- 6/26/2025
Category
🎮️
GamingTranscript
00:00Hello there friends, welcome back to another episode of Generation Tech. Money is now.
00:05When I was in high school, I had this one class where I had an end-of-year project where I could make a film.
00:10And of course, I took that opportunity. I made a film with a bunch of my good friends.
00:13It was very silly. We had a good time.
00:16And we showed it to our class.
00:19What surprised me was how my teacher reacted.
00:21Not only did she love this movie, she actually started crying in many of the scenes in the film.
00:26And on top of that, she gave me all sorts of theories about metaphors I had apparently hidden in the dialogue.
00:33Or social commentary I had hidden in the dialogue.
00:36And I'll be honest with you, I did none of that.
00:39A lot of the lines were ad-lib. We were just trying to be funny and stupid.
00:43This is an eye-opening experience for me when I was a young man.
00:47And it kind of tainted how I viewed the entire film critiquing and reviewing industry.
00:54And I think it's probably unfair, the views that I kind of developed.
00:59But at the same time, recently, when I was at a talk with Tony Giller, where he was talking about his previous work in Andor,
01:07the interviewer asked him this question about a line Dedra says in the second season.
01:12Yes, I'm a scavenger.
01:13The interviewer's question was whether this line was actually paying homage to one of his first films, Michael Clayton, where a similar line is said.
01:22I'm not a miracle worker. I'm a janitor.
01:25Gilroy just brushes this off as unintentional, which kind of reaffirms some of my views of, you know,
01:30how kind of reviewers and critics really do make up a lot of theories about what they're seeing in the film that isn't accurate.
01:38You know, it's not the intention of the artist to do these things.
01:41But then Tony, in that interview, brought up like a good point.
01:44When you understand a character in the way that he does, the lines, the dialogue, the action, it all becomes much easier to write.
01:51It's less driven by a writer's intent and more by their understanding of the character.
01:56This is why this style of writing, you know, filled with honesty and pursuit of truth is so freaking powerful.
02:02This is why I'm doing all of these deep dives into these characters in Andor, because this type of writing presents this opportunity.
02:09Especially when the writer is so skilled and has a lot to say, a lot to offer to the audience.
02:16This is why a lot of these character breakdowns are leading to revelations that are sometimes life-changing and profound.
02:23Up until now, we've established that Luthan Isle is one of the most selfless characters in Star Wars history.
02:28His horrific actions as the leader of the Axis Network, the murder of assets, the betrayal of entire factions,
02:34not only goes against his own values, but also points him in a horrible light and alienates him from his peers and audience.
02:41This man has clearly suffered ego death to such an extent that it no longer bothers him how the world views him.
02:46Even his legacy no longer seems to matter that much.
02:49This really shook my basic understanding of people, right?
02:53I actually, upon first viewing, thought that Luthan was kind of an unrealistic character,
02:58because the burden he takes is so crazy and the reward he gets is so little.
03:03Well, I've always assumed that everyone is just driven by some kind of hierarchy of needs in life.
03:07I've also always assumed that people are like me.
03:10This is something that I try to shake as much as I can,
03:12because most people are not like me, as I found out in my 30 years of life.
03:17And that's gotten me into a lot of trouble.
03:18But yeah, I believe that all we needed in life are food, security, love, purpose, you know, Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
03:25And so Luthan, with this whole I'll sacrifice my life and my legacy for the future that I'll never see, seems kind of odd to me.
03:31Like, what is motivating him? What is his needs?
03:35Luthan isn't religious. He's not all that spiritual, either.
03:38He's not looking for reward in a divine sense for his actions.
03:41A political extremism and ideology can definitely motivate a person into action,
03:45but Luthan is, you know, he's pragmatic and ideologically very flexible.
03:49He's willing to work with anyone and anything that can bring down the empire.
03:53He is extremely driven by this single-minded focus, yet, unlike most people who are driven this way,
03:58he's not doing everything for himself.
04:00You know, ideas like democracy and liberty for everyone is great,
04:04but they won't sustain you, you know, for a decade hiding underground
04:08as the leader of some shadowy organization dodging, you know, betrayal and death at every turn.
04:15You need something more than just political ideas.
04:18Luthan is a human being, and human beings, we need our connections to others.
04:21What Luthan really needed was someone to be around him that could motivate him,
04:26someone that you could see every day.
04:28Someone like Cleia.
04:30Cleia is the only other character, aside from Cassian, who gets a backstory,
04:35and I think Cleia might be the only character who is more important to Luthan than Cassian,
04:41because without her, Luthan doesn't really make any sense as a character.
04:51When Luthan first meets young Cleia in the air duct of his Imperial assault craft,
04:56he has a different name, Sergeant Lear, named after the tragic Shakespearean character King Lear.
05:00Sergeant Lear is crashing out in this flashback where we see him,
05:04a homage to King Lear's own breakdown in the middle of a violent thunderstorm.
05:07In the play, King Lear has been thrown outside of his house.
05:11He's lost his retinue, all the knights that protected him.
05:14He's been completely betrayed by the people that he believed loved him,
05:18his two daughters, who he gave everything to.
05:20And for the first time in his life, King Lear is starting to understand how the world actually works.
05:26You know, the rose-tinted glasses that a monarch can wear during this time period have been lifted off,
05:32and he sees the suffering of the average man.
05:35He understands how they feel because now he's no better than they are.
05:39Sergeant Lear is actually going through a very similar awakening in that scene with Cleia.
05:44He's being forced to participate in an extremely violent military campaign
05:47that involves massacring and executing civilians.
05:49We can assume that he, like many other in the uniform, was trained to do a specific job
05:53and brainwashed to adopt a certain stance and posture dealing with what he sees on the battlefield.
05:58But somewhere below the indoctrination is a layer of moral fiber,
06:01and that really kind of wakes him up.
06:03It nudges him and is like, are you sure you're okay with doing this?
06:06Like, this is f***ed up.
06:07In this moment of crisis, Cleia comes to Sergeant Lear as a gift.
06:10His mind and soul are tormented about what he has to do.
06:13He knows rashly that disobeying orders will send him to the brig and it won't be good for him,
06:17whereas following orders will damn his soul.
06:19He probably won't be able to sleep well for the rest of his life.
06:21Cleia's appearance forces him to choose, and choose very quickly.
06:25Here is an innocent girl who he probably should shoot.
06:28But then again, a lot of men who join the military like Lear does here,
06:31I mean, they join because they want to be a guardian.
06:34They want to protect innocent people.
06:36Children.
06:37Little girls, just like her.
06:38When Sergeant Lear makes the choice to save Cleia, he no longer is Lear.
06:43He becomes Luthan, a name associated with, you know, reformers and leadership.
06:48And that is because Luthan has accepted this role to become a father of sorts.
06:52Whether it's by chance or you've planned it,
06:53when you become a father, your perspective of the world changes.
06:56For some people, it might be the first time in your life
06:58that you've had to put someone else's well-being before yours.
07:01Every hour of the day.
07:02Every day of the week.
07:04And while child care has always been seen as something, you know, quite feminine,
07:07I believe there are a lot of benefits for a child to be taken care of by a rough and tough man
07:14who is expected to do everything but take care of children.
07:18When rough men have to take care of little girls,
07:21there's a different type of tenderness and care that is exchanged.
07:24A lot of times, it's actually the father who benefits the most from these kind of relationships.
07:27And, you know, whether Luthan realizes it or not,
07:29his relationship with Cleia is why he's probably survived as long as he has.
07:35She's not just a capable member of his team.
07:37She's not just a daughter to Luthan.
07:39She is his purpose in life.
07:42This is what's really saved Luthan from the very beginning.
07:45All the courage, all the strength he has in those two seasons of Andor are because of her.
07:51Luthan Rael is known for using people.
07:59That's why everyone is terrified.
08:01One day, he's patting you on the back, claiming that you are his best friend,
08:04and the next day, Synth is waiting outside of your flat ready to snap your neck.
08:07There's a chaos that surrounds Luthan that I think even viewers of Andor aren't completely aware of.
08:12I mean, we are aware of it to a certain degree,
08:14but since we're often too blown away by Luthan's monologues and heroic sacrifices,
08:18we might gloss over the fact that 80,000 Gorman died in that uprising he kind of got involved in.
08:23Then there's the 30 Neo-Separatists in Krieger, who died at Spellhausen.
08:27Luthan knew that the ISB knew about this mission,
08:29yet he had to protect his own assets, Supervisor Lonnie Jung,
08:32who he then murders anyway, along with Tay Koma.
08:35I definitely have a bias for Luthan.
08:36I see him as one of the best characters, one of the most moral characters in Star Wars,
08:41despite all the crazy things he's done.
08:43But yeah, if you take a look at the list of all the bodies, it's pretty bad.
08:47But Luthan is really a good guy, but you shouldn't trust him.
08:51This is just a very complex individual.
08:53I mean, at one point, even Cassian was on the chopping block.
08:55The fact that Luthan only saves people he deems valuable is reprehensible.
09:00But then again, that is why Luthan is the best at what he does.
09:03So Luthan Ryle sees every relationship he has as transactional, except for one.
09:09And that is the relationship he has with Klai and Marki.
09:11All he does in that relationship is give to her.
09:13He tries to teach her, to prepare her for the world he's trying to build.
09:18All you know now is how much you hate.
09:22You bank that, you hide that.
09:25You keep it alive until you know what to do with it.
09:28This is kind of dark side, this advice, but it's, you know,
09:31the best advice you can expect a combat soldier to give to a tiny child, I imagine.
09:36And what's important is that even though Luthan teaches Klai lessons and skills
09:39probably not suitable for your typical child,
09:41he does make sure that Klai doesn't cross certain lines.
09:43He protects her.
09:50Do it.
09:52You think I won't?
09:54You have every right.
09:55Prior to this line, Luthan actually admits to Klai that he's afraid of what he's turning her into.
10:00A revolutionary, a terrorist just like him.
10:03And as he tells Klai to hit the detonator, it's absolutely a test.
10:10He's observing how she'll react.
10:15Why are you doing this?
10:18Because today it's real.
10:20You promised.
10:21I lie.
10:22Get used to it.
10:23Luthan is methodical.
10:24I wouldn't be surprised if he purposely sat himself next to that family with a small child
10:28so that Klai could have a taste of what it would be like to have a normal childhood,
10:34to only worry about weekend brunches and Sundays.
10:37And when Luthan does this, he sees Klai pause.
10:39There's that hesitation.
10:41There's that innocent child that was scared in that little air duct he had found her in.
10:45And once he sees this part of her hidden beneath the layers of trauma and forced toughness,
10:49he once again saves Klai just like he did on this ship.
10:59It's Luthan who ultimately detonates the bomb on the bridge.
11:02It's Luthan who takes responsibility for all those lives.
11:05This is why if you take a look at Klai, her eyes are open.
11:08Her mouth is slightly agape.
11:09That toughness and determination has faded from her face because she's become a child once again.
11:13Luthan has also once again succeeded in preserving that innocence.
11:24When we're obsessed with things, we put them on pedestals.
11:27We fantasize about them.
11:29We worship them.
11:30Think about Anakin's relationship with Padme or Cyril's relationship with Detra.
11:35These type of relationships never work out because there's a lack of honesty.
11:39And that's why in both cases, when the fantasy evaporates, both Cyril and Anakin get violent.
11:43They actually attack the thing that they worshipped.
11:46Now, both of these individuals might claim that they were in love with their significant other,
11:50but clearly that is not what love looks like.
11:52This is what love looks like.
11:54Am I your daughter now?
11:56What is she used for?
11:59I have to think about that.
12:01I know that seems like the opposite of love,
12:03but, you know, it's usually the celebrities who are always wearing the same matching outfits,
12:08who are always posting on Instagram how much they love each other.
12:11Those are the worst relationships, right?
12:13I mean, real love is usually understated and unseen.
12:17Luthan is simply not an individual who thinks about labels like father and daughter.
12:22He doesn't really care about how other people view him and Clea.
12:25Luthan won't waste Clea's time by telling her that he loves her,
12:40even though she might need to hear that.
12:41He probably thinks such affection will make her soft and less prepared to survive
12:44in case something happens to him.
12:46But what is important is that he is planning a future for them.
12:49He always uses the pronoun we when he's talking about what they're doing.
12:53And that is, like, that is really the most important thing here, right?
12:57This is what Clea needs.
12:59She can't be abandoned again.
13:01I didn't mean to upset you.
13:03I'm not upset.
13:05I'm just hungry.
13:09Let's eat.
13:12This might be an Asian thing, although I've heard Slavs also deal with this,
13:15and I guess maybe a lot of immigrant families deal with this.
13:19But when your family has a lot of trauma in its history,
13:22like multiple generations of suffering because of famine, war, you know, whatever,
13:27religious, political unrest, the dynamics of the family tend to change.
13:33There might be less visual signs of love, right?
13:36Less people hugging, less people telling each other, I love you openly.
13:41But there are other signs of love.
13:43Like, I remember my mom used to cook me every meal every day.
13:48She never missed a meal even once.
13:51And, you know, back then when everyone else was getting, like, Lunchables and, like, money to get pizza,
13:56I was getting, like, home-cooked Chinese meal.
13:58At the time, I thought it was really dumb.
14:00I was like, oh, why do I get this weird food?
14:02And everyone else gets this really tasty food.
14:04Lo and behold, the food I was getting was much better and much healthier.
14:07But, yeah, you don't really pick up on these things because these acts of love are designed to fortify you in the future, right?
14:18They're long-term goals that you, as the recipient of that love, might not really understand until a much later date.
14:27And I think that's kind of the love that Luton shows Clea.
14:30It's not performative.
14:31It's not short-term.
14:32It's deep and meaningful long-term investments that will strengthen Clea, just like how his actions will also strengthen the rebellion.
14:45So my editor at Congo, in a lot of ways, is better at film reviewing and critiquing than I am.
14:51He really is good at finding small little details that other people would miss.
14:55Like, I've told him multiple times he should have a segment on this show, but he doesn't want to be on camera.
14:58He doesn't want to put stuff out there because he's smart enough to realize that YouTube is a cesspool, right?
15:03But anyway, one of the things he noticed was in that flashback.
15:08You know that scene where Luton tells Clea to store her anger and hatred for a later date?
15:15Well, he finishes that statement with this statement.
15:20So in the beginning of that episode, it's present time, and Clea and Luton are talking about that last meeting they're going to do with Lonnie.
15:34And this line appears again.
15:36I think we used up all the perfect.
15:44Move.
15:44This is really the last meaningful thing that Luton says to Clea.
15:53Move.
15:54Basically, since Clea was a child, she's been collecting her anger, just as Luton has told her, so that she can use it when the moment is right.
16:01And when he says move, this is the moment.
16:04You see, up until this moment, Luton has had Clea by his side as not just an assistant, but like his daughter.
16:11This is why their relationship goes far beyond just a professional one.
16:15And while Clea is involved in all of the hard and deadly decisions that these two must make.
16:19And up until this moment, we never see Clea kill anyone in the show.
16:22I mean, it's Luton who hits the button on Naboo.
16:24And I wouldn't be surprised if, since that moment, he's tried every step of the way to push the button again and again, pull the trigger, or get others to do it, just not Clea.
16:33The thing that made Luton pause all those years earlier when he was a soldier, Clea's innocence?
16:37Well, he's been trying to preserve that ever since.
16:39This is really the only selfish desire that he allows himself to have.
16:43Everything else he does for the Axis Network, but this, Clea, he does for himself.
16:48This might be why he tolerates couples in his Axis Network.
16:51I mean, he understands the solve and sanity that a good relationship with someone you truly love can provide.
16:57He understands how much motivation one can derive from loving another person.
17:00He understands the strength they can give you.
17:02The funny thing is that, like, this part of Luton and Clea's relationship is heavily steeped in the philosophy of the Force,
17:11which I think, actually, Tony Gilroy would roll his eyes at, if I said that, maybe.
17:18But yeah, Luton has told Clea to hold onto her anger until this moment, right now,
17:22when he says move, right before he is captured by the Empire.
17:26The idea is, with her adopted father stuck in a medical facility guarded by the ISP,
17:30this is when Clea is supposed to really give in to her anger, to her hatred, to the dark side.
17:36That was supposed to help her free Luton?
17:39But what has Luton done all these years for Clea?
17:41Well, he's taken on the burden on most of the risk of the revolution,
17:45including the moral hazard, you know, killing people and damaging your soul by doing that.
17:50In many ways, Luton has also taken on the emotional burden that Clea felt as a child,
17:54and he's helped provide relief for her by showing that the Empire can be fought and can be destroyed.
18:00With each victory, he brings more hope, more closure to this sweet, innocent child he first rescued.
18:07And he does this all without letting her do anything horrible.
18:11Well, not really.
18:12You know, this is why when Luton says move to Clea in the present time,
18:15she looks so innocent and young for the first time on camera,
18:18a stark contrast from her usual serious face.
18:21While he gets older and more ragged and more chaotic,
18:26Clea becomes more pure and innocent.
18:28This is his gift to her.
18:30In some ways, he's even rehabilitated her.
18:32The rebellion has turned her into a strong, disciplined, and capable woman.
18:37A woman that any father would be proud of.
18:39And so I kind of like to think that the first person that Clea kills with her own two hands
18:44is actually Luton.
18:46After all these years, Luton has asked Clea to gather her hatred and anger for the Empire
18:51and use it at this moment when he says move.
18:54But I think at that moment, instead of finding hatred and anger,
18:57Clea's heart is filled with love and appreciation.
19:01She remembers the sacrifice that Luton has made.
19:05And so suddenly, beautiful emotions that had grown so stealthily over the years
19:09that maybe Clea was too busy to even notice emerge on the surface.
19:13Somewhere along the line, Luton had succeeded in making Clea whole.
19:18This relationship she has with a broken Imperial soldier running across the galaxy fighting the Empire
19:24was exactly what she needed.
19:26Luton healed her.
19:27He told her to gather all of her hatred and anger and not act on it.
19:32And because she held on to it all those years, he's helped her with therapy,
19:38by giving her agency, by showing her that the Empire that did all of these wrong things
19:43for her to be beaten, he literally healed her from all of this darkness inside of her.
19:48Which is why she doesn't give in to her hatred at the end in the hospital.
19:52She could have brought more explosives, you know, tried to kill Dedra.
19:55She could have went out just like that weird busboy in the hotel did.
19:59But no, she keeps her head cool.
20:01And she escapes, just like how her father taught her to.
20:04And then days later, she gets to wake up in that last scene on Yavin,
20:08experiencing the sunrise that Luton will never get to see.
20:12A galaxy full of opportunity.
20:14So ultimately, Luton set out to save one small innocent child.
20:18And by doing so, he saves the galaxy.
20:22Wonderful.
20:22Wonderful.
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