Near the end of Andor season 2, episode 3, “Harvest,” the show gives us a few scenes of Mon Mothma dancing at her daughter’s wedding. Her movements are wild, disorienting, and even a little unhinged as she moves to the pulsing beat of an EDM remix of “Niamos.” It’s jarring, because her dancing comes at a time when everything that could go wrong for her does.
Unraveling In Plain Sight
Mon has married off her fourteen-year-old daughter Leida to the son of a Chandrilan banker—a union she orchestrated to secure funding for the Rebel Alliance. Her childhood friend Tay Kolma attempted to blackmail Mon after the charitable foundation he set up for her to funnel money to the rebellion hurt his business prospects. Worse, Tay tried to get in Davo’s good graces—prompting Rebel leader Luthen Rael to arrange Tay’s assassination to keep him silent.
According to Mon’s actor, Genevieve O’Reilly, Mon is dancing to keep “herself from screaming.” She has sacrificed just about everything that matters for the rebellion, yet it doesn’t seem like that was enough. Her daughter hates her. Her marriage to husband Perrin is complicated and unhappy. Her oldest friend is unraveling before her very eyes, and now she’s living with the burden of being indirectly responsible for his impending death.
And yet she has no means of escape. She’s being watched at all times and doesn’t have anyone to confide in. As Mon spins around the dance floor, you can feel every bit of anguish mingled with the understanding that you have to appear perfectly fine. It’s a desperate attempt to release all her pain while still holding it together.
Across the Galaxy, Another Disaster
Meanwhile, on Mina-Rau, Cassian’s friends Brasso, Bix, and Wilmon are subjected to an audit targeting undocumented residents. Brasso is killed while trying to escape. Bix is nearly raped by a deranged Imperial officer. Cassian just barely arrives in time to rescue his friends, but they’re forced to leave Mina-Rau for good.
They don’t get time to mourn. Just like Mon doesn’t.
Parallel Pain
These two storylines—Mon dancing through grief, Cassian experiencing more loss—reveal the personal cost of revolution. Personal sacrifices and emotional tolls are inevitable in the fight against oppression. The idea of dismantling the Empire and the freedom it will bring is becoming harder to recognize under the weight of what it demands.
And yet, they keep going.
Sometimes, even when tragedy strikes, you have no choice but to keep moving forward. To get on that dance floor and dance even when you want to crash out.
Because what’s the alternative?
