Warning: This article contains spoilers for Andor seasons 1 and 2.Andor has a lot of awesome monologs, but some stand out over others. Possibly a harsh reality of Andor is that it is a bit monologue-laden, sometimes making it evident that this is fiction because people don’t actually talk this way. However, they are good monologs, buoyed by Andor‘s best performances. Additionally, these speeches tend to be vehicles for scholarly socio-political theories, making the show’s themes more complex and proving the real research that went into crafting this story.
These moments include formal speeches, expositions of personal philosophies, and heartbreaking final words from a beloved character. Multiple pairs of monologs actually come into the same episode, which often contributes to it being one of Andor‘s best episodes, saying something about the efficacy of these monologs in getting their point across and hitting hard. All offer a different kind of revelation of what it is like to be part of the iconic Rebellion, and what it has cost everyone.
7
Bix Caleen: “I’m Choosing The Rebellion”
Season 2, Episode 9: “Welcome To The Rebellion”
Bix’s (Adria Arjona) farewell to Cassian (Diego Luna) can be critiqued because it feeds into some tropes that historically diminish female love interests, but it is emotional nonetheless. It sorrowfully wraps up the main romance, when romantic relationships amid the Rebellion are a motif. Bix also touches upon a core idea of the show’s overall narrative, that everyone is choosing to give up something for the Rebellion. At this late stage in the series, we might have expected everyone to be fully committed, with such dilemmas in the past.
Yet it is a choice every day, and audiences understand how everyone is being worn down by the effort, and Cassian feels like he is justified in leaving with Bix, but for many reasons, she decides first. Yet, in her message, Bix also talks about a time “when it’s over” when she will find Cassian. Her final lines in the show are both bitter because we know she will never see Cassian again, and exemplify the enduring hope that there will be a time after all this.
6
Saw Gerrera: “Revolution Is Not For The Sane”
Season 2, Episode 5: “I Have Friends Everywhere”
Saw Gerrera’s (Forest Whitaker) season 2 monologue doesn’t match some of the more precise diatribes on tyranny, but also features some accurate comments when he posits what kind of people join the Rebellion. Whitaker is one of the A-listers who take this show to the next level, and he has been delving into Saw’s paranoia, extremism, and ferocity for a long time now. Saw’s rhydonium addiction explains a lot about him, and if this is Whitaker’s last time playing the character, it is a grand final turn.
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Of course, Saw is hauntingly right about many people being “cannon fodder” in this conflict. Referring to the rhydo as “his sister” is also a nod to the sister he lost in the ongoing war for the galaxy, back during the Clone Wars era. No character other than Saw could perfectly capture the insanity of what the entire cast is doing, but how they must do it nonetheless, so they might as well embrace the danger.
5
Maarva Andor: “Fight The Empire”
Season 1, Episode 12: “Rix Road”
Maarva Andor’s (Fiona Shaw) pre-recorded speech for her own funeral is the final push for Ferrix, which is already at its boiling point with the Imperial occupation. While she says many things they already know, Maarva gives a beautiful monologue that explains both why they ignored the Empire for so long and how they will fight it: They were content because they had their home and community, but their unity will be how they win. It is a eulogy to Ferrix as much as it is to her, as she shares memories of her home and how she wants to empower her people in death.
4
Luthen Rael: “What Do I Sacrifice?”
Season 1, Episode 10: “One Way Out”
When it was only season 1, Luthen’s (Stellan Skarsgård) speech about his raison d’être and the inevitability of his own damnation was the closest we had to a backstory. It is one of the speeches that doesn’t have the strongest justification in-story for a person to give a speech (speaking in the senate, giving a eulogy), but some of the metaphors convey just how smart this character is. It is almost everything we need to know about the motivations of the enigmatic Luthean Rael.
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This monologue is imbued with the oblique threats that Luthen has just made towards Lonni Jung (Robert Emms). But the insight into Luthen’s mind is really about how he “burns his life” for the Rebellion, destroys his soul, all with no personal reward. It is another central theme of the show, of the constant demands of the Rebellion of the necessary willingness to make ethically dubious choices. His final words of “I need all the heroes I can get” is the perfect finishing touch, underscoring Luthen’s strategy, desperation, and in some ways, hope.
3
Mon Mothma: “The Monster Will Come For Us All”
Season 2, Episode 9: “Welcome To The Rebellion”
Andor allows us to witness what an incredible leader and speaker Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) really is, even if ineffective as a legislator when the system is designed to protect the Empire’s interests rather than the people. Senator Mothma delivers an incredibly powerful speech that is an awakening for the whole galaxy, blatantly pointing out how they’ve let power go unchecked for too long, and now it will destroy them all if they don’t do something.
Despite its gravitas, her speech still reveals her personal compassion for the people she represents, and some humility in her profession as a representative, and right now the only one willing and able to call out the situation. The monologue is intelligently written and perfectly executed, and the weight of the moment chills audiences right after watching the horrific events of the previous episode.
2
Kino Loy: “There Is One Way Out”
Season 1, Episode 10: “One Way Out”
Andy Serkis played out a short and breathtaking character transformation as Kino Loy, mirroring Cassian Andor’s story. His rallying speech at the end of it all to the entire Narkina 5 facility is another instance in this show that conveys so many ideas but mainly calls on the masses to fight back, because there are far more of them than agents of the Empire. It illuminates what is actually possible in these circumstances.
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It is elevated by Serkis’ performance, the harrowing arc leading up to it, and the sheer power of what is happening at that moment, even though it too ends in tragedy. The prison arc was the defining part of season 1, which has now been overshadowed by the release of season 2, but it is still one of the most inspiring parts of the show. Kino’s monologue at the end captures everything about this storyline that is so important, of not accepting defeat and looking out for one another.
1
Karis Nemik: “Freedom Is A Pure Idea”
Season 1, Episode 12: “Rix Road”
Despite physically being in only a few episodes, Nemik (Alex Lawther) left a lasting impression on Andor, as his manifesto was disseminated by the Rebellion to inspire more people to join their cause. His recorded philosophical explanation of revolution comes in at key moments for maximum effect. And truly, his theory is beautiful and argues that the Empire’s fall is inevitable, in a way that scares even the Imperial officers.
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Nemik’s moment is especially empowering because it acknowledges that the rebels are the weaker army, but that eventually what they do will amount to too much for the Empire because freedom is natural, while dictatorships require effort and resources. It’s all delivered with Nemik’s young voice that reminds us that he was a very nervous kid during the Aldhani mission, but despite his inexperience, his conviction in these words is electric. Despite all the legacy characters and veteran actors in Andor, I think this is the show’s best speech.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
