Here we are, with the final piece of the opening triptych of Andor. No more preamble, let’s get to it.
1. Hardcore fans done dirty
Earlier this summer, there was a special re-release of Rogue One in IMAX, and one of the selling points of the re-release was a scene from Andor being shown before the film. That scene comes from the second half of this episode, where we finally get Cassian meeting Luthen, which basically sets the series on its course. I didn’t really reflect on this until my podcast co-host Matt pointed out that having seen this scene ahead of time, it sort of makes the first two episodes feel a little slight and uneventful. This is worse than the typical problems with a prequel, in that we know how the story ends, because we know what the ‘real’ story of the series is, and we are just waiting for Luthen to show up.
This is the opposite of how you want to be treating your most hardcore fans, which is to reward them for buying a ticket to see a film they own at home and have streaming access to. I know that was the intention, but the execution on it was quite flawed.
2. Snitches get blaster holes in their chests
Bix’s boyfriend sucks, and he paid with his life for ratting out Cassian. I understand that murder is bad, obviously, but he seems hip enough to the situation with the ‘company’ and its Imperial ties to know not to snitch on folks. Sure, he’s jealous that Bix seems to care a lot about Cassian, but don’t be a rat, bro.
This scene also drives home the idea that these three episodes were really meant to be viewed in one block. This feels like the culmination of Cassian’s story on Ferrix, and sets the series up for its next piece.
3. Is this it for Bix, Maarva and co?
And because this feels like the end of the Ferrix piece, I have to wonder if this is the last we’ll see, at least for awhile, of the supporting cast from Ferrix. It seems like a shame to introduce us to these characters just to leave them be from now on, but I also can’t see a reason for Ferrix to be in the background of the show from now on. Maybe next season, or later this one, Cassian will pop back in for a visit, but it seems like that’s a bad idea. But Maarva and Bix in particular are interesting characters with a lot more to do in this world, seemingly.
4. Maybe being a fascist is…bad?
The scene with Syril Karn looking pensively at that crashed speeder was obviously trying to show the audience his conflicted feelings over being a corporate stooge, but it seems like a really weird moment for him to feel that way. Sure, the mission went poorly, but it isn’t like there was this catastrophic moment that shook him to his core. It seems unlikely that someone who is so invested in his career would suddenly lose sight of his goals and place in the world at the first real misstep. It seems like he is being set up for a face turn, but that feels incredibly rushed, too. Even when considering these three episodes as one long episode, the pacing of certain moments seems very off.
5. “It rhymes” – George Lucas
The episode ends in a pretty heavy-handed intercutting between the ‘Kassa on Kenari’ story and Cassian leaving Ferrix with Luthen. Both instances show Cassian leaving what he knows and the people he loves for a new adventure. The first time is basically a kidnapping, and the second is fleeing from the law/joining a rebellion, so they’re not exactly the same, but the show wants us to see them as parallel events in his life. And while there are a lot of questions about what exactly happened on Kenari/why the Separatists were there, I’m sure a novel or comic will deal with that in the future. There’s not enough time in this series to delve back into that for no real reason.
As I look back on the three episodes, I think the sum is far greater than the individual parts, maybe more so than any television series I’ve watched in the last decade. I’m excited to get back into the series, but I hope that the pacing is a little less scattered. I’m not mad that the series doesn’t ‘feel’ like Star Wars like I’ve seen some folks opining about. That’s actually a good thing! I have high hopes for the final nine episodes of the season. And, if you recall from a certain film, rebellions are built on hope.
