‘The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast’ returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.
In the third episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on episode five that dropped on Disney+ this week entitled, “The Axe Forgets.” After the discussion, actress Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve,” the “Harry Potter” series, “True Blood”) joins the podcast to discuss entering a galaxy far, far away, the mature writing from Tony Gilroy and his team, her first experience seeing “Star Wars” in a theater, what’s coming up in the future, and more.
For the uninitiated, “Andor” serves as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which itself was set just before the events of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.” The Lucasfilm series follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) five years before meeting Jyn Erso and the gang in ‘Rogue One,’ as he finds himself thrust into the middle of a budding rebel cell with plans to put a stick in the Empire’s eye. It’s a first for the Star Wars universe, as it acts as a political spy thriller that really considers the age of oppression, life during wartime, and what it’s like to be on the ground as a member of the rebel alliance and as a member of the Imperial Army. Going even deeper, “Andor” really examines what it’s like for everyday people struggling under an oppressive regime. The show also stars Stellan Skarsgard, Genevieve O’Reilly, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and more.
During the interview, Shaw talked about why she ultimately signed up to play Maarva Andor, Cassian’s adoptive mother.
“Tony [Gilroy] rang me up and said would you like to be in this and proceeded to describe it,” Shaw said. “And I was so blown away by his social realism, his domesticity of it, his understanding of it, his embracing of the moral universe that remains a pulsating, changing thing on our planet as much as out in the universe. I was very taken by it.”
Last we saw Maarva, she was left on Ferrix in the wake of Cassian’s getaway with Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard), and while most “Star Wars” secrets are kept under lock and key, Shaw was quick to confirm that was not the last you’ll see of Maarva – but you may want to be careful what you wish for.
“You do get to catch up with her in later episodes,” Shaw confirmed. “I think what I was alluding to earlier is that you finally get to see the breaking point of Maarva. Also, people get sick and old, and they’ve had enough, and they have very little to lose.”
Here’s our complete podcast breakdown of Episode five, plus our entire conversation with Fiona Shaw:
The Rogue Ones is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The Playlist Podcast, Be Reel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, The Discourse, Bingeworthy, and more—and can be heard on Apple Podcasts, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
