In a pivotal episode of the popular Star Wars series Andor, fans witnessed a significant development. Following the conflict on Ghorman, Mon Mothma addressed the Senate with a powerful condemnation of Emperor Palpatine’s oppressive rule. This moment solidified her as a prominent leader of the Rebellion, expanding on her actions previously seen in Star Wars Rebels.
The scene serves as a companion to her speech delivered while en route to Yavin with the Gold Squadron, directly challenging Palpatine and those who maintain his favor out of fear. Genevieve O’Reilly, who portrays Mon Mothma, and Tony Gilroy, the show’s creator, discussed this transformative moment with Entertainment Weekly.
During the speech, Mon Mothma declares, "The monster who will come for us all soon enough is Emperor Palpatine."
O’Reilly expressed the importance of Mon Mothma using her voice as a weapon for the Rebellion, calling the moment "ruthless." She explained her commitment to capturing the significance of this scene, describing it as a gift for an actor. She emphasized its importance to the character, stating, "That’s the fulcrum of who Mon Mothma is right there."
Although this divergence from the animated canon was acknowledged by Gilroy, he noted that the consistency with Star Wars Rebels was maintained by presenting a fuller narrative context. O’Reilly requested the expansion of the scene to fully explore Mon’s character.
Gilroy prepared the entire speech for filming, which the director supported. O’Reilly cherished the opportunity to deliver the complete speech, describing it as a special moment.
Andor continues to air weekly on Disney+.
