Andor Season 1 Mirrors the Original Trilogy
The four arcs of the first season of Andor mirror sections of the original trilogy.
The first arc (Andor 1.1-3) mirrors the first act of Episode IV: A New Hope.
After a run-in with the Empire (on Morlana One, on the Tantive IV), protagonists (Cassian Andor, C-3PO and R2-D2) flee to a backwater planet (Ferrix, Tatooine) where people scavenge junk to survive, but Imperial underlings come looking for them.
A woman (Bix Caleen, Leia Organa) connects a young man (Cassian, Luke Skywalker) with an older mentor (Luthen Rael, Obi-Wan Kenobi), who invites him to leave home and join the fight against the Empire.
The young man leaves with the mentor figure – in part because he doesn’t have any other options, as his home has been raided by Imperial troops who brutalize his adopted parents (Maarva Andor, Owen and Beru Lars).
The second arc (Andor 1.4-6) mirrors the second and third acts of Episode IV: A New Hope.
The hero joins a group of Rebels. The group is led by a woman (Vel Sartha, Leia), includes a cynical scoundrel (Skeen, Han Solo), and is subject to constant infighting.
A technologically advanced Imperial base (the dam on Aldhani, the Death Star) is juxtaposed against a green, natural planet (Aldhani, Yavin IV) and an ancient, traditional stone structure (the Dhani shrine, the Yavin temple).
The climax is timed with a celestial event (the Rebels have to escape through the Eye, the Death Star has to clear Yavin before firing).
To complete the mission, the hero cannot trust his eyes; instead, he must act on faith and trust the instructions of a mentor to guide him through a narrow spot (Nemik guides Cassian through the Eye, Obi-Wan guides Luke to fire the torpedo through the Death Star’s exhaust port).
Cassian's journey diverges from the original trilogy in "Announcement" (Andor 1.7). Whereas Luke joins the Rebellion, Cassian does what Han Solo wanted to do at the end of A New Hope: he takes the money and leaves, abandoning the Rebellion.
The third arc (Andor 1.8-10) mirrors Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
The Empire traps the heroes in a mechanical structure surrounded by the elements (the prison on Narkina 5 is surrounded by water, Cloud City on Bespin is surrounded by clouds).
The love interest (Bix, Han) is captured and tortured by the Empire before being reduced to a coma-like state.
An antagonist (Kino Loy, Lando Calrissian) who has carved out a reluctant understanding with the Empire becomes an ally and aids the heroes’ escape.
To escape, the protagonist (Cassian, Luke) must be willing to choose death over submission to the Empire. The escape culminates in a geographical inversion (Cassian goes up to get out into the water, Luke goes down to get out into the clouds).
The fourth arc (Andor 1.11-12) mirrors Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
The hero returns to his home planet (Cassian to Ferrix, Luke to Tatooine).
The primary Imperial antagonist (Dedra Meero, Emperor Palpatine) arrives in a shuttle, flanked by guards, to oversee a crucial operation (the capture of Cassian, the completion of the second Death Star) in person.
The love interest (Bix, Han) is rescued from imprisonment.
The hero mourns the death of a loved one (Cassian mourns Maarva, Luke mourns Yoda).
The hero willingly enters a trap because of his love for his parent, just as the villain predicted (Dedra predicts that Cassian will come to Ferrix for Maarva, Palpatine predicts that Luke will come to the second Death Star for Vader).
A technologically outmatched group (the people of Ferrix, the Ewoks) stages an unexpected uprising against an Imperial force occupying their home (Ferrix, the forest moon of Endor).
After his or her cremation, a blue, immaterial image of the hero’s parent appears (Maarva’s hologram, Anakin’s Force ghost).
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Anakin Skywalker / Bix Caleen / Cassian Andor / Dedra Meero / Han Solo / Kino Loy / Lando Calrissian / Leia Organa / Luke Skywalker / Luthen Rael / Maarva Andor / Nemik / Obi-Wan Kenobi / Palpatine
Films: Episode IV: A New Hope / Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back / Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Shows: Andor
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Concepts: rhyme schemes
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