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Middle East Eye
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Middle East Eye
Hit TV show Andor spurs viewers to draw parallels to Israel's war on Gaza
Fans of the Star Wars prequel series Andor have taken to social media this week to draw comparisons between Israel's war on Gaza and the show's narratives of occupation, resistance, and authoritarian violence. Set as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Andor series traces the formation of the Rebel Alliance and Cassian Andor's role within it, focusing on the rise of resistance against the Galactic Empire. It provides context to the political and social conditions that shaped the early rebellion and expands on characters and events that influence the broader Star Wars narrative. Following the first season, which aired in late 2022, Andor viewers took to their social media accounts throughout the last season, drawing parallels between the show and Israel's war on Gaza. Specifically likening the Empire to Israel and the US, and the Palestinians to the people of Ghorman. Make no mistake, this shit is real. Right now. Just today, Israel announced the complete elimination of Gaza. Open your eyes to what this show represents. Real life genocide. If we don't engage with that then there is no purpose. So let the aid in and free Palestine. #Andor — Andres Cabrera (@SquadLeaderAce) May 7, 2025 In an opinion piece published back in April for The Guardian, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai detailed the similarities that were also echoed among viewers. 'In the new and final season of Andor, an occupied civilian population is massacred; their cries for help ignored by the Empire-run media, which instead paint the victims as terrorist threats to public safety. Meanwhile, the politicians who have enough backbone to speak out, and use the word 'genocide' to describe these aggressions, are met with violent suppression.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Star Wars fans will be forced to reckon with how this story isn't about what happens 'a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away'. It's about what's unfolding right now in Gaza.' Just watched this series and kept saying it reminded me of Israel and Palestine. Especially the part where they demonize those people in collusion with the press to manufacture consent for their genocide / destruction of their planet. — Anna (@annaskiba16) June 2, 2025 Although it is not certain that Andors' creator Tony Gilroy had Gaza in mind when writing the second season, he did mention Palestine as an example of the history that informed the show in a 2022 Deadline interview. In addition, actors from the show, like Irish actress Denise Gough, who plays a villain in the series, have been vocal about their support for Palestine. 'Andor' actress: 'I refuse to stay silent on Gaza.' "We're being asked by Palestinian people to speak,' so those who don't speak out can't say 'I didn't know what to do' says Denise Gough. WATCH: — BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) May 31, 2025 A recent Reddit post, in which a social media user says they have 'never felt more on the side of the Palestinian cause', has brought the conversation on the parallels between the show and Gaza back into the limelight one month after the finale aired. 'It showed me the side of resistance we often grapple with, the side where resistance more often than not becomes an armed resistance when the peaceful part of resistance doesn't get you anywhere,' the post reads. 'When your land is taken forcibly, when your city is besieged, when your land, sea, and air borders are controlled by an occupying entity, and you are left with one choice, to fight back, even if the empire (Israel/US) is overwhelmingly stronger, more powerful, and better funded.' The person continued to write that although the story is fictional, it made them see that in 'fighting an empire, you do not get to choose the terms. You are forced into the shadows, pushed into impossible choices, and made to sacrifice lives so others might have a future'. 'Right now, in Gaza, people are making those same impossible choices. When your children are bombed to smithereens, starved to death, your hospitals destroyed, your homes flattened, and the world either watches in silence or arms your oppressor, resistance stops being about right or wrong. It becomes survival.' This brought about a flow of responses that agreed with the post's writer. 'There is a shot of Gorman with white buildings and a golden dome-like structure reminiscent of the dome of the Rock. I immediately thought of Palestine.' Others disagreed that there was a parallel between the armed resistance of Palestinians to that of Ghorman's Rebel Alliance. 'People comparing the rebellion to Hamas is definitely not what I thought I would see today yet here we are," one person responded. There are also those who argue that attempting to draw the parallel in the first place was futile. 'Human history doesn't have a narrative as simple as Andor and never will,' one person said. 'What happened on Oct 7th was unjust and horrifying and counterproductive. What is being done in response is unjust and horrifying and counter productive.' The Reddit post found its way to X, and one person posted a screenshot of the thread, joking that it would be the end of the series. nah, they're about to cancel this series — Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) June 1, 2025 While many joked that the show cannot be cancelled now that it's already done, others highlighted the irony of how the show was produced by Disney, which has historically aligned itself with being pro-Israel. "I still cant process that disney backed a show about resistance while staying silent on the real thing happening in Gaza," one social media user wrote on X. "Ironic doesnt even cover it."
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Andor stars mercilessly mocked for looking like 'off brand' King Charles and Queen Camilla
Andor stars Denise Gough and Ben Mendelsohn looked effortlessly chic during a press junket ahead of the season finale - but viewers hilariously pointed out their striking resemblance to members of the British Royal family. The pair, who play villains Dedra Meero and Orson Krennic on the Disney+ series, were promoting the Season 2 finale when fans noticed a semi-familiar look. The duo, who hail from Ireland and Australia, appeared in press circuit wearing a rather royal-looking attire, with fans joking they appeared to have dressed up as King Charles and Queen Camilla. Mendelsohn, 56, wore a dark grey striped jacket buttoned up with a dark grey tie and white button-up shirt. He had his grey hair brushed back off his forehead. Gough, 45, had her blonde shoulder-length hair resting at her shoulders and wore a black tweet jacket, buttoned up with square gold buttons. Mendelsohn's outfit choice was similar to the grey suit jackets King Charles often is seen wearing. And, while Camilla doesn't wear black all that often, the elegant tailoring of the jacket bore a striking resemblance to her favorite ensembles. Alongside a screenshot of the interview, someone had hilariously written: 'For a second I thought this was supposed to be a Charles and Camilla parody.' A screenshot of the comment was shared to social media, with other users agreeing the on-screen stars had an uncanny resemblance to the monarchs. 'Don't you think Ben Mendelsohn was being deliberate... an Aussie and an Irishwoman get together for a press junket... Let poke fun at the the [British royals]?' questioned one user. 'I can't unsee it now,' someone else moaned, with another adding: 'He looks like King Charles.' Many leaned into Mendelsohn's Australian accent with their replies. 'Hey mate, haven't been telling Diana about the affair have ya mate,' joked a viewer. 'G'day there Diana,' laughed someone else. 'Hey mate, haven't been talking to the French cops have ya mate,' another added. Andor follows Cassian Andor - a character who first appeared in the 2016 movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The duo, who hail from Ireland and Australia, appeared in press circuit wearing a rather royal-looking attire, with fans joking they appeared to have dressed up as King Charles and Queen Camilla This image released by Disney shows Ben Mendelsohn (left) and Denise Gough (right) in a scene from the second season of Lucasfilm's 'Andor.' Viewers have hilariously pointed out a similarity between their look and a royal couple The series serves as a prequel to the film in the early days after the Galactic Republic became the Empire. Mendelsohn played Orson Krennic in the 2016 film Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, reflecting on what it was like to reprise his character in an interview with Variety in April. The actor revealed that creator Tony Gilroy reached out about returning as Krennic in Season 2 of the series - which was an immediate 'yes.' 'Quite a while ago, not that long after the first season,' said Mendelsohn said in an April interview for Variety. 'Tony just said, "Would you be amenable to coming back and just doing a few scenes?" To which I was like, "F**k yeah, absolutely."' He added that shooting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a 'really good one,' and he's a huge fan of Michael Clayton, which Gilroy also wrote and directed. '[Playing] Krennic and the whole Star Wars experience was a really good one for me. But I had no idea how good it was going to be. It's taken me by joyous surprise,' he added.
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Andor Season 2 Episodes 10, 11, 12 – Release Date, Schedule, How To Watch
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The Andor season two finale will arrive on Tuesday, alongside episodes ten and eleven of the series that took over two and a half years to return to Disney+. Andor has had an irregular schedule, so you may be asking yourself: where is episode ten of Andor season two? (Second from Left - R) Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Grymish (Kurt Egyiawan) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. (Second from Left - R) Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Grymish (Kurt Egyiawan) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Lucasfilm Ltd™ READ: MobLand Episode 7 – Release Date, Schedule, How To Watch We've got a guide below on how to watch Andor season two, episodes ten, eleven, and twelve, including Andor season two release schedule and Andor season two, episodes ten, eleven, and twelve release date. Andor Season 2 Episode 10 Release Date Episodes ten, eleven, and twelve of Andor season two will be available to stream on Disney+ on May 13, 2025. New episodes of Andor will be released in threes each Tuesday on Disney+ through May 13, 2025. Andor Season 2 Episode 10 – How to Watch Andor season two episodes ten, eleven, and twelve will be available on Disney+ from 6 pm Pacific Time (PT) on May 13, 2025/9 pm Eastern Time (ET). To watch Andor, you will need a Disney+ subscription. The basic subscription with ads is $9.99 per month, or you can get Disney+ Premium without ads for $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year. What Time Does Andor Season 2 Episode 10 Come Out? Andor season two episodes ten, eleven, and twelve will be available to stream from 6 pm (PT) on May 13, 2025/9 pm Eastern Time (ET). With the evening streaming release in the US, new episodes of Andor season two will debut in other countries at different times/dates. Here is when Andor episodes ten, eleven, and twelvewill be available to stream in your time zone: May 13 BRT: 10:00 pm May 14 GMT : 1:00 am : 1:00 am CEST : 2:00 am : 2:00 am IST : 6:30 am : 6:30 am JST : 10:00 am : 10:00 am AET : 12:00 pm : 12:00 pm NZDT: 2:00 pm Andor Season 2 Release Schedule Episode One: April 22 April 22 Episode Two: April 22 April 22 Episode Three: April 22 April 22 Episode Four: April 29 April 29 Episode Five: April 29 April 29 Episode Six: April 29 April 29 Episode Seven: May 6 May 6 Episode Eight: May 6 May 6 Episode Nine: May 6 May 6 Episode Ten: May 13 May 13 Episode Eleven: May 13 May 13 Episode Twelve: May 13 The 'ANDOR' Season 2 release schedule has been fully revealed. — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 8, 2025 Andor Season 2 Episode 10 Runtime Episode ten of Andor season two doesn't yet have an official runtime. So far, episodes of Andor season two have run between 44 and 54 minutes. What Will Happen in Andor Season 2 Episode 10? The official synopses for the final few episodes of Andor season two areunavailable. However, if you're looking to catch up on what's happened so far in Andor season two, we have individual episode synopses below: Episode One: An undercover mission. A sanctuary threatened. A Chandrilan wedding. A chilling Imperial plan. An undercover mission. A sanctuary threatened. A Chandrilan wedding. A chilling Imperial plan. Episode Two: Cassian is caught in a rebel turf war. Mon's wedding woes mount. The Ferrix survivors face inspection. Cassian is caught in a rebel turf war. Mon's wedding woes mount. The Ferrix survivors face inspection. Episode Three: Time is running out for everyone. Time is running out for everyone. Episode Four: Cassian and Bix adjust to a Luthen safehouse. All eyes are on Ghorman. Wilmon visits Saw Gerrera. Cassian and Bix adjust to a Luthen safehouse. All eyes are on Ghorman. Wilmon visits Saw Gerrera. Episode Five: Cassian on Ghorman. Syril on Coruscant. Bix failing. Wilmon trapped. Kleya has a serious problem. Cassian on Ghorman. Syril on Coruscant. Bix failing. Wilmon trapped. Kleya has a serious problem. Episode Six: Vel and Cinta to Ghorman. Cassian home to Bix. An argument. A heist. A party. Everything at risk. Vel and Cinta to Ghorman. Cassian home to Bix. An argument. A heist. A party. Everything at risk. Episode Seven: Yavin is growing. Wilmon comes for help. Dedra's on Ghorman. Cassian heeds the call. Yavin is growing. Wilmon comes for help. Dedra's on Ghorman. Cassian heeds the call. Episode Eight: Imperial manipulation. Ghorman frustration. Cassian and Syril center stage as Palmo erupts. Imperial manipulation. Ghorman frustration. Cassian and Syril center stage as Palmo erupts. Episode Nine: In the Ghorman aftermath, Mon Mothma takes a stand. Cassian must carry out a difficult extraction. (as per IMDb)
Toronto Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
On 'Andor,' minor 'Star Wars' villains play major roles
Published May 02, 2025 • 4 minute read This image released by Disney shows Kyle Soller, left, and Denise Gough in a scene from the second season of Lucasfilm's "Andor." Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd. / AP BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — In the galaxy of 'Andor,' 'Star Wars' super villains are relegated to the shadows. The Disney+ series is more interested in what might be called supervisor villains: the bureaucrats, planners, schemers and petty functionaries who make tyranny possible. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Instead of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, we get Dedra Meero and Syril Karn, a pair of ambitious middle-managers who become an unlikely couple in their pursuit of Diego Luna's Cassian Andor. 'It's so nuanced, these villains are operating in a real gray zone, and they're representing a side of the empire that we have never seen before,' said Kyle Soller, who plays Karn. 'You're getting a real like cogs and nuts and bolts view of how the empire machine works, from the very bottom to the upper echelons.' In a joint interview with Soller for The Associated Press, Denise Gough, who plays Meero, added, 'It can't just be brute force. An empire can't survive on brute force, it takes all these Machiavellian, tiny movements here, tiny movements there, ripple effects everywhere.' Gough is a 45-year-old Irish actor who is also currently starring in the thriller 'The Stolen Girl' on Hulu. Soller is a 41-year-old Connecticut-born actor who has long lived in London with his wife, actor Phoebe Fox. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Their characters came together during Season 1 as each sought to collar the mysterious figure of Andor amid the burgeoning Rebel Alliance — Karn from the police side, Meero from the police-state side. The Ghorman problem, and a Nazi-style solution In Season 2, Meero and Karn each become caught up in the exploitation of the powder-keg planet of Ghorman, a previously peaceful place where the Galactic Empire needs to gouge-mine a mineral essential to building the Death Star. The process is likely to kill or displace its residents, among whom a rebellion brews. A group of imperial bureaucrats meet secretly in a conference room to plan the planet's destruction, in scenes that see the return of actor Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic, the Death Star builder who was the chief antagonist of 2016's 'Rogue One.' ('Andor' is a prequel.) He's a senior leader but is still a functionary subject to the mercy and whims of the dictators he serves. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Andor' creator Tony Gilroy said the meeting was his chance to make his version of the oft-dramatized Nazi Germany Wannsee Conference, what he calls a 'PowerPoint meeting' of middle managers over lunch in 1942 to drily and practically plan the extermination of European Jews. Krennic singles out Meero during a lunch break, seeing a strong thinker in counterintelligence. She smartly suggests encouraging the Ghorman rebellion to become violent. 'Propaganda will only get you so far,' Meera says, in one of the season's key lines. 'You need Ghorman rebels you can depend on to do the wrong thing.' The plotline pushes Karn and Meera, neither of them ideologues, out to moral cusps where it seems they may switch sides. 'You get to see how the empire is using its underlings,' Soller said. 'No matter how high up they achieve power, they're all being used, they're all pawns, and disposable.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Gough said the difference between the two sides is that of 'a gang and a tribe.' 'The empire is the gang and the rebellion is the tribe,' she said. 'The tribe has heart and loyalty and all of those things, and values all of those things, and the gang makes it seem like they do, but they don't, they disperse at the first sign of trouble, and they dispense when it's no longer needed.' An awkward imperial romance Meero and Karn's overlapping ambitions also lead them into a romantic coupling. That had Gough worried at the end of Season 1 that they would end up in an 'insipid' world of common couple tropes, but she said 'I couldn't have imagined how weird it would get.' 'They've never had an example of love,' Gough said. 'They grew up in a controlled, cultlike environment. So actually the story we're telling is how do two people, when they grow up like that, how do they function in relationships?' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The domestic scenes between the two are both tense and awkward, especially with the large presence of Karn's tiny mother Eedy, played by the always-magnificently-odd actor Kathryn Hunter. 'You have this extraordinary meeting of these two women,' Gough said, 'and in the bedroom is the man that they're making a deal about.' These moments can feel tangential, but the duo's arcs through their personal lives, their moral compromises and their final choices become an essential part of the overall story. 'I think it's going to be really profound as you layer that into 'Rogue One' and into the original trilogy as well,' Soller said. 'You're just like, 'Oh wow I got like the complete history of the modern empire.' How 'Andor' is being released and when its finale will will air Season 2 of 'Andor' is being released on Disney+ in a novel format. The episodes drop in clusters of three each Tuesday night at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific. The three-part series finale running May 13. Here's the whole schedule. April 22: Episodes 1-3 April 29: Episodes 4-6 May 6: Episodes 7-9 May 13: Episodes 10-12 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons Canada Ontario
Canberra Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Canberra Times
Heavy war drama tackles Thai-Burma Railway
Catch another second season with the return of Star Wars spin-off series Andor on Disney+ this week. Three episodes dropped on Wednesday, and further episodes will arrive weekly in the Diego Luna-led series. Andor's Denise Gough also has another new show on Disney+, the British crime mystery The Stolen Girl. The five-episode series sees a young girl taken from her family by a fellow school mum who then drops off the map - but there's more going on behind the scenes. The show also stars Jim Sturgess, Holliday Grainger and Ambika Mod. Also on Disney+ you'll find the documentary special Titanic: The Digital Resurrection from National Geographic, which takes viewers behind a cutting-edge digital scan of the infamous ship. Meanwhile on Netflix you can dive into Ransom Canyon, a neo-Western series (no doubt greenlit on the back of Yellowstone's success) set in Texas which follows several ranching families' loves and lives. It stars Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly and James Brolin. Over on Prime Video you'll find a new adult animation from Ramy Youssef called #1 Happy Family USA, which follows an Egyptian-American family in the 2000s. Voice talent includes Youssef, Alia Shawkat, Mandy Moore and Kieran Culkin.
