Latest news with #CassianAndor
Geek Tyrant
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
ANDOR Fans Say the Show Reframes a Major Cassian and Jyn Moment in ROGUE ONE — GeekTyrant
'Andor has truly increased the depth and meaning of anything it touches.' That's how Star Wars fans are describing the emotional ripple effect Andor has had across the galaxy, especially when it comes to one key moment in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story . Rewatching the film after Andor Season 2 has been a revelation for many, casting old scenes in a new, much heavier light. Specifically, fans are pointing to the moment when Jyn Erso confronts Cassian Andor aboard the stolen Imperial ship after escaping Eadu. It's the heat of the moment, her father Galen has just died in her arms, and she's furious to learn Cassian was sent to assassinate him. But now, through the lens of Andor, this clash hits differently. One fan posted on Reddit: 'Rewatching Rogue One for the first time since finishing Andor S2. The scene where they escape Eadu in the stolen Imperial ship and Jyn confronts Cassian about her father's death reads so differently to me with the context of the show. Before I thought Cassian was in the wrong, and his indignation at Jyn's accusations further proved that. 'But now it feels like Jyn is naive, and Cassian has just gone through the most intense few days of his years as a rebel, and he's had it. Both of them partially right and both of them a bit wrong. But Cassian in particular has sacrificed too much at this point to be lectured, not when the stakes are this big and so close. Anyway, I love that it feels like Andor has truly increased the depth and meaning of anything it touches.' That shift in perspective seems to be widely shared. Another fan chimed in: 'I had a similar reaction rewatching Rogue One after Andor. His speech helped me see how our experiences shape the way we feel moments. 'That's what made Cassian so mysterious at first watch I'm thinking —what had he lost, what weight was he carrying? At first, it seemed like Jyn had the darkest past, but Andor shows that the Empire takes from everyone.' That's been one of the coolest things about Andor , its ability to shade in the corners of the rebellion and give emotional weight to the political. The same Reddit thread also points out how both Jyn and Cassian share similar trajectories, despite coming from different worlds. 'Jyn basically goes through a condensed character arc that's the same as Cassian—aka wanting to avoid the rebellion before realizing they have no choice but to fight.' Another agreed: 'This right here is one of my favorite parts of RO and Andor. That Jyn and Cassian have been through a similar journey. It makes RO even better for me.' Andor hasn't just deepened Cassian's story, it's retroactively elevated Rogue One. The choices, the trauma, the urgency, all of it carries a sharper edge now that fans know what came before. All episodes of Andor Season 2 are now streaming on Disney+. So if you haven't already… it might be time for a Rogue One rewatch. Just don't be surprised if it hits you a little harder this time.
The Star
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
‘Andor': A lesson in politics and hope
I AM no die hard Star Wars fan, and it is no secret that the franchise has struggled to find its footing in recent years. The sequel trilogy ended on a whimper (and that is me being generous), while its television offerings on Disney+ have seen more misses than hits. This is why Andor came as such a surprise. While I have always admired 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the idea of building a series around one of its secondary characters initially seemed like an odd creative choice. What emerged, however, is a gripping and quietly profound piece of television. Framed as a story of rebellion, Andor follows Cassian Andor's reluctant journey into the fight against the evil Galactic Empire. Spanning two seasons, the series begins with a search for his missing sister and gradually reveals how Cassian is pulled into something much larger than himself. This story stands out against the franchise's other projects because it does not follow a story of heroes or chosen ones. Instead, it explores how oppression operates not through spectacle, but through ordinary means such as bureaucracy, fear, and apathy. There are no lightsabers or space wizards here, just people navigating the slow grind of a system built to keep them compliant. As the series unfolds, it begins to feel unexpectedly familiar. The quiet control of the Empire and the divisiveness it sows among people mirrors very real events in the world. Keen-eyed viewers were quick to draw parallels between actions of the Trump administration in the United States and the Empire's obsession with controlling information and attacking established institutions. Andor is also the grittiest Disney offering I have seen in a while, which may not be the source of escapism expected from the brand. Particularly in season two, when an entire arc is dedicated to following how laws are used to silence dissent and punish communities for speaking out. As democratic backsliding is reported to be happening globally, it turns out that this galaxy far, far away isn't that far after all. Malaysia is by no means an authoritarian regime. Yet the emotional and political textures of Andor – the institutional inertia, the disillusionment with leadership, the persistent waiting for change – resonate with many young Malaysians. We have followed elections, hung on to campaigns promising reform, and felt the slow frustration of watching meaningful change falter or fade. What makes Andor so compelling is its honest depiction of how resistance begins. Cassian does not set out to fight for a cause. He is disinterested, even cynical. But over time, through personal losses and difficult encounters, he begins to shift. His transformation is not immediate or clean. It is gradual, shaped by relationships and exposure, and it reminds us that engagement often starts from a place of doubt. For many young Malaysians, this kind of evolution feels familiar. We, too, grew up during moments of political hope amidst calls for reform and promises of a more inclusive future. Some of that belief still lingers. At the same time, we have experienced political instability, unfulfilled promises, and the slow, uneven pace of institutional change. Andor reminds us that idealism needs more than passion. It also requires patience and the willingness to keep showing up even when the outcomes are uncertain. Another standout character in the series is Mon Mothma. In the original films, she appears as a confident leader of the Rebellion. In Andor, we see her as a politician trying to operate within a system that is slowly tightening around her. She cannot act openly, and so she learns to resist in quiet ways through negotiation, policy, and personal sacrifice. Her arc serves as a reminder that political change does not only happen in the streets. Often, it happens in rooms where no one is watching, and where every choice carries real consequence. What the series also captures well is how institutions operate. The Empire is not portrayed as a cartoonish villain but instead as a slow, indifferent machine. It relies on procedure, paperwork, and bureaucracy. This portrayal feels familiar. In our country, many young people are not frustrated by direct oppression, but by processes that feel unresponsive and systems that seem to preserve the status quo rather than challenge it. Andor does not offer a solution, but it does offer a perspective: systems don't shift on their own. People within them must choose to act, and often at great personal cost. Amidst all this, the show also cautions against romanticising resistance. One of the most memorable lines for me comes from Luthen Rael, a rebel strategist who confesses, 'I burn my life to make a sunrise I know I'll never see'. There is no glamour in that line, only realism. It reflects the emotional toll of long-term political work, especially when change feels out of reach. And yet, it is a reminder of leaders and activists who have paved the path for what we enjoy today. It offers clarity about what commitment can look like, even when rewards are not guaranteed. Andor may not have all the answers, but it presents a compelling way to think about politics. Rather than treating it as a fixed ideology or destination, the show portrays it as an evolving process. Political engagement becomes a movement from awareness to action, an understanding that disengagement is also a choice. In a climate where it is easy to grow tired or detached, the show suggests that participation, even in small or imperfect ways, still matters. Not because it solves everything, but because it is how things begin to shift. Andor teaches us Malaysians that the most meaningful changes often start quietly. They begin not with grand statements but with small acts of reflection, difficult questions, and the decision to pay attention. And most importantly, by choosing to stay engaged even when it would be easier not to. Student Jonathan Lee traces his writing roots to The Star's BRATs programme. He is now a Malaysian youth advocate. The views expressed here are solely his own.
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Andor' showrunner denies hit 'Star Wars' show is a 'left-wing' political story
"Andor" series showrunner Tony Gilroy said Thursday he does not believe his "Star Wars" series is "left-wing." In an interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat on his podcast "Interesting Times," Gilroy denied that he wrote the show to represent a left-wing revolution against fascist authoritarians. "I never think about it that way. It was never- I mean, I never do. I don't," Gilroy declared in response to Douthat asking if he agreed the show is a "left-wing work of art." The second season of the critically acclaimed series debuted on Disney+ in April. It follows the adventures of Cassian Andor, a key player in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. He was a main character in the hit 2016 movie "Rogue One." The show, which lasted two seasons, provides a dark and realistic depiction about how individuals ban together to resist a creeping authoritarian government that uses deception, censorship and violence to cement its own power. In the interview, Douthat said he believes Gilroy's depiction of the rebellion against the empire in the series is distinctly left-wing. While introducing his guest, he said, "The 'Star Wars' serial 'Andor' has somehow managed to pull off originality within the constraints of a familiar franchise, pleasing obsessive fans and critics alike. Part of its originality is that it has an explicitly political and, to my mind, left-wing perspective on its world, without feeling at all like tedious propaganda." Gilroy admitted the work was political in that it was inspired by his fascination with revolutions in world history. "The canvas that was being offered was just a wildly abundant opportunity to use all of the nonfiction and all the history and all the amateur reading that I'd done over the past 40 years and all the things I was fascinated by, all the revolution stuff that not only I would never have a chance to do again, but I really wondered if anybody else would ever have a chance to do again," he said. Elsewhere, he told Douthat that he was particularly inspired by dictatorships throughout history, like Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's regime. "I want to pay as much attention to the authoritarian side of this, the people who've cast their lot with the empire, who get burned by it all," he said. However, the showrunner denied he meant to portray the empire as a right-wing authoritarian government being undone by left-wing freedom fighters. "But it's a story, but it's a political story about revolutionary ––" the conservative columnist protested. Gilroy interjected, "Do you identify with the Empire? Do you identify with the Empire?" "No, I don't," Douthat said. "But I don't think that you have to be left-wing to resist authoritarianism. I see the Empire as you just described it: It's presented as a fascist institution that doesn't have any sort of communist pretense to solidarity or anything like that. It's fascist and authoritarian, and you're meditating on what revolutionary politics looks like in the shadow of all that."
Middle East Eye
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Middle East Eye
Hit TV show Andor spurs viewers to draw parallels to Israel's war on Gaza
Fans of the Star Wars prequel series Andor have taken to social media this week to draw comparisons between Israel's war on Gaza and the show's narratives of occupation, resistance, and authoritarian violence. Set as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Andor series traces the formation of the Rebel Alliance and Cassian Andor's role within it, focusing on the rise of resistance against the Galactic Empire. It provides context to the political and social conditions that shaped the early rebellion and expands on characters and events that influence the broader Star Wars narrative. Following the first season, which aired in late 2022, Andor viewers took to their social media accounts throughout the last season, drawing parallels between the show and Israel's war on Gaza. Specifically likening the Empire to Israel and the US, and the Palestinians to the people of Ghorman. Make no mistake, this shit is real. Right now. Just today, Israel announced the complete elimination of Gaza. Open your eyes to what this show represents. Real life genocide. If we don't engage with that then there is no purpose. So let the aid in and free Palestine. #Andor — Andres Cabrera (@SquadLeaderAce) May 7, 2025 In an opinion piece published back in April for The Guardian, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai detailed the similarities that were also echoed among viewers. 'In the new and final season of Andor, an occupied civilian population is massacred; their cries for help ignored by the Empire-run media, which instead paint the victims as terrorist threats to public safety. Meanwhile, the politicians who have enough backbone to speak out, and use the word 'genocide' to describe these aggressions, are met with violent suppression.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Star Wars fans will be forced to reckon with how this story isn't about what happens 'a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away'. It's about what's unfolding right now in Gaza.' Just watched this series and kept saying it reminded me of Israel and Palestine. Especially the part where they demonize those people in collusion with the press to manufacture consent for their genocide / destruction of their planet. — Anna (@annaskiba16) June 2, 2025 Although it is not certain that Andors' creator Tony Gilroy had Gaza in mind when writing the second season, he did mention Palestine as an example of the history that informed the show in a 2022 Deadline interview. In addition, actors from the show, like Irish actress Denise Gough, who plays a villain in the series, have been vocal about their support for Palestine. 'Andor' actress: 'I refuse to stay silent on Gaza.' "We're being asked by Palestinian people to speak,' so those who don't speak out can't say 'I didn't know what to do' says Denise Gough. WATCH: — BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) May 31, 2025 A recent Reddit post, in which a social media user says they have 'never felt more on the side of the Palestinian cause', has brought the conversation on the parallels between the show and Gaza back into the limelight one month after the finale aired. 'It showed me the side of resistance we often grapple with, the side where resistance more often than not becomes an armed resistance when the peaceful part of resistance doesn't get you anywhere,' the post reads. 'When your land is taken forcibly, when your city is besieged, when your land, sea, and air borders are controlled by an occupying entity, and you are left with one choice, to fight back, even if the empire (Israel/US) is overwhelmingly stronger, more powerful, and better funded.' The person continued to write that although the story is fictional, it made them see that in 'fighting an empire, you do not get to choose the terms. You are forced into the shadows, pushed into impossible choices, and made to sacrifice lives so others might have a future'. 'Right now, in Gaza, people are making those same impossible choices. When your children are bombed to smithereens, starved to death, your hospitals destroyed, your homes flattened, and the world either watches in silence or arms your oppressor, resistance stops being about right or wrong. It becomes survival.' This brought about a flow of responses that agreed with the post's writer. 'There is a shot of Gorman with white buildings and a golden dome-like structure reminiscent of the dome of the Rock. I immediately thought of Palestine.' Others disagreed that there was a parallel between the armed resistance of Palestinians to that of Ghorman's Rebel Alliance. 'People comparing the rebellion to Hamas is definitely not what I thought I would see today yet here we are," one person responded. There are also those who argue that attempting to draw the parallel in the first place was futile. 'Human history doesn't have a narrative as simple as Andor and never will,' one person said. 'What happened on Oct 7th was unjust and horrifying and counterproductive. What is being done in response is unjust and horrifying and counter productive.' The Reddit post found its way to X, and one person posted a screenshot of the thread, joking that it would be the end of the series. nah, they're about to cancel this series — Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) June 1, 2025 While many joked that the show cannot be cancelled now that it's already done, others highlighted the irony of how the show was produced by Disney, which has historically aligned itself with being pro-Israel. "I still cant process that disney backed a show about resistance while staying silent on the real thing happening in Gaza," one social media user wrote on X. "Ironic doesnt even cover it."
Gizmodo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Cassian Andor's Aliases, Ranked
Cassian Andor lived a lot of lives before he gave it all on the beaches of Scarif in Rogue One. And part of living those lives, sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity, was that Cassian Andor had to not be Cassian Andor. The man loved a secret identity, and with it a new name to inhabit, but some were clearly better than others. 10) Fulcrum Not even a real name as it's an Alliance codename, so by default it has to be last. It is fun however, especially after his encounter with the Force healer in Andor season two, to imagine Cassian inheriting this title from Ahsoka Tano, an actual-honest-to-god-backflipping-and-lightsaber-wielding Jedi, and just having it completely break his mind. 9) Aach This is one of several operational aliases given to Cassian in the Rogue One Ultimate Visual Guide, so there's something oddly charming about the idea that Cassian having a Rolodex of other names he's had to come up with for missions has been there since the very beginning. Come on though, Cassian, this one just sounds like you stubbed your toe before you could use the name you actually wanted to use, and rolled with it. 8) Willix Another from the Visual Guide, Willix was an identity Cassian used on Darknell while masquerading as a Senatorial contact. Points for sounding better than 'Aach,' at least. 7) Joreth Sward The last of Cassian's Visual Guide aliases, and he finally decided to give himself a full name! Aside from being a great name, Sward was an alias Cassian had while infiltrating the inner circle of an Imperial Admiral, Grendreef—a name that itself is actually a reference to the classic West End Star Wars roleplaying game, a frequent source of Easter egg references in Andor. Again, nice to know that that that's a connection that's always been part of this character. 6) Varian Skye Varian Skye, fashion designer, definitely looked the part on Ghorman with that gorgeous caped coat and his ginormous sci-fi shades, but really, the identity truly only comes together with that name. There's an airiness, it just sounds like a foppishly charming artiste who's here to rub shoulders with fellow followers of fashion. The clothes may make the man, but the name makes the secret identity. 5) Clem Sure we previously knocked points off for Cassian only giving a first name to an alias, but you gain a massive amount of 'd'awwwwwww' points when it's the first mission we see him go on for the nascent rebellion and he picks his adoptive father's name to go by. What a softie. 4) Keef Girgo An incredible Star Wars name. Andor gave us a few people with just Normal Real Names Spelled Slightly Differently (shout out to Timm, who sucked, but was also named Timm), but Keef being both so close and so far from Keith is perfect. Also just a real delight to hear Diego Luna say it and put a nice roll on that 'r' in Girgo. Love a name with mouthfeel. 3) Kassa Does Cassian's birth name count as an alias? I mean, kinda, if you accept that eventually Cassian Andor the man becomes a very different identity than that of Kassa the young boy of Kenari, the latter of which remains compartmentalized in the former's thoughts for the remainder of his life. What if taking on myriad identities came so natural to Cassian because he was used to giving them up from a young age? Sorry to get a bit deep in a shitpost list about Star Wars names for a second. 2) Cassian Jeron Andor Again, only kind of sort of an alias as the true self, but you're still rolling with me after the Kassa bit. But anyway it's already a fantastic name, and Andor's revelation of Cassian's life on Kenari then raises delicious worldbuilding and character questions about Clem and Maarva choosing to name him Cassian (did he tell them his name was Kassa, and they then anglicized it for Galactic Basic? What is the term for anglicization in a galaxy where English doesn't exist?). But adding the middle-name Jeron? Baby, that's Star Wars. 1) Ronni Googe I love Ronni Googe. Even putting aside that he's a journalist—thank you for the representation—even putting aside the Star Wars-ification of an otherwise perfectly real-world name, even putting aside that once again, this is a name with that wonderful mouthfeel element to it, Ronni Googe is a brilliant alias for a spy. You see, as Cassian tells multiple people when he adopts this persona in season two to extract Mon Mothma from the Imperial Senate building, 'Googe' is pronounced Goo-juh. That's very Star Wars, but also, again, it's a genius alias. Ronni Googe has had to tell everyone 'Actually, it's Ronni Goo-juh' all the time, it's a name that stands out as a name, so you remember that and its pronunciation instead of what Ronni Googe actually looks like, and how uncanny a resemblance he bears to noted Imperial criminal and Rebel agent Cassian Andor. It's a conversation starter, a way to appear polite and charming and put someone on the backfoot when you have to tell them this is how you actually say it, and it's easy to remember and appear naturalistic for a spy with a zillion other things running around in their head—because, again, Ronni Googe, Senate journalist for the Mid-Rim network, has had to tell people on and off the record every day of his damn life that it's Goo-juh. Two words, and a whole life for that identity is built. It's a fantastic alias, it's a fantastic Star Wars name, it's the total package. An alias worthy of the mission it was deployed on.
