Commentary: ‘Andor’ Reminds Us Of The Empire’s Everyday Horrors
by Frank Martin
Since Star Wars deals with larger-than-life characters, it’s easy to forget that the majority of the galaxy is filled with regular people just living their lives. The battle between senators, warlords, Jedi, and Sith takes up so much oxygen that the rebellion made up of everyday individuals looking to fight tyranny is often overlooked. This is where Andor really shines. The Empire has had far-reaching effects on every planet it visits. Emperor Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is unseen and has no connection to the people on these planets. Instead, he sends out cronies and Stormtroopers to carry out his will. The series puts a spotlight on these situations in a way that other Star Wars installments do not.
The second season begins as Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is on a mission to steal a fighter prototype from the Empire. He’s meant to rendezvous with his rebel colleague, Bix (Adria Arjona), who is hiding on Mina-Rau. Unfortunately, the Empire arrives to inspect the planet. An Imperial officer takes a liking to Bix even though he knows she’s not supposed to be there. After she rejects his romantic advances, he becomes aggressive, forcing her to fight back and, ultimately, kills him.
This situation has nothing to do with the larger game of Star Wars. There’s no Death Star or senate politics. There are no lightsaber fights or giant battles. It’s simply a man of authority on a backwater planet abusing that authority to take advantage of a woman. In an age of tyranny, atrocities like this happen all the time, far from events within the capital that history will record. The Empire’s reach is far and totalitarian. While watching the bigger fights in Star Wars, it’s sometimes easy to forget that. Andor reminds us.
Andor is now streaming on Disney+.