For Star Wars fans who have engaged in the larger universe through licensed Star Wars Legacy publishing and official roleplaying games, the events that transpired in the Ghorman Massacre were already well known. However, Andor Season 2 is the first time that major incident in Star Wars canon has been portrayed in a live-action project.
It all but guaranteed the start of the Galactic Civil War and has long been part of Mon Mothma’s backstory because of her outspoken reaction to it in the Senate, and subsequent labeling as a traitor by the Empire. In the latest trio of episodes—“Messenger,” “Who Are You?”, “Welcome to the Rebellion”—directed by Janus Metz (True Detective) and written by Dan Gilroy, the massacre and that seminal moment in the Senate get their spotlights.
In particular, “Who Are You?” is a massive episode that rivals any Star Wars film in terms of its production value, battles and huge turns for the ensemble characters, both Rebel and Imperial. In this week’s exclusive Andor Season 2 postmortem, executive producer Sanne Wohlenberg and Mon Mothma actress Genevieve O’Reilly share their thoughts on the Ghorman Massacre and the Senate escape episodes. And for more on Andor‘s excellent second season, read part one and part two.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Paste: In this block of episodes, Yavin is now the home base for the more formalized Rebellion. Since this is a familiar place in the canon, were there any set pieces or materials you could repurpose from past productions?
Sanne Wohlenberg: There were, of course, certain bits that we knew from Yavin to Rogue One. Andor has the chance to expand on it and actually show more, which, I think, gives us the extraordinary possibility to see how it slowly but surely [grows] as the army forms and the Rebel Alliance really finds a way to organize themselves from having been more disparate groups. It comes together, to really show bits of that as it was developing beyond what we had seen before and it was just a real gift.
As for recreating, nobody stores things, especially large sets, because you may or may not come back for it. There are always some bits that will be stored in there, because they could potentially find use, or are a key element across the shows, but really, not that much. But we couldn’t disappoint with what we had seen before, so we had to make sure we could recreate that. We’re just incredibly blessed with a [production] designer like Luke Hill. He’s working very closely with Tony, even on the development of it, so for things that we know we can’t achieve, [he offers] “we could do this?” Or, “when I give you this here, could it be reset?” There is a constant conversation as the directors prep just under four months to really hone down what we need to shoot exactly what it is. You can’t afford on the small screen, with this pace that we are shooting at, to come on set and see and find it there. You really have to plan for every prop that has to be made and every costume that has to be made. You really need to hone that down in order to know you have the formula to deliver what the story requires with the detail and care and attention, in order to make this real.
Paste: In “Messenger” audiences finally get to see Cassian and Bix building a life together in Yavin. It’s the first time we’re seeing them have some peace together even though the war is impending.
Wohlenberg: You cannot tell a story as big and adventurous as this without ordinary people finding themselves caught up in extraordinary circumstances in very pressured conditions. They choose through their beliefs that it is possible to form resistance and to change the path of history and the galaxy. It isn’t only the action set pieces and the spying and the dangerous situations that people find themselves in. It is a very human story. We’re very much on the ground with people from both sides of the fences. In Season 1, we always knew that Bix and Cassian had a history. The idea of going forward into Season 2 without love and a romance would just seem not emotionally satisfying. Your friends, your family ties, your emotions, they do not park and get stopped just because you find yourself caught up in a resistance. It is just such a beautiful, very truthful and incredibly relatable storyline. We’ve always dared to go to “the kitchen” because we have the time. Why not go to Bix’s and Cassian’s and you see these two people in whatever situation they’re caught up in? They have a home. They’re trying to build a home. They have been displaced. They have been traumatized and with that comes difficult relations. I think it’s inevitable for us to show that when you really tell the story of their hope and their sacrifice.
Same as you’re getting to know Syril and Dedra. They certainly have a very complex relationship, that is not an easy one too. But it’s so human.
Paste: The Force Healer on Yavin is a really interesting way to introduce the mystical ability into Andor’s relatively Force-neutral narrative. What was the discussion around her?
Wohlenberg: Well, the thing is we may not have any Jedi, and beyond that lightsabers. That is a story that is not at the core of Andor and this path that the revolution is building. But how can you imagine that the Force is not part of their lives when you’re working within the Star Wars canon galaxy? It always had to find some place in it. The uncertainty but the feelings of it and the belief were an important part to hint at and bring to Season 2. I think Tony has done that in the most beautiful way.
Paste: “Who Are You?” features the Ghorman Massacre in all of its terrible glory. It’s like Ferrix on steroids in terms of coalescing storylines and the sheer scale of the violence. How long did it take to shoot?
Wohlenberg: Oh, God, weeks and weeks and weeks to shoot the whole thing. We learned in Season 1 how to build worlds right, and how to be truthful and how to make them feel inevitable. We created languages before. We had music in Ferrix because it’s their culture. You can’t just create a city or a street. You really have to create a culture and find the truth of, how do they live? And what do they wear? And what is their job? In creating Ghorman, unlike Ferrix, we really needed to create a monoculture. There was one very specific item to sell. It is a very proud people, and they’re economically successful and culturally proud and a bit isolated. It felt quite relevant that the grasp of the Empire, even when you are quietly and peacefully sitting at the corner of the galaxy, you are not necessarily safe from the Imperial grasp. Tony took great inspiration from history.
It was just a real opportunity for us to create another world, and it was a big city. For all the areas that we had, very early on we centered it on the square of one of the towns of Ghorman, Palmo, and then branched off into streets from that. We centered this because it’s got the history of where a spaceship landed and attacked them unwittingly many years ago. And here we are, back. It was a massive undertaking. It’s the action piece of this kicking off and was super specific. Tony and Nick [Brittell] wrote this wonderful anthem. The language was one we created that would be beautifully spoken by people that come from a French language originally, which opened the doors to really draw some inspiration there. They’re also a proud people and have an extraordinary revolutionary history. It certainly was one of the inspirations, and then opened the door to us to actually work with a bunch of wonderful French talent. It was extraordinary, but yes, it was a beast. I would be lying to you to say it wasn’t.
Paste: Syril’s arc in this block is horrifying and heartbreaking. From his response to Dedra’s betrayal to his absolutely brutal fight with Cassian, it’s tragic and sobering.
Wohlenberg: Tony doesn’t shy away from anything, and he always draws inspiration from human nature. Syril is somebody who really believed the Empire to be right and would bring law and order. He was aspiring to be part of it and through meeting Dedra kind of does get the chance. But he really did believe that he’s doing something right. Unlike his partner, ultimately, who just made a decision about which side of the conflict that she stands with and her career drive is what pushes her forward. It is such a wonderfully complex and messed up relationship. I do think they do love each other. But how can you come back from a betrayal like that from someone you loved? I do think that she is properly heartbroken, but she made that decision a long time ago. It comes back to haunt her in a very, very personal, very microscopic way. She seems much more capable and able and willing to deal with that on a political, or a career level.
Paste: The moment during the fight when Cassian takes a beat to ask him, “Who are you?”—was that always in the script?
Wohlenberg: It was a beat that was very much baked into the final encounter. Tony had a huge clarity on it being a really important thing. For Syril, meeting Cassian on Ferrix, it really set him on a trajectory that he couldn’t ever overcome. I find it a really heartbreaking and profoundly moving end. For all the bad that he has done, I think you feel a huge emotional connection and feel for him because he is so human.
And how can you not be fascinated by Dedra? With Syril, I certainly have a big soft spot in my heart for that character. It is just extraordinary and in Season 2, to have some chance to go behind the scenes of Syril and Dedra’s personal life, and then have another chance to come across a formidable and extraordinary Eedy. I have a soft spot for that storyline. I find Syril extraordinary.
Paste: Genevieve, “Welcome to the Rebellion” is a personal thriller for Mon Mothma as her whole world implodes leading into her infamous Senate speech against Palpatine. In particular, there is a severing moment between Mon and Luthen. Was that inevitable?
Genevieve O’Reilly: Even from Season 1, if you look at that arc, I think that was always coming. Mon and Luthen were always going to come to a moment where they had to take separate paths. I might be wrong about that, but instinctively I think that was meant. The other thing that I think is at the center of that moment—and it probably goes right back to the moment with the daughter, or even perhaps the first scene in episode one with Luthen—which is who can she trust? Who can she possibly trust? Who is dangerous and who is not? How do you risk everything if you have no one to trust?
At that moment that you’re talking about, her other confidant, her assistant [Erskin Semaj], Luthen makes it clear that he’s been working for Luthen. Once again, she’s had the rug pulled from underneath her and she has to gather her strength. The one thing that she can do in that moment is to gather all her fear and be brutally honest. You know that idea that when you’re fearful, you can just push things down. But then there are those moments in life that are truly fearful, and the only way you can move on is actually to bear the honesty and to say to him, “I don’t even know who you are. I’m really afraid of you right now.” I think, perhaps, that’s what drives her forward even more. It steels her.
Paste: As Cassian collects Mon post speech and gets her out safely, it struck me that aside from a group scene in Rogue One, these two characters have not interacted at all in this series. How was it finally getting to work one-on-one with Diego?
O’Reilly: It was so lovely. Of course, we’ve been around each other and alongside each other, and we see each other a lot. But I do remember that day. I think I had been shooting another scene, and Diego came on. He’s such a charismatic, generous, gentle leader. But he just came on, and he just opened his arms, and I opened my arms, and we just went, “Here we are. We get to share the screen together!” It’s the culmination of so much work, and it felt really, really precious to get to share that together.
Andor‘s series finale premieres on Disney+ on Tuesday, May 13.
Tara Bennett is a Los Angeles-based writer covering film, television and pop culture for publications such as SFX Magazine, NBC Insider, IGN and more. She’s also written official books on Sons of Anarchy, Outlander, Fringe, The Story of Marvel Studios, Avatar: The Way of Water and the latest, The Art of Ryan Meinerding. You can follow her on Twitter @TaraDBennett, Bluesky @tarabennett.bsky.social, or Instagram@TaraDBen.
