Latest news with #Scarif
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Cassian Andor's Aliases, Ranked
Cassian Andor lived a lot of lives before he gave it all on the beaches of Scarif in Rogue One. And part of living those lives, sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity, was that Cassian Andor had to not be Cassian Andor. The man loved a secret identity, and with it a new name to inhabit, but some were clearly better than others. 10) Fulcrum Not even a real name as it's an Alliance codename, so by default it has to be last. It is fun however, especially after his encounter with the Force healer in Andor season two, to imagine Cassian inheriting this title from Ahsoka Tano, an actual-honest-to-god-backflipping-and-lightsaber-wielding Jedi, and just having it completely break his mind. 9) Aach This is one of several operational aliases given to Cassian in the Rogue One Ultimate Visual Guide, so there's something oddly charming about the idea that Cassian having a Rolodex of other names he's had to come up with for missions has been there since the very beginning. Come on though, Cassian, this one just sounds like you stubbed your toe before you could use the name you actually wanted to use, and rolled with it. 8) Willix Another from the Visual Guide, Willix was an identity Cassian used on Darknell while masquerading as a Senatorial contact. Points for sounding better than 'Aach,' at least. 7) Joreth Sward The last of Cassian's Visual Guide aliases, and he finally decided to give himself a full name! Aside from being a great name, Sward was an alias Cassian had while infiltrating the inner circle of an Imperial Admiral, Grendreef—a name that itself is actually a reference to the classic West End Star Wars roleplaying game, a frequent source of Easter egg references in Andor. Again, nice to know that that that's a connection that's always been part of this character. 6) Varian Skye Varian Skye, fashion designer, definitely looked the part on Ghorman with that gorgeous caped coat and his ginormous sci-fi shades, but really, the identity truly only comes together with that name. There's an airiness, it just sounds like a foppishly charming artiste who's here to rub shoulders with fellow followers of fashion. The clothes may make the man, but the name makes the secret identity. 5) Clem Sure we previously knocked points off for Cassian only giving a first name to an alias, but you gain a massive amount of 'd'awwwwwww' points when it's the first mission we see him go on for the nascent rebellion and he picks his adoptive father's name to go by. What a softie. 4) Keef Girgo An incredible Star Wars name. Andor gave us a few people with just Normal Real Names Spelled Slightly Differently (shout out to Timm, who sucked, but was also named Timm), but Keef being both so close and so far from Keith is perfect. Also just a real delight to hear Diego Luna say it and put a nice roll on that 'r' in Girgo. Love a name with mouthfeel. 3) Kassa Does Cassian's birth name count as an alias? I mean, kinda, if you accept that eventually Cassian Andor the man becomes a very different identity than that of Kassa the young boy of Kenari, the latter of which remains compartmentalized in the former's thoughts for the remainder of his life. What if taking on myriad identities came so natural to Cassian because he was used to giving them up from a young age? Sorry to get a bit deep in a shitpost list about Star Wars names for a second. 2) Cassian Jeron Andor Again, only kind of sort of an alias as the true self, but you're still rolling with me after the Kassa bit. But anyway it's already a fantastic name, and Andor's revelation of Cassian's life on Kenari then raises delicious worldbuilding and character questions about Clem and Maarva choosing to name him Cassian (did he tell them his name was Kassa, and they then anglicized it for Galactic Basic? What is the term for anglicization in a galaxy where English doesn't exist?). But adding the middle-name Jeron? Baby, that's Star Wars. 1) Ronni Googe I love Ronni Googe. Even putting aside that he's a journalist—thank you for the representation—even putting aside the Star Wars-ification of an otherwise perfectly real-world name, even putting aside that once again, this is a name with that wonderful mouthfeel element to it, Ronni Googe is a brilliant alias for a spy. You see, as Cassian tells multiple people when he adopts this persona in season two to extract Mon Mothma from the Imperial Senate building, 'Googe' is pronounced Goo-juh. That's very Star Wars, but also, again, it's a genius alias. Ronni Googe has had to tell everyone 'Actually, it's Ronni Goo-juh' all the time, it's a name that stands out as a name, so you remember that and its pronunciation instead of what Ronni Googe actually looks like, and how uncanny a resemblance he bears to noted Imperial criminal and Rebel agent Cassian Andor. It's a conversation starter, a way to appear polite and charming and put someone on the backfoot when you have to tell them this is how you actually say it, and it's easy to remember and appear naturalistic for a spy with a zillion other things running around in their head—because, again, Ronni Googe, Senate journalist for the Mid-Rim network, has had to tell people on and off the record every day of his damn life that it's Goo-juh. Two words, and a whole life for that identity is built. It's a fantastic alias, it's a fantastic Star Wars name, it's the total package. An alias worthy of the mission it was deployed on.
Geek Tyrant
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Death Star Detail in ROGUE ONE Makes Alderaan's Destruction in NEW HOPE Even More Devestating For Princess Liea — GeekTyrant
Star Wars fans are always rewatching, reanalyzing, and recontextualizing the films and shows in the franchise. Thanks to Andor and a fresh look at Rogue One , one specific connection has started to sting a little more, specifically a new perspective on Princess Leia's reaction to Alderaan's destruction in A New Hope . On Reddit, a fan recently pointed out something that many of us might not have considered, and now it's hard to unsee. Leia wasn't unfamiliar with what the Death Star could do when Tarkin ordered the obliteration of her home planet, but what she saw still shattered her. The post reads: "In A New Hope, when Leia is forced to watch Alderaan be destroyed, she reacts with horror and surprise (valid reaction).' It goes on: "But there's a second part to this I never realized until I just watched Rogue One again. She was present at Scarif. She saw the effects of the Death Star there. 'She was not present at Jedha, but I'm sure she heard of the aftermath. So in her mind, as Tarkin gives the order, she's expecting a big explosion on the surface and a lot of people to die. 'And then her entire planet just vaporizes in a second, right before her eyes. Completely subverting not just her expectations, but the Rebellion's." That's the gut punch. Leia knew it was coming, but she just didn't know how bad it was going to be. In Rogue One , Leia is nearby when Scarif is hit by the Death Star, watching the fallout from a distance just after the plans are transmitted aboard the Tantive IV. That moment, along with the wreckage at Jedha, gave the Rebellion a preview of the weapon's destructive force. But Alderaan's destruction wasn't just a tactical display, it was personal. And the weapon wasn't just killing people this time, it was wiping out Leia's past, her culture, and her entire planet in an instant. One fan also noted the stark contrast in how the destruction is shown: "It's wild to go from the drama of Rogue One showing the Death Star looming over Jedha and Scarif, people reacting from the ground, detailed, up-close destruction of the planets' crust rending apart as the music swells… to Alderaan instantly turning into a stock footage explosion that the camera only lingers on for about four seconds with almost no fanfare." Sure, some of that difference is technical limitations. A New Hope was made in 1977 and Rogue One in 2016, but the emotional difference is amplified when you watch in story order. In Rogue One , the destruction feels colossal and terrifying. By the time we get to Alderaan in A New Hope , the horror is quieter, but for Leia, now seen in a new light, it's far more devastating. With Andor recently filling in more about the construction of the Death Star and the origins of the Rebellion, this small but interesting connection just adds another layer to Leia's story.
Geek Tyrant
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
ANDOR Gave ROGUE ONE's Ending the Emotional Context It Always Deserved — GeekTyrant
For years, Rogue One fans have quietly debated a moment that unfolds with a hug. As Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor kneel on Scarif's beach, watching the shockwave of the Death Star's blast approach, they embrace, no kiss, no confession, just a wordless moment of shared acceptance. It struck many as an unusual restraint for a Star Wars film. Why not lean into the romance, especially after the emotional weight of their mission? Now, thanks to Andor , we finally understand why. And it hurts in the best possible way. The Disney+ series not only explores Cassian's journey from cynic to rebel hero, it digs into his heart. Through his relationship with Bix Caleen, Andor gives us a version of Cassian that isn't emotionally closed-off but deeply tethered to someone who's shaped his life. Their bond isn't fleeting or casual, it's personal, layered, and built on sacrifice. In fact, Bix is the one who leaves Cassian behind, not out of abandonment, but so he can fully commit to something bigger than both of them. Bix's final message to Cassian seals the heartbreak. In it, she reaffirms her love and says, 'We'll find each other after the war.' And that's the gut punch because we know he never makes it out of Scarif. This knowledge reframes the entire Jyn-Cassian dynamic in Rogue One . What some once saw as a missed romantic opportunity now feels like something deeper. Cassian's emotional tether isn't about a budding romance with Jyn, it's about the legacy of a love that asked him to fight for something more. And that makes the ending of Rogue One even more powerful. Jyn and Cassian's bond is built through shared trauma, mutual respect, and the raw clarity that comes from knowing you're about to die for a cause. It's not about unspoken romantic tension, it's about two people who found in each other a mirror of their own sacrifices. The beach hug isn't shy or restrained, it's everything they needed to say in a single, silent moment A kiss would have felt like fan service. The hug felt like truth. In showing us Cassian's past, Andor enriches Rogue One' s present. It reminds us that not every connection is romantic. Some are forged in fire, sustained by memory, and carried to the end, not with passion, but with purpose. In doing so, it makes that final hug on Scarif all the more haunting.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TVLine's Performer of the Week: Elizabeth Dulau
THE PERFORMER | Elizabeth Dulau More from TVLine TVLine Asks: Would The Handmaid's Tale Weaponized Wedding Cake Have Worked on You? As 9-1-1 Season 8 Ends, Eddie's Future With the 118 (and as Buck's Roommate) Is 'Up in the Air,' Warns Ryan Guzman 9-1-1's Oliver Stark Previews Buck's 'Dirty' Finale Crisis, More 'Clashes' With New Roommate Eddie THE SHOW | Andor THE EPISODE | 'Make It Stop' (May 13, 2025) THE PERFORMANCE | 'Ghorman. Scarif. Kyber. Krennic. Erso.' Kleya said not much more than that in the Star Wars series' antepenultimate episode, as she repeated back to Luthen what he'd just learned from (ill-fated) Lonni in the cold open. And while it was tempting to instead honor Elizabeth Dulau for Episode 11 (in which Kleya implores Cassian to make Luthen's sacrifice mean something)…. No, it really was Episode 10 in which the actress moved us most. Yes, there was the aforementioned exchange with Luthen, soon after he'd gotten wind of the 'super weapon' Krennic has been building for a decade. Kleya assumed she herself would take care of destroying their comm station at the gallery, but Luthen insisted on doing the deed — to Kleya's dismay. That 'burn' would be interrupted by one Dedra Meero, leading to Luthen's attempted, secret-keeping suicide. As Kleya from a distance watched his body taken away by a med team, Dulau's acting journey began — accentuated by flashbacks to how a Sergeant Lear, 17 years prior, came to be her guardian and mentor. Every time the camera caught Dulau's face, you saw the conflict. As a pragmatic spy, she knew what needed to be done. That she had to finish what Luthen began with that ancient blade. But man, Dulau also made clear the silent anguish Kleya was feeling, about ending her father figure's life. There's also much to be said for how Dulau sold us on Kleya's impressive skillset, of which we'd only had glimpses. She thought fast on her feet, seizing opportunities to infiltrate and navigate the hospital halls. She was handy and stealthy with a small blaster. And when she triggered the explosives to distract the troopers guarding Luthen's room, you could feel her recalling a similar button press from her past. In the end, Kleya overcame all obstacles and made her way to Luthen's ICU room. Without hesitation, she coldly detached the life support mechanism that was barely keeping him alive. Then… then she looked at him, as he exhaled a final breath. Dulau's brow knitted, a tear rolled down a cheek. Kleya knew an unexpected chapter of her life was ending. And an unpredictable one was about to begin. Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week… There were a number of capital-M moments in the Season 8 finale of ABC's 9-1-1, but one in particular will remain at the forefront of our memories as we anxiously await the show's return this fall. We're referring to the incredible speech delivered by Chimney to the rest of the 118, following a successful mission at a collapsed apartment building. More than simply powerful, the two-minute monologue felt vital, authoritative and, dare we say, healing. And while the writing and cinematography certainly enhanced the epic moment, most of the credit goes to Kenneth Choi, whom we could feel stepping into his power with each sentence, like the steady beat of a drum. Though we can't say for sure what will happen when 9-1-1 returns for Season 9 this fall, we're confident that we'll look back on this speech as the moment Chimney took his rightful place as the firehouse's new captain. — Andy Swift For six seasons, Ann Dowd built a Handmaid's character we've loved to hate: a holier-than-thou harridan who grabbed the infinitesimal amount of power Gilead gifted her and used it to oppress other women. Dowd made Aunt Lydia someone we could reliably despise… until this week's episode. Dowd started the scene at the Red Center with Lydia's usual righteous fervor, bellowing about insubordination and threatening major violence. But when June appeared, Dowd began the delicate work of dismantling Lydia, piece by piece. Faced with the reality of the rape and violence she'd helped perpetrate, Dowd had Lydia visibly soften, her resolve crumbling as her face trembled and her eyes filled with tears. And when Lydia finally capitulated to her own guilt, Dowd falling to her knees and offering up an anguished cry to God, it only made us all the more excited for the arrival of the series' Lydia-centric sequel, The Testaments. — Kimberly Roots Piper Perabo left it all on the operating-room floor in the Season 21 finale of Grey's Anatomy (recapped here). After Jenna was told yet again to be patient about daughter Dylan's recovery — or lack thereof — the desperate mom snapped, going so far as to take hostages in hopes of forcing a miracle. From there, her portrayer became the embodiment of a raw nerve, alternately rageful and reflective, apologetic and frightening. She offered glimpses of the lovely, sensitive person Jenna might have been on better days, then over and over snapped her back into the fraught moment at hand. When finally Dylan's bleeding stopped, Jenna collapsed in tears, Perabo allowing her whole body to shake from the shock and relief that the ordeal was over. — Charlie Mason Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments! Best of TVLine Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More ER Turns 30: See the Original County General Crew, Then and Now
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Andor' Season 2 Composer On Scoring The Show's Poignant Conclusion: ‘Don't Mess That Up!'
Key art for Season 2 of 'Andor' on Disney+. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved. Andor has officially come to an end and, as promised by its creators, the Season 2 finale (also the series conclusion) led directly into the events of the acclaimed Episode IV prequel, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the show's final moments, battle-worn Rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his sardonic droid buddy, K-2S0 (voiced by Alan Tudyk), set off for the Ring of Kafrene to meet with Cassian's confidential informant. That contact is Tivik (portrayed in Rogue One by Daniel Mays), who will corroborate the intel Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) died for: The Empire has indeed built a super-weapon — the dreaded, planet-destroying battle station known as the Death Star — to crush all remnants of dissent throughout the galaxy once and for all. But as our titular hero flies off to hear the crucial piece of information that will ultimately bring peace to that collection of stars far, far away, there's the stabbing knowledge in the back of our minds that he, K-2SO, and so many others are doomed. Dozens of courageous souls are destined to meet their ends on Scarif while stealing and transmitting the Death Star plans to their cohorts hovering above the tropical planet. In other words, the Andor finale is the very definition of bittersweet when taken alongside the existing context Rogue One established nearly a decade ago. It's a context that grows ever more poignant by way of the series' finale scene, which returns us to the Outer Rim farming world of Mina-Rau, where Bix (Adria Arjona) has been living since she made the difficult decision to leave Cassian on Yavin 4. Walking into the wheat fields, Bix carries a newborn child and looks up as the sun breaks through an overcast sky. While the baby's identity is not explicitly confirmed, there can be no doubt of its paternal origin. Cassian's child is, quite literally, the embodiment of a new hope; the start of a fresh generation that will know freedom and self-determination, thanks to Casssian's noble sacrifice. Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR Season 2, exclusively ... More on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Scoring such an impactful bookend was no small feat for Season 2 composer Brandon Roberts, who got the chance to watch all 12 episodes before writing the music. 'That's rare,' he notes over a Zoom call. 'Normally, they're in process [while you're scoring] When Roberts got to the last episode, there was no music — not even a temp track. 'I was very sick at the time," he remembers. "I was in bed, watching it on my laptop, and [when] I got to that scene, I openly wept. It was so beautiful and such a perfect way to end that story; such a perfect way to re-contextualize Rogue One, that I was very overwhelmed and surprised by that moment. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. And then the second thought I had was, 'Don't mess that up! It doesn't even need music!' I did score the sequence, but even up until the end, we kept it so minimal, because the moment, and Bix's expression…it was all there onscreen.' Andor creator, showrunner, and executive producer Tony Gilroy (also a co-screenwriter on Rogue One) was apparently very hands-on with the score, regularly flying in to Los Angeles from London or New York in order to visit Roberts' studio for days at a time. 'We would sit there, going through every cue, in every scene … fine tune it and try stuff," Roberts says. "A lot of it [was] taking music out. Sometimes, it was, 'Hey, I think we can wait longer to bring the music in.' We would fine tune it and go down to the wire. It was a really wonderful way to collaborate, and I haven't had that level of intensity for that extended period of time with a director. Tony is extremely musical, so it was a good match. I think by the time we went to the recording sessions [at the British Grove Studios in London], everyone was on the same page. There were no surprises. The whole process was very smooth." Both seasons of Andor are now streaming exclusively on Disney+
