By George & Josh Bate
A special look at Andor Season 2 debuted on Disney+ and, shortly after, was released on the official Star Wars website and social media channels. The special look is a blend of a trailer and a behind-the-scenes feature, splicing together new footage from the show with commentary from series creator Tony Gilroy and the show’s cast. Interestingly, the special look also confirms that a major event in Star Wars canon will be depicted in the series, which we’ll explain here.
But first, if you haven’t see the Andor Season 2 special look, here it is….
The special look for Andor Season 2 seen above confirms that the Ghorman Massacre will be depicted in the show. The Ghorman Massacre is a critical event in the timeline of Star Wars canon, one that holds immense implications for the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire. But what is the Ghorman Massacre?
The Ghorman Massacre was a tragic event that occurred on the planet Ghorman approximately 2 BBY (two years before the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope). Ghorman and its people were previously mentioned in the Andor Season 1 episodes “Aldhani” and “The Eye.” Mon Mothma has a history with the people and its land, collaborating with its Senator Fang Zar in the early days of the Galactic Empire and advocating for their wellbeing in Andor Season 1.
The first trailer for Andor Season 2 featured several shots of a crowd protesting as stormtroopers and other Imperial forces tried to keep them at bay. The trailer also showed members of that crowd laying dead. Many have speculated that this scene in Andor will be the Ghorman Massacre, something that the new special look confirms as the closed captioning of the special look identified the protestors as “singing in Ghor.”
The Ghorman Massacre involved troopers of the Galactic Empire opening fire and murdering peaceful protestors on Ghorman. The merciless event was the last straw for Mon Mothma, who, after years of covert actions to overthrow the Empire, made a public stand against Emperor Palpatine after the attacks. Mothma gave a special to the Galactic Senate condemning the Ghorman Massacre, a speech that is seen by the members of the Ghost Crew in the Star Wars Rebels episode “Secret Cargo.”
The Ghorman Massacre was previously depicted in Legends, which may shed some light on how the event will unfold in Andor Season 2. Importantly, any depiction in Legends is deemed non-canon and, as such, it is unclear whether Andor will integrate some, if any, of the elements of the massacre from Legends. Nonetheless, it is interesting to speculate.
In Legends, the Ghorman Massacre once again occurs on the planet Ghorman, although it is far more bloody and brutal. Activists peacefully protest the Empire on Ghorman and block off a landing pad for Imperial ships. In response, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin commands the warship he is aboard to land directly on the protestors, immediately killing hundreds and injuring countless others.
With Tarkin appearing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it is possible that the character once played by Peter Cushing is looped into how the Ghorman Massacre is depicted in Andor Season 2.
Alongside the special look, a new poster for Andor Season 2 was also released….
