he thought it would benefit his political career, it just so happens that right now it doesn't. Joe Biden is a boot licker, but Donald Trump is the boot. Their allies despite the appearance of opposition, and to both of them the people are the enemy.

[@calliph]

I was laughing pretty hard during that scene in this video, because yes, the American War machine is the empire and George Bush was fashy piece of shit. It's nice to be reminded that not everyone drank the kool-aid.

[@jimmyjohnson1870]

I loved Nemik's Manifesto in Episode 12: "Freedom is a pure idea... The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it's so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks. It leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear." His message of struggle against certain defeat resonated with me, and is what I interpreted as the primary point of the show, given that we know Andor won't live to see the empire overthrown. To struggle against oppression is enough.

[@shaunm6383]

The metaphor of a child's smashing his toys together definitely fits for these shows.

[@thenewkalpa]

Yeah, Filoni went overboard. I still love all the shows, but ones like Mando and Boba played it too safe (kinda what the fanbase has always wanted, despite how much they complain about repetition). One of my actual biggest gripes with Mando is Grogu, since he's basically already inherently the one of the biggest fanservice (i.e. Yoda 2: Cute Edition) inserted right into the first episode of Mando, and his main appeal is his cuteness. Narratively, Grogu is kinda of a deadend. I could be wrong with how his overall story will turn out, but he still is largely fanservice.

[@PixlPlayer]

I’m pretty sure John Favreau has said in interviews that tha basically what he’s doing. Playing with action figures with an unlimited production budget

[@ZachBobBob]

The creators of those shows literally say that that's what they're doing

[@dawoifee]

@@thenewkalpa Grogu would have potential if he would age like a human from now on. But if he needs another 50 years to become like a human 12 year old you can't develope him into a meaningfull character within the livespan of Mando or any other established character.

[@dieauferstehung]

funny how about some videos that are anti communist, communism the ideloogy responsible for the biggest famines in the world. MAN MADE FAMINES like Holodmor and china famine sickening.-

[@michaelbonet9062]

Something that I love about the setups in Andor regarding characters who lead the rebellion knowing the won’t see the fruits of their labor is that we all know Andor takes on a suicide mission in Rogue One and never sees the end of the rebellion. This was the kind of video I’ve been waiting for on Andor. So many others are about Easter eggs like the security camera and they’re uninteresting.

[@colleennewholy9026]

Andor collided with James Cameron's words about my people, the Lakota. You see, James Cameron essential victim blamed my ancestors for "not fighting hard enough". But as from what my father and other family has passed on (oral history. Get over it), my various ancestors who did fight. Suffered the knowledge that they were fighting a losing battle But they did fight for their future children, grandchildren and so on and so forth. My family comes from Survivors of the Wounded Knee Massacre as an example. They willfully gave up their weapons, and followed all the instructions the Calvary gave them. Because they were tired. But then that whole thing with Black Coyote happened and well... But I'm still here. My grandparents resisted cultural genocide to pass on important ceremonial songs, my father endured beatings and punishment. So he could teach me Lakota when I was a child Resistance comes in many forms, and we're still here to fight. Even though we do not have weapons

[@kairandbellinger1973]

Well said and thank you so much for sharing and speaking the truth about the relationship between our holywood story tellers and our cultural story tellers. Again thank you for speaking your truth and sharing a piece of your history. A blessed moment

[@lolfps-]

Bro you are surviving not fighting

[@RFC3514]

To paraphrase Da Shi in "The Three Body Problem": "They said they will crush us like insects. Well, insects were here long before us, we've been trying to crush them for millions of years, but they're still around."

[@ClicStudio]

James Cameron is disgusting for saying your people didn't fight hard enough. It's crazy that someone should be expected to be stronger than their opponent because they're "the good guys". I hate this world we live in, but i hope you'll continue fighting, I hope one day some won't have to live what your father and grandparents lived as well as all of your culture and I hope some won't have to live in a world of hate some day. have a great day

[@haute03]

✊🏽

[@wither5673]

the monolog by Stellan Skarsgård gives me chills every time i see it. he IS what the rebellion is and what it represented. also rogue one was the best star wars film we got in decades.

[@jhamod556]

I have to agree with you yes rogue one was actually a good film do I really did not like this TV show it was very boring and the fact that they had AK-47s in it instead of laser blasters was just blew my mind😂😂😂 but there were some scenes and some good actors in it that I just loved but I felt like it was the same old thing going to the empire still something and then it just got boring more boring

[@rikk319]

@@jhamod556 You do know that all the original Star Wars weapons--Han's blaster, Stromtrooper rifles--were made with surplus World War 2 weapons, right?

[@jhamod556]

@@rikk319 no I didn't know that and it still wouldn't change the fact that the guns are not supposed to look like modern or guns from planet earth lol. It's a space fantasy inn in space fantasy you need futuristic laser or plazma guns anyting but what I have at academy. Even if I was okay with the AK-47 the show was still lazy boring and now looking back I don't even remember what the hell that TV show was about. It's sad because all the other series and movies that came out or so bad but yet I still remember scenes and how stupid the plot was that they were still more rememberable and this story

[@rikk319]

@@jhamod556 Huh. Here's an education, then: The E-11 blaster used by stormtroopers was based on the Sterling Mk.4 submachine gun. The design of the modified DL-44 blaster pistol owned by Han Solo was based on the 7.63-caliber Mauser C96, an early and successful automatic pistol that was used in World War I and World War II. In 1970s Europe, there was still a ton of World War II - and older - surplus gear and firearms kicking around for cheap. So Lucas and his prop people got what they could find and afford and proceeded to cut down barrels, hack off stocks, glue parts from one gun or piece of machinery on another, and they almost always added a scope to the top, even if it was facing the wrong way on a pistol. Using an AK-47 for a Star Wars gun isn't bad--it's using one of the core principles in Star Wars prop design.

[@MechanicalShockwaveBow]

​@jhamod3025 that's how star wars prop guns have always been. Hans DL44 is a mauser

[@nalidhardstyle8551]

I think they needed to train audiences to notice they were using accurate numbers I'm fight scenes. I'm so used to there being infinite enemies I'd never considered that there were actual numbers to count ( its great to use these real numbers of enemies, I just didn't expect it)

[@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343]

As someone who was ready to give up on the franchise because of how angry the writing in Kenobi and Boba Fett made me… Andor is the Star Wars show that I’ve always wanted. It’s dark, the stakes are high, the characters are great, the Empire isn’t portrayed as incompetent but a legitimate threat that should be feared, and the moments hit like they should. I have not been on the edge of my seat or sometimes on the verge of tears because of Star Wars since Empire and Return of the Jedi. But here I am. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to have a Star Wars show that actually treats its audience like it has a brain and makes you really think about what’s going on. Where dialogue actually makes the characters lovable and relatable. Where the writers know every detail matters. More love needs to be given to Andor. The cast and crew deserve it.

[@coleG112]

I felt really Meh about BOBF. I didn't hate it...but it was meh. I loved Kenobi, when it was focusing on Kenobi's emotional state post-Revenge. So the last two episodes really got it to home base for me, but it was a rough inning overall. Andor NAILED it every single episode. Every mini-arc finale had me so incredibly tense and stressed out for Andor and whichever crew he was running with. I feel like an argument could be made that the new "best way to introduce Star Wars" is to start with Andor, then Rogue One, then release order from there. All depending on who the person is. If they like the older Western-vibe, start OT-PT-Andor-R1. If they like sci-fi, start with PT, then Andor-R1-OT. If they like political, start Andor-R1-OT-PT. Throw the ST...wherever you want after watching the OT. As much as I love them, they just don't fit in with the rest of the series yet. We need a "connect the dots" show the way TCW did for the Prequels.

[@trekanderson6701]

Hard agree

[@JohnJeppson]

I feel like there is good media inside both bobf and obiwan. Obiwan, cut down to a movie I think would be much better, and bobf just needs to be re edited to be linear so that you get his story with the tuskens which then motivates the last half

[@skidmoda]

The problem is fans a too jaded and tired of being insulted and disappointed. They just don't care anymore, which is completely understandable.

[@aceynator]

Agreed, Andor pulled me back to caring about Star Wars, hopefully it inspires more focus on quality rather than franchise tie-in going forward

[@thomasrpokorny]

Wow - I've watched a lot of Andor dissections by many notable and respected KZbin creators. This has to be the best. Thanks for vocalizing all the things I really appreciated about this series.

[@lomiification]

I'm still waiting for a Preston jacobs deep dive

[@alethearia]

Andy Serkis has said in interviews that he saw Kino character as a former foreman, who looks out for his guys and tried to unionize but got burned and that's how he ended up here.

[@echocheck]

Yes, this technically was made by the Disney Corporation but Tony Gilroy has said he had very little adult supervision. I think that says a lot.

[@iantaakalla8180]

I like the idea that Andor is not a Disney series but a Tony Gilroy series. That makes the themes resonate even stronger as the themes get meta of how one person is inspiring hope to Star Wars fans when the corporation running it is otherwise so authoritarian and that’s just a surface-level comparison

[@kylehankins5988]

@@iantaakalla8180 to be honest most companies do not really care about the politcal content of what they produce as long as the show gets good ratings. Although this is probably for the best.

[@cassiopeiasfire6457]

@@iantaakalla8180 Just like The Owl House was a Dana Terrace (and the team) series and not a Disney series. I think we're seeing quite clearly how art is best made by artists and messed up by corporate executives, and that any good politics out of Disney are because the company let it slip through, not because the execs are learning anything.

[@lomiification]

So he had childish supervision?

[@lomiification]

@@kylehankins5988 the big oversight would be marketability in China. That's something execs do care about

[@Magali_theRecordKeeper]

Watching the Clone Wars show recently has surprised me with how many anti-imperial expansion moments it had for a show that started in the war-on-terror era. Andor has done that and more (and less clumsily, since it was aimed at a more adult audience). Love it!

[@bishopdell4474]

“While there is a lower class, I am in it, while there is a criminal element, I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free..." -Eugene Debs

[@myself2noone]

Say your uper class without saying your uper class... Lower class individuals hate criminals. Meth heads and literal terrorists made things incredibly unsafe for me as a kid. I'm glad they're locked up. Prison is a public good that rich people think we can live without because they don't have to deal with the effects of its abolishment.. The litteral fucking puge.

[@dieauferstehung]

funny how about some videos that are anti communist, communism the ideloogy responsible for the biggest famines in the world. MAN MADE FAMINES like Holodmor and china famine sickening.-

[@tojogornottojog1100]

Wakanda forever

[@questionmaker5666]

What a stupid thing to say, so murderers and rapists shouldn't be in prison?

[@tojogornottojog1100]

@@questionmaker5666 yes, that's exactly it! Decent honest law abiding citizen?! Though luck

[@ThePacMiner]

i havent gotten far yet, but i need to tell you how much i love the sentence "what happens when an ourobouros finishes eating itself?" as a description of the last few years of star wars

[@elliot2331]

Andor is not only a great Star Wars show, it's a great show period. For all the reasons you mentioned and more. I went in without expectations and ended more engaged and invested in this show than I have been in a lot of recent media.

[@mrsundaymovies]

Loved this, great vid mate

[@MrYogurtExists]

Wait, how aren’t you verified?

[@emilianomartorell3587]

@@MrYogurtExists I know right. Does KZbin hate Aussies?

[@itsd0nk]

Haha. Heyyyyy. Look who it is. Funny how without that check mark you didn’t automatically get 4k upvotes.

[@nasecoo]

Yoooooo James. Actually watching a KZbin video, rather than having to hear about the latest Defunctland or Jenny Nicholson from Maso

[@playgroundchooser]

@@MrYogurtExists It's a bot. beep beep boop

[@doublethick5752]

I need more footage of politicians talking with sith music playing

[@karaisalesbian]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnqlYYiVmK-rqrs does this count?

[@anatomicalx9355]

I mean, you can watch Biden do exactly this from a few months ago. Even had the Black and Red color scheme down

[@wisegoongala4305]

A lot of Star Wars media talk about hope and how important it is but in Andor you finally understand what it feels like. Nemik’s manifesto will be forever etched into my brain.

[@joetheperformer]

We need more shows like Andor. We need to see how RARE the Jedi/Sith are. We need to see regular people and communities to make the galaxy feel like… a real galaxy. Then when a Jedi/Sith actually shows up, it’ll be actually fascinating and special. Andor is something we’ve been needing but didn’t realize it: something NEW and refreshing, but also remains true to the core of Star Wars.

[@squibble08]

wait, is andor the only show so far with absolutely no force users? am i forgetting a thing? for what its worth, rogue one barely has jedi. sure it has vader, and chirut, but; chirut isnt a jedi and is way less powerful than other force users; and vader only shows up when shit goes off the rails, a la stormtroopers in andor. rogue one and andor both focus on the human regular people in star wars and that makes them peak star wars to me

[@GlassesAndCoffeeMugs]

The anti-fan service stuff is so true. This show really went out of its way NOT to give fans what they've already seen a million times. It was about the workers vs the ruling class, the proletariat vs the bourgeoisie, and that is a dynamic that has long existed in Star Wars but hasn't been explored in any real capacity until now.

[@snakedogman]

If the rebels were Communist revolutionaries, that would make the New Republic they founded the Star Wars equivalent of the Soviet Union. Not sure that's what George Lucas was thinking of when he created the universe (hint: it's not coincidence he had them create a republic). The Rebels are supposed to be the precursors to, or restorers of liberal (republican) democracy, not Communism. Their struggle is much more like the story of the American Revolution (combined with WW2) than the Russian Revolution (making the events in Andor more akin to the Star Wars equivalent of the Boston Tea Party ;)) Though of course this particular story is focused on a workers' uprising, the workers of Ferrix are not embroiled in a class struggle against the bourgeousie, but in a struggle for freedom and self determination against fascist, imperialist rule. If anything, we could draw lines to anti-Communist protests like Tiananmen Square or the anti-Communist uprisings and revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe, where the oppressing Communists deployed the military against citizens' protests.

[@GlassesAndCoffeeMugs]

@@snakedogman In the scenes where Mon Mothma is having wealthy elitist parties with her fellow senators though, they are all in the upper class, and all of them seem to side unanimously with the Empire instead of the rebellion (except for that one guy who agreed to help with financing or whatever). The bourgeois in Andor and fascists are connected at the hip, which would certainly be parallel to historical events like the Nazi uprising in Germany during the 1930s. Not to mention the parallels to Nazi medical experimentation when Bix is being tortured. Not to mention that the entire prison break sequence "One way out" was a literal worker uprising. Workers realizing that they control the means of production, and the oppressing class are more scared of them than they are of the oppressors. That is certainly a worker vs. bourgeois class dynamic.

[@userJohnSmith]

I think it's really really important when we look at Star Wars to remember, at least during the Skywalker era, that there is essentially no commentary on communism. This is anti fascist media in a real sense, not opposing legitimate conservatism or capitalism (I don't include MTG and her ilk in that category). It makes commentary on corruption, fascist industrialization, and totalitarianism but it's not like conservatives are in that camp. The wild mischaracterization of the truck guy as MAGA is recipes and stupid. It's like lumping the chill guy in college wearing the Che Guevara shirt in with Stalin, or hell, even the actual Che Guevara.

[@GlassesAndCoffeeMugs]

@@userJohnSmith I completely agree, the show is commentary on totalitarianism/fascism in its purest ideological sense, and while SOME conservatives may have fascist inclinations the vast majority do not. MAGA is mostly made up of older folks who just like to stand in crowds and yell about stuff they saw on TV. That's very different from an organized, well-funded and ideologically coherent group (such as the Empire) seizing control of institutions and implementing martial law with the intent to crack down militarily on dissenters. I don't think I've seen anti-fascist media done this well since Pixar's A Bug's Life (no that's not a joke, that movie is extremely anti-fascist). I hope they delve deeper into the smokey backroom politics stuff in season 2 and keep the good stuff coming.

[@dreamedoutdoll]

I don't think its a coincidence that Preox-Morlana is both an antagonist at the beginning and is also crushed under the heel of the Empire the same as the people of Ferrix. There's definitely some class struggle being explored in the show, as in the ruling class vs the working class, but the show's themes are bigger than that. The show is trying to tell us that everybody suffers under fascism, whether you're a commie or a capitalist. The working class struggle worse than ever while even the biggest mega corporations can be brought to their knees if their usefulness to the state has been worn out.

[@3mi3mi]

One very subtle fan service reference Andor did make, was the Rakatan crystal Luthen gives Andor. The Rakatans were an ancient advanced alien species who built the first galactic empire and brought hyperspace technology to the galaxy. I haven’t heard another mainline Star Wars show or movie mention this. I think adding some history to your world building is always a positive (take Lord of the Rings for example). I don’t think being self referential is a bad thing in itself - it’s bad when it’s recycling the same characters or when it’s insignificant things like you said.

[@matthewkuchinski1769]

I do love how in the final episode of Andor, Andor's adopted father, Clem, is taking time to clean some old parts with Andor's help so they can sell them. He makes a point about how many times people throw away good parts that just need to be cleaned and thus reused for newer technology that is flashier and more expensive. It is a hallmark of capitalism to throw away the old, even if it is still good for the consumer.

[@EyePatchGuy88]

Are we more 'Capitalist' today than we were during the 20th Century?

[@turtleanton6539]

​@@EyePatchGuy88 maybe we pwaked sometime ago but things dont get better

[@The_Jazziest_Coffee]

@@turtleanton6539 without question

[@sambog9t]

It’s amazing that they made a TV show about space travel and laser beams where the most unrealistic part is the bad policemen getting fired

[@yimpyoi9808]

well they got fired and replaced by literal space nazis so not super unrealistic

[@plasticide4095]

that was a witty joke, took me a little while to get it.

[@austinh7110]

What do you mean? They never have any connection issues 😂

[@Kriae]

The issue was that they weren't bad (evil) enough

[@megpaul8076]

@@yimpyoi9808 damn, fair point. The corpo cops weren't quite fascist enough - imagine that world.

[@hackatthekeyboard]

The story of the series of improbable circumstances that made it possible for Andor to even be made under Disney is pretty interesting. Incredible luck/chance that Disney were so hands-off with the production/script.

[@fubbywubyinmytuby4204]

The reality is that stuff like this is profitable and these corporations are secure enough to be able to produce it and profit off it without feeling threatened by the message. Amazon also produced the last half of the expanse and it had a lot of anti-capitalist and corporate messages in it too

[@prorityfeed3210]

@@fubbywubyinmytuby4204 you think Amazon or Disney are pro-capitalist? That's so absurd it's actually funny. The only way in which these companies for even a second believe in capitalism is to the extent in which it made them rich to begin with. Once they get fat off of the ideals that makes capitalism work in the first place, ie. free markets, then they do everything they possibly can to destroy said free markets in order to eliminate all possible competition so that they may maintain control of the corners that they carved out for themselves. From that point on it's all fascist wolf in a communist sheepskin : fascist corporate control over government function with communist propaganda and long term planning deployed as tools for population control. And as far as the top comment from hackboy goes, nothing is left to luck/chance with these people. There are no coincidences.

[@anthonyroosenmaallen2679]

Good time to rewatch this

[@npjensen0311]

Andor was phenomenal and I loved this analysis. Absolutely spot on.

[@Auroratrek]

Andor really is some of the best Star Wars there is. While in many ways it dispenses with a lot of the usual trappings of the Star Wars movies and characters, it is still Star Wars. Good and evil may sometimes seem complicated in Andor, but they still exist, which is essential to a Star Wars story. Gritty and "real" doesn't have to be cynical, and Andor has a number of quiet heroes and truly inspirational moments.

[@kirbstomp8666]

If andor doesn’t win awards for production design and/or writing imma be pissed

[@ajb7786]

Why? Why do you care? Why are you so insecure that you have to make enjoying a piece of entertainment about some sort of morality?

[@kirbstomp8666]

@@ajb7786 it’s hyperbole mate. I think it’s good for a good and impactful piece of art to win awards. Especially one as explicitly anti-fascist as andor

[@alexbattaglia8297]

Just a small thing to add, Nemek's hat is based off of the Budenovka, a hat commonly associated with the Early Red Army of the Civil War Era

[@confusedpozole406]

That’s exactly what I thought! Like…not exactly that but that hat definitely had a commie vibe to it. I love it

[@lewisbeckett9598]

What's also interesting is that the heist plot was inspired by a bolshevik bank heist. As well as that nemek's idea of theory guiding a revolution is very marxist. Marx, Lenin, Mao and many other revolutionaries wrote political theory in order to understand better the tactics and society of their enemy and how they would go about creating a new society

[@diegowushu]

Honestly this is on par to The Expanse for my favourite science fiction show of all time. I can't believe Disney approved this.

[@comradeyuri2972]

Andor and the Expanse are some of the best scifi in ages. I 100% agree.

[@xxWidex]

What about battlestar galactica?

[@Microfiber_Muncher]

Legit one of my favorite sci fi shows, second only to Neon Genesis Evangelion

[@stevepittman3770]

Oh man, I really love The Expanse, but I couldn't pick between the two. They're both just excellent.

[@Jaydee-wd7wr]

@@xxWidex, I couldn’t finish BSG, It was great for the time but I don’t think it has aged as well as people like to say it has.

[@Multilipstik]

To be fair to the S2 of Mandalorian, the cameos of Bo Katan and Ashoka are not cameos if you’ve only seen the movies (like I had). And each character has an incredibly important role. My favorite was definitely Bo Katan because her appearance redefined the whole show for me. You need to understand that at that point the Mandalorian and his enclave were the only representations of mandalorians that I had. So everything the Armored said and asked Din to do made sense. Of course, they all live in small tight communities in isolation - they were hunted down by the empire in the past. Of course, they bring all their rewards to the enclave - they help the community. Of course, they never take off their helmets around other people - that’s their religion, that is the way. And for the whole first season, these ideas are firmly planted in the viewer’s mind, to a point where “the way” becomes almost sacred. And then finally, FINALLY, we meet other mandalorians in season 2 and Bo Katan says the doomed phrase “And you are the child of the Watch” and my worldview collapsed with Din. This whole time he was a part of a cult. And I was integrated into it just as successfully as he was. And then you start thinking back and everything starts making grim sense. Of course, they all live in small tight communities in isolation - they’re in a cult. Of course, they bring all their rewards to the enclave - THEY’RE IN A CULT. And of course, they never take off their helmets around other people - because the main tactic of any cult is to isolate their members from any outside influence. It is virtually impossible for him to start a family or make close connections with the “outsiders” since the helmet has to always stay on. It’s a physical barrier, meant to isolate him and keep him loyal to the enclave. It’s so masterfully crafted plot twist that up to this day I think it was one of the most impactful moments in the cinema for me. The fact that I saw all the red flags, registered them and complety misinterpreted them; that I was fooled so easily… 😅😅

[@thecavalrygeneral3453]

had not seen it from this particular perspective, certainly very interesting. thank you for sharing.

[@brandonphipps_PP]

I took for granted the amount of Star Wars context I had for myself and saw this moment just explaining away the wacky "rules" they had established for him and missed what should have been a more impactful moment, agreed glad you shared your perspective!

[@paulie-g]

A cult.. or a group formed around a return to traditionalist values in reaction to the disaster the abandonment of those values wrought on Mandalor, with Bo Katan being a central figure in both. The lore goes deeper, and I suggest its reading to form a more balanced view.

[@MrAapasuo]

@@paulie-g the "traditionalist values" in this case are rather cult like...

[@thomasguycott]

That was my favorite part of Din and Katan's first interaction: she basically rolls her eyes and says "oh, you're one of THOSE..."

[@houston-coley]

Me seeing this title: "yesss, another video from JustWrite that will intelligently analyzed this show in a short and succinct runtime" Me seeing the runtime: "47 MINUTES WOOOOOOOOO"

[@spongebobbatteries]

Andor was so special to me, in a way that I couldn't describe, that when you played the intro at 6:30 I almost cried. That show that takes you on that ride of "my/everybody's life is about to change"

[@moonleafteaofthemonth]

I am so glad you made this video. This show's writing alone deserves all the praise it can get, and maybe it'll get more and more people to check it out and join the hype for season two. I get if this type of story isn't your thing, but it is _damn_ good writing and pop culture seems so starved of it lately. There are lots of things I enjoy about all the stuff that's coming out, but those are popcorn pleasures. It is so rewarding to have something that's enjoyable for genuine mental nourishment and not just empty calories.

[@mickiemallorie]

This is a good point..."pop" culture. This level of care, detail and thought is usually reserved for indie products. Its interesting to see that some have almost had an adverse reaction to their pop media getting elevated with some sophistication. It's like star wars fans dont deserve this. I know many that do though.