The Second Season of Andor has reached his inevitable end and with that, we can now fully delve into all we went through and even get some retrospection from season one. Obviously, Cassian Andor was the main protagonist of the show but all of the supporting characters were absolutely brilliant to watch, follow and analyze in any of its aspects.
It was truly epic to understand their psychology that led to their biggest decisions, which had tremendous repercussions from the first moment we were introduced to each of them until the last scene they got involved, and just like in Rogue One, we witnessed the deaths of some of our favorite characters. Deaths that remain shocking to this day.
It does not matter if we only have them for a few minutes in one or another episode, every action or dialogue creates ripples in the main narrative thanks to the amazing quality that producer and creator Tony Gilroy delivered on all 24 episodes, including the Rogue One film. Who would have thought that the end of Andor and Jyn at the beach was only the beginning of the greatest rebel story ever to be told? Also unexpected, remembering how unhappy most people were when it was officially announced ten years ago.
Andor is easily on another level, many will agree that it is a masterclass for those who want to write great characters with complex situations on a detailed cinematography. Honestly, creator and producer Tony Gilroy nailed it from the start. That said, each of the stories presented ended up making a difference not only visually but mentally speaking. Talking about banging our heads in a literally and philosophically way.
There were a lot of supporting characters involved and each one was defined by a perfect casting. Heroes or villains, everyone does matter. We even feel their anxiety while reviewing their dilemmas during their breaking points. Yes, there is a lot of emotional suffering, physical pain and death. Nobody is safe even from each other, fear is a powerful weapon but also faith. Therefore, congratulations to this ensemble, without a doubt, they went all the distance to define the legacy of each of these characters.
No matter if Season One was received with lower ratings, the motivation remained the same thanks to the effort to deliver in all fronts. Fortunately, the harvest paid off because three years later and Season Two became a sensation. It is truly satisfying to see all the love and recognition that it is receiving. I hope the series gets some nominations and wins next awards season.
Now, before we get into the supporting character, who in my humble opinion stole the show, I need to recognize others of same importance. For starters: Maarva was missed a lot during Season Two, Vel and Cinta’s were engaging every time they appeared together or separated. Bix was on an emotional journey since the beginning and her final scene was heartbreaking. What can I say about Mom Mothma? Sacrificing her family and wealth in order to lead the Rebellion, ended being so inspiring and awesome. We do need senators like her in today’s policies. That speech touched my soul.
Kleya showed us that she is more than just Luther’s assistant, she is a survivor and a fighter. The same goes for Luther Rael, the good the bad, we can’t deny that if it was not for him, the Rebel Alliance would have never existed.
We also get to know more about the extremist side of Saw. Indeed, Revolution is nor for the sane. Bail Organa showed us another side that I was not expecting, not so charming after all. And what is not to love about K-2SO, I wish I had more of him and the others.
What a shame it only lasted two instead of the five seasons, so much information we have to read y filled through our imagination on each new arch’s beginning. Even Mayor Partagaz whose tragedy was marked by Nemik’s manifest in his final minutes before taking his own life to avoid the humiliation and incarceration in consequence of his failure to capture Kleya. Speaking of Nemik, I'm still grieving for his death in the Aldhani heist.
Now that I think about it, Partagaz was not that evil, he was just doing his job unlike Orson Krennic and Dedra Meero. They were fascists from the beginning, so they deserved what they got on the end. That said, it is time to talk about the supporting character that ended up stealing the show.
After Cassian Andor, Syril Karn follows closely behind. Both men represent two sides of the same coin. Their rivalry is what sets off the events of Rogue One. If it wasn’t for Syril obsession to find the responsible behind the murder of his two fellow officers, Andor would not even have requested a meeting with Luthen.
Andor and Syril started this journey on the same track but on different factions: Rebellion and Empire. Unlike Andor, Syril stands out despite being an antagonist. He and Dedra Meero make an unusual couple, a welcome one for the uniqueness in their characterizations. Too bad that Meero only used him in order to fulfill Krennic’s demands. She too assisted the rebellion by giving them the existence of the Death Star. Even though she did it accidentally, but that is another story for another time.
Focusing on Syril, I remembered the first time he was introduced, it was in the first episode of the first season and the first thought that came into my mind was seeing how much I share with him regarding his personality, way of thinking and even his manners. Not to forget our insecurity and constant need for approval, especially from co-workers or higher-ranking members. I even went all the way to upgrade my work uniform and tools to do the job the best way possible under the established norms, never to ignore the rules but to implement them without a margin of error.
Indeed, I do have a lot of common with Syril, so I can understand his rush to prevail on whatever circumstance he found himself in. As a Deputy Inspector for the Preox-Morlana, he had quite a reputation. Chief Inspector Hyne, his superior insisted on dismissing the murder case of the two Pre-Mor employees, but he refused to not do nothing. Instead, he took advantage of his superior’s absence and carried out a tough search that ended in the identification of a rogue vessel heading from Morlana One to Ferrix, where according to a Kenari tip he flooded the communications channels to Ferrix thus placing Andor as the prime suspect.
Perseverance is something that he ironically shares with Andor, because against all odds, Andor never stopped looking for his sister as Syril never stop looking for him. It could have been immaturity or a lack of awareness to truly see that the empathy he felt for his fellow "colleagues" was misplaced. Andor was defending himself, the deceased brought this into themselves. Everybody was on the wrong place at the wrong time. In his quest for bringing Andor to justice, Syril ended up destroying his career and in the process, condemned Ferrix to to the rule of the Empire.
How terrible he must have felt! So close to proclaim victory and suddenly so fa. In his mind, he could almost taste it. Never in his wild dreams ever imagined he was going to get outsmarted by a common criminal. But in his defense, Andor was not alone, Luther was there and if it were up to him, Syril would have died, but Andor spared his life.
This is something that Syril never questioned: why Andor spared his life when others were killed. A true assassin would not have hesitated to pull trigger, but Syril was so caught up in his illusions of grandeur that he just wanted to win. After all, that's what he was after: not just to do justice, but to make something of his name. Yes, he was just as lost as Anakin when he blamed the Jedi Order for plotting to take over.
But his failure made him hide this hatred for Andor and himself. Decided to let the suffering flow throughout his body. Without taking a moment to analyze his actions, where he really stood. According to the law, Syril did everything right, he study the information regarding the identity of the assassin, got his name thanks to the Kenari reference and with the assistance of Sergeant Linus Mosk, Karn summoned the Pre-Mor Security Inspection team and deliver a nervous but an intriguing speech to motivate them.
"There comes a time when the risk of doing nothing becomes the greatest risk of all. This is one of those decisive moments, and I can't imagine a team I'd rather share it with than all of you. There's no room for doubt on the path to success and justice."
Now that I think about it, this is the only speech we have from him and it is excellent because it helps us to paint a clear picture of Syril’s true personality. Justice must be sought from multiple angles. There must be some room to fully investigate the truth and understand the circumstances that surrounds it in order to deliver justice.
Sadly, he destroyed any future he had in store for himself and, without noticing, he did the Empire a huge favor. So, like any unemployed bachelor, he returns to live with his mother and oh boy, what an uncomfortable welcome. Eedy Karn is simply awful to him all the time. Aside from being right and never wrong, according to her which is annoying. I can relate to hat feeling of feeling degraded and hopeless.
One does feel the deception on Syril’s face, the surrender, due to not having a choice but to remain quiet because this is a battle that he will can never be won. A mother who knows everything and is never wrong, it is a battle he will never win. Therefore, there is no point to continue arguing and Syril is well aware.
Yes, it is depressing when you are trapped in your mother’s house and living in your childhood bedroom, seeing the faint light of the sunset between the buildings as a sign that you are nothing. But against losing hope, Syril decided to take his mother offer of contacting Uncle Harlo to accept a job in the Imperial Bureau of Standards. One may said Telemarketing for Star Wars, and yet, Syril found a way to move forward because he was so determined to redeem himself at whatever cost.
That is why I admired Syril for being though on the inside because after six reports regarding Cassian Andor, he caught the attention of ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero. For a moment he was hopeful after receiving a promotion for his insight but Dedra made it clear from the start that he had to stop or suffer in prison. Ouch, talk about real pain.
As expected, Syril continued in his personal vendetta, developing feelings for Dedra of which payoff after the insurrection on Ferrix. After receiving a lead on Andor’s mother funeral, he concluded that it was likely for him to return and suddenly, in the middle of the chaos he ended up rescuing Dedra among a restless population.
A year later and he is formally in a relationship with Dedra, and may I say how lovely and weird are this couple. Unexpected in many ways but still l lovable. Aside from that, they really look so cute. I must confess that seeing Syril lying uncomfortably on his bed after being embarrassed by her mother, reminded me about my own depressions.
I do tend to fall on the bed and stay uncomfortable or even childish. So, I laugh with pain because it really cost me to see him as a villain. In reality, he was never a bad man, not at all, he just wanted to prove to her mother, Dedra and the ISB that he was capable as a valuable of accomplishing everything the Empire ordered.
Syril never lacked motivation, the real problem was that he never questioned Dedra and Partagaz orders. The following year he stationed in the Ghorman Bureau of Standards Fields Office and infiltrated the Ghorman Front, giving them false information in order to identify the real terrorists. And he did as request but never knowing that in fact he was leading all of them to the slaughterhouse.
I would like to believe that in the following year, he became attached to these rebels and when he tried to rectify the situation, he was exposed as a liar and a traitor to their cause. It would have been awesome to see it directly. But that is the beauty of this tv series, that everyone eventually begins to put the pieces of their life in order.
With Dedra here on Ghorman, everything changed in Syril’s mind. He finally started to perceive the Empire as evil, and forcing the terrible truth out of Dedra wasn’t enough. He needed to be outside, at Palmo Plaza, and see it or even try to stop the massacre, but it was too late. Syril’s destiny was sealed in the moment Andor walked into his life.
And there he finally was, after all the years and of all places, in this pivotal moment, there he was, in the end of the road, literally and metaphorical speaking. This moment was decisive in Syril destiny, he could finally redeem himself and do some good with all his knowledge and talents, but no, he decided it was much easier to blame Andor for destroying his life.
In his mind, he could not accept that he was on the wrong side. Not when he did everything all right, he had a chance to be part of the Rebellion, but instead decided on killing Andor as a means for redemption and how terrible that in his final seconds of life, realized that Andor didn’t even knew him at all. So, he was not killed by the shot in the head from Carro Rylanz, the leader of the Ghorman Front, but instead he died after discovering that his supposed enemy had no idea of his suffering.
For a moment I really thought Dedra was going to renounce the Empire, but no, she always used Syril as a means to an end and Syril never questioned her because he wanted to do a difference. As Andor believed in the Rebelion, it was the same with Syril and it is a reality that in this world, there are a lot of persons of the same temper as Syril and yes, they do bad things but it doesn't mean they are bad. Their ideals and actions are just misplaced due to a lack of understanding from others and especially from themselves.
That is why I firmly believe that Syril is an important character of both seasons of Andor, it is undeniable that he was deceived by the Empire. I am not blaming his parents, although they do share some blame but Syril was already an adult when he decided to haunt Andor. He did not have a weak mind, he was smart but to objective, very square. After his death, I truly felt sorry for this guy, all the potential he had, or the good thing he could have done on the New Republic.
After rewatching the series, I can’t avoid feeling sad and that is wonderful to acknowledged how well written is this character and his buildup from Season One to Two. The same goes for the rest of the staff. Actor Kyle Soller did a great job, he nailed every aspect of this complex and damaged human being, because in the end, Syril was more than a simple antagonist, he was a common human being with feelings and insecurities just like you, me and everybody else.
Anyone could be Syril Karn and that is why, he remains in my thoughts and always will be as a personal warning to not take the wrong path and to always question one’s own actions and goals. In conclusion, not only did Syril stole the show, but he also shared the momentum with the rest of the cast, and together they gave us a lot to think about and a lot to look forward in this Galaxy that is actually not so Far Far Away.
