Something odd has stood out to me since I first watched Andor season 1, but a new Star Wars story may have finally given me the answer. Despite having only one 12-episode season, Andor has easily become one of my all-time favorite Star Wars TV shows, and I’m certainly not alone in that opinion. With excellent writing, high production values, and well-thought-out character arcs, Andor is the crowning achievement of modern Star Wars.
However, out of all the excellent characters in Andor, one figure was notably absent in the first season… Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. Spymaster Luthen Rael worked alongside familiar rebel leaders like Saw Gerrera and Senator Mon Mothma, but Princess Leia’s father was nowhere to be seen. While they may have just been saving him for Andor season 2, another explanation is presented in Star Wars: Reign of the Empire – The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed.
Bail Organa & Mon Mothma Weren’t As Close As We Thought
Being strong allies didn’t make them good friends
I always assumed that Bail Organa and Mon Mothma must have been good friends because of the crucial scenes they shared throughout Star Wars. In the deleted scenes for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Bail and Mon joined Padmé Amidala and other like-minded senators who sought to oppose Palpatine’s power grabs. The worked closely together in the rebel base on Yavin 4 in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
While they may have shared a common cause on several occasions, it seems I overestimated how close they were. In Reign of the Empire – The Mask of Fear, it’s revealed that Bail and Mon don’t actually like each other all that much and don’t get along very well in private. They certainly respect and admire each other because of their shared values, but there are also key issues they can’t agree on.
They both knew how bad things were going to get when Palpatine declared himself Emperor, but they disagreed on what to do about it. Bail was determined to prove the Jedi were innocent of treason, proving Palpatine based Order 66 on lies and turning the galaxy against him. Mon, however, believed no one would care about the Jedi and sought to pass legislation that would reform the Empire and significantly reduce Palpatine’s power.
The Rift Between Bail & Mon Must’ve Continued Into Andor
They only worked together when necessary
Ultimately, Bail and Mon both failed to stop Palpatine on their own, recognizing the need to work together. Saw Gerrera had also failed in his recent military attacks against the Empire, and despite distrusting Imperial politicians, he agreed to a secret meeting with Bail and Mon. Together, the three of them took the first steps to planning a long-term strategy to defeat the Empire, mostly working independently but still coordinating when possible.
Even so, the rift between Bail and Mon is the most logical explanation for why he doesn’t appear in Andor. They may have had the same ultimate goal, but they also had conflicting strategies and values, and this may have gotten worse over time. Bail was either on Alderaan with his family or pursuing his own strategy during the events of Andor season 1, and he may have disapproved some of Mon’s decisions had he known about them.
Andor Season 2 Has GOT To Feature Bail Organa
And one of Andor’s best characters can make it happen
Now that I’ve read Reign of the Empire – The Mask of Fear, there’s no way Andor season 2 can afford not to include Bail Organa. The book firmly establishes Saw, Mon, and Bail as the original triumvirate of the Rebel Alliance, but only the first two have appeared in the show. Mon has effectively showed the political side of the Rebellion, while Saw has shown the disgruntled freedom fire who no longer trusts people like her.
Thankfully, there’s one other character linking Mon and Saw in Andor… Luthen Rael. He meets Mon in his aristocratic disguise on Coruscant, while showing his more rugged side in meetings with Saw. This makes me wonder if Luthen has actually been meeting with Bail in another disguise this whole time, or if he’s finally going to establish a working relationship with Bail in season 2.
We know that Bail, Mon, and Saw fully come together when the proper Rebel Alliance takes shape, so maybe Luthen was the one who finally got them past their differences. After all, Bail is very loyal to the Jedi, and Luthen carries around a kyber crystal, so maybe he’s suited to appeal to Bail’s sentiments. However Andor‘s second season plays out, I definitely want to see how Bail fits into this part of the Star Wars timeline.
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