*Vel-related spoilers.*
Another day, another favorite character from Andor. However long it takes before we get season 2, I swear there’s enough to keep me talking until then. Vel is such a neat character because of the layers that get peeled back on her over the course of the season.
When Luthen drops off Cassian on Aldhani, having gotten him to agree to a one-off Rebel mission, Vel is the one heading the operation. She’s aggravated with Luthen for dumping a new person in their lap at the last minute, but she goes along with it, defending Cassian against the rest of the group’s suspicions.
We soon learn that, for all of Vel’s hard edges and commanding nature, she’s never actually done anything like this before. Politics are one thing, physically infiltrating and robbing an Imperial outpost is quite another. Like the others in the group, she’s rich in ideals but lacking in experience and knowhow. She’s focused enough on the greater good that, when she recognizes Cassian’s skill and knowledge, she allows him to take on a key role in the mission, despite his own cynicism about the cause. She’s not above letting personal issues distract her—she steps in real quick when she thinks Cassian is getting too friendly with Cinta—but overall, the mission comes before anything else.
When it comes time for the heist, Vel’s careful planning and drills pay off tactically, but taking the leap and really doing it is still difficult. I love the long, tense “now or never” moment when all the Rebels are waiting for Vel to take them past the point of no return. People on the comms are urging her to push forward, and beside her, Cinta is waiting, but for a moment, Vel is paralyzed and can’t bring herself to act.
Once she does take that step forward, we simultaneously see how capably she steps up and how terrified she is the whole time. As they take an officer and his family hostage, that commanding nature comes to the fore, but we can feel the undercurrent of “oh my god, what am I doing?” running through it. From the moment she and Cinta part ways to play their individual roles, there’s a piece of Vel that’s continually worried about her lover’s safety and wanting to check in and make sure she’s okay.
The first time we see Vel post-Aldhani, I had to do a double take. I’d gotten used to seeing her in Aldhani shepherd gear, practical clothes for rough living among the elements. Unglamorous and ready for action. By contrast, back on Coruscant, I hardly recognized her in her stylish ensemble complete with jewelry and flowing hair. She looks like she’s attempting to be undercover, but this is the sort of society she actually comes from, a wealthy young woman who’s decided to be part of something bigger. While Mon Mothma—who’s later revealed to be her cousin(!)—is at this point aiding the Rebellion by funding it, hosting lavish parties and schmoozing the galaxy’s elites to bankroll the Empire’s future downfall, Vel took the route of becoming an on-the-ground Rebel herself, fighting for the cause.
The contrast is fascinating. Is Vel a bored rich girl who’s essentially roleplaying as a Rebel? Does she want to have her cake and eat it too, going off on exciting missions and then returning home to her pampered life? Or is she really playing an act in the world she comes from, making appearances to preserve her cover while longing to get back to what really matters? Over the course of the season, she variously serves as a foil for Cassian, Mon Mothma, and Cinta, each time providing us important information about those characters while also deepening our understanding of her.
What’s next for Vel? I’m eager to find out!
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