An Andor Episode 5 Easter Egg Brings An Indiana Jones Artifact Into Star Wars Canon
This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Andor."
We are nearly at the halfway point of "Andor" season 1 and it's been an experience unlike any of the other "Star Wars" shows on Disney+ up to this point. One thing that really helps set the show apart is the fact that there are very few Easter eggs that jump right out at you. Nothing exists simply to say "Hey, remember this?" It's a show that largely rests on its own laurels, and that seems to be working out quite well.
But that's not to say there are no Easter eggs. Rather, there was a pretty impressive one hiding in plain sight in episode five that connects to another classic Lucasfilm franchise. Namely, Indiana Jones. And this one will be of particular interest to "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" fans. Let's dig in, shall we?
The Sankara Stones in Luthen's shop
Towards the end of episode five, we catch up with Stellen Skarsgard's Luthen in his shop on Coruscant, where he is eagerly and impatiently awaiting any information about the mission being carried out against the Empire. In the image above, you can see the shelf that houses his rebel radio and ... several interesting artifacts. In the upper-right-hand corner, there are some bronze/orange looking stones that should look familiar to anyone who has seen "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Yep, those appear to be the Sankara Stones.
For those who might need a little refresher, the above scene from the 1984 film shows the stones in action. They do, indeed, appear to be the same stones housed safely in Luthen's store. Now, how exactly did they get there? Are these actually meant to be the same stones from the movie? Probably not, but it's a fun little Easter egg that ties "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" together. It's also worth mentioning that we saw a whip encased in carbonite in the fourth episode, and that Easter egg also now carries even more geeky weight.
Not the first time streams have been crossed
This was certainly meant to be nothing more than a little wink and a nod to fans who happen to notice. But the Sankara Stones do have a mystical property to them that isn't entirely divorced from a Force-sensitive object that the Jedi might have around. It wouldn't be too difficult to justify the existence of those stones in this universe, if someone at Lucasfilm needed to. But it's also worth noting that this isn't the first time that "Star Wars" has crossed over with the work of director Steven Spielberg.
Rather notably, there is a shot (above) of the Galactic Senate in 1999's "The Phantom Menace" that features some Senators who look quite familiar. They appear to be of the same race as E.T. from "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." In this case, it's a little easier to connect the dots as it's entirely possible that E.T.'s race is part of the larger workings of the galaxy. Some have even theorized that E.T. is actually a Jedi, which explains some of what he can do in Spielberg's '82 blockbuster. It's just a fun theory, but the main point is, "Star Wars" has a history of honoring Spielberg's Lucasfilm work. That legacy continues in this show.
"Andor" returns with new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.