Warning! SPOILERS for Andor episode 4.
Andor episode 4 included an easily missed reference to the character of Sly Moore, who in Star Wars lore is a close ally of Palpatine’s before and during his Imperial takeover. Sly Moore is an Umbaran who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and later reappeared in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, as well as having appeared in various Star Wars comics and reference books. With Mon Mothma’s time in the early days of Star Wars‘ Rebellion being further explored in Andor, the reference to Sly Moore not only further extends and deepens audience’s understanding of Palpatine’s Imperial legacy but also spells trouble for Mon Mothma and her fraught position within the Imperial Senate throughout Andor’s first season.
Sly Moore served as Palpatine’s most senior administrative aid during his time as the Chancellor of the Republic and was said to blackmail those members of the Senate that would stand in the way of Palpatine’s rise to power. She is also said to be Force-sensitive and could use that ability to manipulate those who disagreed with Palpatine’s regime. Andor episode 4 explored Mon Mothma’s personal life – she is married to a man named Perrin Fartha, who in Andor’s latest episode is hosting a dinner party for certain members of the Imperial government. Sly Moore’s name is on the guest list, among a few others, and Mothma is visibly concerned. With her working undercover in the Senate to provide more funding for fledging Rebel cells, having dinner with Imperial characters such as Sly Moore is undeniably dangerous, especially with one who is said to be Force-sensitive and could pick up on Mothma’s anxiety.
Media like Star Wars: The Clone Wars explored Palpatine’s takeover of the Republic with more depth than the Star Wars prequel trilogy, though it still heavily focused on his manipulation of Anakin Skywalker and his dealings with the Jedi Council. Andor, however, can expand the audience’s understanding of the way Palpatine’s Imperial Senate operates without the need to focus on legacy characters and get into the politics and underhanded dealings that run such a system. Getting better insight into minor characters like Sly Moore will in turn give audiences better insight into Emperor Palpatine outside his dealings as a Sith Lord.
Andor’s Sly Moore Reference Makes A Palpatine Appearance More Possible
The Sly Moore reference in Andor episode 4 opens up the way for Palpatine to make a cameo appearance in Andor, however brief it may be. As a prominent Palpatine ally, Sly Moore will undoubtedly have close dealings with him, and as such, a scene between those two Imperial characters could be used to clarify the state of the Empire during Andor’s timeline. In the Star Wars prequel era, Palpatine hardly made an appearance without Sly Moore somewhere in the background, and as such, her character could be used as a stepping stone to exploring the highest ranks of the Imperial government within Andor’s story. It should be noted, though, that it has often been stated that Andor will not be a show filled to the brim with Star Wars cameos and that it is intended to focus on Cassian Andor’s time in the fledgling Rebellion and how it developed. The reference to Sly Moore in Andor episode 4, however, certainly paves the way for more deep-cut character references than some may have been expecting, and those previous comments could have been a red herring to keep viewers on their toes.
Star Wars’ Andor is increasing the audience’s understanding and perception of what it takes to build a Rebellion from nothing, and the sacrifices and choices that need to be made to take on as evil a system as Palpatine’s Empire. That doesn’t mean that learning more about the inner workings of the Empire itself can’t be fascinating, however – in fact, parallels and comparisons drawn between the Empire’s leadership and the Rebellion’s leadership could deepen the understanding of these complex issues. Including minor characters like Sly Moore in Andor expands Star Wars‘ Imperial galaxy, making it all the more satisfying to watch it eventually get torn down.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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