Thriving within a fascist society does no one any good. That includes those who think they are benefiting the most from it. Like Dedra Meero on Andor. Denise Gough’s character in the hit Star Wars series had a less than happy ending.
Throughout season 2, Dedra has allowed her quest for greatness within the Empire ruin everything in her life. Her relationship with Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) fell apart, she was blinded by her need to be important, and it was why, in the end, she found herself in jail and alone. Everything that happened to her was at the hand of the Empire and she was part of the reason they could get away with it all in the first place.
Throughout the series, Dedra has allowed the Empire to rule her. She always wants to be seen as important enough to be worthy of love and praise. But if there is one thing a fascist rule doesn’t like, it is someone being better than them. But Dedra did not take that to heart. She kept trying to be the best she could be and it, in turn, led to her demise.
The Empire has always been afraid of the Rebellion. And that fear leads to them turning on their own time and time again. Dedra confronts Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) to try and get a leg up for the Empire but they see that as an act of defiance. The last moments we see of her are in a jail cell, left there to rot as the Empire moves on without her. And I don’t feel bad for her in any way. That’s what she deserves.
Upholding fascism helps no one
Officers like Dedra can see the horrors of the Empire and still carry on as if nothing is wrong. She was part of the Empire’s lies about the Ghorman massacre and still, she wanted to climb the ranks of Palpatine’s rule. That’s all I need to know about her. She isn’t a character to “feel” for. She would turn you in if it meant she’d get a leg up and it is terrifying to watch. But that is why her conclusion is so fitting. And, for that matter, satisfying.
Not often does a character in Star Wars, especially one on the Empire side of things, have such a fitting conclusion. Even with Palpatine, he still finds ways to worm back into the main storyline decades later. But with Dedra, we saw her rise and fall in real time and yes, the other layers to her character are fascinating to unpack, but I love that we got to see her destruction. That’s what makes Andor so beautiful.
We knew from the start that Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) was on a ticking time bomb of a march towards his death. We worried for characters like Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) and were moved by the sacrifices of people like Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw) and the rebellion she inspired. But to see the rise and fall of a member of the Empire like we saw with Dedra was fascinating and surprising and I loved it.
(featured image: Disney+)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
