The Poetry, Power, and Philosophy of Andor's Monologues
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Andor is easily the best thing from Star Wars in recent years, and that is mostly due to in the insanely high quality of its writing. And that writing never shines brighter than in these 5 excellent monologues that demonstrate the prowess of the writers and actors exquisitely.
But more than being merely captivating, these speeches are thought-provoking, as they espouse philosophies that differ and yet have similarities, and give us something to ponder long after we have turned off our TV.
THAT is why Andor is a story that stays with us, a story that really matters. - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
I may be in the minority when I say this but I genuinely believe that Andor has the best dialogue in all of Star Wars. Period.
No, you're right. The dialogue is so brilliant, creative and subtle. Nothing else comes close in all of Star Wars.
Absolutely right. Andor ist the only thing of the star wars universe that truely deserves an award for story and acting.
Not probably, it just does
Best Star Wars down right, uncontested.
Agreed
Andor was better than Disney ever deserved
Arguably Lucasfilm as a whole
@@DiamondKingStudios literally.
Tony Gilroy was better than they deserved, but as a fan, I'm still grateful we got this brief glimpse of what Star Wars 'could' be, in the right hands.
@@Blisterdude123 Let us hope that Gilroy will keep this fantastic writing up in the second season
Andor was better than Star Wars fans ever deserved...certainly better than Lucas ever deserved.
Andor is completely beyond the entire franchise. Rogue One had already upped the bar way past anything else in Star Wars, but it still wasn't amazing. Andor blew it all away. For a "nobody" character that didn't even exist until Rogue One...and that can't matter beyond that point, now.
It's better than the entire franchise combined, and makes all the fanfic "legends" garbage look like a total joke.
I will never get tired of listening to people gush about this show.
I've never clicked on so many videos from random YT channels for any show or topic in my life as I do for Andor.
i've never felt so understood. seriously it makes me happy seeing people talk in detail about loving the things i love. these random youtubers always put my thoughts so beautifully into words
@@MCKBeatsIt wasn't until we got Andor that we realised we didn't have enough Andor.
@@DisorderedArrayUnfortunately, Andor ruined the other Disney SW products for me
One of the shows I enjoyed being wrong about initially. I thought it was a waste of time prior to watching a single episode. I was that judgemental about a Star Wars prequel 🤣.
But I was sold after sticking past the third episode. It simply got better as it progressed. And I appreciated it more upon rewatching.
Andor is literature. It is SciFi at it's best. It examines the human condition. It's the first Star Wars that actually is SciFi. There is so much depth, thought, and love imbued in this amazing story. Somehow, this far after the end of season 1, after so many videos analyzing Andor, you still manage to find new perspectives and ideas. In a lot of ways you are to my TH-cam feed what Andor is to Star Wars.
Andor is a lot more sci-fi than most Star Wars, but Luthen's speech about the eternal consequences of his actions makes it more fantasy than most Star Wars. Really, it's just MORE than most Star Wars.
There's plenty of stuff in The Clone Wars that is pretty sci-fi and dystopian as well.
@@master_samwise I would disagree with that assessment. Religion and afterlife are major parts of real world philosophy, and there are great science fiction works that attempt to portray religion as driving parts of their stories (the existential fear of "self" disappearing in the cybernetic age of Ghost in the Shell is one example). The rooting of politics is not inherently more fantasy than sci-fi either, as Luthen's speech about his actions - as pointed out in the video - could easily apply to WW2 or many other real life scenarios.
The key thing with Andor is that it is less of a "fantasy" than Lucas's SW. It uses real events and philosophies as its basis, instead of fiction and mythology. This does not follow the standard "hero's journey" template - it follows historical examples as its guideline instead. It is not necessarily more sci-fi - I'd argue that the three great fantasy shows about "rebellion" are all fantasy (the other two are Arcane and the 1980s/1990s anime Legend of the Galactic Heroes), albeit all three use sci-fi trappings. But they are fantasies based in history, rather than mythology, if that makes sense.
A similarity between Maarva and Kino is that their motivation to fight didn't come for the sake of their own freedom, but after realizing that their chance at freedom had passed. They finally spoke up in order to help others not to suffer the same fate. That's what makes Kino's final line- "I can't swim" is so heartbreaking; he knew all along that wouldn't make it, but rose up anyways.
He never cared. Kino is such a genius character because he wasn’t fighting to be a free man, he was fighting against oppression. If he lived didn’t matter to him, he just wanted to rebel against a system that had broken him.
Kino reminds me of the part in To Kill A Mockingbird when Atticus tells his son that "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." That part always stuck with me.
"Luthen is not what people like to call 'morally gray'... because that doesn't exist, that isn't how morality works." I liked the video for this quote.
Bro why can’t Disney just hire Tony gilroy to do everything for Star Wars, he should be getting all the praise from the fandom, not Dave filoni
Andor: 0/10, no lightsabers.
In my perfect world Filoni does the animated shows and Gilroy does the live-action shows
@@master_samwiseBRUH.
I know you’re joking but it’s 11/10 for being able to write an incredible story without using lightsabers as a gimmick
@@LauchTV2311 nah rather have no filoni at all
i might be misremembering but i think i heard in an interview with tony that he's done after season 2 of Andor.
i think that means in other words he wont want to, even if disney offers. :(
“I share my dreams with ghosts … I made my mind a sunless space” chills every time
As an actor:
Andor is the kind of project we dream to be a part of.
Disney Star Wars is usually what happens instead.
But as an actor. It doesn’t matter what the project is. You give the best damn performance you can. People will remember you for it.
4:55 I'll add something about the power of the figure of the Empire being like rust. Not only it is a nice image, but it is an image that talks to the people of Ferrix.
The name is in the place! Ferrous, or iron. They are scrapyard workers, salvaging parts of discarded ships, to give technological pieces a second life. In a flashback, we see Clem showing Andor how to remove rust from a very expansive component.
The fact that Maarva compares the Empire to rust is specifically tailored by and for ordinary people whose lifes are spent cleaning rusty equipment. And this can trace a parallel to Kino's line: "If we can fight half as hard as we've been working".
It calls for working people to fight. To clean the rust that is an authoritarian regime, the fight will be long and hard, but they're used to work hard for long periods of time.
Talk about knowing your audience! This is the level of attention to detail that has been wanting in many fictional worlds put on the screen.
okay, I knew it was brilliant, but dang!
this show is too good!!
It cracked me up hearing some of the criticisms of Andor having too much talking! 🤣 Seriously? This has the best dialogue and story telling better than so many shows/movies lately and not just in Star Wars!
Michael Bay viewers be like:
It's so dumb, good writing is like...music. It's theatre. It is quite simply, euphoric to listen to, it sends a chill down my spine, makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It gets under my skin and leaves me thinking about it, profoundly moved, for hours afterward. Andor was doing that to me almost every other episode.
Idiots exposing their ignorance
The prison escape is one of the best sequences in media
The actress that portrays Deedra is worth the dozens of others sycophants that Disney has to buffer its ego.
Her real name is Yennefer of Vengerburg ... she's the only reason I began to watch the show
[her real name is Denise Gough - who boasts 2 Olivier awards for her stagecraft - and, as mentioned, has been a big part of one of the greatest ever video games - "Witcher 3"]
@@jazzx251 Wait seriously? She voiced Yen?
@@MrJakeros Team Yen all the way! :)
I had never seen her face before - and saw she was in Star Wars ...
"Andor" was hardly an inspiring title, but I saw that Yennefer was in it [on wikipedia] from about episode 4 - she was in every episode from then on, so I thought it might be worth it ... just to see her face.
I knew from her brilliant voice-acting that she would at least be a good addition to Star Wars, she wouldn't be an embarrassment.
I decided to give her the big build up, and watch every episode from the beginning - even though it was probably a load of kiddie rubbish ...
Not only did I grow to love the first three episodes ... when "Yen" (Dedra) finally appeared in episode 4, her voice was unmistakeable - and she reeled off facts and figures like a proper space Nazi would!
... and the rest of her performance was sheer awesome!
It was her performance in Witcher 3 that led me to this greatest of all Star Wars projects, and I'm so thrilled that she will be remembered alongside all of the great Imperial Star Wars villains
@@jazzx251 couldn't agree more. I still need to get back to finishing Witcher III one of these days.
The fact that people say this show wasn't really Star Wars because "it doesn't have Lightsabers" aggravates me so much, this is hands down the best writing we've ever gotten in Star Wars and it went completely under the radar, and the chances we'll get something this good again is slim because of it
The challenge here isn’t the lack of lightsabers, it’s the presence of substance.
People want to be entertained, they don’t want to have to think.
The challenge here isn’t the lack of lightsabers, it’s the presence of substance.
People want to be entertained, they don’t want to have to think.
The point that Dedra isn't even a utilitarian makes her character even more disturbing. The lack of internal need to justify one's actions is deeply inhuman, and precisely the kind of thing that I think CS Lewis had in mind in Prince Caspian when Lucy was afraid of the idea that humans would go wild inside like the talking beasts that gave up their sentience.
Right?!? She just... doesn't care. That's terrifying.
@@master_samwise I think she is mirror image of Syril Khan. I think in her backstory there is something more. I think. We will see if scary sociopathic actions and egomania have deeper roots. Almost always there more behind. Even Unabomber had understandable and broken life and backstory. :D She could be just cog in machine. Like Nazi operatives in WW2. People quickly can get caought in bubbles and almost brain washed in wrong convictions. i trust Gilroy will explain or at least laid foundations if she can be even explained or even redeemed (i know dangerous tought). Hmm so well laid show we could talk and talk for ever...
I know it doesn’t quite fit with your examples, but Brasso relaying Maarva’s words to Cassian after her death…they hit real hard
Yes!
“I love him more than anything he could ever do wrong”
that and the scene with Cassian and Maarva in episode 7 shattered my heart
As an Italian, I was moved and impressed by how this series did a better job than decades of movies in depicting what fighting in the Resistance against the Fascist regime meant
There’s a deep and precise historical study in the writing and the poetic speeches are so on point
Yes
As a left wing revolutionary and former political prisoner I am deeply moved by your comments and this art.
Anytime anything about Andor hits the internet… I’m watching it.
after only one season, this show has cemented its place in my top 5 drama shows- along with the likes of breaking bad and better call saul
I'm watching "The Last of Us" at the moment - about to start episode 5
I give the show so far 4 Andors out of 5 - which means "superb"
@@jazzx251 unfortunately I don’t have hbo max but I would definitely like to watch it
Good point. After just 1 season the sheer breadth Andor covers has solidly placed it in the all time pantheon. Just 1 season!
Andor is about as close as I’ve seen visual media come to being a novel.
We used to get thought provoking movies like this every few years, but cinema has become so devoid of good stories with real human philosophy in the last decade or so that we're shocked when we encounter it again.
I'd recommend the films of Mariano Llinas - especially Extraordinary Stories. His movies can be very novelistic in their approach, in that they use a narrator EXTENSIVELY over the film, with even dialogue between characters occasionally being read by the narrator. It's a unique approach and may not be for everyone, but they are in a way "novelistic" in that they capture the feeling of reading character's thoughts and feelings and backstories while characters wander through a temporal space.
One Way Out was one of the finest prison breaks put to film. And then Kino Loy spoke into a mic, and it became to prison breaks what Helms Deep became to battle sequences - the bar by which the future ought be judged.
It’s insane these monologues exist in the same galaxy as “I don’t like sand” and “Somehow, Palpetine returned.”
There people go again, injecting modern politics into Star Wars... didn't know the emperor was Palestinian 🤣
JSJS IDK HOW I DIDNT NOTICE @@creepyfellow
@@Biscuits.. Edit it back, edit it back! :P
Andor is Art. Art is meant to use metaphor and analogy through beauty to describe and comment on the human condition. Andor exemplifies Art in every aspect of its cinematography.
Andor is a masterful piece of art and it’s a shame not many people are tuning in. But it did gain a 10% audience increase by the time the finale dropped, compared to other shows losing 10-15% of their audience by the finale
I'm not concerned at all
Nobody watched Bladerunner either.
And now look!
Andor is a classic for all time - the amount of people that will eventually see it over the coming decades will outnumber the current population of all the planets in this solar system combined
@@jazzx251 I agree I can 100% see Andor becoming a cult classic over the next few decades
A similar thing to what Luthen is doing here is the sacrifice of the 30 infantry brigade during Dunkirk. They were trying to evacuate the soldiers at Dunkirk but risked the German forces closing in and killing them before they had time. Therefore, the PM Churchill and the war cabinet decided to deliberately sacrifice the entire brigade fighting for Calais to buy time for the others, despite knowing they would be slaughtered by a superior German force. This would be out of the question in most movies today as the means are highly questionable, but in the end it succeeded and they were able to evacuate the soldiers. The people who made the decision probably felt horrible, but imagine doing such decisions over and over and over again, and you get Luthens state of mind
In the same vein, the bombing of Coventry. The Allies had broken Enigma at that point. They knew every detail about the raid and could have scrambled every fighter in the UK to stop it. Churchill and Eisenhower made the call to let the raid happen in order to preserve the secret that we had broken Germany's best codes. Fighting a war means making some impossibly hard calls.
I haven't even watched this yet, came up on my recommended and I just wanted to say thanks for talking about Andor! I think it's really important people keep continuing to do so, it may arguably be one of the most important pieces of media in decades.
Watch it soon before it’s outlawed and banned
@@DanBaker108Oh no, I meant the youtube video! I had already watched Andor and also downloaded it so I could come back to it whenever I like :)
One small quibble: I don't think Luthen's talking literally that he thinks he's going to a Star Wars equivalent of the Bad Place in his speech, but that he's already judged and damned HIMSELF for what he did. He's living in his hell now, understanding that he deserves it for what he's done and is presently doing. There's a discussion to be had if his putting the decision on Saw in ep11 is him wanting to share the heavy weight of these choices, or merely sharing the illusion of complicity with Saw to control him...
That may be true, but it makes his chatacter much less interesting. If there is no afterlife and divine power, it's really hard to argue against utilitarianism. So what if you let some guys died if it means more lives will be saved?
Since Star Wars has a religious backdrop, it's more fitting to perceive it as an actual damnation of an actual soul
Monologue is a lost art in film. Andor is such a good series. Favorite part of the series was the line "Never more than twelve." Perfect character buildup and payoff.
Your interpretation of Luthen reminds me of Cyrano de Bergerac: only realizing on his deathbed that he loved his pride, his own tragedy, even more than Roxanne, and that there could have been another path if he had let himself come clean.
Love the villain lighting you have going on in your ad break.
LMAO
I’m a combat veteran and I was a political prisoner for 2 and a half years. This is the best fiction I’ve ever seen. It’s directly relevant to life as we know it in 2024.
Luthen is my favorite Star Wars character. It isn’t even close. Perfect writing, perfect casting, layers of depth that the creators of the sequel trilogy could only dream of.
Speaking of poetry, very poetic that Cassian’s raid on the empire inspired Marva, who in death inspired cassian to join the rebellion. Andor is so good
Turns out making your villains competent can have a great story impact.
Luthen was so good of a character that I became emotional watching this video every time he was on the screen or being talked about. Andor was a great show in general, not just as a Star Wars show, and Luthen and Maarva in particular were amazing.
His monologue was so gripping I had my ADHD stricken ass hooked
I hope by the end of the show, Luther can see himself as a hero or do something he himself deems as heroic. His monologue is so brilliant bc aside from the determination and sacrifice, you can hear a tinge of how bitter and hard he’s become. He’s sacrificed his everything for this cause, so I hope before he dies, he could’ve at least seen himself as one of the heroes (even if they don’t acknowledge their heroism yet) he surrounds himself with and relies on. But that’s my wishful thinking.
@@kaitlnwhite6809 the only way they can properly end his character is by having him make the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone and nobody will know
While the plot function of Luthen's speech makes it technically a monologue, it feels like a soliloquy. I get the sense that he'd never stopped to reflect on this previously, and Lonnie's question ultimately serves as an opportunity for him to think out loud. Colorful speeches are definitely not his style, so I don't see this as a calculated strategy to win Lonnie over. He starts off just calmly trying to list his sacrifices but increases in verbosity and intensity as the answer pours out of him, ending with an outburst likely containing more emotion than he'd shown in years.
Interesting. I actually got the opposite impression in a way. To me Luthen has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about his path and his choices, but nobody's ever asked him about the toll it's taking on him.
He's built up this image as the aloof strategic planner but he is very aware of who and what he is, but he can't burden anyone else with it. It is his secret to keep, and as much as it may bother him he is not one to voluntarily open up to others.
Lonnie's question is finally the chance for him to externally voice his internal thoughts, perhaps only so that way someone else will know what he feels
@@stmcde1701 i get what you mean. he's definitely the type to have reflected once or twice on his choices. however, saying it out loud is often the ultimate step in the thinking process with difficult self-admissions like his. I still see his speech as an unscripted, unbidden outpour of his deepest thoughts, and a brief slip of the mask, even if he had considered some of it previously.
It also seems very Luthen to keep every tool, even self-reflection, in his back pocket until his rebellion has direct need of it.
I would call the philosophy of Luthen one of "Righteous Nihilism," or "Moral Nihilism." In summary, he believes in doing whatever needs to be done, at the cost of all he is and all he believed in, stood for, and wanted to be, in order to level the playing field for a truly righteous cause to take his place. He cannot succeed as he wants, and the way he can achieve success necessitates the utter destruction of himself in a philosophical, and potentially, probable physical sense a well. In doing so, nothing he does "matters" as it will not be his success that is celebrated, his feats remembered, his damage done critiqued, but his actions will have a subtle and necessary creation of something more pure than he could afford to be, and that is a morally upright or righteous thing to strive for. Essentially, "if nothing I do matters, let me ensure what comes next will."
Damn
To kill the monster, I see that I have no choice but to become one, I will rip and tear as it will rip and tear. My blood will let but so will my adversary equally, I will drag it with me down into oblivion, into the muck by whatever means I have, and I do have all the means. I may well become worse than the monster I fight, but that is inconsequential, I have *already* perished I have *already lost*, so I cannot loose more. I have given everything.
I love Star Wars, even though I was born way after the original trilogy came out, I read a lot of the legends novels and fell in love with the galaxy George Lucas created. That being said, Andor is the best Star Wars anything I have ever watched. It is the only show that gives us a bottom up perspective of the rebellion, which we dont really see a lot of. In the movies and a lot of the Legends novels, we only really follow a small cast of select heroes. I don't think this is always a problem, but it certainly gets stale after such a long time of only seeing these characters save everyone else. This top down perspective is great for what Star Wars is: escapism. But Andor did something more. By giving us a bottom up perspective, it is able to convey its themes in much more powerful ways.
If anything it also immerses us more in that universe.
The monologues made this show what it is. I think without them, it wouldn’t have the same impact, nor the characters. Luthen and Nemiks in particular I listen to frequently because of the power and impact behind them.
Stellen Skarsgard was very excited about his role in Season 2, so I'm very optimistic. Only one more year or so ._.
Andor is so underrated
My English professors defined poetry as the densest form of literature, filled with vivid and specific imagery. Poetry can be simple, such as in "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, but simplicity and density can exist together with the clarity of imagery.
We need to keep bringing up Andor because the mainstream fanbase refuses to. Great vid.
Luthens monologe, how he sacrifices Kreegyr, reminds me of the choices that british intelligence had to make during WW2 after they decoded Enigma. Not letting the Germans know they decoded it by sacrificing ships, civilians, cities in order to pursue a longer stretched goal of victory. It's horribly tragic how this is depicted in "The Imitation Game" :(
Andor was a show I was extremely skeptical about. I thought Rogue One was fine so I didn't think Andor was a necessary show. But after finally watching it, I was blown away with how much I got invested.
It's an incredibly good show that I unfortunately don't think it's quality will be a lesson taken into the other Disney Star Wars content.
The Expanse is also a masterclass in speeches and monologues. It's so great when the fundamentals start with quality writing as in character development and dialogue, all the CGI cannot buy a good story nor cover up the lack of it.
The two biggest differences between Andor and other Star Wars live action shows, it it feels complete, and the writers cared
I love your Andor essays! Please continue
Well done. I'm off to start the show fer the umpteenth
How is it possible that in this one series is more inspirational speeches than in all other disney era productions together?
Well done sir - very good. Andor definitely has more Star Wars depth, and is more attune to good storywriting than anything else done for the last 30yrs in the Star Wars universe.
Nemik is easily one of my favorite characters in all of Star Wars. Personally I'm a philosophical materialist, so there's plenty I could take issue with in his analysis, but his analysis of oppression as "the mask of fear" is spot-on. In opposition to freedom being a pure Idea (yes I meant to capitalize that), I would posit that the impulse toward self-determination is a response to the oppression of a people or nationality by another. If you already experience self-determination, or freedom, there's no reason for that idea to consciously enter your mind. The Idea is informed by the Material, and the Material in turn informs the Idea.
And I will say that Nemik is an idealist, but I don't think in the sense that you're using it. Philosophically, idealism holds that ideas and the material world are separate. Thought occurs "spontaneously," that is, without material influence, and our material reality is merely a reflection of the Perfect Idea. As an example, think of an apple. Every apple you've ever held or eaten is just your mind's interpretation of the Perfect Fruit. That's kind of what philosophical idealism is. Materialism, on the other hand, holds that the material world is all that exists, and all ideas spring from material conditions and circumstances. So that's the reasoning behind the first paragraph above.
Functionally, Nemik is a philosophical idealist and revolutionary optimist; he believes firmly in the potential and inevitability of some form of rebellion overthrowing the Empire. He also hints multiple times at anarchist leanings. "Authority is brittle...The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural." He seemed to view all "artificial authority" as oppressive by its very nature. He may have viewed the New Republic as being nearly as oppressive as the Empire was, and might have ended up fighting it as well. He almost certainly would have joined the Resistance at the first opportunity.
Sorry for the small essay. The overall philosophical and political content of Andor is a masterpiece, even if I have my issues with its presentation.
As an anarchist, I can definitely atone to your analysis of Nemik, he definitely said some things that people like Emma Goldman could've said, or Kropotkin. Nemik is the first time I've seen Anarchist ideals not only not demonized by popular media, but actually given a chance to speak and inspire the main character.
@@confusedpozole406 As a Marxist, it's great to see more genuinely leftist ideas given serious room to breathe without ridicule.
@@5PctJuice from Disney of all places
Have you ever heard a line go as hard as "Opression is the mask of fear."?
while this may not be noticed by many people, one reason the poetry fits so well especially into andor is because in real life, many resistances during the USSR era etc hid their messages between the lines of poetry.
In the country Im from for exampple: Estonia. There was a woman working for a newspaper during USSR who made poems, but hid ideas about a free country into the meaning, but in a way where the higher ups of USSR didnt notice it.
The same way Maarva, instead of just saying empire is taking everything over, said that there is darkness like rust devouring everything. Her audience knew exactly what she was talking about, but the empire either didnt realize the insult towards them or didnt do much about it because it wasnt said straight out.
This makes the entire rebellion itself feel so much more realistic, because it mimics the way rebellions actually work
The way that the Ferrix citizens hit pipes and bells in early episodes to warn of the security forces was directly lifted from the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The practice was called "bin-lidding" for obvious reasons.
As someone from the United States, I am surprised by how much a show made here can impress people from around the world with details that I in my different upbringing and cultural context would never notice. Writers must have done their research.
There's an important omission from this video, and that is the 6th and intentionally poorly written monologue from Syril which serves as an important contrast to the other speeches.
Syril speaks mostly in short quips, demonstrates an inability to think critically, and the one time he is given the space and platform to give a speech, he hasn't really earned the privilege to lead because he's blunt-forced his way in a self-obsessive pursuit to prove he's right at all costs. As a result of these three things he proceeds to say an awkwardly strung together series of one-liners that shows his lack of authenticity and the lack of conviction behind his own beliefs.
This speech tells the audience if you believe these fascistic absolutes like Syril does because you are unsatisfied with your life, this is what you look like, this is how you come off to others, and this is the danger and toll of pursuing these ideologies. They will not make you happy and others won't respect you.
The rest of the characters, including Deirdre, do not lack authenticity, hold steadfast in their beliefs, and think critically. Therefore their speeches come across as considerably more creative. They aren't just speaking their words, they're believing them. Syril doesn't have faith in what he says, which is why it was an excellent choice to write his speech to be so unmemorable, generic, and shallow that it alienates him from his peers. And it was executed and directed to perfection.
I just don't think that it gets talked about enough how hard it is to write bad writing *well* and Syril's speech is an excellent example of that.
I actually have a whole video breaking down Syril's arc. I don't think I cover that speech in detail, but I definitely touch on it. I found him super interesting as a character, and that speech is a great highlight of who he is vs who he thinks he is.
Due to a lot of comments about this show I was beginning to doubt my original impression that it is leftist subversion. Thanks to your comment I don't need to waste more time hearing about it or watching it.
@@danibsen7912no such thing my dude.
Absolutely brilliant video, man! I’m so glad to see this discussed. Thank you for posting!
SUPER late to the party, but THANK YOU for speaking of Andor. It's by far the best Star Wars series out there and I see almost nobody talk about it.
Why Andor speaks to me is I'd love to believe I'm an Andor. But I'm most likely a Sargent Moss or a Syril or a Medra, than be the Cassian or Luthen I'd love to be.
The reality of life and the fantasy of life are 2 drastically different things.
This programme makes me wanna stand and shout for those who deserve better, but I know if I was to do such a thing, I'd be chopped liver in nanoseconds.
But Andor makes you believe you could. Makes you believe YOU would be the one to bring around a bright future, the catalyst for siesmic change.
This is why I love this programme.
It makes me believe what I'm too conditioned to believe, that one moment, against a torrent of change, could inflict a change you will NEVER see.
"I sacrifice EVERYTHING!!!"
If only "I" could be so brave.
But Syril is brave. He twice defies his superiors to do his duty and go after the murderer. He doesn't know he's just the antagonist of someone else's story, he thinks he's the main character.
@gchecosse Everyone is the main character in their story.
(Andors writers smashed this part of the story.) Same as Lonnie. And Kino Loy. Even Marva. All brave in the face of adversity. All stood. Just depends which side of the coin your standing for and which power you believe in.
(Edited for spelling, I failed GCSE English)
I really appreciate you highlighting such genuine and meaningful aspects of stories like this in modern media. I’d be interested what you’d have to say on the show Vinland Saga, I think you’d find a lot of value in its story
I've started watching it! Really like Thorfinn and Askalad as characters so far.
Simply brilliant writing.
To be completely truthful if the second season is able to stick the landing this show is definitely earning a spot in my list of favourite shows ever, season 1 was near perfection in almost every regard and if the second season is able toe replicate that then it deserves a spot.
This video is phenomenal
“What’s my motivation?”
Well, actor, in Andor you get that very, very clearly.
Deliver it well, people will remember it.
Loved the video overall. But in regards to Luthen, i think your missing piece is that you can not mistake the reaction of the oppressed with the violence of the oppressor.
I think what he is saying is that using the same tactics or actions as the empire is not suddenly moral because you have a just cause. The ends don’t justify the means.
I think you hit the nail on the head with what makes Andor stand out to many. It's characters are guided by what they want, not what the plot demands. I'd argue a lot of that has been missing in places with Star Wars.
I think that's why Revenge of the Sith is my favorite film of the series, because it's guided by what the characters want vs their duty, same with what I love about Clone Wars.
This excellent video had me thinking I'd forgotten to pause the God of War score in my other tab...
28:00
"for one thing, because that doesn't exist; that's not how morality works."
THANK YOU!
I think another interesting insight into Luthen's psyche is when he is talking to Saw Guerrera the last time. When they talk about sacrificing 30 men in the raid, Luthen keeps repeating "plus Krieger". He, himself, more than anyone, knows the true cost of the Rebellion, but he keeps going.
I believe that Luthen's philosophy is a deeper branch of the philosophy of a greek proverb: "Society grows great when old men plant trees in who's shade they know they shall never sit."
He knows that a lot of his actions for the rebellion aren't exactly justifiable and possibly makes him just as bad as the empire, but he's willing to shoulder all of that if it means a free and just future for the people of the galaxy.
When I say his deeds are heroic of the highest order, I don't mean that he's totally a hero. He's an anti-hero, someone who achieves/aims to achieve a heroic goal using unjust means. He and Saw gererra are somewhat on the same level BUT saw is way less heroic because while he aims to achieve a heroic goal, his unjust methods are not shouldered like Luthen's due to his ego.
The show is setting up Luthen to be the ultimate hero of the rebellion and the new republic, but there are no memorabilia to commemorate him or references to Luthen in the new republic and victory over the empire because Luthen willingly takes on the dark deeds of the rebellion and...fades away into the void...for a free galaxy. That is his sacrifice.
In other words, the heroic epic of Luthen is a story only for the audience, us. At most, he is just a forgotten myth within the star wars universe.
I'm still internalizing that whole "I can't swim" bit, and your comment brings perspective I appreciate.
The most meaningful and beautiful star wars in 40 years.
Is it just me, or does Dedra Meero’s interrogation scene remind anyone else of Han’s interrogation of the farmer from the opening of Inglorious Basterds?
Also, is that the God of War theme?
Yup.
Fantastic monologues and great insights on them. I never get tired of revisiting this show
I appreciate that on a grander scale, all the protagonist monologues are some variation of that theme of the rebel: fighting for a sunrise they'll never see (because they can't swim, because they've damned themself, because there is no finish line only an endless progression, because they're already dead, etc.)
I saw Andor the week I was released from prison (I was locked up illegally for a Facebook post and I’m still on probation) and I wept multiple times during the first series.
I’m so happy this is going to be such a good video
17:40 "apathy is death"
Glad this got recommended to me, great video!
I love these videos and Andor so much. This is beautiful
Seems like you couldn't help yourself with that little nod there (18:29). Excellent
Gosh, do I love Andor
The show is just phenomenal. Great takes!
Great review. Completely agree. The monologues were fantastic in this series. It's probably one of my favorite shows in recent years.
The thing for me is that Andor quietly says the thing most people don't want to even think about; you already have the freedom you want, you're just choosing to be ruled because it's the easier choice.
When the empire is explaining how they killed an inconvenient cultural tradition, what is it that they did? Did they use armed guards to force people out? Render the area completely uninhabitable? Bomb those who practiced it? Nope. They offered transports, let them be turned down, then provided shelter and rest along the route and let them *_choose_* to stop the journey because it was the easier option. What about Syril? His primary motivation is getting justice for two murders, yet he's the bad guy? How does any of this make sense?! Well, that's exactly it, you don't get power by taking it, you get it by convincing people to give it to you. If someone else has power and you don't, you *_can't_* take it, you literally do not have the ability to. In contrast, if you can setup yourself as the provider of convenience, safety and justice, establish that you need the authority to use force to provide them, well then you're just given power. Once you convince people that you should have the right to intervene and act according to 'their' will, you can intervene and act according to the only will you actually care about, yours.
Importantly, Andor also quietly contradicts the idea that this is 'just how the world is' and because of past decisions we don't have the ability or capacity to change things. What sparked this fire of rebellion? Was it some massive insurgency or a firey assault? Nope, it was some thugs robbing a few months of payroll for a sector of imperial employees. Okay, well, how did they do it, did they have some super secret weapon up their sleeves that let them fight everyone off and take it? Nope, they took advantage of a simple oversight that meant the Empire didn't station as many people there because no-one could get away. Okay okay okay, but surely they only could get away because they had some old grizzled master-navigator or pilot right? Nope, just some idealistic kid who was maybe in his 20s at the oldest and some dude who is moderately competent at flying a ship. Okay but, I mean, they at least must have been using advanced technology or something, right... right? Again, no, they were using a cargo ship and a navigation device which is actually *_older_* than current models.
The reason that Andor happened can be said to be because some local law enforcement picked on the wrong guy, and one of them fell over just wrong. You wouldn't be wrong if you said that. However, you also wouldn't be wrong if you said that the inciting incident for Andor (or more accurately the Star Wars universe) was when some kid decided to learn how to use last-year's GPS. He wasn't a savant, he didn't have access to any special tech, he just made the choice to use the less-convenient yet more-empowering option. He took the time to learn a tool and he used it because no-one could (or can) stop you from learning to use the slightly less convenient things that put the control in your hands. It's not that no-one else *_could_* have done that, in fact, it was old technology that was once common-place meaning those old navigators could likely be found at the space equivalent of the pawnshop around the corner or ebay. No, it was just that no-one *_did_* do that. You lose freedom by willingly giving it up for convenience, justice, safety, or any number of other admirable goals, not because it's taken from you. Sheev was elected, and liberty died with thunderous applause.
(speaking of which, am I the only one who thinks the fact that he gained his power by leveraged emergency authority aged a bit too well?)
edit : I also do have to agree to the point about 'knowing what you're doing is wrong, and doing it anyway becuase it's right'. (paraphrased) It's always annoyed me when media uses the 'yes it's evil, but fuck 'em amirite guyz?' trope to establish someone as evil. IMO anyone who *_can't_* look at what they're doing and see the ways in which it's wrong but choose to keep doing it anyway is either a ignorant, a hypocrite, a liar, or simply can't see it because of the several feet of plotarmor they have surrounding them 360 degrees. If you've never done something you felt was the wrong course of action because you simultaneously felt like it was worth it, then frankly you've just been born. I don't even just mean morally, even just when making purchases you should have, at least once in your life, felt like "you know, I really don't know if this is actually worth it, but I'm going to trust that it is and take the plunge". No-one in life is perfect and the world itself isn't perfect, *_everyone_* - assuming the world is internally consistent - should be making those sorts of choices. If you're not then it doesn't mean your good, it means you can't see how you're bad. Even Nemek (Nemik? I've never seen it written) accepts that his actions and beliefs may get people killed. This is actually something I often praise Captain America Civil War for quite heavily. Cap is explicitly making the 'wrong' choice - he's destroying everything just to not compromise on one thing. Tony on the other hand is accepting the flaws in the Accords and choosing to accept them anyway and is either going to work to amend them or, frankly, just bloody violate them. (that's never explicitly said, but that's because his intention is to work to amend them, which IS explicitly said. Characterwise though it's obvious he wouldn't just sit there while people die because 'they said not to intervene') At the same time, even Cap isn't ignorant of what he's doing. He's aware he's basically destroying the Avengers just to save it, and he is making that choice anyway because the principle he is standing behind he believes to be too important to justify bending. He's either going to operate freely or operate covertly, but he's not going to waste time dealing with the politics while people die.
Regarding Luthen's philosophy as espoused in his unforgettable monologue, it rings true as something an experienced (possibly jaded) intelligence operative would believe. Whereas soldiers and pilots will fight for what they believe is right, intelligence operatives will do what needs to be done in the belief that someone must do it for the greater good. Luthen's monologue is the front book-end to Andor's in Rogue One when he tells Jynn he believes her. I hope we get to see in season 2 how Luthen's philosophy impacts Andor, but ultimately doesn't completely replace Nemek's.
Great video, and I love the music choices. Dark Souls has a lot of great somber soundtracks.
This is what happens when actual passionate writers, write… I’m tired of Disney having cheap staff writers write their shows. I don’t see those shows at the Emmys or Globes. You mentioned it several times, you get this writing when you simply put more effort into it. “How can I say *this* but better?”. When you put in effort, you get creativity. When you get creativity, you get a product you didn’t think you can write. It’s mind blowing how poor so many Disney shows are from a writing perspective, because we all know there are so many amazing writers out there that would put out better shows than we’ve gotten. Andor should simply be the golden standard for future Disney shows- get their shows to the Emmys for WRITING NOMINATIONS!
An amazing video. Very insightful, especially when you speak about fundamental truths. Art is, to me, the communication or expression of a truth. The more fundamental/deep the truth (coupled with sufficient execution/expression) the greater the art. Andor very well recognizes and displayes these truths: Freedom and it's costs and demands, rebellion, a righteous fight, and love, the most fundamental force. Your video very well elaborates on the power of their expression. Be proud of yourself and your work.
Fantastic video. I appreciate you underlining the act of "trying" as a major message in the show. It was something i had noticed but i had not seen anyone else talking about it.
I didn't include it in the video, but one of my favorite all time quotes is: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
"Remember this: try." is basically another way of saying that.
Thank you 🙏
I would include at least two more pieces of monologue here, however I understand why you didn't include them because they do border on dialogue: on the one hand, luthen talking to Saul about abandoning kreeger. This is such a powerful scene, because you see just how far luthen is willing to go and how many lives he is willing to sacrifice in order to serve the long term goal. Also, the way in which he convinces Saul to trust him is brilliant writing: "If I were ISB, why would I not just let you go out there with him?"
However, I especially want to give a shoutout to a scene I rarely hear people talk about and that is one of my absolute favorites in the show. Mon Mothma talking to Tay at the dinner party is such a powerful scene. In the beginning he makes an implication that he strongly disagrees with the empire but doesn't elaborate, saying "you might find my politics a bit strong for your taste" implying how far he is willing to go and how far his anti imperial thought reaches. Then, mon mothma says his words freed her and starts entrusting her secret to him, knowing now that he is an ideological ally. The way in which she tells him about her secret operation of sending funds to the rebellion is brilliant, as it is a symbol of the mask she has to put on: she says it with a constant smile on her face, and asking Tay to do the same. She has to keep the appearance of someone at least partially in support of the empire, even while planning its downfall. She is aware of the acute danger she is in. Even the way she funds the rebellion functions in this same way: She makes it appear as if the money is going to one of her failing charities, all the while they actually go to people like luthen. The way she answers his question of what she is actually doing with "raising money" and the tone of her voice suggesting everything that implies is brilliant acting. And then she cites her friends words from a few minutes earlier: "Or perhaps you find my politics a bit strong for your taste". This is a way of communicating that she, in fact, isn't less radical than he is: She is even more involved in plotting the empires downfall, her anti imperial sentiment is even stronger, her appearance of only moderate criticism and action is a mask to protect her true intentions and rebellious actions. This scene alone made mon mothma one of my favorite characters in all of star wars. This is brilliant writing, it shows her courage, it shows how people who are part of the imperial system have to cover up their rebellions with smiles and flattery, and how incredibly dangerous her position really is. It's one of the best scenes in all of star wars.
I never knew I needed Deadpool pre-cancer talk to me about Andor.
Nice touch with the Dark Souls music. Very good choice.
Andor is the only star wars product, to date, that is good excellent without condition.
I love these videos thank you :)
Also around 25:00 about Luthan reminds me a bit of Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima
Solid work as always, my man; keep this up! Also, I see you, using music from God of War 4 as the backing track alluding to Kratos' struggle with his own past and present morality as a way of indirectly comparing him to Luthen and the writing in Andor; very clever haha
Honestly not sure if I even mean that. I just really love that music and it makes for a great backing track.
@@master_samwise Well, intentional or not, I think it's a very neat bit of thematic allusion. That, and it's also just beautiful music, as you said!
Nice use of the DS3 Firelink Shrine music
This is a very concise and helpful guide to why Andor is great. It also doubles as a guide to why the Prequels and the Rise of Skywalker are not.
Thank you for another amazing insightful essay on by far the best Star Wars since The Empire Strikes Back. I look forward to seeing more for you One-Punch Man, I mean Master Samwise.😁
LOL
Whoever decided to put politics back into Star Wars deserves a raise. I was expecting to hate this show with how much I disliked Rogue One and how ambivalent I was on Andor’s character. But this show was the complete opposite of the vacuous and vague “revolutionary” message of Rogue One. It was pointed, and insightful, and explored the banality of everyday fascism and the political utility of violence in ways I was not expecting to see in the generally scrubbed, corporate Star Wars universe.
One of the best, most brilliantly written TV shows to come out in recent times! ALSO does anyone know the song that's used at 7.53? I noticed it's used in a lot of his videos and the tune is stuck in my head!!
Andor is the only thing that can save star wars. All the other shows/movies are jokes
Its style of writing and production and acting and music and EVERYTHING! ...
... can indeed save Star Wars - it's a new hope for the series.
So - although we will soon see the end of Andor ..
That will not mark the end of Star Wars itself ...
Instead - we'll get new compelling stories, new compelling characters and situations - shot with amazing practical props and sets, and in locations that take us to brand new worlds
NOT - Tattooine AGAIN ... we've seen it. It sucks!
not ALL, but most.