AG Monday!
Andor: Part 3!
In this concluding episode of our Death Star-sized coverage of Andor, we look at this series through the lenses of political science and history (topics about which we know a few things). What are the important lessons from a galaxy far, far away about authoritarianism and rebellion here? How do the characters in this series epitomize the roles people play in real-world times of upheaval? How well does Andor depict the hard choices that people have to make? What ultimately makes this show as good as we think it is?
Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic!
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Still listening.
Meantime:
EARTH ALLIANCE INTERCEPT VORLON COMS AT INTEL STATION (REDACTED):
unidentified Vorlon: I’ve had enough of your incessant jabber! We must meet. Will you come to Homeworld or should I visit Babylon 5?
Ambassador Kosh: Yes.
unidentified Vorlon: Yes what?
Ambassador Kosh: Yes, mother.
A republic controlled by aristocrats and oligarchs? How about the Roman Republic?
Yes, it fell apart and was reformed as an empire, but it lasted several centuries.
I enjoyed that quite a bit. I realize that it is somewhat a happy accident, in that Tony Gilroy was writing this before Trump 2.o, but you’ve still got to marvel at the prescience. Or maybe not. Since Gilroy reportedly studied previous authoritarian regimes and associated rebellions as he was writing Andor, it may not be prescience as much as textbook fascism from Trump and the GOP.