Andor Episode 11 Features The Most Touching Treatment Of A Droid In Star Wars Yet
Spoilers for "Andor" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" follow.
Droids are an essential part of the "Star Wars" universe. They help sell the idea that this is not just fantasy in space, but an epic space opera. Two of the very first characters we ever see in the franchise are droids — C-3PO and R2-D2 — and they are instrumental to the story, to the war effort, and to the victories of the Rebel Alliance. But while droids have always been present, they haven't really been at the center of the story, instead serving as comic relief or as a faceless army most of the time. We laughed at 3PO's self-righteousness, at his bickering with R2, the way he was disassembled and put back together backward. We laughed at the "Roger Roger" battle droids in the prequels, and at the weird relationship between L3-37 and Lando Calrissian in "Solo: A Star Wars Story," but seldom do the movies or shows see them as more than cute sidekicks.
That changed with "Rogue One," which had a droid, K-2SO, as part of its ensemble who was treated as a fully-fleshed member of the team and even given a death as tragic as that of any other human character. Now, "Andor" is doubling down on that idea, as episode 11 gave us arguably the most touching "Star Wars" scene to ever involve a droid.
Show me how they treat their droids and I'll tell you who they are
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat droids. The original trilogy made sure to show that the Empire treated droids like mere tools to be used and discarded, while the Rebels relied on them, treated them like part of the team, and some even struck friendships with them — from Luke and R2, Poe and BB-8, or the Ghost Crew from "Star Wars Rebels" and Chopper.
Indeed, the more despicable a character, the worst they treat droids, like Jabba having a literal torture chamber for his servant droids. During the Clone Wars, the Separatists relied on droid armies, but we often heard the battle droids complain about their treatment by their superiors in the animated show. "Solo: A Star Wars Story" took this a step further by having L3 lead a droid revolt at an Imperial work camp, with that movie being the first time "Star Wars" actually confronted the way droids are treated in the film franchise and argued they deserved better.
Which brings us to B2-EMO. From the moment we meet him, "Andor" makes a connection between the way Cassian treats his adoptive mother's droid and the way he one day treats his friend K-2SO. What little we've seen of B2-EMO, he's more than just an aid to Maarva, more than a pet, he is a member of the family, and he is grieving.
A sad little droid
This is why Maarva's death hits so hard, not just because of how it impacts Andor at the end of the episode, nor because of what we've seen of her and her rebellious and kind spirit, but because of how deeply it impacts B2-EMO. When we first hear of Maarva's death, it is through B2-EMO's perspective, with the camera focused on his lens, on his perspective, and how he freaks out when he hears people in Maarva's house talking about what to do with the body and with the place now that she's gone. It is a heartbreaking scene that makes B2-EMO more than just a droid that lives in the house, but a sentient being who just lost his family, making the little droid so sad he starts to look like Marvin from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Then, in what may go down as one of the most emotional grieving scenes in "Star Wars," B2-EMO tells Brasso that he doesn't want to say goodbye and doesn't want yo be alone, asking him to stay with him for the night. Forget Darth Vader screaming "NOOOOOOOOO!" in "Revenge of the Sith," forget Leia kind of looking sad when Han or Luke died, this is the saddest thing in "Star Wars."
Despite being always present in the movies and shows, droids have not got the treatment they deserved in "Star Wars," but "Andor" shows that they too are deserving of some kindness and sympathy.