[Star Wars: Andors first episodes on Disney+ eschew the familiar
signs of the Empire in favor of some private corporation - which is
part of the plan.]
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PORTSIDE CULTURE

ANDOR EXAMINES HOW CAPITALISM AND AUTHORITARIANISM MAKE AN EMPIRE  
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Joshua M. Patton
September 21, 2022
CBR
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_ Star Wars: Andor's first episodes on Disney+ eschew the familiar
signs of the Empire in favor of some private corporation - which is
part of the plan. _

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_THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ANDOR
[[link removed]] EPISODES 1-3, NOW STREAMING ON
DISNEY+._

The first three episodes of _Andor_
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Ron Howard wanted audiences to have in the first part of _Solo_. It
is very much a familiar _Star Wars_ world -- yet none of the iconic
imagery, from Stormtroopers to specific droids, is present. The
absence of the Empire is an important point. It shows that they
aren't _everywhere_ yet. Those times are coming, because the
authoritarianism of the Empire is connected to the capitalism that
makes the galactic economy run.

In _Star Wars_' prequel-era stories, private businesspeople have some
level of criminality they have to deal with on top of the government's
hassle. When the Republic fell and the Jedi with it, fans thought only
the people under the bootheels of the Stormtroopers felt the change.
But about ten years after the Empire came to power, whatever big
corporation Chief Hyne (Rupert Vansittart) and Syril Karn (Kyle
Soller) work for on Morlana One is able to essentially police itself.
After Karn's massive screw-up trying to arrest Cassian (Diego Luna) on
Ferrix, the Empire will not stay away for long. Karn's journey --
either into the Empire or the arms of the Rebels -- is going to show
how fascist governments seize control of private industry just as in
the real world
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It's unclear from the episodes and the marketing exactly who Luthen
Rael is. "Luthen is different to everything you’ve seen before.
He’s very eloquent, he’s very elegant, he’s very intelligent,
he’s very informed," Luna said in press materials. Stellan
Skarsgârd described his character as "complex and there's a lot of
contradiction in him" and said he's "two characters in a way." In the
final trailer for _Andor_, he's seen talking to Mon Mothma (Genevieve
O'Reilly), a Senator and future Rebel Alliance leader. If Luthen is
some kind of corporate magnate or wealthy political donor, he becomes
the bridge from the sterile white and gray of the Imperial center to
the dirty, grimy colorful world of Cassian and the others.

And it's through Karn's character that audiences will see this play
out. Given that he ignored the complacent Chief Hyne, he might have a
shot at staying on Morlana One. However, it's anyone's guess if the
Empire fires him or locks him up. If he does get to hunt for a new
job? He will surely find that all roads lead back to the Empire. Karn
likes to do things by the book, and he feels loyalty to others who
wear his uniform. The promise of getting a new uniform might be just
enough to convince him to pose as a Rebel and spy for the Empire. Karn
wants to do the best possible job he can for the company he works for
-- but where's a company man to go when there are no companies left?

_Andor _is set ten years after _Revenge of the Sith_. That's a
decade during which the new government cracked down on the poor while
leaving the privileged alone. Audiences will see the moment where that
erosion causes an avalanche. For reasons like "security" or "safety,"
the Empire will swoop into what private corners of life remain. A few
of the privileged, such as the previously unexplored Mon Mothma
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risk it all for hope of something better. Others, like Karn, trade one
cruel master for another.

Even with 24 episodes over two seasons, _Andor _has a lot of time to
cover if it's going to reach its goal of getting its title character
to _Rogue One_. What happens to the unnamed corporation on Morlana
One may not figure heavily into the larger story. But taking the time
to show how slowly fascism creeps up on society is a story that
audiences need
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_The first three episodes of Andor are now streaming on Disney+ with
new episodes premiering Wednesdays._

 

About The Author

JOSHUA M. PATTON (189 ARTICLES PUBLISHED)

Father, veteran, and storyteller. A cunning warrior, the best
star-pilot in the galaxy, and a good friend. The first installment of
his superhero fiction book, TALES OF ADVENTURE & FANTASY, is available
on Amazon in print and ebook!

More From Joshua M. Patton [[link removed]]

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* Andor
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* Star Wars
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* capitalism
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* authoritarian regimes
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* empire
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* corporate autocracy
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