The Clumsy Interloper

My parents went away on a proper vacation (read: without kids) in the summer of 1988 and my grandparents came to stay with me for two weeks. I was 6 years old and these new authority figures injected a new dynamic into my normally regimented routine. Much like the raptors in Jurassic Park, I took this opportunity to test the fences for weaknesses of which there were many. The narrative that my Memere, then a near retirement aged Catholic school teacher, was a famed disciplinarian discounted the fact that I was her grandson with an impeccable behavioral record and a wholesome countenance. Extra desserts and additional playground time found their way effortlessly into my lap.

One afternoon I saw a commercial on TV that stated boldly, “Tonight at 8pm, Star Wars, A New Hope”. I remember a blur of X-wing spaceships, blaster fire, Darth Vadar’s red lightsaber and Chewbacca’s signature bellow. I knew from my 12-year-old brother Tom that this was an important touchstone of popular culture, but up until this moment Star Wars was unavailable to me. Even with my new permissive overseers in place I couldn’t negotiate a 11pm bedtime to watch a movie with bloodless space violence. I had to improvise. I had to be bold.

I announced in a timid, yet convincing voice that I was tired and would be retiring earlier than my prescribed bedtime that night. I tucked myself in and waited. Once I confirmed Memere and Pepere were in their quarters, doors shut, reading their books and preparing for bed – I tiptoed down the stairs toward the TV room. If I was caught, I had the prepared backstory of needing a snack and a drink of water. Luckily, I navigated the creaky stairs without suspicion or intervention.

I arrived at the TV promptly at 8pm just in time to hear the iconic John Williams score blast me in the face while the opening crawl moved hypnotically towards a vanishing point in space. The volume was low and I sat inches from the screen, keenly aware of the transgression I was committing which only heightened the viewing experience. What transpired over the next 3 hours (with commercials) was a tidal shift in my young imagination. I was transfixed. Upon completion, I moved silently to my bedroom like Obi Wan Kenobi did through the Death Star and fell asleep while replaying the images that were now seared into my brain.

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Over the intervening 3 ½ decades I have been chasing the Star Wars dragon. The original trilogy was sprinkled with fairy dust and re-released in the mid-1990’s. It was polished and tweaked and padded out in inexplicable ways. I sat puzzled as Han Solo stepped on a CGI Jabba the Hutt’s tail, an alien with protruding red lips sang an extended music number and the “Ewok Celebration” song was scrubbed at the end of “Return of the Jedi” (Yub Nub slaps, don’t listen to the haters).

The prequel trilogy eschewed story and character development in favor of a trade war, pod racing, green screen banality and Razzie award winning acting. The Duel of the Fates at the end of “The Phantom Menace” was the lone shimmering set piece in an otherwise forgettable three movie saga. Although it did give us this scintillating dialogue, “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere,” which I quote every time I go to the beach.

The sequel trilogy started auspiciously enough. I liked “The Force Awakens” with Rey and Han Solo smirking at the camera and the promise of Luke getting his groove back. “The Last Jedi” was a mixed bag, which got me thinking…. the jury has been in there a long time, don’t you think? Maybe we should go in there and see if they’ve figured out where this is multi-billion dollar franchise is going... Before “The Rise of Skywalker” came out, the Mandalorian (Season 1) hit Disney+ and hopes were high that they would land the plane with the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Spoiler alert, they didn’t.

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This leads me to Rouge One which came out in 2016. For me, this movie was the most emotionally resonant film since the original trilogy. K-2SO is the best droid of the lot. Darth Vader was used sparingly and with great effect. The “Force” was more accessible and egalitarian. Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso were relatable protagonists with depth and complexity. It seemed unlike any other Star Wars property and, unfortunately, that was a positive.

Enter Tony Gilroy, one of the co-writers of Rouge One, who was commissioned to create a television series prequel to Rouge One to explore the backstory of Cassian Andor and the 5-year period before “A New Hope”. He was the writer of Michael Clayton and the Bourne movies which are staples in the King family physical media library. The second (and final) season of Andor concluded last week and I can say, without hyperbole, that this was the best Star Wars has been since “The Empire Strikes Back”.

The seeds of the rebellion germinate in dimly lit rooms with insurgent factions jockeying for resources. There is a senator who must play the long game and work the back channels to combat the creeping scope of the Empire. There is an idealistic true believer who spreads his manifesto of freedom, a heart wrenching meditation on the imperial tyranny of the galaxy. There is a silent operator who pulls the strings for the rebellion, bound by a fraught moral code that leaves him isolated from his own comrades.

There are no lightsabers or talk of Jedi and hardly any space craft incursions. Instead there is espionage and subversion. There are ideas and places that feel lived in. The Rebellion is a concept that is whispered in the shadows, but bereft of cohesion. The Empire is a nascent fascist organization still grasping for absolute power. Since the top-secret Death Star is not fully operational, they must still utilize propaganda campaigns to distort public perception against the rebels. It’s a story of then, now and forever.

Nemik, a fighter of the rebellion, summarizes the ethos of the rebellion thusly, “There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this. Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire’s authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try.”

Andor is masterful storytelling of the highest order. It’s an evolution, a next step for Star Wars. It’s what I’ve been hoping for all these years. And remember, Rebellions are built on Hope.