Andor season 2

[hammerofglass]

First three episodes were good. Character deaths, leftist infighting, 1940s info reels, attempted rape, a fun wedding reception...

Plus spoilers: they actually did make the Dedra-Syril ship canon, and it's hilarious. Syril acts less like a partner and more like a rescue cat Dedra adopted, and there's a deliciously awkward sequence where his mom comes to visit.

[CharlesPhipps]

I like Syril and Dedra.

They're awful people but it's rare to see a positive supportive spouse to a dominant career one these days.

The fact it's gender reversed is all the cooler.

Except they're fascists...so...bad. Huh.

[CharlesPhipps]

We're learning SO MUCH about Chandrillan culture and family life. I think it's also fascinating how Mon and Perrin have no idea how to deal with their daughter's interest in it too. They seem to have followed the "it's just a phase" example without grappling with the larger need for adults to have a greater sense of tradition and community.

I mean Leida WASN'T socialized to it. That's the point that's more interesting to me. Neither parent wanted her to follow the ways of Old Chandrilla and did not educate her in it. Instead, she actively sought out the tradition because her parents utterly failed to give her any cultural or social upbringing that could fill her heart. All she had was a miserable family life and an outer culture of materialist fascism (Coruscant). It's an interesting note that Mon Mothma doesn't realize the role of culture in her own household because she has the Rebellion to fill in for her.

Mon Mothma also is just flat out a bad mother and that's not a criticism of her because she shouldn't have to carry all the weight that Perrin has absolutely failed to in her place. Perrin has clearly done nothing to provide his daughter any social community or structure let alone ethical framework and the only one that Leida has outside of Chandrillan tradition is Imperial Fascism. In that she obviously chose the lesser evil. I'm not saying Mon Mothma is Selina Meyer but she probably understands her.

[hammerofglass]

I like Syril and Dedra.

They're awful people but it's rare to see a positive supportive spouse to a dominant career one these days.

The fact it's gender reversed is all the cooler.

Except they're fascists...so...bad. Huh.

Syril being so emotionally overwhelmed by his mom's passive aggression that he has to go lie down is so pathetic that it makes him instantly ten times more likeable. I bet that shot ends up being a meme.

And then once his sensitive little ears are out of the room and the gloves come off it just gets cathartic.

[hammerofglass]

I love this conlang they created for the show that sounds like someone who knows no French trying to immitate French.

[Nobody700]

I gave up on Andor because I just cannot stand Andor. He is a legit terrible protag.

So I wonder if season 2 is less Andor, and thus, better.

[hammerofglass]

I'm really hyped for the next block, it's covering 2 BBY when the full Rebel Alliance finally assembles. I think half these Rebel characters are completely unaware that Luthen's network connectng penny ante groups like Saw's partisans isn't the entire Rebellion, possibly including Mon Mothma who's going to have to run the thing. When they find out Organa's version of a rebel network has assembled entire fleets that can and have gone toe-to-toe with the Imperial Navy they're going to lose their damned minds.

[CharlesPhipps]

I gave up on Andor because I just cannot stand Andor. He is a legit terrible protag.

I think Andor season 1 is at its most enjoyable if you think Andor is a selfish scumbag for 90% of the show with no actual care about the Empire or Rebellion.

[hammerofglass]

So just picking out one thing about episode 8 instead of gushing over the whole thing, Dedra's actor gave the most realistic portrayal of a panic attack I've ever seen.

[hammerofglass]

It is very funny that episode nine is the first half of a story that ends in an episode of Rebels. Just the absolute opposite end of the tone scale in the cartoon made for 8 year olds. Mon Mothma had a very weird day.