‘Andor’ Writer Dan Gilroy Knows Why You’re Thinking About the Show This Week (and It’s Not the Emmys)

Though we here at io9 would have preferred Andor win all the Emmys, the Disney+ Star Wars show did pick up a few notable trophies, including Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Dan Gilroy, brother of Andor creator Tony Gilroy, won the honor for season two’s ninth episode, “Welcome to the Rebellion.” You know, the one where Mon Mothma makes her ferocious speech condemning genocide and monstrous leaders from the senate floor.

While remarking on how unfortunately relevant the story of Andor ended up being isn’t new—Tony Gilroy has certainly spoken about it—the themes of the show have become even more potent in the wake of ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the talk show host’s comments on the death of Charlie Kirk.

Yesterday, creatives and subscribers called for a boycott of Disney, ABC’s parent company and also the corporate parent of Star Wars. Today, Dan Gilroy published an op-ed in Deadline with a “Welcome to the Rebellion”-style wake-up call.

“As one of the writers on the Disney+ drama Andor, we spent six years thinking about a fascist takeover of a galaxy far, far away,” it begins.

“Six years thinking about ordinary beings as an authoritarian regime comes in for the kill. Many people saw parallels between Andor and the real world. I see them as well, particularly in the events of the last week.”

The essay goes on to condemn Disney’s decision to suspend Kimmel, noting, “I deeply disagree but acknowledge it was a difficult decision.”

Gilroy goes on to address others in the entertainment industry, warning Hollywood it cannot accept this turn of events in our “brave new Trumpian world,” as he puts it, because it’s poised to get worse: “The first thing Putin did after taking power was silence shows that criticized him. Artists are censored first because they fear us most.”

Gilroy finishes by encouraging action. “Their goal is to instill fear, to make you feel helpless, hopeless, to break you down,” he writes. “Don’t let them. Educate yourself. Organize. Speak truth to authority. Because the story’s not written—the pen is in your hand.”

Read the full essay at Deadline; if you haven’t cancelled Disney+, you can still watch Andor there.

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