Star Wars fans are perplexed by the strange attraction between two of Andor’s creepiest characters.
MajorBlack98 brought up the odd sexual chemistry between Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) in the r/StarWars subreddit, posing the question, “Why do you think there was romantic/sexual tension in that scene?”
Fans are talking about a scene between the two characters in Andor‘s ninth episode, “Nobody’s Listening,” where Syril stared intensely at Dedra and thanked her for his promotion. For her part, Dedra seemed visibly uneasy in Syril’s presence, narrowing her eyes at him as he spoke, and even pulling away from him at one point. OP believes there is a discernible attraction between the two, and wonders if Dedra is repulsed by Syril, or if the romantic interest is mutual.
SilverEyedDM agreed that Syril was attracted to Dedra, but the feeling was not mutual.
RobotRock85 got the same impression from the scene: Syril was crushing on Dedra but Dedra wanted no part of it.
Some viewers took Syril’s hyper-focused stare as a sign that he is both attracted to and envious of Dedra, who is the embodiment of his aspirations.
In Trocho10’s view, there was nothing romantic about Syril’s behavior. In keeping with his general character, it was sinister.
Talk of Syril’s creepiness ultimately saw the discussion turn to the most disturbing Star Wars relationship of all time: Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, and how it may have influenced fans to conflate dysfunctional behavior with love. MrMonkeyman pointed out that someone like Dedra might not know the difference between the two, even though she was grossed out by Syril’s interest in her.
Syril definitely seems to think he’s met his match in the equally uptight Dedra. Even if she doesn’t return his feelings, the idea of a romantic relationship between the two closeted megalomaniacs is pretty hilarious.