Did Rook Take Over Andy In Alien: Romulus?

Warning: Spoilers for Alien: Romulus below!The sinister android Rook infiltrated Andy’s mind, but did he fully take him over in Alien: Romulus? While 2024’s Alien: Romulus was a healthy box office success that received broadly positive reviews (it stands at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes), it received critiques over its excessive number of callbacks. Romulus is filled with Alien easter eggs, with some being extremely on the nose. The most divisive element of the sequel has been the way the late, great Ian Holm was resurrected via CGI as the villainous Rook, who is the same model android as Ash from the original film.

A movie recreating a deceased performer with visual effects has been a sticky issue ever since Rogue One used Peter Cushing’s likeness for Moff Tarkin; that said, Romulus‘ use of Rook makes a certain amount of sense within the Alien movie franchise, considering there must have been more than one model using Ash’s likeness. Rook serves as one of Romulus‘ main threats, with the syntactic determined to bring back a sample of the black goo to Weyland-Yutani – no matter the human cost involved.

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Rook’s Module Significantly Changed Andy In Alien: Romulus

Andy 2.0 helps and hinders Romulus’ human characters

When Romulus’ protagonists discover Rook, the science officer has already been ripped in half. Thus, he needs their help to retrieve the pathogen and get it off the crumbling station, so the kindly android Andy (David Jonsson) uploads a control chip from Rook into himself. This radically alters Andy, upgrading his intelligence and functionality – while also rendering him a colder, more clinical figure.

This is best seen during the scene where Andy 2.0 refuses to open a door to free the trapped Kay (Isabela Merced), suspecting the Xenomorph stalking her is using Kay as bait. Rook’s chip also overwrites Andy’s previous prime directive of looking after human “sister” Rain (Cailee Spaeny) in favor of putting Weyland-Yutani’s interests first before other considerations. Despite being Alien: Romulus‘ most sympathetic character, Andy definitely absorbs some of Rook’s worst traits after the chip is inserted.

This makes audiences question Andy’s true allegiances – and whether he has become a tool of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. This adds a nice layer of tension to Alien: Romulus‘ middle act since there is the possibility that the formerly kindhearted synthetic might turn on the survivors if he has to. Thankfully, as Bishop (Lance Henriksen) proved in Aliens, not every android is an evil extension of the company.

Rook Can’t Fully Control Andy In Alien: Romulus

Rook is the evil angel on Andy’s shoulder in Romulus

Despite overriding Andy’s objectives and giving him a sense of purpose with their joint goal of saving the black goo, Rook isn’t in total control of Andy. The control chip might have fixed Andy’s functionality, but he’s ultimately the one driving the boat. It almost feels like a victory when Rain removes Rook’s module from her brother, with the “broken” version of Andy returning. Despite his glitchiness, Andy’s capacity for empathy and emotion separates him from Rook in an important way.

That said, Alien: Romulus introduces an interesting wrinkle to both Weyland-Yutani and Rook. In the previous films, the company embodied faceless greed, but Romulus suggests Weyland-Yutani’s goal was a somewhat noble one. They wanted to “upgrade” mankind using the black goo, making people stronger and more adaptable to survive the ravages of deep space. Sure, having workers who have little need of food or sleep and never take sick days would suit their profit margins, but the intention is well-meaning on paper.

Even Rook seems to be driven by this goal of evolving humanity – even if the means sacrificing some human lives. Alien: Romulus uses this as the dividing line between Rook and Andy, with the latter being unwilling to sacrifice his sister for the so-called greater good.

Andy Was Still Separate From Rook Despite The Android’s Influence

Andy is a flip on Alien’s typical android antagonists

In Alien: Covenant, Micheal Fassbender’s David and Walter felt like the opposite sides of the same coin. David felt his intellect and programming made him superior to mankind and fueled his quest to “replace” them with his perfect creations; Walter, on the other hand, never questioned his programming to serve his crew – though how much he truly cared for them is ambiguous. Alien: Romulus combines this dynamic into a single character when Andy lets Rook into his head, with both fighting for control over Andy’s soul throughout.

Regardless, Andy’s persona wins out, and Rook could never have forced him to make a decision he didn’t fully agree with. This concept of free will versus programming is a running theme throughout Alien: Romulus and is one reason Andy is the most intriguing character in the film. While it seemed that Rook upgraded Andy with the control chip, the story proves there was nothing much wrong with the original version.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.

Director

Fede Alvarez

Release Date

August 16, 2024

Studio(s)

Scott Free Productions , 20th Century

Writers

Fede Alvarez , Rodo Sayagues , Dan O’Bannon , Ronald Shusett

Runtime

119 Minutes

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