Does 'Andor' Pass The Bechdel Test?

Star Wars

Dec 5

Star Wars: Andor has been a hit with fans, but how well does it portray women? The Bechdel Test is considered a baseline for female participation in cinema and television. It is a floor rather than a gold standard, but it is often used to judge levels of inclusion. The Bechdel Test has three parts, with the media needing to hit all three to pass.

Do two women have a conversation?
Are they “named” characters?
Is that conversation about something other than a man?

This might look easy to achieve, but Star Wars has not fared well traditionally. All of the early movies fail. Rogue One scrapes a pass on one very brief conversation. The sequel trilogy films passed convincingly. Many of the newer series struggle. The Mandalorian failed badly in its first season. So why has it been so bad? The Star Wars franchise has had a big problem with writing material with a 50/50 gender split, especially when it comes to speaking roles. The Last Jedi came the closest giving us a whole host of female characters like Rey, Princess Leia, Vice Admiral Holdo, Captain Phasma, Maz Kanata, and Rose Tico.

What about Andor? Let’s break it down to see how each episode measures up on the Bechdel Test.

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Episode 1 - “Kassa”: FAIL

The only female-to-female interaction in this episode is in Kenari. The conversation between Cassian’s sister and another unnamed individual lasts less than ten seconds. We’re assuming it is not about another man, but since Disney did not include subtitles for the language, we can’t be sure.

Episode 2 – “That Would Be Me”: FAIL

Bix and Maarva do not speak to each other. There are no other female interactions in the episode. Massive fail.

Episode 3 – “Reckoning”: FAIL

Dedra Meero — Image Source: StarWars.com

Another huge failure here because of the imbalance of female background characters. This is arguably part of the storyline. In Dedra’s case, while we can assume she is a lone female in a male-dominated workforce, it is never once mentioned. She is not demeaned by being given menial tasks or being judged on her looks. In fact, we get the impression that the problem her colleagues have is her newness and her ambition rather than her gender. Her superior is also all too happy to reward her for her efforts and give her the credit for it. It feels as if the writers are insinuating discrimination with the casting choice but shy away from showing it onscreen.

However, there is no reason why Bix and Maarva haven’t had the opportunity to speak to another person of the same gender on Ferrix for the last two episodes.

Episode 4 – “Aldhani”: FAIL

With two women in the Aldhani strike team, we would expect this episode to be an easy pass. However, Cinta does not speak in this entire episode, even in the scenes where the entire group is discussing the heist. She is essentially set dressing until she leaves Aldhani. Kleya also does not speak to Mon Mothma and is silent for the whole scene.

Episode 5 – “The Axe Forgets”: PASS (Debatably)

Mon Mothma talks to Leida Mothma at the dinner table — Image Source: TVLine

Mon Mothma and Leida’s conversation is mostly about Perrin, but there are a few bits of back and forth that do not include him, so this might just scrape a pass depending on how harsh of a critic you are. Considering how badly Andor has scored so far, we will let this slide. It is worth noting that Leida brings her father up every time she is on screen.

Episode 6 – “The Eye”: PASS

It has taken six episodes, but we finally get a clear-cut pass from Star Wars: Andor. Vel and Cinta chat on top of the dam before the heist. Additionally, Kleya has a brief interaction with a female buyer, although she is not named, so not helpful for the Bechdel Test. It is worth pointing out as this is the only other female-to-female conversation in the episode.

Episode 7 – “Announcement”: FAIL

There are two relevant conversations in this episode, but both are emphatically about men. The first is between Vel and Kleya in the antiquities shop, but they are discussing Luthen and Cassian. The second is between Mon Mothma and her daughter, but Leida once again cannot help but bring up her father, and Tay Kolma also jumps in.

Episode 8 – “Narkina” 8: PASS

Mon Mothma talks about the Public Order Resentencing Directive legislation with a group that includes another named female senator. Bix also goes to visit Maarva. Additionally, Vel and Cinta argue, but that conversation does not pass the Bechdel test since they primarily discuss Cassian.

Episode 9 – “Nobody’s Listening!”: PASS

Unfortunately, the torture scene between Dedra and Bix is entirely about Cassian, a shame considering the great acting performances. On the other hand, the scene between Mon Mothma and Vel does meet the Bechdel standards. We just have to wait for Leida to leave as she brings up her father yet again.

Episode 10 – “One Way Out”: FAIL

This episode fails so badly. There are barely any female actors, let alone an occasion where two are able to talk to each other. Mon Mothma has a short scene with two men, Dedra appears in a room full of men, and Bix appears on the screen for five seconds but does not speak.

Episode 11 - “Daughter of Ferrix”: PASS (Again, Debatably)

Vel and Kleya talk in the antiquities shop. While they mention Luthen and Cassian, they also discuss the Rebellion in general. So this counts as a pass if you are being kind. We don’t get to hear any of “The Daughters of Ferrix” talk, though, despite it being the title of the episode.

Episode 12 – “Rix Road”: FAIL

There is one conversation between Vel and Cinta, but once again, it is dominated by men, so it is a fail. The severe lack of women with speaking roles on Ferrix once again causes problems.

Out of twelve episodes, only five pass the Bechdel test (with two of those being questionable). As a series, overall, this is not good enough. This is primarily due to the lack of women in the cast. According to IMDb, out of 175 cast members, only 33 identify as female, and of the reported “top cast,” only 6 of the 18 are women. This is made worse by Cinta being silent on Aldhani, and Kleya keeping quiet if there is another person in the room with her and Luthen.

There are difficulties in Andor for the Bechdel Test. It is obvious that most side characters will be chatting about the main (male) character. Cassian’s stint in a male prison and Dedra’s climb up a male-dominated hierarchy in the Empire restrict casting choices. However, that does not explain the lack of women in the rest of the locations.

Star Wars fans are diverse, they come from all backgrounds, from all genders, and ethnic origins. To quote Revan from Knights of the Old Republic video game, a Sith Lord who is playable as both male and female, “Who I am is not important. My message is.” Representation need not change a story, but Star Wars needs to adapt their casting practices and soon, or risk being behind the times.

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