Summary: Meero arrives in Ferrix. Syril and Mosk also arrive. Cinta meets with Vel and they watch for Cassian. Cassian meets with an old friend Pegla and then speaks with Brasso in secret. Meero prepares her troops to capture Andor alive, while Luthen arrives and orders Vel and Cinta to wait at the hotel, they will kill Cassian in the chaos when the Empire goes after him. Cassian hides in the city, looking for a way to get Bix out of the hotel. Nurchi reveals his location to Meero and they close in on him but Cassian sneaks away into the sewer and gets into the hotel. Maarva's funeral begins and a hologram is played which begins an uprising. In the chaos, Wilmon throws a bomb and kills many Imperials. In the chaos, Meero is mobbed and nearly killed but Syril saves her. Cassian saves Bix and he goes back to Pegla who provides a ship for Bix, Brasso, Wilmon, and Bee. Cassian doesn't leave with them and tells them he will find them. Luthen escapes from Ferrix and finds Cassian in his ship. Cassian tells him to either kill him or let him join. Luthen laughs in delight. Meanwhile, Mon feeds false information to Kloris, making him suspect that Perrin is gambling. Kloris is revealed to be Blevin's spy. Leida is introduced to Davo's son. The trap set by the ISB works and all of Kreegyr's men are killed.
The Good: The build up to the funeral is done really well. There is genuine suspense as every character together for this huge event, and the editing, cutting sharply from character to character with slow, dramatic music, interspersed with Cassian's flashbacks incorporating some key dialogue from his past created a thrilling, anxiety-filled atmosphere. Going into this confrontation, I felt like we were going to witness something spectacular. While the episode didn't quite deliver on that promise (see: The Bad), I can't deny that watching the episode move its pieces into place was riveting, and there was some talented filmmaking at play. The rebellion is compelling to watch. Maarva's speech is another beautifully realized monologue in a series that has been filled with them, and I totally bought into her words igniting a spark in the people of Ferrix, resulting in a (literal) explosion as Ferrix rebelled openly against the Empire. I have problems with the depth of emotional investment in this scene, but the moment still worked and was filled with suspense and excitement. The ensuing riot was an engrossing spectacle and had some fantastic moments like Wilmon avenging his father, Luthen's subdued joy in seeing the fruits of his labour, and Meero facing the total brutality of the common people that she has been so alienated from this entire time. The riot sequence was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the episode. I continue to enjoy how this show handles Meero. Her relationship with Syril remains uneasy and creepy in certain ways, though they respect each other's drive for justice. I also like that we are seeing how Meero has made enemies in the ISB with her sudden rise, which is consistent for somebody who is so hell-bent on justice that she forgets to play by the rules of society and respect those around her. I do wonder if Meero's actions will come back to haunt her in the next season. The Bad: The emotions surrounding the characters are almost great, but in execution, the episode falls flat to a certain degree. While Maarva's speech is an excellent moment to spark some fight in the Ferrix residents, the moment isn't an all-time great scene because we hardly knew who Maarva was. She was flat, underdeveloped, and poorly realized in the end. As such, I struggled to fully connect with her decision to make this speech, and I wasn't emotionally affected by how the Ferrix residents reacted to this speech. We never got to see how important Maarva was to these people, so there is a significant degree of emotional investment that is lacking. Cassian is also lacking in emotional investment. I like the character, but he has felt like an after-thought ever since "The Eye". His arc didn't go anywhere too interesting, and his decision to side with Luthen ultimately fell flat because this episode didn't spend enough time with Cassian to give us some insight into his choice. I wish that Cassian played a more active role in this episode instead of simply being the reason why everyone was here. He's the main character, but I feel that he hasn't been given enough interesting character work to capitalize on the promise he showed in the early episode. Ultimately, Cassian ended up becoming a side thought, one of the least interesting aspects of the show. This episode wasn't quite the event that I was hoping for. Everybody came together for this event, and I think that this wasn't as climactic and satisfying as it could have been, considering the build-up and the timing of this event. Some character arcs moved forwards and we got to see another moment of rebellion, but there was nothing game-changing about this episode, and after all of the exciting build-up, I ended up being underwhelmed by what we got. Furthermore, the episode was predictable and didn't offer any dramatic surprises in the second half. I predicted an uprising happening pretty early on, and that's exactly what we got without any other delights or surprises along the way. I have mixed feelings about the post-credits scene. It was cool to reveal that the Narkina 5 prisoners were helping to build the death star, but I do not feel excited seeing the death star being built. We know it's being built and we know what happens with it, so there is nothing exciting about introducing the death star because it doesn't offer any interesting directions for the story to go. The death star is a boring inevitability that we've exhausted the storytelling potential of, and I'm not thrilled by the prospect of seeing more about it being built. This season did so well to avoid needless connections with the rest of the "Star Wars" universe, but it fell at the final hurdle. The Unknown: So Kloris is Blevin's spy. Why is he spying on Mon? Is he after something? How did Mon learn that Kloris was compromised? What was the significance of Cinta killing Corv? Corv seemed to recognize her. Did I miss something, or is this a hint at Cinta's past? Where will Bix, Brasso, Bee, and the others go? Will Cassian find them again? Will they survive? What's next for Syril now that he's saved Meero? Presumably she will have to help him in some way to return the favour. Will Meero face consequences for this rebellion? Ferrix was under her watch and the situation spiraled completely out of her control. What's next for Cassian now that he is actively going to work for Luthen? Best Moment: Maarva's speech was extremely inspiring, and the way it caused an uprising to break out was tense and exciting, and it felt like a huge moment for the Ferrix storyline, like this was what the entire story was building up to. Character of the Episode: Nobody really stands out, so I'll give it to Maarva for that speech. Conclusion: Overall, this was a good season finale that provided an explosive and thematic conclusion to the first season. It wasn't without its flaws, especially concerning some of the characters, but I feel positive about the episode. "Andor" was an unexpected surprise. I was hopeful that a show so far removed from the "Star Wars" franchise's incessant fanservice and pandering to nostalgia would be possible, but I never got my hopes up. "Andor" provided exactly that; it separated itself from the worst impulses of "Star Wars" and created a thematically resonant story that stands on its own and feels like it is a story worth telling. This felt like the essence of what "Star Wars" should be about, and I hugely appreciate the show for doing this. But, there is still lots of room for improvement as this first season had lots of flaws. Cassian didn't quite work as a main character. He showed potential early on, but was shafted to the sidelines by the end of season. Mon Mothma's story was consistently uninteresting and felt too far detached from the main plot. And ofttimes, "Andor" bit off more than it could chew with an excessive number of characters and storylines, and plot developments which weren't adequately conveyed to the viewers. These flaws hurt my enjoyment of the show, but this show undoubtedly had its heart in the right place, and unlike most other "Star Wars" projects, I can safely say that I'm excited to see a second season, one that will hopefully improve upon the solid foundation given by this first season. Score: 66
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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