Andor's Finale Came Within Lightsaber Distance Of Star Wars' First F-Bomb
Warning: Spoilers for "Andor" Season 1
It's the first Wednesday in 12 weeks without a new "Andor" episode, and we're already feeling the withdrawals. The "Star Wars" Disney+ series wrapped up its first season last week, receiving immense praise from both critics and fans. The show sits at an incredible 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second highest-rated project in the franchise, only behind "Star Wars Rebels."
"Andor" was unlike anything "Star Wars" fans have seen in recent years, taking the franchise to a darker place. The spy thriller focused on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), expanding his backstory before the events of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." The show gives a better look at the early stages of the Rebellion and a more in-depth look at the Empire's oppression across the galaxy. Cassian starts as a lowly criminal who's searching for his long-lost sister. By the end of Season 1, he's ready to fully invest himself in the Rebellion, seeing just how horrific the Empire's control has gotten. Along the way, he meets Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård), who introduces him to the Rebellion, working in the shadows to take down the Empire. Meanwhile, Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and Imperial Security Bureau operative Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) hunt Cassian for crimes he commits throughout the show.
"Andor" Season 1 really dove deep into the Empire's terrifying reign over the galaxy, showing scenes of torture, exploitation of prison labor, and oppression of indigenous people. It also nearly included the first F-bomb in the "Star Wars" franchise.
Maarva's emotional funeral speech originally sounded different
"Andor" Season 1, Episode 12, "Rix Road," was one of the show's most emotional episodes, focusing on the people of Ferrix coming together for Maarva Andor's (Fiona Shaw) funeral. As the Empire watches over the ceremony, waiting for Cassian to reveal himself, Maarva's final speech via hologram inspires Ferrix to band together and rise up against the Empire. A riot quickly erupts after Maarva tells everyone, "Fight the Empire!" It turns out that wasn't the character's original line.
Speaking to Empire about playing the newest "Star Wars" villain Dedra Meero, actress Denise Gough revealed a different plan for Maarva's inspiring posthumous speech. The Irish actress recalled filming the emotional scene on her first day on the "Andor" set. Lucasfilm had built Ferrix on a massive set at Pinewood Studios, an impressive feat that solidified the "Star Wars" feeling of it all. As they filmed the scene, Shaw's monologue played over speakers, Gough remembered. "Fiona's voice was over all of us," she said. "Except, at the end, she didn't say, 'Fight the Empire!' She said, 'F*** the Empire!'" Unfortunately, Disney didn't allow that to make the final cut, wanting "Star Wars" to remain a family-friendly franchise.
"Star Wars" fans took to Twitter jokingly demanding that Disney releases the original version, mimicking the fan movement for "Zack Snyder's Justice League." Many fans called for the release of the F-Bomb Cut of "Andor," which won't happen, but it's a fun sentiment.