There are two things I know about Star Wars. The first is that after decades of countless stories told in movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and more, there are no objective truths when it comes to “the best” of anything in the galaxy far, far away. There is no “greatest Jedi” or “most heroic act.” You can’t definitively declare a spaceship, planet, or character as the unquestioned #1. There are simply too many options and too many justified opinions to make that impossible.
The second thing I know about Star Wars is that sad Syril lying on his bed in Andor season two is the absolutely funniest moment in franchise history.
We definitely do not have to give it up to a fascist-loving bootlicker like Syril Karn in anyway. He does not deserve our sympathy or our understanding. He’s a bad person who supports bad people doing bad things. The only thing a garbage person like him deserves is cosmic comeuppance for his crimes against the galaxy.
But that doesn’t mean we endorse torture. And Syril experienced a punishment that would be too much for anyone in episode three of Andor‘s second season. He had to introduce his mother to his girlfriend. It was a moment so uncomfortable and awful it briefly let us empathize with someone we hate. It was easy to appreciate just how tiring it is for even Syril to deal with his passive aggressive mother Eedy. “Though she be but little she is fierce.” Only her quiet fury, delivered with “pleasant” little smiles, comes via verbal jabs heavy with disappointment, disapproval, and the kind of judgement only a loving mother can bury you with.
That awkward fondu dinner was funny enough to watch on its own, but what it then led to elevated the sequence to another level. Or rather, it brought it down. Down onto Syril and Dedra’s bed to be exact. The unnaturally twisted, wholly defeated, entirely exhausted way Kyle Soller collapsed onto that mattress was comedic genius at the highest level. Without moving he conveyed a lifetime of frustration and aggravation Syril has felt when dealing with his mother. Here he was, never happy in his private life or more successful at work, and in just a few minutes with some sharp jabs his mother had defeated him once more.
The fact he likes to pretend he’s a tough, in-control Imperialist made it all the more hysterical. This moment wouldn’t have played nearly as funny if we liked Syril. We’d feel badly for a character we root for if they found themselves in this situation. It would be tragic to know the parent they obviously love also causes them so much pain, that their mother always makes them feel like a failure. Fortunately, Syril Karn being a repugnant wannabe fascist made his mother’s utter destruction of his soul especially enjoyable despite it being relatable and human.
We love intergalactic treasure Eedy Karn for many reasons. But none more than the fact she knows better than anyone how to do the one thing we all want to do to her son. She knows how to make him miserable. And when she did, it sure was funny to watch. Does that make Sad Syril’s silent collapse onto his bed the funniest moment in Star Wars history? The first thing I know about the franchise says no such mantle exists. It simply can’t. There’s no way to objectively state any single moment in the galaxy is funnier than the rest.
But yeah, Sad Syril lying on his bed is definitely the funniest moment in Star Wars history.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He had to pause the episode because he laughed too hard at this scene. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
Content shared from nerdist.com.