One way out

I’m rewatching Andor in anticipation of the second season. The series feels eerily relevant given the current state of politics. But episodes 8 through 10 feel especially important to keep in mind these days.

Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead.

To set the scene, our main character Cassian has just helped rob a garrison. This caused the empire to clamp down on any suspected rebel activity. Cassian takes his share of the money from the robbery and flees to a beach to keep his head down and avoid anything to do with the empire. And it’s there, going to get some food from the store, he gets mistaken as a participant in anti-Empire activity and he gets sent to prison for six years.

That’s where he arrives in episode 8, and when he does, he’s essentially told by supervisor: I only have a little time left on my sentence and you’re not going to mess that up. So do as you’re told. Keep it to yourself if you’re having issues. Don’t slow down for any reason.

There are some instances of prisoners helping each other, but for the most part cooperation serves as a way to keep yourself alive and really it’s every man for himself. Even when a fellow prisoner commits suicide, prisoners complain because it inconveniences them.

Through all this, Cassian plans an escape with another prisoner. When he involves others, it’s only because they have information he needs. His attempts only provoke the others into further compliance, though, because everyone is on different pages on what is best for them.

Then an entire unit of prisoners is killed and word gets out it’s because those prisoners discovered a prisoner who served his sentence was transferred back to them. They’re never getting out. Suddenly everyone is on the same page: it’s time to try and escape because there is only one way out. Even the shift manager — the most compliant of the bunch — joins the attempt.

The point is that when fear is used to force compliance, it’s so easy to focus on yourself and just make sure you’re okay. But when we recognize that keeping everyone safe is the best way to keep ourselves safe, and that working together toward a common goal is the only way to do that, then the fear has a much harder time controlling us even though it never goes away.

That’s what I’m trying to keep in mind whenever I feel that fear and start to narrow my focus to just myself. I try to look at the bigger picture of what is needed and remember there is only one way out. The more of us who do this, the more likely we will all come out okay.