It’s one of the most fascinating – and potentially confusing – speeches in all of Andor, but it also informs us of why Saw Gerrera is such a tricky proposition to handle in Rogue One, and speaking with IndieWire writer Beau Willimon drills into that speech and how it came to be.
Set on a rainy distant planet in the middle of a risky heist, the Rebellion’s extremist leader Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) delivers a rousing speech comparing the highly volatile fuel rhydonium to the resistance itself. Ostensibly, Saw’s words are meant for his newest recruit, Wilmon Paak (Muhannad Bhaier), who’s helping him pilfer the potentially lethal energy source. But as Saw continues speaking, his enthusiasm proves contagious, both for Wilmon and the audience at home.
“Have you ever seen a man die from rhydonium?,” Saw says. “Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you love … [sniffs] the smell of it. And maybe you breathe just a little too deeply. Burned from the inside. You watch your skin blister as it melts away. Or, you die loud. Cut a line? Drop a wrench? Let it spill? Don’t even need a spark, do you, boy?”
When asked to share the scene’s origins — especially given his proximity to an actual war while writing the episode — Willimon’s explanation was so thorough and generous, it’s worth sharing in full (with a few light edits for clarity):
“You don’t start out saying, ‘OK, we’re going to have a big speech for Saw Gerrera, where he sort of outlines his thesis and his motivation, and that we try to do something impactful that will blow a lot of people’s minds and have a subreddit thread’ or something,” Willimon said. “You really just start from a very pedestrian place of crafting story. And there were a few things going on in that episode that contributed to that speech.”
