Chloe McDermott

When my boyfriend first tried to get me to watch Andor with him I was unconvinced. I heard it was a Star Wars show, and he is one of the biggest Star Wars Fanboys out there. I am not. I have never been a fan of Star Wars. Not that I hate it, I just wouldn’t exactly go out of my way to watch any movie or TV show in the franchise. Therefore, when he first tried to convince me to watch it my eyes rolled to the back of my head again.

He was insistent. He told me about how much I would like the writing, it shows the ‘real’ people behind the rebellion, and the show delves into the true depths of the evil of the empire. None of this worked. My own resistance was proving iron clad. Until he found a weak spot.

One day I found an edit of Mon Mothma on tik tok and I shared it with him with some ashamedly thirsty caption. And I had unknowingly gave him the ammunition he needed to twist my arm far enough to finally cave.

When we started watching the first few episodes, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I was not used to such a slow pace for anything Star Wars related. And the runtime of each episode mixed with my boyfriend’s insistence to watch it in three-episode arcs was wearing my patience thin. However, as the season moved onto Aldani my attention was grabbed by the throat. I finally started to see what he was talking about. I was suddenly very glad to have stuck with it.

I saw the homage to the Highland clearances – literally using the highlands as the setting for Aldani. This is where I felt that initial tug on my emotional core. The abilities of the writers to mix political allegory and characterisation really starts to shine during this arc. The depths of the evil of the empire are on full display. The way it subtly weaves in the empire’s feelings of open disgust, contempt and ultimate superiority over the locals. The way the audience gets the immediate unease at a seeing the imperial dam as a blot on the landscape. The emotional weight of the sacrifice in what represents the true start into Casian Andor’s journey into full on rebellion.

As I continued to watch the show and its characters continued to progress in its ability to entertain and move me. There were standouts in this cast that really brought a highly engaging performance that made the viewer understand the character and bring out the emotions of a scene. Like Diego Luna, Genevieve O’Reily, Denise Gough, Stellan Skarsgård and Elizabeth Dulau. Yet, even those I have not mentioned gave wonderful performances that will ensure audiences feel connected to their characters.

Ultimately, the show successfully displays the toll the empire had on each individual wherever they leaned politically. The characters were all written in ways that showed how the empire had grown into an overreaching, overpowered monster capable of warping and twisting itself. Each crevice of galaxy could feel it. Eventually, you would have to face a choice between fighting or submission. The way this is shown through the ISB’s network of listening devices, overpowering presence with blasters and storm troopers or effective propaganda. All displaying the level of intelligence present in the writers and directors to come together for effective visual storytelling.

 This is a show that knows where the hearts and minds of the people are at. The references to current events and fascism in the modern world as well as all too recent history are not subtle. They show the tragedy and pain of letting the boot of fascism stomp on your nation’s neck. It pulls no punches in its depiction of a system working perfectly to take full control. It displays on full explicit detail how far they are willing to go to take exactly what they want and get away with it.

There are many times the characters face the insurmountable odds of sabotaging the empire one step at a time. Each time the audience feels every sacrifice along with each win. The emphasis of hope feels not like a cliché to make someone feel better after tragedy but the one to precious to sacrifice. Everything else can go, but that cannot go. Another theme of the show that is present in the undercurrent of hope is truth. The show often marrying the two together and showing how the rebels must be able to get truth out there AND importantly shape it in context. To make people care, to make people fight.

It is in this messaging and allegories of real-life fascism that gave me hope. Mon’s speech especially gave me hope that now more than ever before people can finally use the tools, we have to find the truth, dismantle misinformation and ensure fascism is ended.

Andor might be a show set in a fictional universe, but its politics are all too applicable to today’s real life. It balances the harsh realities of setting up for revolution against totalitarianism with the hope one small victory can bring. Each time we throw a stone at the glass it will crack and eventually break. Ultimately, that is the fuel we need right now. So, watch Andor.