Why do some people follow orders while others risk everything to say no. Tim and Tina dig into the psychology of obedience, moral courage, and how resistance actually works on the ground. Using Andor (Disney Plus), Chernobyl (HBO), and The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), they unpack what flips a bystander into a dissident, why institutions punish truth tellers, and how small acts add up.

What you will hear:

• Andor. Cassian’s shift from survival to purpose, Mon Mothma’s quiet rebellion, Luthen’s “dirty hands,” Dedra and Cyril as portraits of bureaucratic zeal

• Chernobyl. Legasov’s whistleblowing, Dyatlov’s blame economy, Ulana Khomyuk’s composite role, and how information control sustains catastrophe

• The Handmaid’s Tale. June’s trauma and agency, Serena’s complicity, Nick’s divided loyalties, Aunt Lydia’s rationalizations, and later season arcs about repair

• Obedience science. Authority, conformity, moral injury, bystander effect, and why patterned harm is missed when leaders “count incidents”

• The risk calculus. Social ties, identity, and when fear of shame outweighs fear of punishment

• A resistance toolkit. Pattern logging, boundary scripts, ally building, safe disclosure, and how to turn private conscience into collective action

Searchable topics covered:

why people obey authority, how resistance starts, Andor season 1 analysis, Andor season 2 setup, Chernobyl HBO explained, Handmaid’s Tale resistance and complicity, moral injury definition, whistleblower psychology, bystander effect, how to document patterns of harm, how authoritarian systems keep control

Content note: Discussion of state violence, coercion, and trauma. Spoilers for all listed works.