Andor doesn’t like to allude too much to the Skywalker Saga or other past Star Wars projects, but the inclusion of Mon Mothma as a symbol of the Rebel Alliance definitely harkens a lifeline to familiar territory.
Of course, the Mon Mothma we see in the Disney Plus show, portrayed by Genevieve O’Reilly, is hardly the selfless leader we love from the original Star Wars trilogy. Whatever happens to her in the course of these 24 episodes, comprising the two Andor seasons, the character will grow exponentially.
Appearing on ThePlaylist podcast for the Star Wars prequel show, O’Reilly teased the conclusion of Mothma’s arc with ominous words, noting that the character will have to face darker truths and come close to her breaking point to move beyond her current state.
“What we definitely get to see her do in this season is risk it all and how close it comes to breaking her. The choices that she has to make are not easy, and they’re not attractive. They’re painful, and they’re a bit ugly. It’s darker and grayer a world that Mon Mothma has to inhabit, and I think she’ll be the better for it.”
Despite its humble marketing campaign, Andor is going down as an absolute treat with fans, many of whom consider the latest episode to be among the best to come out of Star Wars‘ Disney Plus era. Since that praise includes The Mandalorian as well, Tony Gilroy is certainly raising the bar in terms of what we can come to expect from galaxy far, far away narratives.
As for O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, the show will no doubt shift its focus back to her at some point in the second half of this season, and we can’t wait to see more of her untold story play out on the small screens.
