Andor Arc 3 Thoughts
Andor Season 2’s penultimate arc, "Messenger", "Who Are You?", and "Welcome to the Rebellion" is one of the best arcs of the show, and Episodes 8-9 are two of the best episodes of Star Wars ever. We finally see the horrifying Ghorman Massacre and Mothma's speech against the Emperor and the Empire. This arc will stand the test of time as some of the best storytelling in both Star Wars and TV.
Also Star Wars Explained’s review of the arc is one of their best videos if not the best video SWE made. I think I’ve been watching their channel since 2015, and man it’s so great to see them be this bright spot in this fandom, especially on YT. They did not hold back and spit facts. The video also helped me process and understand the intense emotions and events in this arc which you can see in my thoughts.
"Raise your hand to homeland skies. We are the Ghor. Breathe the air and know you're here. We are the Ghor. Valley. Highland. Let me spend my every day there. Call your kin to come and sing. We are the Ghor. Voices loud and standing proud. We are the Ghor. Valley. Highland. Let me spend my every day there. Tight the weave and roll the sleeve. We are the Ghor. From Navishare to Palmo Square. We are the Ghor. Valley. Highland." The Ghorman National Anthem
The Yavin 4 base being built up is amazing to see. It just reminds you of the growing rebel movement before the Alliance.
I really love the inclusion of the Force healer and the Force in general. It's great to see the Force in a show that has mostly shied away from the spirituality of the galaxy. I love how the Force healer is a genuine Force-user, as we see Cassian's injuries heal a bit. I really love how she sees Cassian's future and how Cassian carries on so many lessons from people he met and events he participated in and witnessed. He is a messenger.
I really like how most of the cast is now away from Luthen's strings and are now helping build up the Alliance military on Yavin 4. I honestly thought Wilmon would be with the Partisans after the second arc, and it's a bit weird to see him work with Luthen.
I also like seeing Draven again with a proto-rebel rank badge. I wonder if that means given how Phoenix Cell had the more official rank badges if the Yavin cell didn't get as much priority yet or if it's still being organized.
"Who is he?" Force healer
"A pilot. A soldier. Tell me what you saw." Bix Caleen
"I sense the weight of things, things I can't see. Pain, fear...need. Most beings carry the things that shaped them. They carry the past. But some... very few...your pilot...They're gathering as they go. There's a purpose to it. He's a messenger. There's some place he needs to be. Have you known him long?" Force healer
"I don't remember not knowing him." Bix Caleen
"Maybe you're the place he needs to be." Force healer
Episodes 8 and 9 are not only two of the best episodes of Star Wars, but some of the best episodes on TV for me. The opening title crawl and end credits music of Episode 8 feels like funeral music for the Ghor as the build-up and the actual Ghorman Massacre and Genocide take place in this episode. The transition to Palmo instead of fading to a black screen also sets the tone of the upcoming Massacre very well.
The situation with Cassian and Dedra feels very similar to Ferrix but instead of Dedra hunting for Cassian, it’s Cassian trying to assassinate her.
It's nice to see Wilmon find love again with Dreena. After the second arc, I was worried he would completely let go of his personal life after being convinced to accept the Partisan way of thinking.
I really like how Lezine, the most angered of the Ghorman people in the second arc, now emphasizes unity despite differences, reminds the rebels what they're fighting for, and deescalates the protest by being the first to sing the Ghorman Anthem. Likewise, Samm, the triggy happy Ghorman rebel in the second arc, has grown a lot in the one year since his accidental killing of Cinta. He's a lot calmer and competent as he provides good fire against the Imperials and later saves Cassian and Wilmon by ramming a hijacked Imperial transport on a KX droid. He's grown from a pathetic wannabe rebel to a level-headed rebel warrior. In many ways, Samm is the anti-Karn as I'll elaborate later. The Ghorman Front, despite everything, still managed to hold back any signs of firing first and committed to a peaceful protest just like the rest of their fellow citizens. Instead of a narrative of the Partisans firing first, they instead showcase peaceful resistance against the Empire. However, the Empire was never going to allow any peaceful resistance at all.
The Ghorman Massacre made my stomach churn and gave me goosebumps. We all knew since Season 1 first mentioned Ghorman that the show would eventually build up to the Ghorman Massacre. But my God, just knowing the Massacre would happen didn't prepare me for the Genocide that unfolded before me. The whole Massacre and Genocide reminds me of the Gaza genocide. Those FOX Imperial News reporters manipulating the public perception of Ghorman with outright lies is disgusting, but sadly, we have a lot of those kinds of right-wing news outlets and people in real life who do the same thing. Alex of Star Wars Explained points up excellently in his review how Fascism rejects and demonizes many communities and groups from the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, people of color, etc, who don't fit into their right-wing "norms."
The false-flag operation by Dedra and Captain Kaido is beyond disgusting. That being said, something is unnerving and disturbing about Kaido that makes Dedra, of all people, look "better" by comparison. At least Dedra appears to have some emotions, even though it's her breakdown towards Karn's death, since I don't doubt she was really breaking down at the Massacre. She, like Kaido does justifies it as "following orders." Speaking of Kaido, he simply smiles at the deaths of both Ghormans and his fellow Imperials as he's just "following orders" and intentionally letting an Imperial sniper shoot down a young Imperial Army Trooper to make them martyrs in a false-flag operation. It's no coincidence that young, anxious Imperial Army Troopers who lack the faceless helmets of Stormtroopers are killed. God, that whole situation is so sinister and speaks to the "Imperial norms" the Empire wants to promote.
The show made the Empire scary and terrifying again. I was terrified the moment I saw the Stormtroopers close in. The way they and Imperial Army Troopers shoot down innocent civilians without any hesitation. At least, the Ghorman Front fought back and didn't make the Empire's genocide of their people simple and easy. They'll go down fighting to protect their people against their genocide.
Those KX Droids feel like they were lifted straight from the Jedi games, except this time there's no Jedi to stop them, only civilians and rebels.
I hope Thela survives the show. I really love how he's the one to tell Cassian, "Rebellions are built on hope". He needs to survive the Massacre and the bombing to join the rebellion. Though the realistic part of me knows how unlikely it is to survive a grenade blast.
There's a heartbreaking parallel between the Ferrix Uprising and the Ghorman Massacre/Genocide. Wilmon lost his father, Salman, while Carro lost his daughter Enza, and both took action against the Empire after the loss of their loved ones.
The ending of Episode 8 just leaves you with a soul-crushing feeling. As Cassian drives away with the KX droid remains, all he can do is listen to the radio as he hears Dreena's voice telling the truth of the Ghorman Massacre and Genocide and asking for someone to help. It seems hopeless as the Alliance has not yet formed to respond to that call...however, the Ghormans did not die in vain. Their peaceful protest will echo across the galaxy and eventually result in the Alliance forming to destroy the Empire. But it doesn't help the Ghormans now as the Empire enacts its "final solution" to the "Ghorman question," aka genocide. That one tear in Cassian's eye really demonstrates how much the event affected Cassian. Diego Luna's acting is simply amazing.
"Palmo One. This is Palmo One. This is the voice of Ghorman. This is Palmo One making an emergency broadcast on all open channels. This is Palmo One! This is Palmo One. We are under siege. We're being slaughtered. The Imperial murder of Ghorman has begun. There are hundreds of bodies this moment. As I say these words, hundreds of murdered Ghormans lay dead in Palmo Plaza. Thousands more on the streets. More every minute. We're being destroyed! This is Ghorman reaching for any open channel that can hear me! If you can... If you can hear me... If you believe in truth, if you have any faith left in truth, please, please mark this message and pass it forward. This is murder! The Empire built this fire. They made this fire and led us to the slaughter. Now they expect us to die without knowing why. The conspiracy we've feared is real! It's here today! Imperial ships are already landing across--Help us! Is there no one who can help us? Is there no one?" Dreena
A friend describes Syril as a "wet, sad napkin and died that way," and that's the best description of Syril's life and death. He delusionally believes the Empire was looking for outside rebels influencing the Ghorman Front. His whole reality began to crumble apart as he saw how the Empire was conducting false flag operations and fake news propaganda. He even reverts back to his violent nature by choking Dedra, which reminds us that he was and still is a (rental) cop, to get answers. As the slow motion of his reaction to the Ghorman Massacre, you can see that maybe this is the moment where he'll finally join the rebellion...until he sees Cassian. Unlike other Imperials turned protagonists, he chose to let his obsession, base programming, and desperation consume any common sense and realizations. I really like to believe he didn't even know he saved Dedra, and that he was that consumed by his obsession with Andor. The fight between him and Cassian is one of the best and just fierce fights in Star Wars. Just a simple hand-to-hand using what's anything that's around you. And what does Syril get for his troubles as he raises his blaster at the man he's obsessed with for the past three years?
"Who are you?" Cassian Andor
At that point, you can see that subtle look on his face as he slightly lowers his blaster. Maybe this is the moment where he's reevaluating his entire life, he finally turns his life around, maybe he's been asking that question himself, and other possibilities. A lot could've happened, but he ends up dying to the Carro Rylanz, the former pacifist leader who trusted him the most.
Syril died as a pathetic tool to a Fascist regime that never cared about him and the law he's so desperate to uphold, only realizing way too late about these facts. Before he could even make any amends, he let his hatred consume even that chance. He's such a fascinating character regarding the delusions of low-level workers of the Empire and Fascism.
On a dark but funny note, it’s funny to see how Cassian not recognizing Karn at all is literally the Thanos and Wanda meme. Cassian must’ve been fucking confused at what just happened.
The opening of Episode 9 using the Ghorman National Anthem as the music is heartbreaking and reminds us of the genocide of the last episode and now.
Mothma absolutely slays in this episode. The build-up to her speech is filled with tension. I love how her anger is shown by how she destroys the listening device. Then she has to learn from Luthen that Erskine was working for him, which is a surprising reveal. She truly showcases why she's the leader of the Rebel Alliance and later the Chancellor of the New Republic.
Senator Dasi Oran's thanks to Mothma for her efforts in helping him and his world are really heartwarming. In a role where Mothma barely gets any gratitude for what she does, hearing that one thanks must've given her a renewed drive to deliver that speech. Similarly, as Oran is being arrested, he is spitting facts. In two years, as seen in A New Hope and the 2015 comic, the Imperial Senate gets dissolved, and all Imperial Senators on Coruscant get arrested just like Oran.
"I am a Senator! With the full rights and protections...Stand back and get your arms off! No warrant! No charges! This is the Senate Chamber, I have every right to be here. Will no one help me? Ghorman is being slaughtered! It's my people today and yours tomorrow! Remember this day! Remember Ghorman! Remember this day! Remember Ghorman! This will be you soon enough. Remember this day!" Dasi Oran
I like how Luthen ackowedges how many events Andor was at which helped influence the show and by extension galactic events.
I fucking love Bail (Benjamin Bratt did an amazing job) and his Senate ally Erveen using the Empire's own protocols against them. After seeing Luthen being a paranoid control freak to Mothma, it's nice to see Bail as a comforting, positive influence on her, even if Bail was too trusting of his team. It's funny yet also awesome to hear Senator Bail Organa say the word shit.
"Don't worry about me. I'll have my head down. Next year. In Yavin." Bail Organa
"Take care of yourself, Bail." Mon Mothma.
"We do what we can. Tear the shit out of this place." Bail Organa
Mothma's speech is simply peak. Genevieve O'Reilly acted the hell out of this arc and this episode. She did an amazing job acting as Mon Mothma as she now publicly condemns the Emperor. It really feels like she's discussing the Gaza genocide. In our current day and throughout history, truth is sacred and important. We need the truth to function and understand the facts. The death of truth is when evil wins. Influential figures, companies, and governments are distorting the truth to manipulate people to feel angry and to give them enemies to hate. Those people who support them and scream the loudest with the goal of making people feel alone, hate groups and communities, and get angry at enemies who never existed. Those people who do that are the monsters. I fucking love how she emphasizes the word genocide and the Empire’s actions is “unprovoked genocide” since most of the Imperial Senators don’t believe and refuse to believe the Empire’s actions as genocide. The Empire’s excuses and “justifications ” for ethnic cleansing and genocide without using those terms parallels well with countries like Israel. There’s so much real world applicability to the speech and it what makes this speech one of the best Star Wars speeches, especially in the times we live in now.
I really love the track Euology playing during Mothma's speech. It really brings up the memory of Maarav's speech and how it inspired the people of Ferrix to riot against the Empire. Just like Maarva's speech, she will soon rally the disparate rebel cells into a Rebel Alliance. The same Rebel Alliance that will bring down the Empire and restore the Republic.
I also love how the technicians who prevented the ISB from shutting down the broadcast are heavily implied to be agents of Luthen. They like Bail use the same Imperial procedures against them.
Erskin really stepped up as he helped Cassian enter the building and later distract the ISB plant for Cassian to kill. No wonder, Mothma regained her trust in him. There is something funny about how casually Cassian dispatched both the ISB plant and Kloris. It's also funny how much of the ISB's and Empire's failure to prevent Mothma's speech and capture Mothma is due to the incompetence of Lagret to the point that Yularen gave him a call.
I also love the track Past/Present Suite playing during Mothma's and Cassian's escape from the Senate. As the last time it played, it indicated a new beginning for both child and adult Cassian. Now it signals a new beginning for Mothma and the soon-to-be rebel captain Cassian. I absolutely love the connections to the Rebels Secret Cargo episode and the fact that Mothma is going to make another speech about the Ghorman Massacre and one to unite all the rebel cells.
"Fellow Senators, friends, colleagues...allies, adversaries. I stand before you this morning with a heavy heart. I've spent my whole life in this Chamber. I came here as a child. And as I look around me now, I realize I have almost no memories that pre-date my arrival...and few bonds of affection that cleave so tightly. Through these many years, I believe I have served my constituents honorably and upheld our code of conduct. This Chamber...is a cauldron of opinions...and we've certainly all had our patience and tempers tested in pursuit of our ideals. Disagree as we might...I am hopeful that those of you who know me will vouch for my credibility in the days to come. I stand this morning with a difficult message. I believe we are in a crisis. The distance between what is said...and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk...the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest. This Chamber's hold on the truth was finally lost on the Ghorman Plaza. What took place yesterday...What happened yesterday on Ghorman was unprovoked genocide! Yes! Genocide! And that truth has been exiled from this Chamber! And the monster screaming the loudest? The monster we've helped create? The monster who will come for all of us soon enough...is Emperor Palpatine! Mon Mothma
Melshi has finally joined the Rebel Alliance! I really love how Karn's blaster has finally made its way back to this season. Ironically, Vel recognized Karn's blaster from Aldhani while Cassian doesn't even know who Karn is.
I also really hope Wilmon survives. It'll feel a bit unsatisfying if he dies off-screen in the next arc. In general, I hope he survives the show to see the sunrise of the New Republic alongside Bix which leads to the next part.
I have mixed feelings about Bix's departure from the show. On one hand, she deserves to live, and at least she does...it's just the how where I'm very mixed on. She didn't get to do much in this season, in my opinion, and she was literally on the sidelines in this arc. I also really didn't get why Cassian thought they could live in peace away from the conflict when the whole point of Niamos and Narkina V is that there is no escape from the Empire, and there is only one way out.
At least, we got Cassian and K2's first interaction. I'm happy K2 was always this sassy from the moment he was reprogrammed to serve the Alliance.
One thing I hope for next week: We need proper closure for the fate of Kenari and Cassian's sister. It'll be fitting if the last episode ends with resolving those two plot points since the first episode of the show, and the events of everything started with Cassian looking for those answers.
There's one thing left to say: all roads lead to Scarif and Yavin IV...and those two destinations are near with the last arc of Andor.
"My love. You're sleeping now. You're sleeping now. You look so peaceful. I wanna be brave, but I can't. If I was brave, I would stay and do this in person...but I know you and you'd just talk me around, and I've been thinking about this too long to let that happen. I have to leave. I have to go away. I'm not sure where or for how long, I just know that I can't stay here with you now. I believe what you said. It is a choice. It just can't be me. I can't be the reason you leave here. If you ever gave this up for me, I'd...I'd never forgive myself. We have to win. We have to beat them. And I believe you have purpose in making that happen. I need to believe that. So, I'm choosing for the both of us. I'm choosing the Rebellion. And when it's done...when it's over...and we've won...we can do all the things we ever wanted. Everything we'd know we've missed. I'll find you." Bix Caleen
