Mon Mothma’s Epic Senate Speech Diverges from Star Wars Canon
In a shocking turn of events, Mon Mothma, played by Genevieve O’Reilly, delivered a bold speech in the Senate, declaring her allegiance to the Rebellion and condemning the Empire’s atrocities. The speech, which was a pivotal moment in the character’s arc, diverged slightly from the Star Wars canon established in the animated series Rebels.
According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, O’Reilly explained that Mon Mothma’s decision to speak out against the Empire was a crucial moment in her character’s development. “She’s not risking anything,” O’Reilly said. “She knows that now is the time to use her one weapon, which is her voice, and she must use it and be as impactful as possible. She is ruthless in that moment, in the name of the Rebellion.”
The speech, which was written by Tony Gilroy, was a significant departure from the canon established in Rebels. In the animated series, Mon Mothma makes a speech broadcast across the galaxy from within a ship as she is transported to Yavin by Gold Squadron. However, Gilroy and writer Dan Gilroy felt constrained by having to adhere to the speech she delivers there and weren’t interested in parroting someone else’s writing.
“We are hijacking canon,” Tony Gilroy admitted to Entertainment Weekly. “In canon, she’s rescued by the Gold Squadron and the speech that they gave in the cartoon, which was a canonical show, [is on that ship]. And Danny’s like, ‘Do I have to stick to this f–ing speech?'”
The decision to diverge from canon allowed the writers to create a unique moment for Mon Mothma’s character. Cassian, played by Diego Luna, would rescue Mon from the Senate, evading Bail’s corrupted squadron, and he would deliver her to a safe house. But she would remain there, awaiting Luthen’s arranged transport with Gold Squadron, and she would make another speech broadcast to the entire galaxy once safely on her way to Yavin.
O’Reilly was thrilled with the speech and felt that it was a crucial moment in her character’s development. “It was everything I was hoping for,” she said to Entertainment Weekly. “That’s like the best gift you can get as an actor. She speaks to how important the Senate is to her. You can see that it’s like her church. She reveals so much and then she calls out some really brutal truths.”
The speech was also significant in that it marked a turning point for Mon Mothma’s character. As she and Cassian were attempting to escape the Senate, she dropped her Senate robe in response to a moment of brutal violence. She left it there, instead donning Cassian’s jacket as camouflage.
O’Reilly worked with the Andor team and costume designer Michael Wilkinson to find the perfect moment for that sartorial gesture. “We knew that that Cassian had to give her his coat because he has to disguise her to leave the building,” she explained to Entertainment Weekly. “It wasn’t scripted where it happened, but I remember us really workshopping that. Where does it mean the most?”
To O’Reilly, dropping that robe to the ground was Mon’s true moment of revolt. “She has been working for the Rebellion deeply and intrinsically, and she’s been vital to the Rebellion,” she reflected. “But that is the moment that she crosses that rubicon and she crosses it with Cassian. That felt beautiful, that it is with him, given where we go in Rogue One. But it’s that there’s no turning back at that point. There is no going back.”
Mon Mothma’s character has been a part of the Star Wars universe for many years, and O’Reilly has been portraying her for 20 years. Her speech in the Senate was a pivotal moment in the character’s arc and marked a significant departure from the Star Wars canon.
The article quotes Genevieve O’Reilly and Tony Gilroy, and is based on an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Mon Mothma’s speech was as follows: “Fellow senators, friends, colleagues, allies, adversaries, I stand before you this morning with a heavy heart. I stand this morning with a difficult message. I believe we are in crisis. The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous.
“The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil,” she continues. “When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped form our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest. This chamber’s hold on the truth was finally lost on the Ghorman plaza. What took place yesterday, what happened yesterday on Ghorman was unprovoked genocide. Yes, genocide. And that truth has been exiled from this chamber. And the monster screaming the loudest, the monster we helped create, the monster who will come for us all soon enough, is Emperor Palpatine.”
Mon Mothma’s actions in the Senate marked a significant turning point in the Star Wars universe and will have far-reaching consequences for the characters and the galaxy.
The speech and Mon Mothma’s actions in Andor have been widely praised by fans and critics alike.
Mon Mothma’s character development in Andor and her actions in the Senate have been hailed as a highlight of the series.
Genevieve O’Reilly’s portrayal of Mon Mothma has been widely praised, and her performance in Andor has been hailed as one of the standout aspects of the series.
The interview with Entertainment Weekly provides further insight into the making of the episode and the significance of Mon Mothma’s speech.
Further reporting was provided by Dalton Ross.
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