It’s easy for one to forget the stark similarities between media and reality until it’s so blatant it feels like a slap in the face by a KX droid.
“Andor” is well-known for this. It’s been renowned by literary critics and political scientists for its shocking ability to mirror historical and current events along with demonstrating the most effective way to operate a rebellion. It emphasizes the main part of Star Wars and the reason why it even exists: politics.
The show, the second season in particular, adds to the significant amount of references meant to help people understand the franchise’s original purpose.
Tony Gilroy, the writer of the show, openly spoke of his inspiration for the Empire deriving from the Nazi regime. A meeting between high-ranking Imperial officers in the first episode mimicked the Wannsee conference in 1942, where the Third Reich initially plotted the extermination of the Jews.
“The very first scene that Krennic has where he talks about Ghorman, that’s based on the Wannsee convention — the Nazi convention where the Nazis got together and planned the final solution over a business lunch,” said Gilroy during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on April 22.
The scene is intentionally used as the show’s first referral to the Ghorman Massacre, something barely mentioned before episode eight’s depiction of it. It’s slow in its build-up, but brutal as soon as the first blaster shot was taken. The initial destruction of Ghorman and Mon Mothma’s speech soon after have made for two of the most crucial scenes of Star Wars.
“That speech she gave to the Senate was really freaky,” said senior Elijiah Hernandez. “It’s weird to see Star Wars finally talking about real issues, but I think they needed to.”
While the creator of “Star Wars” took inspiration from the Nazi regime, the original movies were conceived from the American government’s similarities to a dictatorship during the Vietnam War. This specifically stemmed from former President Nixon’s corrupt ideologies and the controversies surrounding the war, something revealed in a 2005 interview with the Chicago Tribune.
“It was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a second term, which got me thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren’t overthrown; they’re given away,” said George Lucas when asked about his initial inspiration.
Alongside the many real-life factors applied to the Empire, many of the franchise’s planets and people have also indirectly been used to reference past events. With “Andor,” the comparisons are profuse. Viewers have seen the erasure of culture, the stripping of natural resources, and a resentencing directive forcing unjustly convicted citizens to serve the Empire for the rest of their lives.
One notable example includes the exposure and exploitation of immigrants, which is one of the issues that holds the most relevance in the U.S. The scenes depicting it are disturbing, especially when one thinks of the current policies and problems.
Regardless of what people come to understand or openly talk about, the similarities are undeniable. “Andor” succeeds greatly in its mission to stay political, unapologetic about its references and representation. Fans can only hope “Star Wars” continues with this trend.
