It was inevitable that there would be an episode of Andor like this one. There needed to be an episode to take stock of where all the various pieces were on the chessboard, and to get them lined up for the final episode of the season. And, while there wasn’t a moment quite as transcendent as the last five episodes or so have produced, there is certainly enough here to get us hyped for the finale. Punch it, Chewie.
1. Chandrilan Fundamentalism
Not just because of my own history in a similar space, but it was fascinating to see Leida embrace the ancestry/religion of her people more than either of her parents do. This is often something that happens after a generation or two removed from an ancestral land; you hear about the way things ‘used to be,’ but have no real context for them, and so it’s easier for you to embrace those aspects than it is from folks who have a less-filtered experience with those elements. Leida taking an interest in the traditions of Chandrila is also the luckiest thing that ever happened to Mon Mothma, even if it will also haunt her for the rest of her life.
The arranged marriage that the gangster proposed last week all of a sudden looks a lot easier to pull off with a willing participant in Leida. But the question remains, is Mon really willing to sell her daughter into an oppressive tradition for the good of the Rebellion? It looks like the answer, at least right now, is yes, with reservations. There are so many layers to this, that when Mon is speaking with Vel, you can see her stress exuding from every pore on her skin. This is doing a real number on her psyche, and it remains to be seen if she can pull herself together enough to execute this plan.
Vel is rejecting a different kind of tradition, eschewing the coded language and secrecy of Luthen’s operation for a more direct conversation with Kleya. Kleya is doing her level best to ensure that Luthen’s operation remains secretive and effective, at all costs. Vel is sloppy, and is putting that at risk, which puts her at odds with Kleya. Vel is happy to be returning to Ferrix – really, returning to Cinta – and is happy to be able to actually do something. She isn’t built for the slow burn of rebellion the way that her cousin is. She has to act, and act now.
2. Did Bix just save the day?
After a week without seeing her, Bix’s appearance is a ghastly one. She’s been totally broken down by the Empire’s torture, and is a shell of a person when we see her dragged out of her cell and interrogated again. And yet, either through sheer exhaustion or a force of will that is almost unimaginable, she seems to have fingered Anto Kreegyr, not Luthen, as ‘Axis.’
The show does a really good job of hinting that, perhaps, Bix is doing this purposely, but it is obscured through her haze enough that it is hard to be sure. And I love that Andor choses to present it that way. It’s just more realistic; sometimes, luck breaks your way. Sometimes, it doesn’t. In 100 simulations, ‘Keef’ probably only gets arrested 10 times. Whether it is by the sheer determination or luck, it sort of doesn’t matter. Andor has presented the Rebellion as something that is more important than any one person, an entity that is built on hope (as Jyn Erso would later say), luck (as Skeen said before getting a new hole blown into him), and the sacrifice of people who both knowingly and unknowingly gave their lives to it.
If Bix can connect ‘Axis’ to Kreegyr, then Dedra Meero can feel that she’s tied off every single loose end by taking out Cassian at his mother’s funeral and Kreegyr’s crew at Spellhaus. She’s eliminated her link to the larger Rebellion, she’s found the person responsible for Aldhani, and she’s proved her worth to the Empire. Except, even if she were to kill/capture Cassian, which we know she doesn’t, the Spellhaus mission will do nothing but unite the Rebellion and protect the source in the ISB. Bix may have just saved the Rebellion.
Continued below3. Hardened Rebel
This week, there are two scenes that show why Luthen is who he is within the Rebellion. His conversation with Saw Gerrera was a masterclass from both actors, as we see Gerrera’s paranoia, which leads indirectly to his death in Rogue One, begin to really foment here. But Luthen is coming to Saw with the truth, or at least mostly the truth. He wants Saw to see that a) there is value in an alliance, b) that he is putting Saw above others, and c) that good thing are happening. If Saw can get on board with the Alliance, Luthen knows that he can use Saw as a valuable tool in his arsenal, but he’s got to play it just right. We know that, eventually, that Saw will break even further away, but for now, Luthen plays the game well.
In addition, we see Luthen escape Imperial capture through a mix of planning, skill, improvisation and, thanks Skeen, luck. But luck is the smallest part here; Luthen never really breaks a sweat. He knows what the protocol is for a situation like this, and instantly goes into action. He calmly takes the actions he needs to, and calmly makes sure that he not only gets away, but that he takes out some trash on his way. This is something that no other rebel we’ve met so far could’ve pulled off. Saw would’ve launched a full on attack. Cassian would’ve locked up. Vel and crew would’ve argued over it. Luthen is hard as kyber, and he is able to succeed because of it.
4. Goodbye, Maarva
Andor has gone against so many Star Wars instincts, and not showing Maarva’s death is a huge one. I know that sounds silly, but The Rise of Skywalker was constructed in such a way so that they had to reuse old footage just to show Leia dying, because in Star Wars, people eat it onscreen. By having Maarva die offscreen, it is signaling a very harsh reality: her death is meaningless. The only reason the show cares about her death is that it is the catalyst for the finale.
This isn’t Kreegyr, whose death will allow the Rebellion to continue. This isn’t Cassian, who gives his life to bring down the Death Star. Maarva isn’t dying for any reason other than everyone dies. The way the show is handling her death is extremely cold, but it perfectly fits the era that she lived and died in. Her death is meaningful because the Empire is going to exploit it. She is a cog in the wheel of imperialism. But they don’t care about her at all and, frankly, neither does the Rebellion. The Rebellion is working towards making a more just galaxy, but right now, it’s not there. To make an omelette, etc.
Also, B2EMO and Brasso are a wonderful pair. They both better make it through this.
5. Cassian can’t move forward
It’s interesting to see that, despite overcoming absolutely desperate circumstances, Cassian is still somewhat paralyzed. Before escaping Narkina, Melshi takes off running, but Cassian holds back initially. I know he left a lot of money behind, but going back to Naimos seems like a risk that may not be worth it. Now, he’s going to go back to Ferrix for an absolutely understandable reason, but Cassian still isn’t quite a rebel yet. Melshi keeps repeating “people need to know.” He’s ready to make sure people know. Cassian isn’t so sure; he’s still working through his own shit. He’s not ready to fully move forward yet.
But he’s about to walk into the event that will, absolutely, crystalize him into a tool of the Rebels. He is going to, in his own way, be made into a brick of the Rebellion, the way that his mother is being made into a brick of Ferrix. They are each building something through the sacrifice of their lives. There’s beauty in that.
