Andor is a rare kind of show. It is safe to say that nothing like it has ever been made, nor is anything like it being made today. I cannot imagine the sheer effort that went into bringing this story to life. Never in my wildest daydreams did I think that an American show, let alone a Disney show, would utter the word “genocide,” and then go on to depict exactly what that means.
I never imagined I would live to see a series portray the Empire and Imperialism for what it truly is: terrifying. Watching Andor, there are moments that leave you despairing, even crying, because the power of the Empire feels so overwhelming and soul-crushing. In those moments, the series feels almost like a horror show. And yet, there are also moments of hope, moments that remind you to draw strength and courage. But the question remains: what does the show want its audience to take away from it?
Andor is a warning. It is a wake-up call. It demands that we not only recognize fascism and imperialism but also acknowledge that the Empire is at our very door, or will be, seeking to oppress, dominate, and extinguish the fire within us. The series wants us to confront the horrors of imperialism and, crucially, urges us not to look away when brute force destroys innocent lives.
Episode 8 of Season 2, titled Who Are You?, captures this with devastating clarity. In this episode, the native population of Ghorman stages a protest against the Empire at Palmo Plaza, the very site where years earlier Grand Moff Tarkin landed his cruiser on a crowd of protestors, killing 500 people.
*Continued in the comments*
[Andor, Star Wars, Rebellion, Empire, Imperialism, AntiFascism, Resistance, Hope, Science Fiction, Storytelling, Disney Plus, Nemik, WakeUp Call, Rebel Alliance, Political Cinema, TV Show Review, Cultural.Critique, Palestine, Revolution, Media Analysis]
a year agoqueeroncinema
Angered by the Empire’s growing grip on their world, the Ghormans gather in solidarity and strength. But what begins as a peaceful demonstration soon descends into horror, as civilians are cornered and surrendered to the gut-wrenching, merciless slaughter of thousands. What makes the Ghorman massacre so haunting in the vast pantheon of on-screen atrocities is not just the event itself, but how Andor chooses to depict it. One of the many reasons the series stands apart is its treatment of background characters. Instead of reducing them to faceless extras, the writing humanizes them. When the violence unfolds, you don’t just witness it, you feel it. And that shatters you. I could easily write an entire thesis on this series. The timing of Andor couldn’t be more fitting. Like Nemik says in his manifesto: “There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause.” That is what Andor does, remarkably, despite being an American, Disney-produced series. At a moment when the world, and Palestine in particular, is reeling under the weight of empire-building and imperialism, Andor is a reminder: even if, for now, the Empire seems to be winning, the New World Order is just around the corner.
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