"I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see." A hard truth for many people who fight so hard to make a difference. Viewership be damned, this show will stand the test of time.
@@ahorsewithnoname773 Indeed, i see a lot of similarities in themes between this and Rogue one(which is hardly surpising of course). As you say, Andor/Luthen fighting for a future they know they will never see. And Andor in Rogue one using the barbaric methods of his enemy.
Is viewership low? I didn't know. What a shame. I guess there aren't enough lightsabers, Palpatines, Skywalkers and 'splosions for some people. Damn...
@@HEARTS-OF-SPACE It's not that low, apparently it's doing as good or better than Book of Boba Fett, however, there was a guy misunderststanding viewer data a while back, so ever since then there's been the impression that Andor is not all that popular. Which to some extent is true, it's still quite far behind Mandalorian and Kenobi in terms of viewership.
I like how the “I’ve sacrificed everything” line in this show is so different from other “I’ve sacrificed everything” lines in other media. It’s not just about giving up happiness or resources or family or friends, it’s about giving up the opportunity to ever have any of those to begin with. Truly amazing stuff.
Also he realize what he is doing is “evil”. He’s using the tool and the method of his enemy. He doesn’t shy away from this fact. He is no hypocrite as he knows what he is doing and fully embrace it. He also know the society he’s building will have no place for him, yet he still fully committed in building this “hope” and “dream”. Which makes him the perfect anti hero.
I love how Andor is exploring the darker, covert sect of the Rebellion through people like Luthen. They sacrificed everything for the promise of a better future, while knowing they are condemned to being the hidden heroes. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are the faces of the rebellion, but it was people like Luthen who did the dirty work and built things from the ground up through murder, assassination, sabotage, manipulation, all in the name of freedom.
This is exactly why I love this show so much. It shows the struggle of the little guy against the massive might of the Empire. The underground guerilla warfare that is required, which ends up leading to the destruction of the Death Star and eventually the downfall of the Empire (at least if you forget episodes 7-9 which I like to do). It's grounded in reality and is willing to show the ugly side of what it takes to achieve a much greater purpose. Storytelling on such an emotional level. Of the the best TV shows I've ever watched.
@@rattlhed1 Exactly, I want to see more suffering from the people though in the show, they have to show that people were going through unbelievable hardship..
Dammn Jedi comes in right at the end and snatches all the glory...The real heroes were so well hidden that they were never talked about even by the Rebels. Bothans eh Mon?
@@Negativvv Luke removed the single greatest threat to the galaxy by killing Vader and the Emperor (in a way). However it was the work of spies, infiltrators, informers, defectors and smaller organizations that made the Rebellion succeed in general. The fighters that destroyed the second Death Star and the Executor, the Bothan spies that found the information and died for it, the entire planet of Aldeeran. People like Draven, Andor and Crix Madine were crucial to the survival of the Rebellion as much as Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar and Luke Skywalker were. It's generally not a good idea to trumpet the achievements of spies until they are dead and buried, since their job was to keep secrets as well as steal them. Spies are also not really famous in any conflict, owing to their secrecy.
This scene is the "Behind the scenes" of Star Wars, the Galactic Civil War has been always presented as some heroic war with cool dudes screaming "Yahoo" and catchy phrases of hope but this is the true Rebellion and the true Empire, both using terror, assassination, treachery, abandonment, sabotage and every foul trick in the book to get what they want. For the true heroes will never see dawn and forever dream of ghosts.
@@LastRequiem999 Exactly, there is really no such thing as a "clean revolution" unless the ruling government just gives up(which sometimes happen, as in the color revolutions). Even the American revolution which was relatively "clean" with two organized standing armies fighting each other, there were still plenty of atrocities. Against an entity like the Empire, the rebellion should look like the Syrian rebels, and we all know what a mess that is.
It's a combo of great writing and impressive acting. A bad actor would easily deliver those lines in an over the top way. Good for us they had an amazing cast
I love that Luthen is draped in all black here, much like Palpatine, Vader, and many of the Sith. He's embraced "the tools of his enemy" and acknowledges what it's done to him. He tries to create a better future, but he cannot be part of it. So perfect.
That was the whole undertone of this episode. It was the same with Andy Serkis’ character really. He did what he could to earn the freedom of others - despite the fact he could not escape himself. Cassian power is making people believe - just as Luthien does. I expect the next episode Luthien will find out about the prison break and that it was Cassian that orchestrated it - underpinning that he is useful and is the person he believed he was.
The reason that this show is getting so much love from fans is also the reason its viewership is so low. It wasn’t written for children’s entertainment. Andor is a very adult show with complicated, morally ambiguous themes. For that reason I absolutely love it.
@@coreyp9211 I'm just trying to keep people from worrying. With its open threads, and being considered as "The best of Star Wars" by many, I'd say the show has ensured at least a second season, and its impact can not be doubted by anyone
@@crangejo Rest easy, a second season was greenlit last February, and began shooting in November. Fingers crossed that it turns out comparable to season one.
“You’ll stay with me, I need all the heroes I can get.” What would normally be a very surface level sentence has so much foreboding and tension in the subtext. We’d so often see the cliche “I’m not asking you to be a hero. The choice is yours” here. But Luthen’s saying “No. I’m forcing you to be a hero and you have no choice.” It makes us pause and feel uncomfortable with just how this rebellion is being created. Now that is a complex character and that’s what makes this show so great.
And it's almost like Luthen knows he needs people around him who are better than him. "I need all the heroes I can get" almost feels like a plea for himself just as much as it's a requirement for the Rebellion. I think he wants better people around him to remind him what he's fighting for.
@@greghannibal It's also an admission that he can't do this alone. If Lonnie quits, then Luthen's cell is crippled, possibly irrevocably. Lonnie still has a choice I think, I don't know if Luthen would go so far as to kill him if he quit (though I wouldn't rule that out), but he's basically telling Lonnie "if you don't stick with me, then the Empire wins. Can you live with that for the rest of your life?" I don't think either Lonnie or Luthen will survive Season 2, but they'll both die having done something to put the events of Rogue One in motion. In the end, neither will be canonised by the Rebel Alliance, but their efforts will not have been in vain.
"I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost, and by the time I looked down, there was no longer any ground beneath my feet. " - how is this speech so freaking gold
Never in my life would I have thought that a Disney Star Wars TV show would elicit one of the five most spine-tingling performances I've ever seen in a visual medium. Stellan Skarsgard is an absolute treasure, and whoever wrote that line of dialogue is my unknown new favorite writer.
@@N8Nefarious If you feel inclined in the future and are a fan of character driven political intrigue, the first two seasons are very solid (it does go downhill after that). The cleverest thing ANDOR did, imo, was hire writers who are seasoned at writing political/spy thrillers. It’s easier to learn about the SW lore than to teach someone to write sharp and tight dialogues. This stirring monologue is a perfect example.
I guarantee you, there are Drama students around the world trying to replicate this masterpiece. This Monologue is the Rebellion that Disney needs to fix themselves.
Stellan Skarsgård is a criminally underrated actor. Went toe to toe with Matt Damon and Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting and has always killed every role he's been in. Glad to see him finally getting the recognition he's earned.
He's never been underrated, he's just never really been given (or perhaps not accepted) roles like this before. He's been given choice projects lately that really amp up his exposure but my guess is that he's avoided them because there's not much challenge to them. But the allure of the money might be a factor. Either way, we have him in tons of awesome shit and I'm here for it.
It's amazing to me what a top tier actor like this can do. If you watched this monologue on mute you would still completely understand the scene. With only body language and facial expressions Skarsgard conveys anger, self-doubt and then cold resolve. Brilliant acting, 10/10 scene.
I like the monologue well enough but I actually kinda disagree with your take and the overall hype this scene is getting. Its visually pretty uninteresting, and while Stellan brings the heat with his delivery he doesnt really move or use body language (not that this particular character even would). It could have been more powerful to see more of the reaction from the person he is ranting to. Heres an example on how this could be a little better from better call saul with Mikes story about his son: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PNedXZ3vHZQ.html The nuts and bolts are the same. Character is half in shadow, the background is kept simple. This kinda scene doesnt need flair or stunning visuals, but your background needs to be more interesting than the blurry generic mess thats in this, and the shades in Mikes monologue provide just that bit of texture that is needed. The reaction shots here feel disconnected from what Stellan is saying, and you never see them both in the frame, which i think you really need for that "everything!" line at the end, which i wish was in a wider shot. Also Stellan is dead center, while Mike is mostly a little right of frame, and dead center tends to be a little more boring too. But im no expert i just like to rant about this stuff. That being said I kinda like Stellans delivery, even though he does it with very little change in expression, and the writing is phenomenal. Its a little overdramatic but Stellan manages to make it sound like its not a prepared speech but something hes coming up on the fly, like he hasnt until now even fully realized how much he actually is sacrificing.
“The ego that started this fight will never have a mirror, an audience, or the light of gratitude… So what do I sacrifice? Everything! So stay with me Lonni. I need all the heroes I can get.”
@@unhandydaddy5117 lol i like how fans of this show say they like this show for being intelligent but shy away from any intelligent discussion if it even remotely criticizes it
Fun fact about this iconic, epic, and unforgettable scene: both men were in HBO's Chernobyl. Lonnie(Robert Emms) played Tuptonov and Luther(Stellan Skarsgard) played Scherbina.
The guy who told Andor and Kino that release from prison is a lie, was also from Chernobil. I beleive he was the guy with glasses that fucked up with the boss of the plant the whole thing.
You can see the realization in Lonnie’s face that although it is admirable to be concerned about sacrificing his family’s safety, he has the luxury of decency, family, love, and a possible future of peace. Luthen has no hope for a peaceful future. He will sacrifice his life for this fight.
And the imagery of Luthen standing in the darkness, being the devil on Lonnie’s shoulder on the elevator ride down (to Hell with Luthen), and Lonnie standing in the light at a proverbial crossroads… This scene is truly a masterpiece
I feel like there's also fear there. Because he's realizing how far Luthen is willing to go, and the fact that he has nothing left to lose, that he's already sacrificed it all. People who have nothing left to lose are the most dangerous, and he knows that he is now completely in Luthen's power. I feel like he is just starting to realize the full implications of who pulls his strings.
"And what do you sacrifice?" "Calm... kindness, kinship... love... I've given up all chance at inner peace, I've made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote 15 years ago to which there's only one conclusion: I'm damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield... my eagerness to fight, has set me on a path from which there's no escape. I yearn to be a saviour against injustice without contemplating the cost, and by the time I look down... there's no longer any ground beneath my feet." "What is my-what is my sacrifice?! I'm condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my life to make a sunrise I know that I'll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience... or the light of gratitude." "So what do I sacrifice? Everything!"
After this scene, I had this odd moment where I had to question if I had just heard one of the best monologues in a piece of fiction in Star Wars, of all IP's. It's borderline Shakespearian and it worked so damn well. This show is a deep breath of fresh air for the franchise and I am so happy to see it catering to an adult, intelligent demographic instead of any audience that could spend a buck on it.
“I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them” powerful line about the realities of a rebellion , loved this show from start to finish Edit: I thought ep 10 was the finale….have now watched from start to finish
Indeed. The bitterest pill for socialists to swallow. Far easier to bitch and moan, than suborn the system from within, to cultivate class consciousness, and to build the resources necessary to sustain a universal general strike and the conflict to follow.
@@P0k3D0nd3M4cG admittedly I thought the end of the season was episode 10 as it just felt like a season end so was pleasantly surprised when another episode came out
"I wake up every morning to an equation I wrote 15 years ago for which there is only one solution" That there is the cold hard calculus of war and the grit needed to reach your goal no matter how bleak the situation condensed in one phrase. Epic
“I burned my decency for someone else’s future. I burned my life for a sunrise I know I’ll never see.” Shows that sometimes to be a hero you first must be the villain. In the OT, the Rebellion was all rainbows and sunshine, a bright and good-hearted alliance to defeat evil. But little did we know that it was *started* by evil and cruelty, however with the intentions of good.
Man, nobody told Tony Gilroy that Star Wars shows don’t win best drama of the year. He’s really going for it here. Ha. Easily the best stuff in the franchise so far.
"The Ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude." That line actually sums up both Rogue One and Andor as a whole in terms of the meta. No one really gave them the gratitude they deserved, people still forget Rogue One is a thing and much of them have completely thrown Andor as a show under the bus. But they will give the Mandalorian, Kenobi and BOBF so much praise because they recognize those characters. Andor and Rogue One are the stories that selectively mattered most in universe and are the reason the rebellion even happened in the first place. Yet they will always be the underrated, the unknown, the unworthy of praise they deserve…
Yep, quite the metaphor for these two shows and especially, the characters portrayed in them. Characters that are building up a resistance in the shadows that will one day be the very foundation of the Rebel Alliance, knowing that in all probability, not a single word of gratitude or recognition will come their way. And they're doing it anyway. To ensure that others may someday be free of oppression. Something that even in 5 BBY seemed entirely impossible and a wild dream for most. That's the kind of foundation for storytelling we need and it's a shame that both Andor and Rogue One, who provide a superb storytelling perspective, are so overlooked or even outright ignored.
Coca cola guzzling fools and the mass crowd just want to see laser swords and ewoks, and the evil Sith losing like idiots. People are absurdly dumb and planet is overpopulated with them.
Luke Skywalker actually does remember and respect and appreciate what Rogue One did for the Rebellion: "I've been thinking about Jyn and the rest of Rogue One. How many things went wrong for them? And Rogue One took whatever steps they needed. People making distractions, sacrificing themselves, amping up the signal. All improvised. This chain of sacrifice...all leading to me taking that shot."
I grew up during Prequal trilogy, indeed the original trilogy is just children’s story about good vs evil. Those who still thinks original trilogy still the best, they need to grow up
And what do you sacrifice? Calm, kindness, kinship, love, I've given up all chance at inner peace, I've made my mind a sunless place..I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up everyday to an equation I wrote 15 years ago for which there's only one conclusion; I'm damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight, they set me on a path for which there's no escape. I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I look down there's no longer any ground beneath my feet..what is my sacrifice? I'm condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future, I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I will never see and the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude... so what do i sacrifice?... EVERYTHING! -Luthen Rael (Andor S1,E10)
@@bigppenergy1875 a mirror in a play is a character that reflects the hero. It's difficult to guess what the writer intended for that part of the dialogue, but it could be anything from the heroes of the rebellion he's creating won't be anything like him, to him just emphasizing that he doesn't even recognize himself after changing himself to fight the empire.
This is a watershed moment not only for Star Wars but for pop-culture entertainment in general. It’s a watershed for prestige television, it’s a watershed for acting in general. People remember the monologue from grapes of wrath from many years ago, this is our generation’s monologue to remember.
You can tell that luthen at first was trying to give a short and calm answear. But then he started thinking and remembering everything he went through. All the things he lost. So what started as a simple answear then became a statement about his entire motivation. The way he starts to sound more agressive and secure while he keeps talking shows stellan's great acting. He deserves an oscar for each second in this scene
This monologue shapes the rebellion and makes you understand all the sacrifice they made before Luke showed up. It seems to me an extremely powerful narrative exercise.
Andor is simply fantastic. I'm so proud as a Swede watching Skarsgård deliver time after time. He was amazing in Dune and he's amazing here. Everything he does turns to gold...
"So what do I sacrifice? *EVERYTHING!* " I really hope to later see his backstory, I have a feeling he might be a CW veteran or even a senator, he's definitely seen the fall of both the Republic and the CIS.
His ability to react to the enemy in the warehouse before Andor even know they're approaching. He's keen read on people. Crystal around his neck + a small one foot club on his belt...disguised lightsaber, the only weapon he had on him. It's a loose theory, but if true, imagine him a last jedi, fallen, broken, and then listen to this speech again and it'll hit you ten times harder.
When says “everything” after that monologue, you believe it. He essentially Batman, where the rebel his only true side and the foppish antiquities dealer is the mask. He has no life outside of trying to topple the empire.
Also amazing is Robert Emms acting here. He goes from the beginning asking smugly what about your sacrifice, to his facial expressions throughout the monologue as he realizes the true cost of rebellion
This monologue is epic. The acting, the writer, the soundtrack I'm sure someone in the Television Academy will watch this and give The Emmy's this show deserves.
This scene is a masterclass of filmmaking. The writing, acting, cinematography, and music are executed at the highest level. This 2 minute scene is amongst the best of anything I've seen in Star Wars before. This show helps us feel and understand the emotional cost of rebellion. Just beautiful.
After the prison break and the “I can’t swim” and then this monologue I decided this has been one of the greatest shows I’ve watched. So much writing and performance in this show that deserves awards.
Realizing that all my favorite scenes from these series are monologues that are more riveting than any lightsabre duel. This is the best Star Wars in 40 years.
“I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else’s future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see… The ego that started this fight will never have a mirror, or an audience, or the light of gratitude…” Ive sacrificed everything. What a phenomenal show.
"I share my dreams with ghosts" is such a haunting line. It means either that everyone who believed in the things he believes in has died, or that he routinely dreams about people who are dead, be it friends who died fighting or enemies he killed.
It’s honestly one of the best monologues in all of television. Andor is objectively the best star wars content weve ever seen if we remove our rose colored lenses towards the originals.(if you’re a millennial, likely the prequels)
It could've felt like self-pity if not so brilliantly acted. You feel a certain amount of sorrow, especially with all the metaphors used, but it's buried beneath anger and determination.
Everybody loves his smile at the end of the last episode. But i just love that tiny shadow of a smile at the end of this monologe, when he asks "so what do i sacrifice?"
The stutter when he asks what his sacrifice is was such a subtle way of shifting his tone from somber and matter-of-fact to enraged and disbelief. A beautiful monologue
Me after the first 2 episodes: Pretty good kinda slow A few episodes later: This is the best star wars since revenge of the sith At this part: this is the best star wars period
He better win some type of award for his acting in this show. He won me over when he got back to Coruscant, changed clothes,put on his wig, and changed his entire affect. I thought that was absolutely incredible
Yes! That moment just left me in awe. So small yet so powerful. The music as well was superb for that scene. His performance in this show absolutely deserves all the awards going. Much of the cast do to be honest especially Genevieve O’Reilly as well. This show should rightfully be scooping up meaningful awards when we get there, even if there’s been other stellar tv this year Andor truly stands equal among them, at the very least.
This whole scene is just masterclass of film making. Everything about this is perfect. The line that gets me though is, “I burn my life, to make a sunrise I know I’ll never see.” Chills every time.
He knocks this dialogue out of the park. Intense, angry, unrelenting, haunting are what I would say this scene is. A scene like this speaks to all wars that have had sacrifice for the greater good. To fight overwhelming evil one has to be prepared to prepared for sacrifice for the greater good. This scene encompasses struggle perfectly.
Where 'Rings of Power' should have excelled but failed, 'Andor' triumphed. If there is any justice, it will also triumph at next year's Emmy awards. By bet's on Stellan for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
This scene was so tense, I was afraid Luthen was gonna burn Lonni rather than have him leave. But rather than give Lonni a hard, cold exterior, he opened up and revealed a more vulnerable side of himself. Great scene and fantastic dialogue.
Probably my favorite monologue in the whole series to date. Parallels of the brave, unsung heroes of the French Resistance from WWII. "What is my sacrifice? I'm condemned to use the tools of my enemy...to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my LIFE, to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see." Absolutely haunting self-realization of such a committed, tragic figure of a freedom fighter. Stellan Skarsgard's magnum opus. Perfect for Andor. Thanks for posting!
Someone needs to sample this bit for a metal song. "I've given up all hope of inner peace. I've made my mind a sunless place.............I share my dreams with ghosts."
I’ve never been a Star Wars fan. I’ve watched some of the movies, seen some of The Mandalorian, but that’s it. But I kept hearing about how great Andor was, so I decided to watch it. I binge watched the whole thing in two days. And despite only knowing the basics of the universe, I found myself engaging with the characters. This speech actually brought a tear to my eye, because I could tell just how wrecked he was to even say that out loud. I can’t imagine how scary it must’ve been, this scattered group of rebels trying to take on a massive empire- but damn, this show makes you feel it
My favourite part about this scene is him repeating the phrase "I need all the heroes I can get" showing us that he's recruited and "used" plenty of heroes before Andor, that all of this is just a routine to him
This is the best drama on tv. Character development is amazing. The script is amazing. The acting is amazing. The set design is amazing. The music is amazing. It makes Kenobi look like a fan fic.
This speech is beyond amazing. It shows the true price of war on one's soul. What a remarkable piece of film that speaks to what it is to be human. Andor>95%
This dialogue is soooo deep in context and meaning. To those who study history and war know that those heroes who fought for the cause of good and righteousness must use the same evil tools the opponents use, and in turn condemn their souls. It is the ultimate sacrifice of the true warrior. Sometimes war is forced onto good people who must do terrible things for the victory over the evil they fight. Skarsgaard'd portrayal Luthen's sacrifice is spot on...A brilliant actor he surely is.
THIS is what I wanted from Star Wars project. This series takes its audience seriously and doesn’t rely on fan service as a crutch. Bravo to the creative team behind this beautiful gem.
