Andor has given Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) a lot to unpack. It showed the darkness of those who work for the Empire and highlighted the power that those working for the other side think they have. For some “fans” of Star Wars, they think it wasn’t necessary.
In the first three episodes of Andor, Bix was hounded by a member of the Imperial side of the war and he attempts to sexually assault her. She eventually escapes, the officer ends up dead, and when she is going to get in trouble, she loudly yells about how the officer tried to rape her. It is brutal and unyielding and its inclusion in the series is important when showing what war is doing to the people of the galaxy.
Creator Tony Gilroy spoke about the scene’s inclusion to The Hollywood Reporter, saying: “I get one shot to tell everything I know — or can discover, or that I’ve learned — about revolution, about battles, with as many incidents and as many colors as I can get in there, without having [the story] tip over. I mean, let’s be honest, man: The history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s rape. All of us who are here — we are all the product of rape. I mean armies and power throughout history [have committed rape]. So to not touch on it, in some way … It just was organic and it felt right, coming about as a power trip for this guy. I was really trying to make a path for Bix that would ultimately lead to clarity — but a difficult path to get back to clarity.”
All of this is what makes some of the “fan” responses to the scene baffling. Many expressed their understanding and support of highlighting that darkness. Others…not so much.
Yet again, showing he doesn’t understand Star Wars
One popular Star Wars YouTube constantly speaks up about what he thinks is “right” for the franchise. He has been vocal this time around, saying that sexual assault doesn’t belong in Star Wars. “SA in SW feels unnecessary. You can portray power dynamics and making the audience hate the empire in other ways without taking it to such a disgusting place. Vader wouldn’t tolerate that shit nor does the Empire condone it. It has no place in Star Wars. Period. Unnecessary,” he wrote, seemingly forgetting that Vader Force-choked his pregnant wife.
Moving away from whether or not Darth Vader would stand for sexual assault, he does stand by and commit genocide as his daughter watches in pain behind him. Not long after this exact scene, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) has to stand and watch the planet she knew and love get blown away by Vader’s Death Star.
What Gilroy, Arjona, and the team behind Andor did was use the setting of Star Wars to highlight very real issues that exist in war-torn countries. Which is the entire point of this franchise and what George Lucas was doing when he started it.
So if the scene between Bix and the Imperial Officer made you “uncomfortable” for one reason or another, good. That’s the point. And it has ever right to be included in a series focused on the power that the Empire is enforcing on the people of the galaxy.
(featured image: Disney+)
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