What Andor gets right that Rise of Skywalker got wrong

Andor episode five spoilers follow.

Andor episode five just addressed a major Star Wars complaint by introducing a named, queer couple. Woo!

In episode four of Andor, we were introduced to Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), the brusque leader of a small cell of anti-imperial rebels on the planet Aldhani. Although she doesn't take an immediate shine to our dashing (anti)hero, she recognises the key role he can play in their plot to rob the Empire's payroll.

Andor episode five continues to get us acquainted with the Aldhani heisters, but one key moment offers a bright spark in this dark story.

When we rejoin Cassian at the start of the episode, he wakes sharply from his hammock to find Skeen (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) going through his belongings.

In the conversation that follows, we learn a little about each of the team – but when Andor's wandering eye lands on Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu), we're informed that the medic is already 'taken'.

As she leaves their makeshift hut, she's followed by Vel, and Skeen remarks: "Then there's Cinta. Cinta Kaz. She's stone cold and fearless, probably the toughest one here. She's already sharing a blanket if that's what you're wondering."

It's not much, and you might have missed it, but it's actually a fairly major moment for the franchise.

Up until this point, queer characters have been basically nonexistent in Star Wars, despite being set on alien worlds in the distant past. Sure, we can imagine laser-sword-wielding warrior monks, but two women kissing? Get real.

"But wait" we hear you cry, didn't Rise of Skywalker include a same-sex kiss? Well yes, but as we noted at the time, the fact that it happens in the back of a shot and was between two characters without names means we're not counting it (sorry).

That moment in ROS felt more like a box-ticking exercise than anything, allowing the House of Mouse to claim its stories were 'diverse' – in the same way it did with *that* Avengers: Endgame scene (still not forgiven you for that, Mr Russo).

As a result, this open confirmation of queerness in Andor gains elevated importance, even if we wouldn't call it groundbreaking.

Beyond this initial line, there are also a few other small moments that ground Cinta and Vel's relationship in the world of the show.

Andor established back in episode three that Cassian is a bit of a heartbreaker, so it's not surprising that Vel immediately clocks his slow-burn flirting technique later on when Cinta is fixing his wound.

"You can dress yourself," she quips, and girl, we don't blame you. If Diego Luna was pulling this kind of move on OUR girlfriend we would definitely jump in.

Later in the episode, the night before the payroll heist, there's an equally small but funny moment where Andor is standing next to Cinta by the fire and offers her a drink – before Vel immediately steps between them, effortlessly cockblocking and telling Cassian to "stay focused".

We'll concede that these are small, fleeting moments. There's no big declaration of love, no character stands up and says "I'm gay, by the way". But a) that's not always an ideal way to tell a story about queer people, and b) these small character moments are integral to the DNA of Andor.

It's a show composed of quiet, thoughtful exchanges. Lingering looks and strong performances have set it apart from a lot of modern Star Wars stories.

These brief encounters tell us a lot about Andor himself, for instance. They reinforce the idea that he's a terrible flirt, and although he and Cinta barely say a sentence to each other, we gain an understanding of this side of his personality.

They also imply a level of protectiveness on Vel's side: the speed at which she clocks what is happening and cleverly steps in lets us know she's a good judge of character.

The fact that Andor makes room for this small moment of storytelling is, undoubtedly, a good thing. It's a show fundamentally about people, in fact when Digital Spy spoke to Diego Luna ahead of the show’s release, he said as much:

"Even though it's called Andor, it's about a revolution. It's an ensemble. It's about a group of people. It's about community.”

Andor understands that rebellion, indeed all political organisations, are often messy and human. They might be on the eve of the most dangerous operation of their lives, but that doesn't mean there won't be weird interpersonal moments and friction.

At the end of the day, it's just a start, and we really hope we see more of Cinta and Vel's relationship as the show goes on.

But, for now, we're glad to see the same deft hand that's making Andor one of the best Star Wars stories in a long time being used in crafting LGBTQ+ characters.

Andor is streaming on Disney+, with new episode premieres on Wednesdays.

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Ali Griffiths

Ali is Hearst UK's deputy social strategy director. He has been covering TV and movies for more than six years, all while wrangling Digital Spy's social media and video channels - for which he received a PPA 30 Under 30 award.  He specializes in writing about anime, LGBTQ+ representation, science fiction, and comic book adaptations.  Recently he's begun collecting Star Wars interviews like Infinity Stones and has spoken with The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy and the creative team behind The Bad Batch. Dave Filoni, you're next.