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My husband and I were talking about this show after the finale, and I mentioned how interesting it was that such an anti-facist show came out of *Disney.* His response was just a quote from the show, and it kind of stunned me into silence. "Do you really think they're listening? They don't need to listen."
@@Quidividilake I got that it wasn't meant to be taken literally. I was just making fun of the sentiment. Which probably is partly true considering the more educational format of Nebula videos and Jessie's YT videos.
It's the loaded, bestial scream he does immediately afterward that does it for me. It's only a couple of seconds but it's loaded with the frustration and rage of 20 odd years (?) of oppression, all the tension we've been subjected to as the audience, you bellow in rage with him.
I occasionally tell people: "Star Trek" taught me how to live in times of peace, and "Strange New Worlds" has refreshed that for me in the modern world. "Star Wars", however, taught me how to live in times of strife and "Andor" *absolutely* refreshed that for me in the modern world.
When Jessie said, "Andor isn't trying to be a hero. He just wants be a person but the state won't allow him", I started crying and basically cried to the end of the video. The same idea was expressed in a previous Andor video as well, and it resonates with me so so much. I don't want to fight fascism, I just want to live a boring life. But I cannot because the state is grinding up every value I believe in. It's grinding up people. I'm not from the US but my country has been shifting into a fascist system as well, maybe even more so. So Andor is plucking on strings that are painfully familiar. Thank you Jessie for this video, it's beautifully made, and made me feel a lot of things
My guess is, you are from Europe? Because I am and I feel a constantly rising inner pressure of anger and fear and I slowly come to a breaking point the more my country gleefully slides back into fascism.
It really can't be understated how impactful Maarva's speech was. Somehow, a secondary character completely overshadowed Luthen's monologue, and I am so glad Luthen, in universe, was there to hear it.
Luthen stood there at distance from the fray, not just from Maarva's speech but on seeing what real rebellion looked and smelled and sounded like, stunned and humbled, and maybe with some slim path forwards because of it.
That one shot of the prison guards cowering in a room during the escape gives me such energy. It's a great visual expression of one of the show's central talking points - they are scared of us, and they have to put in massive systems of control to keep us in place because they know they can't stop us if we work together. I know I said it during your weekly reviews, but you can see quite clearly in the show that even here, 5 years before Star Wars takes place the Empire doesn't really have the level of control they try and sell themselves as having. Even in the places they directly control they need droids, people who've been made example of, spies and people tortured into compliance. And beyond that they need existing systems of power like the Pre-Mor corporate authority to work for them in places they either can't reach yet or don't have the resources to spare. This is suggested in Star Wars with lines like Leia's "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems slip through your fingers", but it's illustrated so very clearly in Andor.
One thing that I do really like about the Disney Star Wars compared to the previous Legends continuity is that it shows the Empire to have been in a constant state of struggle and decline up to and into the Original Trilogy, responding to every setback by trying to build more powerful weapons and just driving itself further into debt. The Death Star becomes not a long-term act of hubris, but an act of desperation, a hoped-for ultimate weapon that will finally secure their power because nothing else has worked... and that just sets them up for their own destruction.
@@michaelramon2411 While Disney drove the concept ad absurdum, they hardly invented it. By the second half arsed "Wunderwaffe" of the original trilogy, the inspiration was quite clear. Not a bad thing to adapt for failing fascist empires, but not exactly creative.
I just like to to add that Nakina 5 is also exceptionally insidious to have the prisoners compete among themselves of borderline better conditions, so they can't get organized en-masse until a breaking point that literally affects everyone. brilliant show. brilliant analysis! thanks!
Andor and its spirit of revolution reminds of a Greek proverb: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” Tony Gilroy has talked about how he is an avid student of revolutions such as the Soviet and Haiti revolutions, and what it takes for them to succeed. Andy Serkis also stated that Kino was based on his idea of a unionizer who was fighting for workers' rights before the Empire imprisoned him for it, and Kino had been losing hope and losing his way until Andor came along.
To add on to the whole "fascism is weakness masquerading as power": I love how ineffectual the officers are in the field during that last battle on Ferrix. They're bad shots, afraid of everything, lose their cool, have no field experience, etc. The show is freaking rad. 🤘🏻 EDIT: Added the 2nd quotation mark, lol.
Well, maybe some of the officers, but the troops weren't ineffectual. They had orders to avoid shooting civilians. Shooting civilians would be bad rap, no matter how well controlled were the news media in the Empire. Besides, they were only after Cassian. The commander panicked when he heard Marva's speech. Of course, after the explosion, it was a different story, but except for the stormtrooper that climbed the tower, the other were efficient and precise with their shots.
I wasn’t a big fan of Rogue One, or Cassian Andor as a character, so I actually had no intention in actually watching this show. But after seeing you praise the show, and having an opportunity to binge it, I gave it a shot. Holy crap, am I glad I watched it. This is probably the best Star Wars has ever been, expanding on all the themes and the world of the original film so brilliantly. I was not expecting that at all
Mmm I was always neutral on Rogue One but Andor is easily my favorite thing from this series. This is the type of show that Star Wars had needed for a long time
The first moment Karn appeared on screen I was so disgusted it wrapped around to straight hate. The actor did an amazing job portraying a 1000% fascist toadie
I kind of pity him considering the fact that he's kind of pathetic,has an abusive mother,is kind of naive in how the Empire actually treats people like him,thinking he's the hero and trying to do good.Even though he's kind of a creep,especially in how he's........'interested' in Dedra Meero.Still,nothing wrong with hating the character because he's basically a sycophantic fascist,right?I don't hate the guy personally because he's kind of pathetic,naive and is basically just another victim of Fascism even though he's trying to enforce it's will.
@Hadi Hambali He's the ultimate example of what drives people deeper down the hole into fascism. His belief in justice degrading into a blind faith in systems of power, feeling demanded, emasculated, desperately wanting to prove your competence. Remember, fascist ideals don't appeal to someone for no reason. They take the vulnerable, take their feelings of powerlessness and twist them into hatred, promising them power at the expense of the lives of others.
@@hadihambali1627 well that’s the whole point of his character. Facism still needs people to enact itself, and often those people are isolated, ignorant, naive, etc., but most importantly, they need connection and desire a place in the world. There’s a reason we see the faces of all the baddies that get killed aside from maybe one or two stormtroopers at the end. People gotta die for fascism to go down with it, it’s nothing to be proud of but entirely necessary.
btw related to this, trivial error around 1:10:00 - she imprisoned him first, and that was how he became convinced there was good and beauty in the world: she's doing her job well enough to come after him. the fact that she had power over him is how he came to believe he deserved her attention. really twisted.
I heard commentary on another show say that Cassian was passive in the last episode. Your commentary reminded me that the shows name was "Andor" - not Cassian. It was an Andor who was active, and that was Maarva Andor ✊. Also in the last episode, the surprised look on Luthan and Val's faces, expressed the disconnection leaders of movement have with the people. I felt like the people of Ferrix were saying to them, "oh, how cute, you thought you were the rebellion". Thanks for connecting this to current social climate - was was really validating.
Clone Wars does an excellent job at highlighting the horrors of war. The Clone's humor, nose art, and interactions with each other vs how they interact with outsiders constantly shows how they are disposable slaves, bred to be fed into a meat grinder. Clones, even ones we come to know, are constantly killed unceremoniously, often at random.
That scene hits me so hard. I'm probably on the 15th watch of that scene and that dude goes out of his way to tell Cassian that his mother has passed. When he died that hit me deep down. Bravo to everyone involved.
It took until this essay for me to get that Marva's speech is, quite literally, Star Wars' version of the poem, 'First They Came'. It's just 'Yeah, the Empire was obviously bad, but it had not affected us too much yet, so we let it happen.'
I love the middle men Empire figures in the show. Constantly backstabbing and trying to climb over everyone to advance themselves up. But what kind of position can you get to? One that gets your work stolen by Grand Moff Tarkin, or one that Darth Vader strangles in a temper tantrum?
Im from Spain, and let me tell you: it is like that. One of the things we inherited from Francisco Francoçs dictatorship was exactly that: a easily corrupted form of goverment that even on the middle level makes people snitch, backstab and look only for themselves. That is not living, is surviving. To clarify, this persists even today, and has been enhanced by the liberalism idea of the monomyth, perpetuated by our democratic system, were no matter who is in charge, left or right, ends doing nothing but fill their own pockets.
Great work, as always. Re: the Aldhani, I loved how the show first introduces us to them through the Empire’s racist, infantilizing stereotype of them (the Empire at its most British so far), and then shows us that no, actually the Empire is dead wrong. The Aldhani people hate them and a rebellion is clearly brewing there, with the chieftain cussing them out to their faces and very pointedly burning the hides that the Empire pays them to rent their land. I love how everywhere we go in this show, rebellion is already brewing. It’s not one hero inspiring everyone else. It’s people everywhere chafing under the yoke, continually inspiring each other through each little act of rebellion, building on top of each other and gradually escalating until open rebellion breaks out. What a show.
Coruscant felt exactly as I imagined it in the X-Wing series of books, especially in the scene with the character going down in the lift, and the light reducing more and more
Thr first thing I thought as Lonni is walking through the lower levels was how many of those background characters could get infected by the Krytos virus 😔
The series, and this video both made me cry. I'm straight, but I'm also an apparent enemy of the state simply because I'm black. This affects me as much as it does trans people, queer people, those who don't see themselves as fitting into the traditional gender binary or any binary for that matter, women, and all other marginalized groups that are forced into the sidelines by the state. I see your fight as my own, and I support your fight.
From an “are we the baddies” standpoint, the Narkina 5 system isn’t just reminiscent of the GULag. It’s the American prison system as well. The stupid games with petty rewards are apparently quite recognizable. My wife knows some people who have done time (she’s a lawyer, so… part of the job). She said that their report was that they had trouble watching after the prisoner suicide. It was too recognizable. Ask not for whom the alarm bell tolls, it tolls for thee…
"But why do we have skulls and crossbones on our uniforms?" 11/11 for the "are we the baddies" reference and also agree with the rest. I'd be out at the 6-year sentence for looking around. Lt. Dan that shit at that point.
Yeah, the gulag was just a prision like any prision in the US, i really liked the video, but comparing narkina 5 with the gulag and saying that stalin was a genocide is just anti-communist propaganda in my opinion, in fact the prison manufacturing mode can also be compared with the gamification of the work that is done by several companies these days.
@Gui_skY Also the fact that the privatized prison system encourages prisons to be full at all times, resulting in slews of people being thrown in jail for offenses that either don't require prison time, or for offenses they never committed in the first place, all to satisfy a quota. Andor was thrown in jail just to fill out the prison labor force, with his sentence bumped up from 6 months to 6 years simply in an effort to keep their prisons stocked for longer without raising suspicions about the lengths of their sentences.
I also want to point out how the show showcases different ways to undermine the imperial power. Like how it cuts between the robery in aldhani by the rebels and the dhani celebrating their culturally significant. So by the end the triumph of the rebels is that they got aways with the money and the triumph of the dhani is that they got to see The Eye once again despite having the crushing weight of an empire that wants to destroy their culture, its a beatuful moment that is guven to this indigenous coded group. Also similar how the first rebellion in ferrix is the marching band disobeying the imperial lineaments of the funeral, their celebration of their culture is a rebellion in it of itself.
Not to mention how the rebels literally escape the empire by using the very symbol/extremely important cultural event of the Dhani that the empire attempted to surpress
I was burned out on Disney Star Wars, and you really hit the nail on the head - it's the sheer self-intertextuality with no other substance makes me tired. But your video pitches this show so well I'll have to give Andor a shot
As a trans woman, working in a warehouse, still in the closet because of the transphobic views of my coworkers, listening to this has me on the verge of tears. Your words are powerful and serve to strengthen and unify our community. Thank you.
I'm a trans woman who lives in a very conservative area doing a very masculine job, landscape construction and equipment operator. I came out 3 years ago. I have no regrets....at least none worth mentioning. But I totally understand your reticence. These are scary and strange time's. However when you are ready, if my experience is any indication, you will find lots of people will be welcoming of you. More than you'll expect. Peace, strength, love and many many blessings my dear 🌈💜🏳️⚧️💜🏳️🌈💜🌈 and happy holidays 🌲🦄🌲🦄🌲
@@quinndawsonosgood5261not trans myself so I can’t imagine how awful it must feel to be surrounded by that bile but I work in federal security and it is disgusting how awful I’d say 80 percent of my coworkers are outright fascists. If someone who is clearly a trans person walks into a facility they if given the chance treat them with thinly veiled disrespect just because trans people exist. Hope both of you can stay well in this awful time
Stay strong, hon. I know that fear and grossness that working in a transphobic setting brings, and how soul crushing it can be. But you're not alone through that experience. I know, it may seem like nothing more than mere words, but the power of -words- is greater than anyone would like us to think, so let me say this again: You are not alone. Whether it's online or in person, there are people who will empathize with and support you. And as terrifying and heavy as it feels to be surrounded by hatred every day, in such a way that you can't be yourself safely, it will be okay. You, will be okay, and you'll find that safe space in which to bloom into the lovely woman you have always been, and were always meant to be. It -does- get better, but you have to keep fighting for it. Because the demons that whisper to you "You'll never be enough", are just as weak as fascism. You're stronger than that. And if nothing else, then you have to carry on purely to spite all those that would try to crush you into oblivion.
Andor surprises me in part because it reminds me of the stories about wartime Vietnam that older members of my family have told me. Both my parents witnessed American air bombers fly over North Vietnam and my dad had to evacuate in December 1972 when B-52s bombed the shit out of Hanoi. I was born long after even the wars with the Khmer Rouge and the PRC, so I didn't experience any of that firsthand. But watching the scenes on Aldhani when the characters hid from the TIE fighter patrols, I remembered the stories of how my parents hurried into bomb shelters at the mere sound of air sirens warning that American airplanes were coming. The scene when Cinta (I think that's her name?) looked up and saw the Star Destroyer also reminded me of how my dad described the B-52s that he saw in the Hanoian sky during the December 1972 bombings. And that's just the cinematography. The rebels' origin stories also reminded me of how my dead relatives came to join the resistance against French colonialism. Some joined early on as they'd had their lives ruined by the French occupation. Others had the privilege to stay away from the fighting, but ended up joining anyway because the injustice finally hit too close to home. My grandpa, for example, hated the French and liked beating up French soldiers in football matches, but was wary about Viet Minh because he thought they were too violent. When he witnessed the French superiors mistreat his Vietnamese colleagues at the railway office, he said that was enough and joined the Viet Minh. When the war is over and time passes, all those varied backgrounds get covered by the mythical narrative of Vietnamese patriotism, but in the first days of the revolution, it was far more complex, and the people of the revolution went through so many changes of heart and changes of faith before being able to deliver the final victory that is the defeat of empire. It's a nuanced narrative that's absent even from the mainstream media in former colonies, so I'm surprised to see it depicted with such detail in Andor.
apparently the person who wrote that article actually rectified that he used some wrong data and andor actually had a similar audience to book of boba fett and the first season of mando
as much as I love Andor, i get the feeling that the general audience is WAY more into a mediocre show with tons of fan service than a slow, overtly political show without any fan favorite characters.
It was also a really slow start, which was important for character building but bored a lot of people who left because they lost interest. It was like being on a space ship and coasting, then jumping into hyper-drive once they hit the heist and staying more or less on that speed for the rest of the show so it's completely worth it.
@@XxMusicxKelseyxX I found the slow start to be utterly engrossing though. Perhaps because I recognised the situation of oppression building and people being pushed to the brink but it was fascinating to watch Andor desperately try to maintain his individuality as the Empire's boot starts to press down on his neck while also fighting to keep his apathy and cynicism but he is ultimately too well prepared by his community to make the choice to ditch his humanity and become a cog in the machine so he makes the only other choice left... there was a lot of foreshadowing and it was thrilling to watch. Perhaps audiences these days are too well trained to want mindless entertainment instead of something of substance.
A few years ago, I attended a police-led meeting of housed-people talking about the unhoused population. In this meeting, (which, again, was led by police) one community member said with earnest that we should shoot the unhoused. The room erupted in applause. A man advocated murder, in front of law enforcement, and received applause. This wasn’t some rural red area, it was the suburbs of supposedly liberal Los Angeles. Dehumanizing fascist rhetoric is everywhere, targets many, and has been stoking violence for a while.
"Their power isn't in their strength, it's in convincing you that you're weak." Not sure if that's the exact wording of the quote but from Terry Pratchetts Lord's and Ladies. Really loved this one and your ending hit home incredibly for me Jessie. You really are an inspiration to me and I really needed this right now.
I always thought Andor wanted Andy Serkis’ character to make the speech because he was a more reliable character to inspire an uprising and not Andor who might be seen as some new upstart. What an interesting point to make about this about Andor uplifting other talents to work for the cause.
I felt the same way. It also fits his character of being in the shadows as a spy from Rogue One. His purpose is fine others who can complete the mission.
One of my favorite details in the show is how it directly disproves what Skeen said before his death, that Cassian and him are the same, that they were born in the hole and only know how to climb up others to get out first. During the prison arc, they escape through climbing up each other *and reaching down to pull up the person who helped them*. I don't think it's a coincedence that it takes a long while for Cassian and the other prisoner (Birnok), both on their own, to climb the lift and truly start the escape in earnest while it takes no time at all for the other prisoners to get out afterwards as they become a large group.
I think the show draws a lot of parallels - whether intentionally or no - with Huey Newton’s “Revolutionary Suicide”. We see consistently through the show that the early members of the rebellion sacrifice key aspects of their lives to push revolutionary action forward. Luthen’s powerful speech about losing his decency, using the tools of the enemy against them, and dreaming of ghosts; Mon’s deteriorating relationship with his family; Cinta and Vel growing distant despite their love for one another because of Vel’s privilege in stepping away from the rebellion and Cinta’s drive and commitment… and so on. One of the key struggles that Cass himself has within himself is that he believes that he can escape everything, that he can find somewhere else to live. More and more we see people around him come to realize that the empire will never just let them live, and take unto themselves a kind of ego-death where they prepare for their own deaths. They understand that the are already dead. And as Cass sees people sacrifice themselves to the cause he recoils out of self-preservation, not realizing how deep he already is. In the prison, Cass is still fundamentally aware that the empire doesn’t really see their power, but he naively believes he can still *live* - even as he’s accelerating everyone around him to accept their own deaths. Kino says “Do whatever you want, but I’m going to behave as though I’m already dead.” The power in those words, in taking power back from the empire, accepting that they will not control even the most final aspect of life, and accepting that regardless of what he does he’s already dead places him further than Cass at this point. Skipping forward to the last scene with Cass and Luthen where Cass says “kill me or take me with you” is him finally internalizing this fact. It’s an act of revolutionary suicide.
The Blaster in Solo is kinda a bad example of self intertexuality. Yes, it is an example in the sense that it's given weight because "that's Han's blaster!" but it also has weight within the movie. Beckett gives Han his blaster, and in many ways his outlook on life, which Han eventually uses to kill Beckett. It's thematic within the film, showing Han going from a bit more idealistic to a bit more cynical. Solo has many problems, but I'm not really sold on that one. The Dice are a significantly better example, I'm glad you brought that up.
I took it as a signifier of a personality trait we don’t usually see if Han - he’s sentimental and nostalgic. Thirty years after that, he still has it? Even when he could have better weapons? He keeps it because it means something to him.
The problem with Solo, for me, is that they tried to reference every aspect of what we knew about the character in a single movie, reducing his whole life to a couple of days. They "explained" his last name, how he got his gun, how he met Lando, and Chewie, and how he won the race of his life. He was reduced to Al Bundy, the footballer that had a glorious one match, and who clings forever to that memory the rest of his failing life.
I want to note that the original trilogy actually subverts Campbell's character arcytypes a lot... Just to name a few Han Solo is an ally who isn't loyal and has his own ally (Chewbacca) Princess Leia is a Princess (Her arcetype is literally in the name) who throws the arcetype straight out the window the minute she's rescued, Luke doesn't even get the girl The two mentors (Yoda and Obi-Wan) are proven wrong by the end with Vader's sacrifice Lando, the shapeshifter, isn't an arsehole backstabber, but a guy who gets screwed over and actually turns back to good
If you think of the stories as a Trilogy, no, but the individual pictures conform almost to a 100%. At the end of ANH Luke gets the girl, the Glory and the prize. Two bad scripts and plot holes later, she is his sister.
I mean yes and no. Some thi gs fit really well (the refusal of the call, meeting the wise master, entering the cave, etc). Luke ignores Yoda's advice to go save his friends and loses a hand (and has to be rescued himself too) but also at this point Lando has already chosen where he would rather stand, so it's a bit of both.
Also Luke, the main character doesn’t have an effect on the war besides blowing up the Death Star I. Same with most of the other characters. Each person only has one heroic act.
@@badideabearcub2747 That's kinda funny actually, this gives Star Wars even more similarities to Dune. The first book of Dune is far more traditional in it's adherence to Campbell in the broadstrokes (It is ciritical but mostly in the details) and then the subsequent books breaks down and subverts those archetypes. Just a funny thought to me, the similarity is obviously accidental 😂.
@@KennethLyVideography No, I don't think it was. George Lucas loves Dune, The story starts on a desert planet, scifi with sword fights. Also, the Sarlacc in Episode 6
i think its important to mention in universe the entirety of the rebel alliance leadership tried to bury rogue one because it made them look bad and luke skywalker tried to keep their memory alive by naming rogue squadron after rogue one
Brick Maarva caving an imp's skull in made me cry so fucking much. It was so poetic. The entire finale i was either sobbing uncontrollably or dabbing wet eyes.
I am so glad you brought up the parallels with Metropolis. I made the same connection with the Nakina 5 arc. When I was a kid, my father liked to show us old movies. When his factory was considering unionizing, he rented Metropolis and we watched it and of course I didn't get it at the time, but I remember towards the end of the film, he started saying things about how THIS is why he was voting against unionization. Rewatching Metropolis years later and then with the context of Andor and just knowing and talking to people about their experiences, we are all treated a cogs to the Capitalist machine. Some of us have remembered we are people. Real People. Not cogs. Our must include waking up other people to realize our collective strength.
For some reason I find myself rewatching a bunch of video essays about andor just after the US election. Take care out there as the world seems to get harsher, and I hope everyone can find the same morsels of hope and inspiration from phenomenal videos like this and ofc the show itself. Fighting for the future includes fighting the urge to give up or let go, and for me at least, these make a world of difference
The funeral scene really was some of the best story telling I've seen. When the riot kicked off I was so hyped I was actually yelling "HIT HIM WITH THE BRICK" and when that happened, my exuberance probably scared my neighbors.
Completely agree. This show had a bunch of amazing moments I don't think Star Wars has really done previously. Maarva's speech at the funeral and formenting the birth of the rebellion is probably the most powerful scene within the Star Wars universe for me. I watch that scene and Kino's speech during the escape at least once a month.
My dad was convinced that Dedra was either a double agent or would eventually turn to the side of the Rebels, and I'm convinced that the entire reason for that was the depth of her character and the ways in which she was humanized, something that is uncommon for villains, especially in the Star Wars universe.
Actually Germany literally had stormtroopers in WW1. Their German name was Sturmtruppen and they were some of the first German infantry to use body armor and the iconic steel helmets. They ended up getting rid of the body armor in favor of mobility and would use grenades and assault tactics to try to clear trenches when mass charges didn't work(ironic if you look at Star wars storm troopers).
Kino Loy best middle management redemption arc. But seriously, I really appreciate one of the major themes of the show (that also feeds into the themes of Rogue One) of sacrificing to create a sunrise you'll never get to see.
Star Wars Rebels did a surprisingly good job at that aswell imo. It kinda felt like an Andor but in a more kid-friendly coat and with more time to tell the story.
As an anarchist transfemme, this show resonated with me more than any media has to date. Fun fact, I was a trumpet player for my high school's marching band- so seeing a real marching band play Unto Stone We Are and hearing Martha's speech left me jittering energetically in my seat because I saw a community who wanted to live their lives which were oppressed by enforcers of corrupt law. I DESIRED to be there with them, it brought out all my rage against our reality and in that moment, I FELT their anger and their strength because more than anything, I want to rid our streets of these fascist bastards. I know this video is one year old but it's beautiful to know other anarchists adore this show as much as I do. Thank you, Jessie. 🏳️⚧️💜
Jessie, thank you so much for this video! I fell into the group that I feel a lot of us Star Wars lovers did, I was just tired of Disney cranking out these things, so I hesitated to watch Andor. However, when I did finally get around to it, I binged it in two days. It is easily my favorite Star Wars show. I also found your comments on Rogue One enlightening. While the Disney Sequels are not my favorite, Rogue One immediately became one of my favorite Star Wars movies, but I could never place why. But now I know: it was political. I was nearly 18 when Rogue One came out, and as such, I found myself looking inwards at myself and my beliefs. I was becoming political, something that for my entire life, I hadn't really been. The thing about Andor and Rogue One is that they are about people. They don't need Jedis to do what they're doing. And while I love the Jedis, there are no Jedis here on earth. If we want a rebellion, we need to do it ourselves. Humans is what will change the system, not some savior/outside force. It's us.
If those bigots mentioned in your last chapter think that a celebration of consensual love between adults is "grooming", they have a fucked up definition of love. Your resolve is impressive Jessie
i watched the first 5 minutes of this. then i binge watched all 12 episodes of Andor. Now I'm back to watch the video. probably one of my favourite shows of all time.
This show has surprised me with how good it is. And Luthen is such a great character, showcasing the hard choices that have to be made when fighting such a fight. Like damn he's uncomfortable bc he's not a brazing hero you can love and unconditionally support, he's ruthless, but he has to be. And that's so interesting, it makes it feel so real.
Oh and also I would've still watched this if you hadn't been wearing the padmé cosplay, but it definitely made this video even better (Yes I'm a shameless simp but I am also correct lol)
And also also kino making that speech to rile up the prisoners gets even more emotional knowing that he probably already knew he can't escape. Damn this show just keeps hitting me more and more
Hey Jessie! I just wanted to send an encouraging word as part of your litmus test. What you're doing here is really important, and there are eyes and ears out here to see and to hear. The view you give voice to matters, and as you point out that's always been there in SW. Andor is a seismic event in SW, and one for the better. This from someone who's been in this far galaxy since age five in 1977... which is not any claim of age or experience as authority, but only meant as a way of telling you "Yes. Proceed. You've got others at your side and flank and it's important we move forwards together."
I think I just realized that this is why Ezra Bridger is my favorite Jedi, despite all the competition. He's not a master swordsman or particularly powerful in the Force, he is just really good at connecting to people and inspiring them to stand up together.
Yeah, andor reminded me a lot of rebels, especially it’s focus on a community standing up to the empire together. From lethal to Ferrix, community is the biggest weapon against fascism.
And here I thought I needed to do an in-depth Andor analysis, because I hadn't seen anyone really inspect its revolutionary themes. But no need, Jessie Gender did it.
I didn't plan to watch a film-length essay this late in my day, but I can't stop myself! Art like this, and the examination it inspires, both enhances my enjoyment of other work and guides my introspection of my own artistic choices and motivations.
Yay Some More News! :D Thanks for another great video Jessie. 💜After watching Andor I finally found this video again... and it was the right choice to watch both!
I think this is some of your best work, and I love your videos! Though I am mad at you for including the "I want M-M-M-Marva" clip, I was hoping to not cry today. I just want to give B2EMO a hug. I think Bix will take good care of him though. Can't wait to see what you have coming up next! ❤
I remember a video equating the First Order to that of Neo-Nazis and modern pushes for facism, fetishing a bygone era. It’s imperfect but I’ve been on Twitter and Tumblr too long to not make the connection myself.
Hell, “somehow Palpatine returned” is memes to hell and back for good reason but there’s a real world subtext to it. When Trump was elected, it felt like somehow bigotry returned. Everything we hoped in a better world was compromised further than ever before.
That said, I do jive with the sentiment in Part 1 about how the New Trilogy was more about Intextuality first and foremost. Even if you can read politics into newer Star Wars projects, a lot of the subtext is a tad too malleable like that. Too many franchises try to have their cake and eat it too. Mind you, why they'd want to associate with the likes of online harassment groups is beyond me but I guess that's why I'm not a big shot business man. :P The Big Damn Heroes moment in the strike against the Final Order was amazing in how it wasn't organized militaries coming together but people. Anybody who had some kind of spaceship with some kind of weaponry came to fight for their right to be free. With November 2020 in mind, feels all the more relevant today. All in all, I find the undermining of the Rebellion's efforts and a force trying to return us to the Empire and foist it upon youngins as scarily justified these days.
I really like the take on Dedra Meero. First they simulate human conflicts and energy around her, give her the role of female protagonist in her own sphere against a whole bunch of entitled male antagonists and a wise mentor figure who progressively recognize her capacities. She has a productive/sort of friendly relationship with her assistant too (when they search together for documents and she tells him to go home and rest). But in the end you just have the white room where entire planets and sectors full of people are just a bunch of numbers to regulate, repress or emprison. All of this conflict between Dedra and her male colleagues happens on top of them all being completely removed from the realities of the people they govern and absolutely apathetic to their pain, and effectively in charge of dealing them the pain. They don't see people, but they see problems and numbers. What they want is to rise in the ranks and they do that by squashing people in the mud. And they're maybe not even very passionate about squashing people in the mud, it's just the thing they have to do to get a good career, but they have zero moral objection to doing it, it wouldn't cross their mind that it's terrible. And you have the torture scene where Dedra is maybe even showing a bit of sadism towards Bix, and maybe kind of admitting that the torture is partly for fun. Like it's telling that she doesn't have any backstory or substantial reason to fight the rebels that is deeper than her being in that white room competing with other people to advance her career. She is integrated in the system and does not need anything deeper to push her forward and to justify her abuses. In a series were the rebellion is shown to be violent and ready to make sacrifices it's meaningful, there is no two ways or Empire Guy fighting for the civillians or her dead mom killed by the rebels or anything.
Watching now on a quiet rainy day and just want to say thanks - I love your deep dives into history, film, politics - just beautiful, thoughtful and spot on Jessie, fascism never sleeps and we’re fighting it now aren’t we?? Stay strong and safe✌🏼❤️
Your video is amazing. It really does the show justice. I watched all Andor episodes the day they released and I can't stop thinking about the show since then. I hope they do well for season 2.
41:33 oooo that's a good point: how the liminality of Coruscant's public spaces always makes people feel like they don't belong, like they should be going somewhere, instead of the more pro-social vibe elsewhere. That's neat!
Phenomenal analysis, thank you Jessie. I love Andor and feel sad that so many people have missed out on such a thought provoking show. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing insights 🙏❤️
Rogue One was hands down my favorite Star Wars movie, and I was young enough to watch the originals at the drive in. Now I've seen your review of this show, I've got to watch his origin story.
I'm disappointed you barely mentioned the themes of betrayal and means vs. ends, as they were depicted in this show by Luthen's decison to have Andor murdered, and by his betrayal of a group of allies, which he knew would result in their deaths. To me this is one of the most fascinating parts of this show, because it refuses to give us easy answers. I mean, sure, solidarity is great ... until you have to murder your partner because the head of your revolutionary cell tells you it's too risky to let him live. Luthen defends these actions, admits he's destroying his own soul, but says it's for the greater good. In the video you allude to this speech, but you don't address the full weight of what Luthen is saying. Do you really accept Luthen's claims with no qualms? Perhaps the creators of Andor intend to go further with this issue in season 2. Or maybe they just want us to fully feel the weight of what revolution means, as they see it. But what I don't think they want is for us to ignore or minimize this problem. It comes up too often, in too many forms in this show. (Mon Mothma makes similarly painful decisions.) I don't know if the show intends it, but to me, this issue raises the problem of whether revolutionaries should use the same tactics the fascists use, or find another way of doing revolution. In my view one thing is clear: a revolution that succeeds using Luthen's methods will become a new form of authoritarianism. I suppose it's too much to ask of any TV show, even this one, but I think Andor presenting this so starkly really seems to be creating an opening for a discussion of classical anarchist prefigurative politics. If the rebels create obligations to a leader who functions like a Mafia boss, the revolution is dead. But if the rebels begin to create the new society within the shell of the old -- if they engage in actions where means and ends are unified -- then they have a chance of success. But of course, this show is heading straight for the rebels blowing up the death star, so I know they are not going to choose prefigurative politics. But I will note that when Star Wars was first released, Ursula K. Le Guin noted that the rebels adopted the aesthetic of Nazis at the triumphant conclusion -- that awards ceremony looked like something out of Leni Riefenstahl. So perhaps these ambiguities in Andor are consciously intended to show us an earlier stage of ambiguities that persist throughout the SW universe. (Sorry for the unvarnished criticism -- in truth I love your video essay. I'm just responding to this one issue because I thought it was so important.)
This was a good and thoughtful critique and I’m glad you raised it. I suppose there’s never any easy answers to your questions, I would be interested to read how Gilroy thought about them or the others who helped make the scripts. You even had really excellent examples to make your points, so well done! Great post.
Damn, I've yet to read Le Guin's works (on a long-ass reading list I can never seem to make a dent in) but that was the thing the struck me as well. As I watched this video and saw that award ceremony, for the first time in a long while, I was taken aback by the fascistic aesthetic of people wearing clean uniforms, separated by function as denoted by the uniform, royalty presenting awards to individual heroes etc. I felt like the rebels who were hoping to found the New Republic were already going full circle and becoming the thing they fought against. As for the choices made, I believe it is inevitable once fascism has risen to state power. You have to take a militant approach to revolution and that means inhuman choices have to be made. In the end, the outcome is decided by who is the figure the public looks to as the new system starts to take place.
this was 100% my biggest qualm with the show, and this essay, that overall I loved so much. the representation of how a successful revolution looks was quite incomplete in the show because of these exact reasons of hierarchy and lack of trust. portraying those things is important, but showing how these tactics and cultures fail revolutions time and again is of even greater importance. i find that the scenes that resonated most were the ones where the rebellion was non hierarchical, and the ones that felt the most forced and untrue to the ideas at the base of the story were the ones where that hierarchy was present. this, as you said, would’ve been fine if the consequences of those hierarchies were represented, but i suppose we’ll have to wait till 2024 for that lol
I appreciate your comment and think the show has 3 degrees of rebellion where there's Mon Mothma who's still trying to rebel within the system that won't allow it, there's Luthen who's utilitarian/mafia style of rebellion (also followed by Saw Gurrera), but then you have Marva/Ferrix/Nemik where they are not wholly lawful but also not a scorched Earth type rebel. For all of its faults (that were mainly due to it originally being a kids show), Star Ward Rebels shows Mon Mothma evolving past this version of her and into a more Marva/Ferrix type rebel. She's also able to better articulate that while Luthen and his style may get stuff done, it can ultimately undermine the message. I think Luthens speech hinted at the fact that he hates that he becomes more similar to the Empire in how he rebels now hence "I have to use the tools of my enemy to fight them (paraphrased)". He knows that while he can help parts of the rebellion, he can never be a true face of rebellion because of what he's done. I hope the next season of Andor explores this more....but I liked the thought process of your comment and how you articulated it. And I loved the video overall
8:22 I’ve recently been reading The Making of Star Wars and I’m fascinated by how much changed from the two-page Journal of the Whills outline to the finished film. Since I’m working on my own story, it’s interesting to see how a plot changed and is improved over several drafts.
You couldn’t have said it any better. However, I’m afraid it’ll be too little too late when people finally take a stand. It feels so crushing watching everything play out today because it feels so impossible to make any difference as an individual.
This video, and this channel, is a wonderful bliss. I'm so happy this Star Wars content in particular got so socially implied and reflective of our very issues. #loveall #welcomeall
Andor is the most excited I've been for Star Wars in a long time (as someone who is fairly ambivalent about the series). I'm so glad the fans have a great series with an actual message to watch. I hope, if the Capitalist Machine, continues to churn series after series, more gems like this are produced
Love the video! You've given me a voice for what I had barely been able to articulate (being neurodivergent doesn't help xD) and the reminder I needed that there's something to fight towards and a community that is here to fight alongside with. Thank you so much for the work you do! (Also, I nearly died of ace joy when I heard David J Bradley's voice over xD)
I freaking love Andor and really hope for a second season, for all the reasons you speak about in this hugely important and well-made video! Thank you so so much for your amazing work, I live for it. Andor's finale episode made me cry too, I wanted to march and fight with the Ferrix community, I cheered when Bix escaped with the daughters of Ferrix and and and .. I really hope this series will get more attention and love from the StarWars Fandom, at least the part of it that understands what Star Wars is truly about. We need more shows like this, and more people like you to tell us exactly why we need them and how we can apply the lessons learned from them in our own lives. I'm so glad you are here on UA-cam, please never go away. Much love from Switzerland
This show was a game-changer & I’m so hyped to watch you breakdown! It’s really reinvigorated my love for Star Wars because it actually has something to say & spur on anti-fascist ideals
I just clocked that in the shot where the prisoners are swimming away from the prison (1:31:34), they're bursting out of what almost looks like the Empire's cog symbol. Were I a more eloquent man, I would say something about them tearing their way out of being a cog in that machine.
Jessie, you really need to play the Knights of the Old Republic games, if you haven’t already. I would really, really love to hear your thoughts on the second game specifically, as it is a subversion of common themes in Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey.
Excellent video so far Jessie, I didn't think about the difference between the First Order versus the Galactic Empire, it helps me understand why I thought it felt shallower despite the Ralph McQuarrie designs in the sequel trilogy
You might discuss this later (I'm only 30 minutes in) but I need to write it down now: the continuation of objects from movie to movie, show to show, further commodifies the storytelling, alienates human connection and makes the star wars universe more about things-you-can-buy rather than people fighting against tyranny. Ok, back to watching!
I've been binging all your videos, totally love them. If you don't mind a bit of concrit, I think it would be good to double check the pronunciation of names you mention, just an error I've noticed a few times in your videos (John as "Johnny", Rian as "rain", Marcia as "mar-see-ya", etc.)
You might not see this but this is the first video i've seen from you and wanted to thank you for the time and effort you put into making this incredible video
Haven't seen Andor yet but I have every confidence this video and your analysis is fantastic! Going to circle back to it when I watch Andor. We love you Jessie!
I don't watch 1 hour + videos I have watched 2 one hour + videos and I am watching this hour + video They are all Andor reviews ...and I am, because they are such an inspiration to step up
Your video title/thumb made me wanna watch it. I finished rn and came back here hahaha. It was AMAZING! PS: I was into Star Wars already but, as most people, found myself saturated from so many shows. Your seal of approval tipped the scale!
For me, the core difference between Lucas and Disney is that you can say what you want about his competence (and many, *MANY* do), but Lucas made Star Wars to tell a story; Disney does it to sell a product. And while you may not conciously notice the difference, your brain certainly does...
I watch your insightful and well researched videos and I can't help flashing back to those videos by... you know... "real" Star Wars fans complaining about how the show was giving them nothing to talk about because there weren't any Easter eggs in it... and I can't help but feel immense gratitude that UA-cam did one thing right in recommending your channel to me. Andor is an awesome series. You're a badass. And this video is fantastic.
This was such a fun and great video to have for the weekend. Going to watch it across the weekend. Always love your essays. So insightful. Also I want that Padme cosplay
Sturm - Abteilung (Sturm-storm; there are an insane amount of English/German cognate words & Abteilung, which means unit, department, or division. The SA fell out after the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, after which the SS rose up favor)
What I really wish a subsequent season would delve into are the reasons why the Empire was supported in so many places. I'd like to see the counterpoint to the "everyone is free" narrative upon which the Rebellion is based. Many corners of the galaxy, especially the remote areas, may have long been subject to even more brutal rulers than the Empire. Places where numerous warlords fight and vie for power and commit genocide would naturally have a population more willing to accept a unified totalitarian state in the name of stability and security. Andor so far has been pretty good about showing the grey side of the Rebellion and its supporters. I'd love to see that for the Imperialists as well.
God damn, Jessie, fantastic job connecting all of the practical, historical, and philosophical ideas Andor hits. While the inspiration for the 5th part is a horrifying tragedy, I am so grateful you could include some fantastic commentary on her funeral speech. I loved that scene and it was such a satisfying moment hearing her basically call for a battle with the Empire at her own funeral. And the real life commentary is so fucking prescient. And honestly this is one of the most inspiring videos you've done. Thank you so much. 💚💙💜🐙
Andor gave me vibes of a Bajoran Resistance prequel to DS9, like if Shakaar and Kira and Li Nalas were all fighting the Cardassians together. Definitely not complaining on that front.
Sign up for Curiosity Stream & Nebula using the URL below for both a discount on an annual plan and help me out too! - curiositystream.com/jessiegender
Ferrix aeternus
sinta and vel forever 💖
Does curiosity stream know you’re homophobic?
@@prestonsmorg2098 lol what?
What are you talking about??
My husband and I were talking about this show after the finale, and I mentioned how interesting it was that such an anti-facist show came out of *Disney.* His response was just a quote from the show, and it kind of stunned me into silence.
"Do you really think they're listening? They don't need to listen."
"Nobody's listening!"
Damn, that's good.
I am SHAKING.
holy shit he's right! somehow scary and reassuring at the same time, but damn ...
That's because Tony Gilroy was unsupervised. He did what he wanted to do with the show. They only asked for 1 small edit at the end.
Jessie’s like “listen bud, you clicked on a 2hr video essay by a trans woman, you are literally the target audience for Nebula/Curiosity Stream”
And she’s right
True
The JG audience is not a monolith. lol
@@Sophia-vk5bq No I’m well aware… it was a joke.
@@Quidividilake I got that it wasn't meant to be taken literally. I was just making fun of the sentiment. Which probably is partly true considering the more educational format of Nebula videos and Jessie's YT videos.
The moment the guy got bricked in the face with Maarva was probably my favorite moment of the show.
Andor is a surname. That brick is a really deep cut and I think on multiple rewatches also my favourite moment.
It's the loaded, bestial scream he does immediately afterward that does it for me. It's only a couple of seconds but it's loaded with the frustration and rage of 20 odd years (?) of oppression, all the tension we've been subjected to as the audience, you bellow in rage with him.
Even in death, Maarva has life and is making a change
They literally personified throwing a brick at a cop with that moment
An Andor is hiding in the tower looking through a whole in a brick wall
I occasionally tell people:
"Star Trek" taught me how to live in times of peace, and "Strange New Worlds" has refreshed that for me in the modern world.
"Star Wars", however, taught me how to live in times of strife and "Andor" *absolutely* refreshed that for me in the modern world.
Tell more people. Well put.
So true, this is my new hunger games after it got removed from Netflix due to becoming a documentary 😂
When Jessie said, "Andor isn't trying to be a hero. He just wants be a person but the state won't allow him", I started crying and basically cried to the end of the video. The same idea was expressed in a previous Andor video as well, and it resonates with me so so much. I don't want to fight fascism, I just want to live a boring life. But I cannot because the state is grinding up every value I believe in. It's grinding up people. I'm not from the US but my country has been shifting into a fascist system as well, maybe even more so. So Andor is plucking on strings that are painfully familiar.
Thank you Jessie for this video, it's beautifully made, and made me feel a lot of things
Regardless of whether you are from the US. The US is very interested in your country as long as it is part of the earth.
My guess is, you are from Europe? Because I am and I feel a constantly rising inner pressure of anger and fear and I slowly come to a breaking point the more my country gleefully slides back into fascism.
It really can't be understated how impactful Maarva's speech was. Somehow, a secondary character completely overshadowed Luthen's monologue, and I am so glad Luthen, in universe, was there to hear it.
And to think it is usually Maarva’s ideals that are quashed for Luthen’s ideals in these shows.
Luthen stood there at distance from the fray, not just from Maarva's speech but on seeing what real rebellion looked and smelled and sounded like, stunned and humbled, and maybe with some slim path forwards because of it.
@@iantaakalla8180 Tbh, I think it's Maarva's ideals that proved victorious, in the end.
I don't think they contradict each other tbh. They just have different functions in the rebellion...
Her speech is the solemn-yet-determined resolve of the Rebellion. Luthen's is about fatalistic self-sacrifice.
That one shot of the prison guards cowering in a room during the escape gives me such energy. It's a great visual expression of one of the show's central talking points - they are scared of us, and they have to put in massive systems of control to keep us in place because they know they can't stop us if we work together.
I know I said it during your weekly reviews, but you can see quite clearly in the show that even here, 5 years before Star Wars takes place the Empire doesn't really have the level of control they try and sell themselves as having. Even in the places they directly control they need droids, people who've been made example of, spies and people tortured into compliance. And beyond that they need existing systems of power like the Pre-Mor corporate authority to work for them in places they either can't reach yet or don't have the resources to spare. This is suggested in Star Wars with lines like Leia's "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems slip through your fingers", but it's illustrated so very clearly in Andor.
One thing that I do really like about the Disney Star Wars compared to the previous Legends continuity is that it shows the Empire to have been in a constant state of struggle and decline up to and into the Original Trilogy, responding to every setback by trying to build more powerful weapons and just driving itself further into debt. The Death Star becomes not a long-term act of hubris, but an act of desperation, a hoped-for ultimate weapon that will finally secure their power because nothing else has worked... and that just sets them up for their own destruction.
@@michaelramon2411 I love that interpretation!
"Power doesn't panic"
"Opression is the mask of fear"
This show has so many brilliant quotes honestly
@@void-creature I’m going to go back and memorize some monologues. I know they will be useful
@@michaelramon2411 While Disney drove the concept ad absurdum, they hardly invented it. By the second half arsed "Wunderwaffe" of the original trilogy, the inspiration was quite clear. Not a bad thing to adapt for failing fascist empires, but not exactly creative.
I just like to to add that Nakina 5 is also exceptionally insidious to have the prisoners compete among themselves of borderline better conditions, so they can't get organized en-masse until a breaking point that literally affects everyone.
brilliant show. brilliant analysis!
thanks!
It mirrors the way corporations encourage competition among their employees.
This dynamic was central to Nazi concentration/death camps actually.
Andor and its spirit of revolution reminds of a Greek proverb: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” Tony Gilroy has talked about how he is an avid student of revolutions such as the Soviet and Haiti revolutions, and what it takes for them to succeed. Andy Serkis also stated that Kino was based on his idea of a unionizer who was fighting for workers' rights before the Empire imprisoned him for it, and Kino had been losing hope and losing his way until Andor came along.
To add on to the whole "fascism is weakness masquerading as power": I love how ineffectual the officers are in the field during that last battle on Ferrix. They're bad shots, afraid of everything, lose their cool, have no field experience, etc. The show is freaking rad. 🤘🏻 EDIT: Added the 2nd quotation mark, lol.
Well, maybe some of the officers, but the troops weren't ineffectual. They had orders to avoid shooting civilians. Shooting civilians would be bad rap, no matter how well controlled were the news media in the Empire. Besides, they were only after Cassian. The commander panicked when he heard Marva's speech. Of course, after the explosion, it was a different story, but except for the stormtrooper that climbed the tower, the other were efficient and precise with their shots.
@@badideabearcub2747 I agree, that's why I singled out the officers. This also supports the class divide theme running through the show.
I wasn’t a big fan of Rogue One, or Cassian Andor as a character, so I actually had no intention in actually watching this show. But after seeing you praise the show, and having an opportunity to binge it, I gave it a shot. Holy crap, am I glad I watched it. This is probably the best Star Wars has ever been, expanding on all the themes and the world of the original film so brilliantly. I was not expecting that at all
I found that andor greatly elevated rogue one for me, you might find it better on rewatch now
rogue one is my favorite star wars movie, easily. cry every time
It was another UA-camr - "Just Write" that did it for me. And now I need to rewatch Rogue One.
Mmm I was always neutral on Rogue One but Andor is easily my favorite thing from this series. This is the type of show that Star Wars had needed for a long time
@@louisaruth jeez me too! starting with K2SO sacrificing himself [itself?] - right now id take a B2Emo origin trilogy any day.
The first moment Karn appeared on screen I was so disgusted it wrapped around to straight hate. The actor did an amazing job portraying a 1000% fascist toadie
I kind of pity him considering the fact that he's kind of pathetic,has an abusive mother,is kind of naive in how the Empire actually treats people like him,thinking he's the hero and trying to do good.Even though he's kind of a creep,especially in how he's........'interested' in Dedra Meero.Still,nothing wrong with hating the character because he's basically a sycophantic fascist,right?I don't hate the guy personally because he's kind of pathetic,naive and is basically just another victim of Fascism even though he's trying to enforce it's will.
@Hadi Hambali He's the ultimate example of what drives people deeper down the hole into fascism. His belief in justice degrading into a blind faith in systems of power, feeling demanded, emasculated, desperately wanting to prove your competence. Remember, fascist ideals don't appeal to someone for no reason. They take the vulnerable, take their feelings of powerlessness and twist them into hatred, promising them power at the expense of the lives of others.
@@hadihambali1627 well that’s the whole point of his character. Facism still needs people to enact itself, and often those people are isolated, ignorant, naive, etc., but most importantly, they need connection and desire a place in the world. There’s a reason we see the faces of all the baddies that get killed aside from maybe one or two stormtroopers at the end. People gotta die for fascism to go down with it, it’s nothing to be proud of but entirely necessary.
btw related to this, trivial error around 1:10:00 - she imprisoned him first, and that was how he became convinced there was good and beauty in the world: she's doing her job well enough to come after him. the fact that she had power over him is how he came to believe he deserved her attention. really twisted.
I heard commentary on another show say that Cassian was passive in the last episode. Your commentary reminded me that the shows name was "Andor" - not Cassian. It was an Andor who was active, and that was Maarva Andor ✊. Also in the last episode, the surprised look on Luthan and Val's faces, expressed the disconnection leaders of movement have with the people. I felt like the people of Ferrix were saying to them, "oh, how cute, you thought you were the rebellion".
Thanks for connecting this to current social climate - was was really validating.
1:29:27 my young son is horrified at Star Wars because they brush past death so quickly in the movies. Bravo to Andor for making us feel it
Clone Wars does an excellent job at highlighting the horrors of war. The Clone's humor, nose art, and interactions with each other vs how they interact with outsiders constantly shows how they are disposable slaves, bred to be fed into a meat grinder. Clones, even ones we come to know, are constantly killed unceremoniously, often at random.
That scene hits me so hard. I'm probably on the 15th watch of that scene and that dude goes out of his way to tell Cassian that his mother has passed. When he died that hit me deep down. Bravo to everyone involved.
It took until this essay for me to get that Marva's speech is, quite literally, Star Wars' version of the poem, 'First They Came'.
It's just 'Yeah, the Empire was obviously bad, but it had not affected us too much yet, so we let it happen.'
Niemöller understates it a bit - he actively helped the Nazis at first out of fear of the communists.
And then they came for me.
@HandleMyBallsUA-cam And there was no one left to help me.
I love the middle men Empire figures in the show. Constantly backstabbing and trying to climb over everyone to advance themselves up. But what kind of position can you get to? One that gets your work stolen by Grand Moff Tarkin, or one that Darth Vader strangles in a temper tantrum?
Im from Spain, and let me tell you: it is like that. One of the things we inherited from Francisco Francoçs dictatorship was exactly that: a easily corrupted form of goverment that even on the middle level makes people snitch, backstab and look only for themselves. That is not living, is surviving.
To clarify, this persists even today, and has been enhanced by the liberalism idea of the monomyth, perpetuated by our democratic system, were no matter who is in charge, left or right, ends doing nothing but fill their own pockets.
Great work, as always. Re: the Aldhani, I loved how the show first introduces us to them through the Empire’s racist, infantilizing stereotype of them (the Empire at its most British so far), and then shows us that no, actually the Empire is dead wrong. The Aldhani people hate them and a rebellion is clearly brewing there, with the chieftain cussing them out to their faces and very pointedly burning the hides that the Empire pays them to rent their land.
I love how everywhere we go in this show, rebellion is already brewing. It’s not one hero inspiring everyone else. It’s people everywhere chafing under the yoke, continually inspiring each other through each little act of rebellion, building on top of each other and gradually escalating until open rebellion breaks out.
What a show.
Coruscant felt exactly as I imagined it in the X-Wing series of books, especially in the scene with the character going down in the lift, and the light reducing more and more
Thr first thing I thought as Lonni is walking through the lower levels was how many of those background characters could get infected by the Krytos virus 😔
This show reminds me of decades of reading Star Wars books - especially those X-Wing books.
The series, and this video both made me cry. I'm straight, but I'm also an apparent enemy of the state simply because I'm black. This affects me as much as it does trans people, queer people, those who don't see themselves as fitting into the traditional gender binary or any binary for that matter, women, and all other marginalized groups that are forced into the sidelines by the state. I see your fight as my own, and I support your fight.
It's our fight, and it won't stop until we're all free, not just some of us, all of us.
@@TheThingInMySink "None of us are free, until we all are free"
From an “are we the baddies” standpoint, the Narkina 5 system isn’t just reminiscent of the GULag.
It’s the American prison system as well. The stupid games with petty rewards are apparently quite recognizable.
My wife knows some people who have done time (she’s a lawyer, so… part of the job). She said that their report was that they had trouble watching after the prisoner suicide. It was too recognizable.
Ask not for whom the alarm bell tolls, it tolls for thee…
"But why do we have skulls and crossbones on our uniforms?" 11/11 for the "are we the baddies" reference and also agree with the rest. I'd be out at the 6-year sentence for looking around. Lt. Dan that shit at that point.
Yeah, the gulag was just a prision like any prision in the US, i really liked the video, but comparing narkina 5 with the gulag and saying that stalin was a genocide is just anti-communist propaganda in my opinion, in fact the prison manufacturing mode can also be compared with the gamification of the work that is done by several companies these days.
@Gui_skY Also the fact that the privatized prison system encourages prisons to be full at all times, resulting in slews of people being thrown in jail for offenses that either don't require prison time, or for offenses they never committed in the first place, all to satisfy a quota. Andor was thrown in jail just to fill out the prison labor force, with his sentence bumped up from 6 months to 6 years simply in an effort to keep their prisons stocked for longer without raising suspicions about the lengths of their sentences.
@@guibervau how can it be anti communist if stalin wasn't a communist?
i live in brazil and this happens every day here, especially in the favelas
I also want to point out how the show showcases different ways to undermine the imperial power. Like how it cuts between the robery in aldhani by the rebels and the dhani celebrating their culturally significant. So by the end the triumph of the rebels is that they got aways with the money and the triumph of the dhani is that they got to see The Eye once again despite having the crushing weight of an empire that wants to destroy their culture, its a beatuful moment that is guven to this indigenous coded group. Also similar how the first rebellion in ferrix is the marching band disobeying the imperial lineaments of the funeral, their celebration of their culture is a rebellion in it of itself.
Not to mention how the rebels literally escape the empire by using the very symbol/extremely important cultural event of the Dhani that the empire attempted to surpress
I was burned out on Disney Star Wars, and you really hit the nail on the head - it's the sheer self-intertextuality with no other substance makes me tired. But your video pitches this show so well I'll have to give Andor a shot
I feel like Disney's Marvel is quite similar at this point... Self-referential to a fault.
Andor's a completely different beast. I was surprised it even got made. I was expecting a lukewarm soup a la Solo.
Is it the Marvel 2.0 or Marvel Starwars 2?
Wrote this then read Foxbane's comment.
Absolutely do give Andor a shot. I say this as someone that has watched no other star wars content other than Andor.
As a trans woman, working in a warehouse, still in the closet because of the transphobic views of my coworkers, listening to this has me on the verge of tears. Your words are powerful and serve to strengthen and unify our community. Thank you.
I'm a trans woman who lives in a very conservative area doing a very masculine job, landscape construction and equipment operator. I came out 3 years ago. I have no regrets....at least none worth mentioning. But I totally understand your reticence. These are scary and strange time's. However when you are ready, if my experience is any indication, you will find lots of people will be welcoming of you. More than you'll expect. Peace, strength, love and many many blessings my dear 🌈💜🏳️⚧️💜🏳️🌈💜🌈 and happy holidays 🌲🦄🌲🦄🌲
@@quinndawsonosgood5261not trans myself so I can’t imagine how awful it must feel to be surrounded by that bile but I work in federal security and it is disgusting how awful I’d say 80 percent of my coworkers are outright fascists. If someone who is clearly a trans person walks into a facility they if given the chance treat them with thinly veiled disrespect just because trans people exist. Hope both of you can stay well in this awful time
Stay strong, hon. I know that fear and grossness that working in a transphobic setting brings, and how soul crushing it can be. But you're not alone through that experience. I know, it may seem like nothing more than mere words, but the power of -words- is greater than anyone would like us to think, so let me say this again:
You are not alone.
Whether it's online or in person, there are people who will empathize with and support you. And as terrifying and heavy as it feels to be surrounded by hatred every day, in such a way that you can't be yourself safely, it will be okay. You, will be okay, and you'll find that safe space in which to bloom into the lovely woman you have always been, and were always meant to be. It -does- get better, but you have to keep fighting for it. Because the demons that whisper to you "You'll never be enough", are just as weak as fascism.
You're stronger than that. And if nothing else, then you have to carry on purely to spite all those that would try to crush you into oblivion.
In what closet... Changing the way u dress won't change the fact people see that u are a man.
@@quinndawsonosgood5261 🎄💖💙
Andor surprises me in part because it reminds me of the stories about wartime Vietnam that older members of my family have told me. Both my parents witnessed American air bombers fly over North Vietnam and my dad had to evacuate in December 1972 when B-52s bombed the shit out of Hanoi. I was born long after even the wars with the Khmer Rouge and the PRC, so I didn't experience any of that firsthand. But watching the scenes on Aldhani when the characters hid from the TIE fighter patrols, I remembered the stories of how my parents hurried into bomb shelters at the mere sound of air sirens warning that American airplanes were coming. The scene when Cinta (I think that's her name?) looked up and saw the Star Destroyer also reminded me of how my dad described the B-52s that he saw in the Hanoian sky during the December 1972 bombings.
And that's just the cinematography. The rebels' origin stories also reminded me of how my dead relatives came to join the resistance against French colonialism. Some joined early on as they'd had their lives ruined by the French occupation. Others had the privilege to stay away from the fighting, but ended up joining anyway because the injustice finally hit too close to home. My grandpa, for example, hated the French and liked beating up French soldiers in football matches, but was wary about Viet Minh because he thought they were too violent. When he witnessed the French superiors mistreat his Vietnamese colleagues at the railway office, he said that was enough and joined the Viet Minh. When the war is over and time passes, all those varied backgrounds get covered by the mythical narrative of Vietnamese patriotism, but in the first days of the revolution, it was far more complex, and the people of the revolution went through so many changes of heart and changes of faith before being able to deliver the final victory that is the defeat of empire. It's a nuanced narrative that's absent even from the mainstream media in former colonies, so I'm surprised to see it depicted with such detail in Andor.
Now if Disney had led with this series, the audience might have stayed around longer.
Yeah, here I am rewatching andor for the story. While I do rewatch(once so far) Obi- wan but only for obi and Vader really(and leía)
apparently the person who wrote that article actually rectified that he used some wrong data and andor actually had a similar audience to book of boba fett and the first season of mando
as much as I love Andor, i get the feeling that the general audience is WAY more into a mediocre show with tons of fan service than a slow, overtly political show without any fan favorite characters.
It was also a really slow start, which was important for character building but bored a lot of people who left because they lost interest. It was like being on a space ship and coasting, then jumping into hyper-drive once they hit the heist and staying more or less on that speed for the rest of the show so it's completely worth it.
@@XxMusicxKelseyxX I found the slow start to be utterly engrossing though. Perhaps because I recognised the situation of oppression building and people being pushed to the brink but it was fascinating to watch Andor desperately try to maintain his individuality as the Empire's boot starts to press down on his neck while also fighting to keep his apathy and cynicism but he is ultimately too well prepared by his community to make the choice to ditch his humanity and become a cog in the machine so he makes the only other choice left... there was a lot of foreshadowing and it was thrilling to watch. Perhaps audiences these days are too well trained to want mindless entertainment instead of something of substance.
A few years ago, I attended a police-led meeting of housed-people talking about the unhoused population. In this meeting, (which, again, was led by police) one community member said with earnest that we should shoot the unhoused. The room erupted in applause. A man advocated murder, in front of law enforcement, and received applause. This wasn’t some rural red area, it was the suburbs of supposedly liberal Los Angeles.
Dehumanizing fascist rhetoric is everywhere, targets many, and has been stoking violence for a while.
"Their power isn't in their strength, it's in convincing you that you're weak." Not sure if that's the exact wording of the quote but from Terry Pratchetts Lord's and Ladies. Really loved this one and your ending hit home incredibly for me Jessie. You really are an inspiration to me and I really needed this right now.
I always thought Andor wanted Andy Serkis’ character to make the speech because he was a more reliable character to inspire an uprising and not Andor who might be seen as some new upstart.
What an interesting point to make about this about Andor uplifting other talents to work for the cause.
I felt the same way. It also fits his character of being in the shadows as a spy from Rogue One. His purpose is fine others who can complete the mission.
Cassian isn't a spotlight character. But notice that Kino is simply repeating lines that Cassian had said to him.
One of my favorite details in the show is how it directly disproves what Skeen said before his death, that Cassian and him are the same, that they were born in the hole and only know how to climb up others to get out first. During the prison arc, they escape through climbing up each other *and reaching down to pull up the person who helped them*. I don't think it's a coincedence that it takes a long while for Cassian and the other prisoner (Birnok), both on their own, to climb the lift and truly start the escape in earnest while it takes no time at all for the other prisoners to get out afterwards as they become a large group.
I think the show draws a lot of parallels - whether intentionally or no - with Huey Newton’s “Revolutionary Suicide”. We see consistently through the show that the early members of the rebellion sacrifice key aspects of their lives to push revolutionary action forward. Luthen’s powerful speech about losing his decency, using the tools of the enemy against them, and dreaming of ghosts; Mon’s deteriorating relationship with his family; Cinta and Vel growing distant despite their love for one another because of Vel’s privilege in stepping away from the rebellion and Cinta’s drive and commitment… and so on.
One of the key struggles that Cass himself has within himself is that he believes that he can escape everything, that he can find somewhere else to live. More and more we see people around him come to realize that the empire will never just let them live, and take unto themselves a kind of ego-death where they prepare for their own deaths. They understand that the are already dead. And as Cass sees people sacrifice themselves to the cause he recoils out of self-preservation, not realizing how deep he already is.
In the prison, Cass is still fundamentally aware that the empire doesn’t really see their power, but he naively believes he can still *live* - even as he’s accelerating everyone around him to accept their own deaths.
Kino says “Do whatever you want, but I’m going to behave as though I’m already dead.” The power in those words, in taking power back from the empire, accepting that they will not control even the most final aspect of life, and accepting that regardless of what he does he’s already dead places him further than Cass at this point.
Skipping forward to the last scene with Cass and Luthen where Cass says “kill me or take me with you” is him finally internalizing this fact. It’s an act of revolutionary suicide.
The Blaster in Solo is kinda a bad example of self intertexuality. Yes, it is an example in the sense that it's given weight because "that's Han's blaster!" but it also has weight within the movie. Beckett gives Han his blaster, and in many ways his outlook on life, which Han eventually uses to kill Beckett. It's thematic within the film, showing Han going from a bit more idealistic to a bit more cynical. Solo has many problems, but I'm not really sold on that one. The Dice are a significantly better example, I'm glad you brought that up.
I took it as a signifier of a personality trait we don’t usually see if Han - he’s sentimental and nostalgic.
Thirty years after that, he still has it? Even when he could have better weapons? He keeps it because it means something to him.
The problem with Solo, for me, is that they tried to reference every aspect of what we knew about the character in a single movie, reducing his whole life to a couple of days. They "explained" his last name, how he got his gun, how he met Lando, and Chewie, and how he won the race of his life. He was reduced to Al Bundy, the footballer that had a glorious one match, and who clings forever to that memory the rest of his failing life.
I want to note that the original trilogy actually subverts Campbell's character arcytypes a lot... Just to name a few
Han Solo is an ally who isn't loyal and has his own ally (Chewbacca)
Princess Leia is a Princess (Her arcetype is literally in the name) who throws the arcetype straight out the window the minute she's rescued, Luke doesn't even get the girl
The two mentors (Yoda and Obi-Wan) are proven wrong by the end with Vader's sacrifice
Lando, the shapeshifter, isn't an arsehole backstabber, but a guy who gets screwed over and actually turns back to good
If you think of the stories as a Trilogy, no, but the individual pictures conform almost to a 100%. At the end of ANH Luke gets the girl, the Glory and the prize. Two bad scripts and plot holes later, she is his sister.
I mean yes and no. Some thi gs fit really well (the refusal of the call, meeting the wise master, entering the cave, etc).
Luke ignores Yoda's advice to go save his friends and loses a hand (and has to be rescued himself too) but also at this point Lando has already chosen where he would rather stand, so it's a bit of both.
Also Luke, the main character doesn’t have an effect on the war besides blowing up the Death Star I. Same with most of the other characters. Each person only has one heroic act.
@@badideabearcub2747 That's kinda funny actually, this gives Star Wars even more similarities to Dune. The first book of Dune is far more traditional in it's adherence to Campbell in the broadstrokes (It is ciritical but mostly in the details) and then the subsequent books breaks down and subverts those archetypes.
Just a funny thought to me, the similarity is obviously accidental 😂.
@@KennethLyVideography No, I don't think it was. George Lucas loves Dune, The story starts on a desert planet, scifi with sword fights. Also, the Sarlacc in Episode 6
“Fuck the Empire” is passive. We must hear Maarva’s words - “Fight the empire”
i think its important to mention in universe the entirety of the rebel alliance leadership tried to bury rogue one because it made them look bad and luke skywalker tried to keep their memory alive by naming rogue squadron after rogue one
Brick Maarva caving an imp's skull in made me cry so fucking much. It was so poetic. The entire finale i was either sobbing uncontrollably or dabbing wet eyes.
I couldnt stop crying that last episode. From the manifesto to the speech
I am so glad you brought up the parallels with Metropolis. I made the same connection with the Nakina 5 arc.
When I was a kid, my father liked to show us old movies. When his factory was considering unionizing, he rented Metropolis and we watched it and of course I didn't get it at the time, but I remember towards the end of the film, he started saying things about how THIS is why he was voting against unionization.
Rewatching Metropolis years later and then with the context of Andor and just knowing and talking to people about their experiences, we are all treated a cogs to the Capitalist machine. Some of us have remembered we are people. Real People. Not cogs. Our must include waking up other people to realize our collective strength.
You are a cog in any system. No matter how 'democratic' it is
@Blaire Sovereign so called ills of capitalism. Are actually free market sins. Not specific to captlisitm.
For some reason I find myself rewatching a bunch of video essays about andor just after the US election. Take care out there as the world seems to get harsher, and I hope everyone can find the same morsels of hope and inspiration from phenomenal videos like this and ofc the show itself. Fighting for the future includes fighting the urge to give up or let go, and for me at least, these make a world of difference
"It's not trying to sell you something. it's trying to tell you something." That's well said
Make no mistake. Andor is a product, made by a corporation. It just happens to come in a package many of us enjoy on a personal level.
The funeral scene really was some of the best story telling I've seen. When the riot kicked off I was so hyped I was actually yelling "HIT HIM WITH THE BRICK" and when that happened, my exuberance probably scared my neighbors.
Completely agree. This show had a bunch of amazing moments I don't think Star Wars has really done previously. Maarva's speech at the funeral and formenting the birth of the rebellion is probably the most powerful scene within the Star Wars universe for me. I watch that scene and Kino's speech during the escape at least once a month.
My dad was convinced that Dedra was either a double agent or would eventually turn to the side of the Rebels, and I'm convinced that the entire reason for that was the depth of her character and the ways in which she was humanized, something that is uncommon for villains, especially in the Star Wars universe.
Actually Germany literally had stormtroopers in WW1. Their German name was Sturmtruppen and they were some of the first German infantry to use body armor and the iconic steel helmets. They ended up getting rid of the body armor in favor of mobility and would use grenades and assault tactics to try to clear trenches when mass charges didn't work(ironic if you look at Star wars storm troopers).
Thank you for the stalker reading of Syril. Ive seen some people ship him with Dedra simplifying him into a simp ehen he was SO CREEPY.
Kino Loy best middle management redemption arc.
But seriously, I really appreciate one of the major themes of the show (that also feeds into the themes of Rogue One) of sacrificing to create a sunrise you'll never get to see.
I choose to believe that Kino Loy survived. Not because of chance, but because others risked their lives to help him without knowing who he was.
Star Wars Rebels did a surprisingly good job at that aswell imo. It kinda felt like an Andor but in a more kid-friendly coat and with more time to tell the story.
My spirit says "collective action" but my neurology says "leave me alone"
I don't know how an introvert is supposed to join a collective
As an anarchist transfemme, this show resonated with me more than any media has to date. Fun fact, I was a trumpet player for my high school's marching band- so seeing a real marching band play Unto Stone We Are and hearing Martha's speech left me jittering energetically in my seat because I saw a community who wanted to live their lives which were oppressed by enforcers of corrupt law. I DESIRED to be there with them, it brought out all my rage against our reality and in that moment, I FELT their anger and their strength because more than anything, I want to rid our streets of these fascist bastards.
I know this video is one year old but it's beautiful to know other anarchists adore this show as much as I do. Thank you, Jessie. 🏳️⚧️💜
Jessie, thank you so much for this video! I fell into the group that I feel a lot of us Star Wars lovers did, I was just tired of Disney cranking out these things, so I hesitated to watch Andor. However, when I did finally get around to it, I binged it in two days. It is easily my favorite Star Wars show.
I also found your comments on Rogue One enlightening. While the Disney Sequels are not my favorite, Rogue One immediately became one of my favorite Star Wars movies, but I could never place why. But now I know: it was political. I was nearly 18 when Rogue One came out, and as such, I found myself looking inwards at myself and my beliefs. I was becoming political, something that for my entire life, I hadn't really been.
The thing about Andor and Rogue One is that they are about people. They don't need Jedis to do what they're doing. And while I love the Jedis, there are no Jedis here on earth. If we want a rebellion, we need to do it ourselves. Humans is what will change the system, not some savior/outside force. It's us.
If those bigots mentioned in your last chapter think that a celebration of consensual love between adults is "grooming", they have a fucked up definition of love. Your resolve is impressive Jessie
i watched the first 5 minutes of this. then i binge watched all 12 episodes of Andor. Now I'm back to watch the video. probably one of my favourite shows of all time.
This show has surprised me with how good it is. And Luthen is such a great character, showcasing the hard choices that have to be made when fighting such a fight. Like damn he's uncomfortable bc he's not a brazing hero you can love and unconditionally support, he's ruthless, but he has to be. And that's so interesting, it makes it feel so real.
Oh and also I would've still watched this if you hadn't been wearing the padmé cosplay, but it definitely made this video even better (Yes I'm a shameless simp but I am also correct lol)
And also also kino making that speech to rile up the prisoners gets even more emotional knowing that he probably already knew he can't escape. Damn this show just keeps hitting me more and more
Hey Jessie! I just wanted to send an encouraging word as part of your litmus test. What you're doing here is really important, and there are eyes and ears out here to see and to hear. The view you give voice to matters, and as you point out that's always been there in SW. Andor is a seismic event in SW, and one for the better. This from someone who's been in this far galaxy since age five in 1977... which is not any claim of age or experience as authority, but only meant as a way of telling you "Yes. Proceed. You've got others at your side and flank and it's important we move forwards together."
I think I just realized that this is why Ezra Bridger is my favorite Jedi, despite all the competition. He's not a master swordsman or particularly powerful in the Force, he is just really good at connecting to people and inspiring them to stand up together.
Yeah, andor reminded me a lot of rebels, especially it’s focus on a community standing up to the empire together. From lethal to Ferrix, community is the biggest weapon against fascism.
Basically what a Jedi originally should do until they grew implacent and forgot their original duty
And here I thought I needed to do an in-depth Andor analysis, because I hadn't seen anyone really inspect its revolutionary themes. But no need, Jessie Gender did it.
Hi there
I didn't plan to watch a film-length essay this late in my day, but I can't stop myself! Art like this, and the examination it inspires, both enhances my enjoyment of other work and guides my introspection of my own artistic choices and motivations.
Whew, those last sections GOT to me
Yay Some More News! :D
Thanks for another great video Jessie. 💜After watching Andor I finally found this video again... and it was the right choice to watch both!
I think this is some of your best work, and I love your videos! Though I am mad at you for including the "I want M-M-M-Marva" clip, I was hoping to not cry today. I just want to give B2EMO a hug. I think Bix will take good care of him though. Can't wait to see what you have coming up next! ❤
I remember a video equating the First Order to that of Neo-Nazis and modern pushes for facism, fetishing a bygone era. It’s imperfect but I’ve been on Twitter and Tumblr too long to not make the connection myself.
Hell, “somehow Palpatine returned” is memes to hell and back for good reason but there’s a real world subtext to it. When Trump was elected, it felt like somehow bigotry returned. Everything we hoped in a better world was compromised further than ever before.
That said, I do jive with the sentiment in Part 1 about how the New Trilogy was more about Intextuality first and foremost. Even if you can read politics into newer Star Wars projects, a lot of the subtext is a tad too malleable like that. Too many franchises try to have their cake and eat it too.
Mind you, why they'd want to associate with the likes of online harassment groups is beyond me but I guess that's why I'm not a big shot business man. :P
The Big Damn Heroes moment in the strike against the Final Order was amazing in how it wasn't organized militaries coming together but people. Anybody who had some kind of spaceship with some kind of weaponry came to fight for their right to be free. With November 2020 in mind, feels all the more relevant today.
All in all, I find the undermining of the Rebellion's efforts and a force trying to return us to the Empire and foist it upon youngins as scarily justified these days.
I really like the take on Dedra Meero. First they simulate human conflicts and energy around her, give her the role of female protagonist in her own sphere against a whole bunch of entitled male antagonists and a wise mentor figure who progressively recognize her capacities. She has a productive/sort of friendly relationship with her assistant too (when they search together for documents and she tells him to go home and rest).
But in the end you just have the white room where entire planets and sectors full of people are just a bunch of numbers to regulate, repress or emprison. All of this conflict between Dedra and her male colleagues happens on top of them all being completely removed from the realities of the people they govern and absolutely apathetic to their pain, and effectively in charge of dealing them the pain. They don't see people, but they see problems and numbers. What they want is to rise in the ranks and they do that by squashing people in the mud. And they're maybe not even very passionate about squashing people in the mud, it's just the thing they have to do to get a good career, but they have zero moral objection to doing it, it wouldn't cross their mind that it's terrible.
And you have the torture scene where Dedra is maybe even showing a bit of sadism towards Bix, and maybe kind of admitting that the torture is partly for fun.
Like it's telling that she doesn't have any backstory or substantial reason to fight the rebels that is deeper than her being in that white room competing with other people to advance her career. She is integrated in the system and does not need anything deeper to push her forward and to justify her abuses. In a series were the rebellion is shown to be violent and ready to make sacrifices it's meaningful, there is no two ways or Empire Guy fighting for the civillians or her dead mom killed by the rebels or anything.
Watching now on a quiet rainy day and just want to say thanks - I love your deep dives into history, film, politics - just beautiful, thoughtful and spot on Jessie, fascism never sleeps and we’re fighting it now aren’t we?? Stay strong
and safe✌🏼❤️
🗽🫶
Powerful. Thank you for your thought-provoking commentary. ❤
Your video is amazing. It really does the show justice. I watched all Andor episodes the day they released and I can't stop thinking about the show since then. I hope they do well for season 2.
41:33 oooo that's a good point: how the liminality of Coruscant's public spaces always makes people feel like they don't belong, like they should be going somewhere, instead of the more pro-social vibe elsewhere. That's neat!
Phenomenal analysis, thank you Jessie. I love Andor and feel sad that so many people have missed out on such a thought provoking show. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing insights 🙏❤️
"Power relinquishes nothing without a demand, it never has and it never will." Frederick Douglas. My favorite quote from union leadership training.
Rogue One was hands down my favorite Star Wars movie, and I was young enough to watch the originals at the drive in. Now I've seen your review of this show, I've got to watch his origin story.
Been looking for this level of analysis on this show.
Thank you!
I'm disappointed you barely mentioned the themes of betrayal and means vs. ends, as they were depicted in this show by Luthen's decison to have Andor murdered, and by his betrayal of a group of allies, which he knew would result in their deaths. To me this is one of the most fascinating parts of this show, because it refuses to give us easy answers. I mean, sure, solidarity is great ... until you have to murder your partner because the head of your revolutionary cell tells you it's too risky to let him live. Luthen defends these actions, admits he's destroying his own soul, but says it's for the greater good. In the video you allude to this speech, but you don't address the full weight of what Luthen is saying. Do you really accept Luthen's claims with no qualms?
Perhaps the creators of Andor intend to go further with this issue in season 2. Or maybe they just want us to fully feel the weight of what revolution means, as they see it. But what I don't think they want is for us to ignore or minimize this problem. It comes up too often, in too many forms in this show. (Mon Mothma makes similarly painful decisions.) I don't know if the show intends it, but to me, this issue raises the problem of whether revolutionaries should use the same tactics the fascists use, or find another way of doing revolution. In my view one thing is clear: a revolution that succeeds using Luthen's methods will become a new form of authoritarianism. I suppose it's too much to ask of any TV show, even this one, but I think Andor presenting this so starkly really seems to be creating an opening for a discussion of classical anarchist prefigurative politics. If the rebels create obligations to a leader who functions like a Mafia boss, the revolution is dead. But if the rebels begin to create the new society within the shell of the old -- if they engage in actions where means and ends are unified -- then they have a chance of success.
But of course, this show is heading straight for the rebels blowing up the death star, so I know they are not going to choose prefigurative politics. But I will note that when Star Wars was first released, Ursula K. Le Guin noted that the rebels adopted the aesthetic of Nazis at the triumphant conclusion -- that awards ceremony looked like something out of Leni Riefenstahl. So perhaps these ambiguities in Andor are consciously intended to show us an earlier stage of ambiguities that persist throughout the SW universe.
(Sorry for the unvarnished criticism -- in truth I love your video essay. I'm just responding to this one issue because I thought it was so important.)
This was a good and thoughtful critique and I’m glad you raised it. I suppose there’s never any easy answers to your questions, I would be interested to read how Gilroy thought about them or the others who helped make the scripts. You even had really excellent examples to make your points, so well done! Great post.
It seems to me like Luthen acknowledges that he won't be able to be a part of the thing he's fighting for. He's like Moses and the promised land.
Damn, I've yet to read Le Guin's works (on a long-ass reading list I can never seem to make a dent in) but that was the thing the struck me as well. As I watched this video and saw that award ceremony, for the first time in a long while, I was taken aback by the fascistic aesthetic of people wearing clean uniforms, separated by function as denoted by the uniform, royalty presenting awards to individual heroes etc. I felt like the rebels who were hoping to found the New Republic were already going full circle and becoming the thing they fought against.
As for the choices made, I believe it is inevitable once fascism has risen to state power. You have to take a militant approach to revolution and that means inhuman choices have to be made. In the end, the outcome is decided by who is the figure the public looks to as the new system starts to take place.
this was 100% my biggest qualm with the show, and this essay, that overall I loved so much.
the representation of how a successful revolution looks was quite incomplete in the show because of these exact reasons of hierarchy and lack of trust. portraying those things is important, but showing how these tactics and cultures fail revolutions time and again is of even greater importance.
i find that the scenes that resonated most were the ones where the rebellion was non hierarchical, and the ones that felt the most forced and untrue to the ideas at the base of the story were the ones where that hierarchy was present.
this, as you said, would’ve been fine if the consequences of those hierarchies were represented, but i suppose we’ll have to wait till 2024 for that lol
I appreciate your comment and think the show has 3 degrees of rebellion where there's Mon Mothma who's still trying to rebel within the system that won't allow it, there's Luthen who's utilitarian/mafia style of rebellion (also followed by Saw Gurrera), but then you have Marva/Ferrix/Nemik where they are not wholly lawful but also not a scorched Earth type rebel. For all of its faults (that were mainly due to it originally being a kids show), Star Ward Rebels shows Mon Mothma evolving past this version of her and into a more Marva/Ferrix type rebel. She's also able to better articulate that while Luthen and his style may get stuff done, it can ultimately undermine the message. I think Luthens speech hinted at the fact that he hates that he becomes more similar to the Empire in how he rebels now hence "I have to use the tools of my enemy to fight them (paraphrased)". He knows that while he can help parts of the rebellion, he can never be a true face of rebellion because of what he's done. I hope the next season of Andor explores this more....but I liked the thought process of your comment and how you articulated it. And I loved the video overall
8:22 I’ve recently been reading The Making of Star Wars and I’m fascinated by how much changed from the two-page Journal of the Whills outline to the finished film.
Since I’m working on my own story, it’s interesting to see how a plot changed and is improved over several drafts.
You couldn’t have said it any better. However, I’m afraid it’ll be too little too late when people finally take a stand. It feels so crushing watching everything play out today because it feels so impossible to make any difference as an individual.
This video, and this channel, is a wonderful bliss.
I'm so happy this Star Wars content in particular got so socially implied and reflective of our very issues. #loveall #welcomeall
Andor is the most excited I've been for Star Wars in a long time (as someone who is fairly ambivalent about the series). I'm so glad the fans have a great series with an actual message to watch. I hope, if the Capitalist Machine, continues to churn series after series, more gems like this are produced
Love the video! You've given me a voice for what I had barely been able to articulate (being neurodivergent doesn't help xD) and the reminder I needed that there's something to fight towards and a community that is here to fight alongside with. Thank you so much for the work you do! (Also, I nearly died of ace joy when I heard David J Bradley's voice over xD)
I freaking love Andor and really hope for a second season, for all the reasons you speak about in this hugely important and well-made video! Thank you so so much for your amazing work, I live for it. Andor's finale episode made me cry too, I wanted to march and fight with the Ferrix community, I cheered when Bix escaped with the daughters of Ferrix and and and .. I really hope this series will get more attention and love from the StarWars Fandom, at least the part of it that understands what Star Wars is truly about. We need more shows like this, and more people like you to tell us exactly why we need them and how we can apply the lessons learned from them in our own lives. I'm so glad you are here on UA-cam, please never go away. Much love from Switzerland
Season 2 is in production.
It's getting a second season. It will be out in 2024.
The pandemic really put me to sleep, my own life really puts me to sleep, my work really puts me to sleep. Jessie thank you for keeping me on my toes.
"Somehow Bob Iger returned" I see what you did there. Know that it is appreciated.
This show was a game-changer & I’m so hyped to watch you breakdown! It’s really reinvigorated my love for Star Wars because it actually has something to say & spur on anti-fascist ideals
I just clocked that in the shot where the prisoners are swimming away from the prison (1:31:34), they're bursting out of what almost looks like the Empire's cog symbol. Were I a more eloquent man, I would say something about them tearing their way out of being a cog in that machine.
Jessie, you really need to play the Knights of the Old Republic games, if you haven’t already. I would really, really love to hear your thoughts on the second game specifically, as it is a subversion of common themes in Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey.
Excellent video so far Jessie, I didn't think about the difference between the First Order versus the Galactic Empire, it helps me understand why I thought it felt shallower despite the Ralph McQuarrie designs in the sequel trilogy
You might discuss this later (I'm only 30 minutes in) but I need to write it down now: the continuation of objects from movie to movie, show to show, further commodifies the storytelling, alienates human connection and makes the star wars universe more about things-you-can-buy rather than people fighting against tyranny. Ok, back to watching!
I've been binging all your videos, totally love them. If you don't mind a bit of concrit, I think it would be good to double check the pronunciation of names you mention, just an error I've noticed a few times in your videos (John as "Johnny", Rian as "rain", Marcia as "mar-see-ya", etc.)
You might not see this but this is the first video i've seen from you and wanted to thank you for the time and effort you put into making this incredible video
Haven't seen Andor yet but I have every confidence this video and your analysis is fantastic! Going to circle back to it when I watch Andor. We love you Jessie!
I don't watch 1 hour + videos
I have watched 2 one hour + videos and I am watching this hour + video
They are all Andor reviews
...and I am, because they are such an inspiration to step up
I'm late to the Andor party but I'm so glad you did this analysis to accompany it. Such important themes and your final segment really nailed it
Your video title/thumb made me wanna watch it. I finished rn and came back here hahaha. It was AMAZING!
PS: I was into Star Wars already but, as most people, found myself saturated from so many shows. Your seal of approval tipped the scale!
I'm not a big star wars fan but you have definitely inspired me to give Andor a chance :D
I love your work ❤
Cried so many times watching this video. And this is my third time watching the whole thing front-to-back in the past year. Thank you!
For me, the core difference between Lucas and Disney is that you can say what you want about his competence (and many, *MANY* do), but Lucas made Star Wars to tell a story; Disney does it to sell a product. And while you may not conciously notice the difference, your brain certainly does...
I can't watch this video without crying every time Maarva appears on screen...
I watch your insightful and well researched videos and I can't help flashing back to those videos by... you know... "real" Star Wars fans complaining about how the show was giving them nothing to talk about because there weren't any Easter eggs in it... and I can't help but feel immense gratitude that UA-cam did one thing right in recommending your channel to me. Andor is an awesome series. You're a badass. And this video is fantastic.
This was such a fun and great video to have for the weekend. Going to watch it across the weekend. Always love your essays. So insightful. Also I want that Padme cosplay
Ah yes, Jessie casually dropping a 2 hour video as she usually does
2:13
I’ve seen Andor and already I have to 👍 your vid (due to the introductory analysis, not just b/c Andor is amazing)
Sturm - Abteilung
(Sturm-storm; there are an insane amount of English/German cognate words & Abteilung, which means unit, department, or division. The SA fell out after the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, after which the SS rose up favor)
What I really wish a subsequent season would delve into are the reasons why the Empire was supported in so many places. I'd like to see the counterpoint to the "everyone is free" narrative upon which the Rebellion is based. Many corners of the galaxy, especially the remote areas, may have long been subject to even more brutal rulers than the Empire. Places where numerous warlords fight and vie for power and commit genocide would naturally have a population more willing to accept a unified totalitarian state in the name of stability and security. Andor so far has been pretty good about showing the grey side of the Rebellion and its supporters. I'd love to see that for the Imperialists as well.
God damn, Jessie, fantastic job connecting all of the practical, historical, and philosophical ideas Andor hits. While the inspiration for the 5th part is a horrifying tragedy, I am so grateful you could include some fantastic commentary on her funeral speech. I loved that scene and it was such a satisfying moment hearing her basically call for a battle with the Empire at her own funeral. And the real life commentary is so fucking prescient. And honestly this is one of the most inspiring videos you've done. Thank you so much. 💚💙💜🐙
Beautifully done, I already loved the show, now I have a whole new level of appreciation for it.
Andor gave me vibes of a Bajoran Resistance prequel to DS9, like if Shakaar and Kira and Li Nalas were all fighting the Cardassians together. Definitely not complaining on that front.
I've been wanting to see that ever since I finished DS9 (hint, hint, Paramount)
@@nathandrake5544 hint, hint, Paramount+ (if two of us like this idea there's more)