Andor Perrin Fertha

That’s a fantastic subplot. Would be interesting if they re-worked it into somehow that he even supported Mon and she didn’t know it. Provides a great explanation to all the goings on at the senate too.

So this show was so good that even it’s cut subplots are next level.

 

I think it was cut because it doesn’t quite make sense why Perrin wouldn’t have told Mon about his support for her.

 

Spoiler

Would be interesting too if Tae knew and that's why he ended up going with Sculden as Mothma's way out and that the exposing he was threatening was telling them both they were part of the same rebellion and not to expose the rebellion itself. Wild if it turns out Tae was killed for nothing.

 

That and the other scene where Perrin

Spoiler

tells Mon he knew all along what she was up to and that he was interrogated weekly by the ISB and never gave her up

would have added so much.

 

I don't think Perrin likes the Empire. He's just really apathetic.

That would have been interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

Feels off to me. I’m glad it was cut.

 

I still agree with Bor: that doesn't feel like it flows naturally with what is setup in the show.

 

Yeah. The issue I have with it is that it makes no sense that he wouldn’t have told Mon about the interrogations, and about his loyalty. Feels like a shock surprise that lacks logic.

 

I interpreted the change in their relationship as being driven by having Leida out of the house. Kids can put a lot of stress on a strained relationship - and we see in the first season that it does.

Not to mention that it feels like a massive reversal of how they have treated the Mothma investigation. What would cause them to make the major move of bringing in the husband for questioning? And when he doesn't reveal anything, wouldn't they expect that he would tell her and have to adjust their methods accordingly? It seems odd that they would regularly bring him in, but keep investigating her directly the same way.

 

Right. It doesn’t make sense on multiple levels. And in a show where every single character motivation and plot point makes sense, it would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

 

I’ll caveat by saying I agree but one way it could potentially work is that he didn’t tell her in order to protect her and knowing that at some point, she needs to make a speech and defect. If she knows he is not just a dead beat husband, it makes it harder for her to go through with it.

It isn’t without premise, it was mentioned he was quite an idealist / activist when he was younger.

Again, I agree if makes sense it was cut but it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility it could have worked with a bit more seed planting.

 

The most interesting thing about Farta isn't that he might have some loyalty to Mon, but that he's ultimately just about the self. He understands that the world they live in is corrupt, but this is just an inconvenience to him. It means he has to have an extra drink or an affair to keep his lifestyle stable, but it never ever means that he would actively resist such corruption in a committed fashion.

He's meant to contrast Mon and her commitment to resistance.

 

Certainly not without his circumstances changing to the point that his comfortable life is no longer an option.

 

Yeah, as others have said I think this sub-plot would have undermined what makes Perrin important to the show's central themes. He's the rich guy who turns a blind eye to democratic collapse because it doesn't stop him enjoying his comforts and pleasures. Maybe he had principles once but later in life he decided he had too much to lose. It's a contrast to Mon who was willing to give up the same privileges to resist evil - she gives it all for something real, while Perrin fills his life with shallow, temporary joys.

I do like to think that deep down there was a part of Perrin that hated the Empire and knew it was wrong, but he was never able to act on it - which makes his character and ending desperately sad, chasing after pleasure, hoping it will numb the self-loathing.

 

I think the ending, as is, works. I can buy Sculden as something of a dupe (the listening device subplot), and I can certainly buy Perrin as a letch. I don't think there was much characterization for Mrs. Sculden, but the speeder shot at the end doesn't seem like a huge stretch.

 

Not at all a stretch. These are people who just want to have empty fun. Empire, Republic, whatever.

 

I know a few of those ones IRL
More than a few I would say
And I hold them responsible for a lot of stuff
Because some of them do not lack the cognitive abilities to understand things that happen
They just don't care as long as the revnog keeps flowing and the robot dj ball probe thing keeps blasting Niamos! at full volume....

 

The only issue I have with this portrayal of Farta is that it may send the wrong message to people. While I agree the wealthy have more self interest in supporting the status quo, studies show that system justification works just as strongly on the poor and working class. That is, people tend to support whatever system they're in even when that system oppresses them (implicit bias).

 

There are also examples in Andor of non-wealthy people who support the system, such as Eedy and Syril himself.

 

That's most people though. The Luthens and Cassians are far rarer in real life. Most people just don't have the stomach to standup and rebel. It's just easier to turn your eyes away and live your life like what Perrin does. That's why Perrin as he is presented in Andor is far more realistic as a character type. Like Jyn says in R1, it's easier to ignore the Imperial flag if you don't look up.

 

Well, he’s not necessarily more realistic than the other characters types in the show. He’s simply more common.