Tony Gilroy addresses the brutal Bix Caleen moment from Andor Season 2 Episode 3

TRIGGER WARNING: This article discusses a moment from Andor Season 2 in which a character is se*ually assaulted. Reader discretion advised.

Andor Season 2 doesn't begin where the previous season ended, but rather, it begins a year after the events of the first season. Cassian, Bix, Wilmon, and Brasso are hiding in this agrarian planet called Mina-Rau. While this is usually a quaint planet, in the first three episodes of the series, the imperial officers are conducting an inspection here and rounding up undocumented immigrants.

This plot point feels very relevant in today's world, but the third episode of Andor Season 2 also featured a very shocking moment. An imperial officer tries to force himself on Bix, informing her that she is an "illegal immigrant". A few minutes later, Bix even utters the R-word, shocking viewers across the world, considering this is the first time the word was openly used in the Star Wars franchise.

Tony Gilroy, the showrunner, discussed this moment in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on April 23, 2025.

Tony Gilroy talks about the s*xual violence scene in Andor Season 2:

After the release of the first three episodes of Andor Season 2, Tony Gilroy was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd, and they discussed the violent assault scene in which Bix finds herself vulnerable to a predatory authority figure. Gilroy's says:

“I get one shot to tell everything I know — or can discover, or that I’ve learned — about revolution, about battles, with as many incidents and as many colors as I can get in there, without having [the story] tip over. I mean, let’s be honest, man: The history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s r**e. All of us who are here — we are all the product of r**e. I mean armies and power throughout history [have committed r**e]. So to not touch on it, in some way … It just was organic and it felt right, coming about as a power trip for this guy. I was really trying to make a path for Bix that would ultimately lead to clarity — but a difficult path to get back to clarity.”

When the showrunner was asked about Disney's reaction to this particular Andor Season 2 moment, he responded:

“No one ever ever said anything about it, ever. But I mean, we have limits on what we can do. We are very aware of what we can do s*xually and violence wise. Those limits are made very clear.”

This question was likely informed by Disney properties and the Star Wars franchise in general, being primarily geared towards children. Therefore inclusion of sensitive moments like s*xual violence can be seen as going too far. This is evident from the online reaction to this scene.

The s*xual violence moment from Andor Season 2 has fans divided:

The reaction to this Andor Season 2 scene wasn't surprising. A lot of criticism aimed towards this scene comes from the perspective that the Star Wars franchise is meant for kids. One of those who weren't thrilled about this scene was the YouTuber Star Wars Theory. He posted:

But this kind of criticism overlooks the previously implied situation of s*xual violence. 1983's Return of the Jedi featured General Leia in a slave outfit that s*xualized her. Furthermore, the villain Jabba the Hutt's reaction to seeing her in that outfit, i.e., licking tongue, implies s*xual violence. But Andor Season 2 depicted the seriousness of the situation, and is more realistic.

This post appreciated the scene:

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What do you think of including such an adult moment in Andor Season 2? Do you think that moment went too far? Let us know.

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