Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Andor episode 5In Andor episode 5, Star Wars explores a new, tragic facet behind a classic character’s story. Ever since Mon Mothma was introduced in Return of the Jedi, her subsequent appearances have mostly dealt with her political activities and advocacy. Rather than continue down this path, Andor takes a different approach by showing what goes on inside the senator’s home. In place of her dealing with opposing political parties, she must navigate the rocky relationship between her husband and daughter, adding a much more personal angle to her story.
Mon Mothma has been in many Star Wars movies and TV shows, including the prequels, Clone Wars, Rogue One, Rebels, and—of course—the original trilogy. From the beginning, almost all of her appearances depict her as an advocate for peace across the galaxy—a quality she shared with her good friend Padmé Amidala. Mothma’s beliefs tended to favor a weaker central government for the galaxy, and she often devoted her time and efforts to charity for the benefit of others.
While her political activism has been explored numerous times on the screen, the Andor episode 5 reveals even more of Mothma’s struggles—particularly in her home life. Star Wars introduces viewers to her daughter, Lieda. Like her father, Lieda seems to find her mother’s political dealings distasteful and takes any opportunity she can to undermine or talk back to her mother. Though it is unclear what happens to Mon Mothma’s family after Andor, it is clear that she receives no respite in her home—despite being in desperate need of a place to escape her exhaustion. These exchanges actually enhance her original Return of the Jedi story. Not only is she revealed as more than a two-dimensional leadership figure, but it’s clear that she has personal stakes in the fight. By going against her family to fight for what she believes, Mon Mothma becomes both more heroic and more tragic.
Andor Makes Mon Mothma Even More Important To The Rebellion
Having given plenty of screen time to Mothma’s politics, Star Wars now explores a more personal side of Mothma’s story. The problems and pushback she endures in her own family are what ultimately drive her to become the pivotal leader of the rebellion in the original Star Wars trilogy. The insights into her character’s tenuous home life only serve to further ignite the flames of her hatred toward corruption. She’s seen the Republic decay and fall, and she lived through the Empire rising from its ashes—only to watch her ideals shoved further and further aside. Andor has only begun to show us her breaking point, which will lay her foundation for becoming a Rebel in the Star Wars films. With her high-class connections in the senate, there is no doubt that her support proved invaluable to the Rebels.
Mothma is a character who wages two battles; she receives opposition both in the Senate and in her own home. Her husband does not seem interested in spending time with her or even hearing about her work. During Andor episode 5, Perrin subtly asks their speeder driver to take the express lane—effectively cutting their discussion in the backseat short. Meanwhile, her daughter bites back at her mother, changing established plans last-minute for the sole purpose of causing frustration. But despite the tragic conflict she endures in her work and her home, she remains steadfastly committed to changing the galaxy for the better. The seeds that she helps sow in Andor will become the foundation of the Rebellion that takes down the Empire.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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