Tony Gilroy and Genevieve O'Reilly, the team behind Andor, delve into Mon Mothma's significant dance scene, discussing its significance in the narrative.
Readyto dive back into the galaxy far, far away? The first three episodes of Andor's second season are now streaming on Disney+, taking us on a rocket-fueled ride into the early days of the Star Wars rebellion.
io9 recently sat down with showrunner Tony Gilroy and leading lady Genevieve O'Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma, and discussed the nail-biting climax of the third episode. Gilroy also shed light on the motivation behind the series' three-episode "mini-movie" arcs.
Sabina Graves, io9: The initial plan was for Andor to run five seasons, with each season covering a year-but that evolved into these three-episode "movie" arcs. How much of the backstory was provided and developed as you went along?
Tony Gilroy: At first, I thought, "Oh my god, will this work? Will there be too much exposition?" I didn't want to have a bunch of characters babbling about what happened last time we saw them. As we started experimenting with it, I found that as we went along, there were so few questions. The backstory seemed to fill in itself naturally, and I didn't have to write a huge bible of all the things that happen in between.
io9: Genevieve, was it freeing to have that flexibility in shaping Mon Mothma during these formative years in building the rebellion? Her moment of relief in episode three was particularly cathartic. How did you approach developing that moment for her?
Genevieve O'Reilly: The first three episodes cover three days in Mon's ancestral home. There wasn't much exposition, but we felt steeped in her history. We understood her family culture, her relationships, and the weight of the upcoming wedding. Luthen's presence added another layer of tension, as he challenged Mon's romanticized vision of the rebellion and asked her to confront the brutal reality of rebellion. That moment on the dance floor was a release for her, as she wrestled with her inner chaos and agreed, tacitly, to take on the bloodshed required for the rebellion to succeed.
io9: Tony, what was the thought process behind intercutting Mon's release with the pivotal moments for other characters?
Gilroy: We built a crescendo, using electronic dance music for the first time in a Star Wars episode. It allowed us to juxtapose Cassian saving the day with Mon taking blood on her hands, as well as Eedy's arrival for lunch. I love how the end of three binds the audience to the characters, with only Mon and the audience understanding the weight of her actions.
Andor continues to surprise and captivate, with each three-episode segment delivering a self-contained, thrilling experience that emphasizes the heat of the rebellion's escalation.
Want more sci-fi and fantasy news? Keep an eye out for the latest updates on upcoming releases for Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who.
- Genevieve O'Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma in the series Andor, found it freeing to have the flexibility in shaping her character during the formative years of building the rebellion.
- The initial plan for Andor was for it to run five seasons, with each season covering a year, but this evolved into three-episode "movie" arcs.
- Tony Gilroy, the showrunner of Andor, found that as they went along, there were so few questions about the backstory and it filled in itself naturally.
- In episode three of Andor, Genevieve O'Reilly's moment of relief for her character Mon Mothma was particularly cathartic, as she wrestled with her inner chaos and agreed to take on the bloodshed required for the rebellion to succeed.
- Andor uses electronic dance music in one of its episodes to create a crescendo, allowing for a juxtaposition of Cassian saving the day with Mon taking blood on her hands.
- The future of entertainment is exciting, with upcoming releases for Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who to look forward to in the world of movies and TV.
