Andor May Have Just Proved That Kevin Smith's Clerks Was Accurate About The Death Star
Warning: Spoilers for "Andor" Season 1, Episode 10, "One Way Out."
If you're a fan of Kevin Smith's series of "Clerks" films, then you likely remember Randall Graves (Jeff Anderson) discussing the "Star Wars" universe with Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) in the trilogy's first installment. Debating whether they like "The Empire Strikes Back" or "Return of the Jedi" better, Dante decides that "The Empire Strikes Back" is the better movie, if only because of its darker ending. But Randall points out that there's something even more tragic lurking under the merry celebration in "Return of the Jedi."
Per Graves, the Death Star — which was in the process of being reconstructed after its destruction in "A New Hope" during the events of "Return of the Jedi" — must have been loaded with dozens of independent contractors instead of true believers in The Empire's cause. "The money was right but the risk was too high," Randall states, pointing out that it would be hard to convince lifers to head up to a half-finished star base after what happened to their colleagues during the first explosion. Ergo, many innocents died violently when Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) blew up the vessel for a second and final time, making "Return of the Jedi" the more tragic film.
It's funny how certain one-off statements in films — even legendary ones — sometimes end up becoming a part of the canonical realities of the films they muse upon. And per Disney+'s "Andor," it appears that Smith's script might have hit on a truism about life working for the Empire.
How many innocents died on the Death Star?
During Episode 10 of "Andor," "One Way Out," we learn that the Empire is rife with Rebel spies. Among them is Lonni Jung (Robert Emms), who has taken up a role as a high-ranking member of the Imperial Security Bureau. But Lonni desperately wants out of his double life after spending months informing on the Empire to Rebel Alliance spy Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård). But Luthen can't get Lonni out of his position, and even threatens to blackmail him to keep him on the Death Star. This is in spite of the fact that Lonni has family at home.
This definitely proves that there were innocents on the Death Star at the time of its destruction, whether they were contractors, Rebel spies, or otherwise standing outside of the Empire's cause. Even worse, Luthen's dialogue proves that he knows he's sending Lonni in as a lamb to slaughter for the benefit of the Rebel Alliance. And Lonni isn't alone in his mission; there are dozens of other informants, agents, and spies who will likely die in the coming conflict. But he is confident that the sacrifice is worthwhile because it will protect others.
Either way, it definitely proves that Dante's theory is right. If only he were still here to see it come to fruition...