Anthony Bergamini
The first season of Rogue One spin off, Andor, was considered a massive success, especially in comparison to other, more divisive works from the Disney era of Star Wars. Rather than centering a story around the rise and fall of the Jedi, Andor took a more poignant approach for a broader discussion around authoritarianism why some choose to rise up to fight back. This first season centered around Cassian Andor, an unassuming man who accidentally gets embroiled into a brewing conflict between a very early stages version of the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. Throughout the season, the showrunners delivered a slow burn of events, showcasing the subtleties of how the Empire operates, all leading up to Cassian’s decision to take up the charge and fight back.
Season two begins one year after the events of the first season, with Cassian fully embroiled in a formal mission for his Rebel benefactor, Luthen, as his attempts to steal a new Tie Fighter that is being tested by the Empire. Meanwhile, the show catches up on the lives of some of the supporting cast, such as Mon Mothma, who had made the tough decision to allow her daughter to get married through her culture’s archaic means; Bix, who has escaped Ferrix with two others and is attempting to evade the Empire; and the Empire’s ISB division/supporters, specifically Dedra and Syril. Even though the season kicks off one year later, dropping into the action with all of the same players from season one feels like the show runners have not missed a mark.
The best part about Andor has been how the show depicts authoritarianism, especially in the subtle versus the obvious. In the case of Season Two, the Empire’s evil continues to be shown in this fashion, especially with the characters of Dedra and Syril. Syril has got to be the most complex character outside of Cassian, with his drive and focus constantly being around the idea of following the letter of the law. In Syril’s eyes, the Empire is right because they are the current point of authority. His journey in Season One saw him grow more and more devoted to the Empire’s cause because he witnesses people who are not as willing to uphold the law as he is. Now, in Season Two, Syril is much more confident and is shown as actually happy in some ways, as his trust of the Empires, regardless of the Empire’s evil nature, has allowed him to move up in the world.
The flip side of this is Dedra, who unlike Syril, is directly involved with the Empire’s evil doing. She is quite literally sitting in the room as the ISB discusses ways that they can take over a planet through forceful and manipulative means. Whereas Syril’s loyalty comes from a desire for order and justness, Dedra’s loyalty comes from a desire to move up in the corporate world, regardless of who she has to step on. It is almost as if these two are going to reach a boiling point where Syril learns that Dedra’s orders, although loyal to the Empire, are not resulting in a just determination for those who live under the Empire’s rule. This is just one of the many ways that this show is able to identify how different perspectives of the Empire can arise from differing circumstances.
The big event of the first arc of Season Two that will get the internet talking is the attempted rape of Bix at the hands of an Imperial Officer. This is one of the first times that sexual assault has been depicted in a mainstream Star Wars project, and it is very effective in the point it gets across. The Empire are constantly depicted as this authoritarian force that sucks the life out of planets with their need to control everything. But this is one of the rare instances where Star Wars has depicted something so visceral. In psychological studies, data has shown that people commit acts of sexual assault out of a desire to “prove” their authority and power over someone. In many ways, the Empire is constantly doing this, but showcasing one lone Imperial Officer attempting to commit such a heinous act showcases how the Empire’s influence over its own soldiers makes them feel as though they are better than others. In this depiction, the Empire is not only shown as making life harder for everyday people but also enabling its supporters to feel justified in enforcing their beliefs through force.
Andor is definitely back with a force and is not missing a beat in its poignant and thought-provoking subject matter. In today’s world, it is not hard to see how the Empire’s action can feel like many of the actions of the Trump Administration, such as Trump’s recent decision to provide free legal aid to Police Officers accused of misconduct. While the show does an excellent job in showcasing the state of the universe at that time, it is important to remember that this all leads to the eventual defeat of the Empire. In the end, there must be hope for a better tomorrow.
