Warning: this article contains spoilers for both Andor and Rogue One. If you haven’t seen either, proceed at your own risk.
The Star Wars fandom is teeming with excitement. Love for the franchise feels as though it is as strong as it’s been in decades. As a Star Wars fan, there’s a lot to be happy about right now. In the wake of Star Wars Day (May 4th), there have been some interesting developments from Disney’s camp. This includes the launch of Tales of the Underworld on Disney Plus, as well as news of two upcoming projects: Maul – Shadow Lord, an animated series chronicling the exploits of the crime boss formerly known as Darth Maul, and Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming film starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Deadpool and Wolverine’s Shawn Levy. But let’s be real – we owe all of this recent excitement to the second and final season of Andor.
Cassian Andor and Mon Mothma make a daring escape from Coruscant, Andor Season 2, Photo credit: Lucasfilm
Dedicated fans, casual audiences, and critics all agree that the show is nothing short of a masterpiece (sure, there are some haters on Reddit, but does that really count?). The acting, writing, effects, directing, cinematography: it’s all executed and woven together at a masterful level. I’ll even take this a step further: I believe Andor may be the best Star Wars content ever released.
We were skeptical at first about Disney’s choice to release three episodes per week for a 4-week run. However, our skepticism was quickly quelched as we discovered the genius and purpose behind each week’s three-episode arc.
Creator Tony Gilroy has proven to have a deep understanding and respect for existing Star Wars canon, and it absolutely shows.
So, with all of the thought, effort, and planning that went into creating this excellent prelude to Rogue One (and, in turn, A New Hope), could they really let a blatant and egregious continuity error slip through the cracks?
What is the continuity error in Andor?
The Andor continuity error (or should it be considered the Rogue One continuity error?), is one that fans were quick to point out. In Rogue One, Cassian Andor explicitly states that he’s never been in a jail cell. After being detained by Saw Gerrera on Jedha, Chirrut Îmwe tries to reassure Cassian by saying “Relax, Captain. We’ve been in worse cages than this one.” And in response, Cassian claims “This is the first for me.” However, we know that this isn’t true.
The reason some may see this as a glaring continuity error, plot hole, or inconsistency between Andor and Rogue One is because Cassian is quite clearly shown as incarcerated at the Narkina 5 Imperial Prison Complex in Andor’s first season. It’s a huge part of the plot.
Cassian Andor and Kino Loy in the Narkina 5 Imperial Prison Complex, Andor Season 1, Photo credit: Lucasfilm
What makes the line from Rogue One seem even more like a continuity error is Chirrut’s response to Andor’s claim. Chirrut replies “There is more than one sort of prison, Captain. I sense you carry yours wherever you go.” His statement makes it clear that, at the very least, Chirrut believes Cassian is saying that he’s never been physically locked up in any capacity.
How could show creator Tony Gilroy forget that Cassian Andor was locked up? Well, we don’t think that he did and, in fact, we don’t believe the Rogue One continuity error is a continuity error at all.
“…we don’t believe the Rogue One continuity error is a continuity error at all.”
Now, there are a number of ways the supposed Andor plot hole can be explained that would make perfect sense within the universe, and would mean that the continuity of the story was never actually in jeopardy. Let’s discuss each explanation below in order from most to least likely:
1. Andor is being sarcastic.
If you look at this scene from the perspective that he’s being sarcastic, his statement takes on a different meaning and starts to make a lot of sense. Cassian declaring “This is the first for me.” while he’s calmly pulling lockpicking tools out of a hidden pocket in his boot is just too perfect. He’s been in situations that are fare more precarious, and that has earned him the confidence to humorously mock the one he’s currently in. In our opinion, this is the most likely scenario.
2. Andor is lying.
Cassian Andor is a highly experienced spy by the time he finds himself in this situation, and could simply be strategically keeping his cards close to his chest. We’ve seen him lie in numerous scenes throughout Andor and Rogue One, making this behavior perfectly consistent with his character. He may not yet trust his new companions, he may not want to talk about past trauma, or there may be some other strategic reason he doesn’t want to disclose his previous confinement. This explanation is a close second for us.
3. This is the first time he’s been locked up by fellow rebels.
Chirrut may have misunderstood Cassian when he said “This is the first for me.” Cassian may have only meant that he’s never been in a situation like this, being held hostage by rebels, criminals, etc. Saw is one of the most fearsome figures of the Rebellion, too. So much so that fellow rebels often call him a terrorist. All previous imprisonment/s were at the hands of an authority like the Empire, governed by a defined set of rules.
However, it’s technically not true that this is the first time he’s been confined by rebels. At the beginning of season 2, Cassian was held hostage in Porko’s ship by a band of loosely affiliated (and incompetent) rebels on Yavin 4. He wasn’t in a holding cell, and was only temporarily tied up, but it’s a similar scenario. For this reason, we believe explanation three is less likely than one or two.
4. Narkina 5 doesn’t have bars and/or was a lot “nicer.”
If Narkina 5 was the only time Cassian was incarcerated, technically, he’s never been in a “cage” at all. He could be saying that he’s literally never been behind bars or in a cage since the Narkina 5 prison didn’t have either. Inmates there were kept from escaping through the use of electrified floors.
Additionally, another point to mention is that Narkina 5 was a spotlessly clean facility. This may very well be the first time he’s been confined in a space that resembles Saw’s dingy and dirty holding cells. Could this be what he meant?
Both of these explanations seem to match up with comparisons between Narkina 5 and Saw’s hideout and are at least somewhat plausible. What we can’t know, however, is what Andor’s accommodations were like during his previous jail or prison stays. We know of at least two other times that he could have been in a jail cell.
- When he is arrested on Niamos, we assume that he would have been in some type of holding cell prior to when we witness his court hearing.
- In season 1, shortly after Cassian meets Luthen, he tells him that he “…fought in Mimban when [he] was 16. Two years of it. Straight out of prison, into the mud.” Later, when speaking with Skeen on Aldhani, he reveals that the prison he served time in is the “Sipo Youth Center.” He was 13 when he went in, meaning he served three years before he was released. It’s unclear, but it’s implied that his stint in prison was due to his reaction to the execution of his adoptive father, Clem. Later on in season 1, in a flashback, a young Cassian is shown attacking Imperial stormtroopers in retaliation for Clem’s death.
To explain these or any other past facilities he spent time in, they may also not have had bars and/or they may have been just as clean as the Narkina 5 Complex. This explanation feels significantly less likely and more of a stretch than our first three most likely scenarios.
5. Andor used a fake name when he was imprisoned.
Cassian could technically claim that he was never imprisoned, because he was incarcerated under the alias, Keef Girgo. This is an elementary school-level silly and highly unlikely way to explain his statement in Rogue One, but it is possible, however implausible, that he was saying “Cassian wasn’t in prison, Keef was.” This explanation is so absurd that I don’t think I need to explain why we believe it’s the least likely of the four.
Other possible explanations could have something to do with differences in what he was locked up for (committing a crime versus being held captive), what type of facility he was previously in (forced labor versus a traditional prison or jail environment), or any other number of explanations someone could think up if given the time.
In conclusion, we believe that rather than this being a plot hole in Andor, one of the above explanations was Tony Gilroy’s intention. It’s just far more plausible than everyone involved with this phenomenal show missing such an obvious error.
Do you have any other theories about this potential plot hole or continuity error? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured image photo credit: Lucasfilm
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