When I say hype, I mean in the broader fan base, not among people here.
When I say the wedding, I mean that the moment she lets her daughter marry the sketchy guy’s son is the last relevant choice she makes where she shows real agency. The rest of it is just watching the wedding for multiple episodes. The tone is unclear and it seems like you’re supposed to be disturbed by the wedding but nothing about it is really disturbing, other than Mon not liking it. Ooh a cultural tradition! Marriage!!! Scary!! Ahhh!!! Her daughter isn’t even unhappy. She likes the guy she’s marrying and she likes her own culture, so the only conflict is Mon’s petty feelings about it, which has nothing to do with anything else in the show at that point. Luthen and crew kill off her friend for her, and that detail could have happened without the wedding.
The set and costume design is neat and it’s understandable to want to see a different side of the setting, but it’s just a dancing meme in the end.
Do you think Perrin is giving good advice when he says that, despite the world’s troubles, the key to life is seeking out the pleasure of a nice dinner party? It’s emblematic of Perrin’s life, and the life Lieda is embracing. Contrast that with Mon’s life, and maybe you’ll see why the wedding matters.
Are you saying that that’s supposed to be a life lesson for the audience, or stakes for the plot?
I’m saying that there is a lot more to Andor than just the plot, yes. The plot itself is subservient to the issues and values Gilroy wanted to explore.
Is it explored, though? That’s what I’m saying, any way you slice it nothing happens. Perrin’s wife leaves their loveless marriage to be a rebel, which she was doing anyway. Lieda gets to be a normal rich person, which was going to happen anyway. There aren’t any negative consequences for them that go beyond that. Do you really need that many episodes to dunk on epicureanism, by showing a neutral cultural event?