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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Summary: On Ferrix, Maarva has passed away and a funeral is arranged. Cinta reports this to Vel who informs Kleya. Meero finds out about Maarva's passing and tells her subordinates to allow the funeral to happen as a trap for Cassian. Syril is informed by Mosk that a funeral is being held for Maarva. Mon informs Vel that she intends to take Davo's deal and betrothe Leida. She reveals that she has moved money for Luthen and ended up with 400,000 missing credits, and she needs to solve this problem. Luthen meets with Saw, who decided that he wants to join Kreegyr's attack. Luthen reveals that the attack will fail and Saw is angered that Luthen has sources everywhere, but ultimately agrees not to join with Kreegyr's attack. Luthen heads back but is questioned by an Imperial ship. He manages to escape after taking out some TIE fighters. Cassian and Melshi hide from Imperials and try to escape in a quadjumper belonging to some Narkinians but they get caught. The Narkinians have no love for The Empire so they help Cassian and Melshi escape. Cassian returns to Niamos and grabs his stuff. Cassian learns that Maarva died and he parts ways with Melshi.
The Good: This episode was focused on being a set-up episode. Rather than feeling like another aimless episode of plot development, this episode was focused on building up every storyline to meet at Maarva's funeral for what will hopefully be an exciting climax in the season finale. This set-up was done well and it pushes each character to an interesting place. Cassian and Melshi on the run is a solid storyline. I liked their encounter with the Narkinians, another nice example of how hated The Empire has become in this universe. The Narkinians have no reason to help Cassian and Melshi, but they have too severe of a distaste for The Empire which has ruined their home planet. This is consistent with what we have seen from The Empire in this season and it works well. The ending of the storyline in this episode is also effective as Cassian has to take in the rough news of Maarva's death. The other characters are set up well for a big confrontation. Cinta will be on Ferrix for the funeral, and we get to see both Meero and Syril also making a play for the funeral where Cassian will make his return. Luthen and Kleya will also most likely appear as they appeared to have been discussing Cassian in secret before Luthen was pulled over (see: The Unknown). Luthen's story was the highlight of the episode. His scene with Saw was again excellent. It made sense that Luthen would reveal anything to prevent Saw from being captured, and it made sense that Saw would be furious about what he heard. Luthen is an impossible individual to trust after revealing how much he knows, how many informants he has, and how he intends to sacrifice Kreegyr for the greater good. I really like that Saw sees through Luthen and realizes that Luthen is only risking things by telling him the truth because Luthen would be screwed if Saw gets captured. Saw is a wild card character, but he is sensible enough to understand why Luthen is sacrificing Kreegyr, ultimately choosing to go along with it for the greater good. Following this excellent scene, Luthen is pulled aside by an Imperial vehicle and it is a joy to see him plan an escape, utilizing whatever tools he has at his disposal. The escape sequence was exciting, and I really enjoyed it. The Bad: Mon's storyline has been very disappointing. This episode had the most impactful scenes with her, but I take big issue with the timing of the reveal of how screwed Mon is. Mon's money trouble has been tedious and boring since the start of the season because I never understood what the big deal is. Now we find out that this is actually an urgent issue because Mon's position as a respected senator is under threat if it's revealed that she's been doing illegal money transfers under suspicious circumstances. This bothers me because this is something that should have been introduced eons ago. It solves every problem I've had with this story! It creates a sense of urgency, it allows us to better understand Mon's financial struggles and the seriousness of the issue, and it makes this story feel less like filler if we know that this could potentially bring about Luthen's downfall. But because this is used as a "twist" reveal, we have been robbed of the emotional significance of a half dozen episodes full of Mon Mothma storylines, and that is incredibly frustrating. I hope that this reveal means that this story will be more engaging going forwards at least, because it has been difficult to invest in so far. This episode being pure set-up means that it doesn't hit the highs of other episodes that are more active in story progression. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just an inevitability where set-up episodes are less effective than pay-off episodes. The Unknown: Will Cassian show up to Maarva's funeral? Will there be a trap for him? Who will get to him first? Meero? Syril? Luthen? Bix? Will Mon go through with marrying off Leida? How will this affect their family dynamic? What will Bix say about Kreegyr? Did she identify him as Axis or not? Will Meero be able to uncover Luthen's identity? What will be the consequences of Luthen's escape? I presume he will have to dispose of his ship at the very least. Will Meero be able to connect some dots and realize that this person was Axis? Are there any other survivors from the prison? Will we see Melshi again? Best Moment: Luthen and Saw's scene. Character of the Episode: Luthen. Conclusion: A solid set-up episode that has a couple of flaws but is overall an engaging experience that made me excited for the season finale. This has been the strongest "Star Wars" TV show so far, and I'm excited to see how it leaves off for season 2. Score: 63 Summary: Cassian and Kino reveal the truth to the other prisoners and they prepare a plan to escape the next day. When the new man is brought in, the revolt starts. The guards are killed, the floors are deactivated, and the prisoners escape. Cassian and Kino take over the central hub and KIno announces the revolt to everyone, encouraging everyone to escape. The prisoners all manage to get out and dive into the ocean to swim to freedom. Cassian goes, and before he jumps Kino reveals he can't swim. Mon meets with Davo who offers to help her in exchange for a meeting between his son and her daughter. Mon vehemently refuses. Luthen meets with Lonni who is his contact in the ISB. Lonni has become a father and wants out, but Luthen gives a speech about sacrifice, telling Lonni that he has no choice but to keep working.
The Good: I've had my problems with the structure and of this show, as well as its difficulty with providing context. However, I've always maintained that this show has superb writing, acting, themes, and narrative. What this means is that when the first two problems are dealt with, this show is capable of producing the best "Star Wars" television that I have seen. This episode was focused on the prison escape sequence with few cuts to extraneous storylines, avoiding the usual structural issues, and time was spent resolving and developing existing storylines, avoiding the context issues which primarily pop up when this show is creating new storylines. Because of what it was, this episode played to the strengths of "Andor" and provided the best that we have seen so far in this show. The escape was compelling television. This show did a tremendous job of portraying the emotions of the people who are making this big decision to leave. The reveal that nobody is getting out created a sensible uproar, but when push comes to shove, it's so much harder for everyone to risk their lives to revolt even though they have good reason to. The episode explores this idea beautifully with multiple characters. Some of the side characters whose names I have forgotten can be remembered by their fear of rebelling, their willingness to toss their lives aside for the cause, and other memorable feats which highlight the themes of rebellion that this show does so well at exploring. Though the side characters offer some good exploration of the theme, the best example of good thematic exploration is the arc of Kino. Andy Serkis has been brilliant in his few episodes, but he hits a higher level here. Kino has decided to rebel, but he is still left with second thoughts even though he knows that he's doing the only thing that he can do. Kino is a natural leader, having supervised 5-2-D for so long, but when it comes to leading a rebellion, just being a leader is not good enough. Impostor syndrome kicks in, nervousness kicks in, you begin to question if you really should be influencing all of these people with your words. In his moments on the microphone announcing orders to the entire prison, Kino has to truly find his strength to make this escape happen, and when he does, it's a brilliant emotional moment for the character, one that we are cheering because his entire arc has been building up to this. Cassian is also connected to this arc in a surprising way. Though Cassian insists that he is no rebel and is not fighting for the cause, he is remarkable because unlike Kino, he is able to commit to doing this thing with ease, and his role in this arc is to convince Kino to join him in the fight for freedom. It's similar to the role he played in the Aldhani heist, ensuring that everything goes smoothly. Cassian may not know it, but he's a rebel at heart, and these recent episodes have done a magnificent job of illustrating this. The ending of the escape also features quite a savage twist. After all they've been through organizing this escape, we assume that its success would see Cassian and Kino go free, with both of them showcasing the traits needed to join the rebellion. But we are hit with a brutal reveal as Kino admits that he can't swim, meaning that he will not be surviving this escape. He helped everyone else find their way out, but not himself. I love the decision to not give Cassian and Kino a final goodbye. It preserves the realism that this series boasts compared to most "Star Wars" properties to not include a "movie moment" like an emotional goodbye which realistically would not happen in this scenario. Instead of being able to say farewell to his friend, Cassian is knocked off the edge, likely never to see Kino again. The episode picks an intriguing ending point with a fantastic scene between Lonni and Luthen. The reveal that Lonni is an inside agent was a surprise to me, and it made sense that Luthen would want to have his men infiltrating whatever major corporation he can. This scene brilliantly provided the context for Lonni's relationship with Luthen. We understand why Lonni is helping him, we understand why there is conflict between them, and we learn more about both of them as characters, especially Luthen. Luthen's speech about his sacrifice is an incredible moment. Not only does it fit in with the themes of the show, but it paints a significant dark side to Luthen's character, again highlighting his understanding of the bad that needs to be done to accomplish what he wants to accomplish, while also highlighting the tragedy behind his role. It would be easy to dismiss Luthen as a simple villainous character, but the show is demonstrating to us that he is doing what he does for the greater good, and that it has cost him his own humanity and life to play this role. This is a character who will not bat an eye at doing evil deeds, but he is not someone who is beyond sympathy since he is somebody so committed to his cause that he has thrown aside any other human quality that he has to ensure his success. The Bad: Nothing outright bad, just minor nitpicks. Mon's story is still significantly weaker than everything else going on in the show, and her meeting with Davo wasn't particularly interesting to me. He's after her daughter, which is typical of the swindler character that he is playing, and of course Mon refuses, but has second thoughts. This is fine enough storytelling, but completely uninspired and unoriginal. The prison escape was great to watch, but it loses some of its tension because it's been clear from the minute Cassian entered the prison that he would help to stage a prison escape. Predictability is not a bad thing, but it reduces the tension. The Unknown: Will Mon go along with Davo's deal? Will Lonni ever get found out by the ISB? Will he remain loyal to Luthen? How many prisoners escaped? Where are they going to go? How will they get off the planet? Did Kino die in the escape? Is there any chance that he stayed back in the prison and survived? Best Moment: Luthen's speech. A fantastic moment that captivated me more than anything else on this show. The line "I burn my life to make a sunrise I will never see" is especially powerful and moving, making you realize the extent of what Luthen has put on the line for this rebellion. It also beautifully parallels Kino's story as Kino also gave his life for the cause of the prison escape, an escape that he will never experience himself. Beautiful storytelling. Character of the Episode: Kino. Conclusion: This episode was easily the best one so far. Lots of emotion, suspense, and thematic storytelling as we get one of the biggest setpieces of the season in the prison escape. Overall, a fantastic experience that is a perfect indicator of how good this show can be when it is able to overcome its flaws. Score: 71 Summary: Dedra attempts to get Bix to cooperate, but when she doesn't, Dr. Gorst tortures her to get information. After getting information, Dedra keeps her alive since she can identify Axis. Dedra reports to PArtagaz about her findings and her suspicion that Cassian was involved in the Aldhani heist. Partagaz encourages her to continue. The ISB capture a rebel pilot shortly after and Dr. Gorst immediately tortures him and uncovers that he works for Kreegyr and that there will be a raid on Spellhaus. Partagaz decides to stage an accident for the pilot, preparing a trap at Spellhaus. Karn visits Dedra in another attempt to join forces with her but she again refuses. In the prison, Cassian tries to convince Kino to help him with an escape plan. Word gets out that an entire level of prisoners was supposedly killed, creating unease. Ulaf collapses during his shift and a doctor is called in to save him, but he has had a stroke and can't be saved. The doctor reveals to Cassian and Kino that nobody is getting out of the prison, merely being transferred to another prison. Angered by this, Kino decides to help Cassian. Vel is reveaed to be Mon Mothma's cousin.
The Good: Dedra is coming along very nicely as a character. We've seen the hard-working underdog side of her in previous episodes, but now that she's won over Partagaz's approval, we get to see a very different side of her. Her conversation with Bix paints this character as ruthless, terrifying, and sadistic. It's a wonderful contrast to what we've seen from her before, making us sympathize with these "evil" Imperials since their rough personalities are often built on genuine motives. Dedra is a perfect example of this, as she knows that intimidating Bix is essential for her cooperation, and when that cooperation proves impossible, Dedra does not hesitate to unleash Dr. Gorst and his torture methods on her. I love the backstory of Dr. Gorst's torture methods, as this detailed history fits in spectacularly well with the "Star Wars" universe, a really creative inclusion to the episode. Dr. Gorst himself is extremely unsettling due to how soft and kind he appears to be despite causing unspeakable pain to those he tortures. Karn's encounter with Dedra was another good scene that gives the character some much needed direction. He's very creepy as he tracks down Dedra, who is understandably spooked by this, but Karn does a great job of indicating to us that he had no negative intentions and that he is only after Dedra because he wishes to have another chance to do genuine justice. The show has done a great job of showing that Karn's words do reach Dedra without her saying it. Both the excellent writing and excellent acting can be credited for this. Dedra could have done something horrible to Karn, but her promoting him and her refusal to act against him suggests that she does have some level of respect for the man. The prison plot is pretty good. It's engaging to see Cassian work on an exit strategy, and while the plan isn't entirely certain, we get to see the pieces (Cassian analyzing the guards, working on something in the bathroom). The biggest piece ends up being Kino, and much of this episode is focused on Kino's worldview developing as he goes from wanting to sit back and get through his shifts to going along with Cassian in his escape. Andy Serkis has been superb in this role, and seeing Kino deal with the frustrations of having his perspective changed about prison life makes for compelling television. Kino's worldview is challenged from the slow-build reveal that a whole level of prisoners was executed to keep a secret , to the horrors of Ulaf's death as the "doctor" isn't even capable of helping him survive a stroke. This episode consistently paints this harsh world in a realistic way, painting the Empire in a bad light in a realistic way. It made sense that they would change the prison sentencing, it made sense that they didn't care enough to provide proper healthcare for these people, and it made sense that they would murder so many people for the tiniest of reasons and attempt to keep it all quiet. It makes sense that the Empire would be dastardly like this, but it also makes sense why rebelling against this oppressive authoritarian society was necessary. By the end of the episode, I was firmly cheering on Kino for choosing to fight, and I'm excited to see these prisoners send a message to the Empire in the next episode with their attempted escape. The Bad: The same flaws creep in again. This episode does a better job of standing on its own, but it is still hampered by having too many different storylines in the episode. Mon's story still isn't particularly exciting to me because it doesn't have a very well-defined plot. Seeing her continually working to secure funding is quickly getting tedious, especially since she has been fairly uninteresting since the beginning. We know who she is and we know where her story is going to go. The show hasn't done a good job of overcoming this limitation because it hasn't presented us with any interesting extra depth to the character or those around her. Kolma and Perrin are uninspired characters, and I don't get much out of their interactions with Mon. Lack of context is again an issue. We have heard so many names like "Anto Kreegyr", "Spellhaus", "the Public Order Resentencing Directive", and more without being told what they are. It's okay to be subtle with storytelling, but it's problematic when we have all of these complex ideas introduced without explanation, especially considering how difficult names are to keep straight in the "Star Wars" universe due to how other-worldly they sound. I am usually good with remembering names, but even I struggle to keep up with the concepts introduced in this show, which suggests to me that others will have a much harder time understanding the plot because of a lack of context. I understand that the intention is to remove needless exposition, but exposition is not necessarily bad, since it is essential at times for us to understand the story. TV is a visual medium, so the removal of exposition is typically met with a scene that shows us the events that would ordinarily be described. "Andor" has a habit of cutting out exposition, but not giving us the required context visually, leading to some moments during episodes where I feel confused about what is being discussed and what is happening. Take the situation with the rebel pilot working for Kreegyr in this episode. This is a major development, but means very little to us because we have no clue who Kreegyr is, where Spellhaus is, and why it is significant that Kreegyr intends to raid Spellhaus. The details are difficult to absorb in real-time while watching the episode because we expend extra thought trying to remember these names and locations, and our emotional investment is non-existent because we know nothing about who these people are and where these places are. The Unknown: Will Bix be alright after being tortured? What's the importance of Vel being related to Mon? How will this affect the story? How will the meeting with Davo go? Presumably he will have something shady up his sleeve. Will Mon even agree to meet with him? What is Cassian breaking in the bathroom? How does this affect his plan? Is stopping the release of prisoners a new mandate, or has the prison always functioned like this? Why did The Empire choose to make this happen? Has Kino officially decided to help Cassian? Will this escape attempt work? Best Moment: The reveal that nobody is leaving the prison, and Kino and Cassian's fury upon realizing this. Character of the Episode: Dedra. Conclusion: This was more of the same. The storylines continue to heat up with interesting arcs, good acting, and good writing. But the same issues that I've had with this show since the beginning prevent this from being more than just good. Score: 63 Summary: Cassian is taken to his prison, a facility called Narkina 5. He's assigned to a table and adjusts to the imprisonment life. He is asked by the others about rebel activity but denies any knowledge of rebel action. Dedra calls in Karn for more information on what happened in Ferrix. Karn tries to convince her to let him work alongside her, but she refuses him. Dedra has learned about Luthen, naming him "Axis" and demands that they must capitalize on his mistake to find him. Kolma informs Mon Mothma that it's going to be difficult to secure her funds. Maarva falls ill and Bix looks to find Cassian. She tries to contact Luthen who doesn't answer. Vel and Cinta have arrived on Ferrix. Bix is captured by Dedra's men with Dedra preparing to question her. Luthen meets with Saw Guerrera, attempting to work alongside him, but he refuses.
The Good: I enjoyed the world-building done with the prison facility. We get to see exactly how this prison operates, as well as the social dynamics and power dynamics within. The amount of detail given to this would be skipped in any lesser show, and this show is better for making things feel so much more realistic and believable, while still maintaining the fantastical feel of "Star Wars". Seeing Cassian navigate this environment is gripping as we know that he is probing for weaknesses, looking for a chance to use his skills to secure an escape from six years of imprisonment. I enjoyed the scenes with Dedra, who continues to be easy to root for due to her firm dedication to stopping this rebellion, even while everyone, even her own coworkers, are working against her. It's impressive that "Andor" has made Dedra so likeable considering that she will likely be an antagonist for Cassian down the road. Dedra's interactions with Karn were great, and they seemed to have formed a sort of connection as two people who are looking to do the right thing in a world that is dominated by politics. I hope we will see more of them together in the future. Luthen meeting with Saw was a delight. We know that Saw is a huge figurehead of the rebellion, so it makes sense that Luthen would try to ally with him, attempting to connect the many different mini-rebellions into a single larger one, which is essential for taking down the Empire like he intends to. The dialogue between them is well written and engaging, and the scene is well-acted. It's a lovely moment that sets up Saw for further appearances in future episodes. The Bad: The same problems re-emerge. Once again there are too many storylines in this episode, and none of them progress enough to be impactful as a stand-alone story. This episode is another transitional episode that suffers from not utilizing the episodic aspect of TV shows, instead choosing to have this episode be a piece of the larger story and nothing more than that. It makes for a highly unsatisfying singular experience. The end of the episode was really disorienting to me. It feels like such a random place to end off the episode, consistent with how this episode is just a piece of a larger whole that never attempts to stand out on its own. That it ends with such a random scene with little to no resolution to any of the main storylines is indicative of how this show has failed to realize the value of stand-alone episodes. Mon Mothma's story is back to being dull and uninteresting. Seeing her interacting with random other politicians while waiting for her money to come in is bland and uninteresting. Any time the episode cuts to her, I find myself wishing that we could go to any other character. Her storyline's inclusion stalls the momentum of the episode significantly. The Unknown: Will Dedra find Cassian? Will Karn continue to try to work alongside her? Where will their personal missions take these characters> How will Cassian get out of imprisonment? Obviously he will not be here for the rest of the show. What were the inmates visually communicating with each other? Is there a plan to escape in motion? Or are they communicating something else? Perhaps news of the rebellion? What are Vel and Cinta doing in Ferrix? What will they do there? Who is Anto Creegyr? What is Dedra going to do with Bix? Will she torture her? Will Bix reveal anything useful to Dedra? Perhaps Luthen's identity? How will Saw impact this story? We know he is a key figure of rebel extremism at this time. Best Moment: Dedra meeting with Karn was a lovely cross between character storylines, finally giving Karn some direction and also pushing Dedra closer towards the main plot. Character of the Episode: Cassian. Conclusion: Another solid episode of development that fails to function as an effective standalone episode. There isn't anything outright bad going on in the story, but the overstuffed episodes lacking in singular focus make it more tedious than it should be to watch this show. Score: 61 Summary: Rhaenys delivers news of Viserys' death and Aegon's coronation which forces Rhaenyra into premature labour. Daemon immediately prepares for war, though Rhaenyra wishes to take things slow. Daemon doesn't listen. Rhaenyra miscarries and births a monstrous child. At the funeral, Erryk arrives with Viserys' crown and Rhaenyra is crowned with it. Otto arrives with terms for peace. Rhaenyra considers them, angering Daemon who chokes her when she brings up Aegon's prophecy. When Corlys wakes up, Rhaenys convinces him to join Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra opts to send Jace to meet with the Arryns and the Starks and Luke to meet with the Baratheons. Daemon wakes Vermithor in the caves inside the Dragonmont. Luke arrives at Storm's End where Aemond has already met with Borros. Borros refuses Luke's terms, saying that Aemond came proposing a marriage. Aemond demands to cut out Luke's eye and tries to attack, but Borros prevents the conflict. Luke leaves quickly on Arrax but Aemond follows him and torments him with Vhagar. Feeling threatened, Arrax attacks Vhagar and Vhagar acts on her own, killing Luke and Arrax. Rhaenyra receives news of what happened and is enraged.
The Good: I applaud the decision to end this season with a somewhat quieter and focused episode to officially kick off the war. I'm glad that there were no big battles or forced conflicts, instead this episode was fixated around Rhaenyra's decision to go to war, setting the stage for what you can only expect will be a brutal and intense second season. And that's exactly what a finale should do: conclude a season's story and set up the next season. This episode did that perfectly and I can't imagine someone watching this episode and not being excited for the next season. The last episode was all about how the Greens reacted to Viserys' death, and this episode shows us how the Blacks reacted. The episode kicks off with Rhaenys delivering the news to Rhaenyra and Daemon, and the story continues with some rich character scenes as Rhaenyra and Daemon move forwards in contrasting ways. Rhaenyra's stress induces an immediate premature labour, and seeing her get through this horrific experience was intense and brutally effective. This show is sure to paint childbirth and the struggles of women in this world with unfiltered horror. Rhaenyra has become the Queen now, and the show portrays how difficult it is for women, who have to go through the horrors of giving birth, to adjust to leadership positions and I enjoy that added dimension of storytelling. Rhaenyra has gone through hell, but she is still hesitant to war against the Greens because of the prophecy that Viserys shared with her. She has developed into a competent leader after becoming a mother, and just like her father, she sees the value in peace time. Daemon of course is the opposite. With news that his brother was likely murdered, and his wife was denied of her birthright, Daemon logically springs into action, looking to set things right. He's rightly furious, and it almost seems like Daemon has been waiting for this opportunity, the opportunity to do something grandiose and exciting once again. That ultimately sets up some lovely friction between him and Rhaenyra as Daemon is disgusted to see the same annoying traits of Viserys within Rhaenyra, and is frustrated at the reveal that Viserys didn't trust Daemon enough with Aegon's prophecy. Daemon choking out Rhaenyra is horrifying and horrible, but it fits the impulsive character to lash out like that when under such pressure. I enjoyed the sequence of Rhaenyra's crowning. The show has always been building up to this, and the moment was impactful and emotional, aided by a fantastic soundtrack. Though it has been her birthright, we can see some nerves in Rhaenyra now that she has finally become the Queen, which is very human and relatable. Otto's encounter with Daemon and Rhaenyra was another excellent scene, nicely paralleling the confrontation from back in "The Rogue Prince". This show has consistently had well written and well acted scenes that masterfully build suspense, and this is another such example. It's something that "Game of Thrones" also did well, so it's pleasing to see "House of the Dragon" living up to the spirit of its predecessor. A key subplot in this episode is the Velaryons deciding their loyalty. It's nice to see Corlys again, and he fittingly feels guilty for leaving everything behind to cope with the deaths of his children. I like that Corlys has identified that his ambition was his downfall - he pushed too hard to marry his children to important people and they died for it. And on top of that his brother died because of that same ambition, making it clear to Corlys what his mistake was. But right as Corlys has learned to prioritize the well-being of his family, Rhaenys pushes him back into action to back Rhaenyra for the benefit of the realm. This time the Velaryons are more noble in their motives, but it remains to be seen if their decision will ultimately be a good one or a bad one. The climax of the episode sees Luke travel to Storm's End to give terms to Borros Baratheon. This sequence built tension masterfully by expertly creating an uneasy and almost terrifying atmosphere. The stormy atmosphere upon Luke's arrival creates an uneasy mood, and that sense of unease becomes fear and suspense once we see Vhagar parked outside of the walls (what a phenomenal shot that was). These establishing shots immediately got me at the edge of my seat, making the negotiations with Borros really suspenseful, especially with Aemond right there. Borros is played really well with some lovely touches, like Borros being unable to read without a maester and his insistence that Luke not be harmed under his roof, a reminder of the law of guest right which was memorably violated in "Game of Thrones". But outside of these nice details, Borros is an intimidating and hostile leader, and he feels almost larger than life when compared to the fantastically cast Luke, who looks every bit as timid and nervous as the character is intended to be. Luke carries himself like a prince, but that nervousness is there, and it makes his encounters with Borros and Aemond so much more intense. Borros is one thing, but Aemond is on a whole other level of intimidation. Ewan Mitchell looks like a genuine psychopath playing Aemond, and his demands to take one of Luke's eyes carries a sense of weight because we know that Aemond is not someone who messes around and says things without meaning to follow up on it. Luke manages to leave, but what follows is a tremendous sequence in the skies. Luke is quick to get on Arrax and leave, but ominously, Vhagar has moved from where we last saw her, and as Luke flies directly into the storm clouds, that impending sense of fear never goes away. We're then treated to a spectacular shot of Vhagar flying above Luke as Aemond torments him; evidently Aemond has not got over his childhood bullying and is looking to take some revenge by tormenting Luke. But what starts as some harmless scaring goes a step too far. Aemond thinks he is in control, but he has forgotten that dragons are beings of their own and Targaryens do not have full control over them. Arrax is frightened by Vhagar and fights back, and as a consequence of Aegon's stupid thoughtless actions, Vhagar murders Luke and Arrax immediately, in a brilliantly produced scene that perfectly highlights the scope of what just happened. Aemond's face says it all as he realizes the gravity of what he has just done. This final sequence was intense, engaging, and had enormous consequences on the story. This was spectacle done right because it was not spectacle just for the sake of it. The build-up to this moment made sense from a plot perspective and from a character perspective, and it felt like natural progression of the story which will have consequences. This is what was missing in Rhaenys' big scene in the previous episode, which didn't overcome the feeling that is was a needless spectacle. Where that scene failed, Luke and Aemond's encounter thrived and delivered a memorable climax to the first season, creating a lot of excitement to see what happens next in season 2. The Bad: Rhaenys and Corlys forgiving Rhaenyra so easily is the one thing that really bothers me. They still firmly believe that Rhaenyra had Laenor killed, and they should not be so easily forgiving of that. Rhaenys being willing to trust Rhaenyra just because she showed some restraint in this one situation is a reach, and I don't buy into Rhaenys backing her so strongly because of this. I was especially bothered by Rhaenys and Rhaenyra sharing a smile, since there should absolutely still be some bitterness between them. The Unknown: I imagine that the rest of Westeros will become significant now that the war has begun. Which houses will side with which side? It looks like the Baratheons are joining with the Greens. Who will the Starks, Tullys, Arryns, Lannisters, Tyrells, etc. side with? Will Jace's trip to the north yield better results than Luke's? Will Rhaenyra openly declare war following Luke's death? It's hard to imagine her letting that slide. How will the Greens react to Aemond's actions? Will Aemond be changed by the fact that he just unintentionally committed murder courtesy of Vhagar's actions? Interesting scene where Daemon sings to Vermithor, another new dragon. What was the significance of this scene? Will Vermithor become more significant in the next season? Best Moment: Luke's death was a stunning moment that will certainly have enormous ramifications. Character of the Episode: Rhaenyra. Conclusion: This finale was very effective, moving the story forwards while including memorable character moments, suspenseful sequences, and a lot of exciting developments to build excitement for season 2. Overall, this was a great episode that more than delivered a compelling conclusion to the first season. The first season of "House of the Dragon" was an uproarious success. Following what happened with the end of "Game of Thrones", this show needed to show some quality to win the fans over again, and it more than succeeded. This was a worthwhile story that returned to the strengths of "Game of Thrones" with compelling characters, gripping dialogue, engaging political machinations, and some brutal moments which shake up the story. There was so much to like about what this first season offered. From the charismatic unpredictability of Daemon, to the beautiful story arc of King Viserys, to the dramatic rivalry between Rhaenyra and Alicent, every storyline that this show attempted was perfectly handled and I thoroughly enjoyed the season as a whole. But this show was not perfect, and I've identified two flaws that prevent this from being top-tier television. The first big issue was the over-reliance on spectacle at times. "Game of Thrones" season 8 went way overboard on spectacle over storytelling, and occasionally this show fell for that same trapping with moments like Criston's murder at the wedding, Daemon's ridiculous battle sequence in the Stepstones, and Rhaenys' arrival at the Dragonpit being significant offenders of this. It's not a show-ruining problem, but it is frustrating especially when the rest of the show is so well written. The second big issue comes as a result of the constant time-skips in this show. I eventually got used to skipping through time after every episode, and ultimately I don't think that there was a better alternative to these frequent timeskips. However, the time-skips created a huge problem: a lot of stories never felt fully complete because large portions were glossed over. Take Laena's story and her relationship with Daemon, which was an uninspiring part of the season because so much of their relationship happened of screen. Or how about Rhaenyra's relationship with Harwin, which is an important foundation of the story, and yet it felt like we hardly knew who Harwin was because he connected with Rhaenyra off screen. Then we have other examples like the breakdown in Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship happening in between episodes 2 and 3, Criston growing close to Rhaenyra and choosing to betray her happening in between episodes, and the entirety of the War of the Stepstones happening for 3 years off-screen. These problems hurt the show significantly, and I hope that the time-skips will no longer be present in the show going forwards so that we can get a story that no longer skips important beats. Outside of these two flaws, I thought that the first season was superb, and as a fan of the books, I'm ecstatic to see such a compelling and interesting adaptation of the source material. Bring on season 2! Score: 70 Summary: Karn gets a new job at the Bureau of Standards. Blevin openly opposes Dedra's actions in front of Partagaz. Partagaz thinks on the conflict and ultimately decides to give Dedra oversight of Ferrix. Mon Mothma meets with Luthen, horrified by what he has started. She later meets with Kolma, a childhood friend who she makes peace with so he can give her access to her family funds. Cassian returns to Ferrix and tries to get Maarva to leave Ferrix with him, but she refuses, wishing to join with the rebellion. Cassian visits Bix to check in on her and gives her his debt money. Cassian travels to Niamos where he is unfairly apprehended by a shoretrooper and sentences to six years in jail over nothing.
The Good: Mon Mothma's scenes stepped up in this episode. We get a better idea of the character now: she's actively working on starting a rebellion, but as a key figure in the Empire she is taking a significant risk though she has a perfect cover for her work in funding the rebellion. However, she has legitimate concerns about the risk, and is much more cautious in her approach compared to Luthen, who is a risk-taker that understands that overthrowing the Empire is going to come at an enormous cost, both in terms of money and lives. This episode does well to paint a gray picture of rebellion, not shying away from the horrors that active attempts of rebellion will unleash on innocent civilians. I continue to enjoy the security scenes. The writing in these conversations is always damn good, and I've enjoyed seeing the unique power dynamic between the superior officers and the major. Partagaz choosing to pass jurisdiction of Ferrix to Dedra was a nice moment, and you get the sense that he was able to appreciate Dedra's sense of integrity and her outside the box thinking to identify weaknesses in the system, compared to Blevin who is more concerned with adhering to rules than preventing a rebellion from breaking out. The show has done well to make Dedra likeable even when she is working with the Empire. Cassian's story is pretty good too. We get some more snippits of his past (see: The Unknown), and there are some strong scenes on Ferrix. I liked his argument with Maarva, who is excited by the prospect of rebellion and unwilling to run away from it. We don't know much about Maarva and it is hard to emotionally invest in this argument, but it is extremely well written and acted which still makes it gripping and immersive. It will be interesting to see if Maarva's choice plays a role in Cassian's decision to fight the Empire. I also enjoyed Cassian's scene with Bix, which was a sad scene as two childhood friends (and former lovers) check in with each other one final time before Cassian leaves for what will likely be a long time. The Bad: This show has too many plot threads. Just showing bits and pieces of every storyline each week makes the episodes feel disjointed and almost incomplete at times. I hope that there are more episodes like "The Eye" that center on a single storyline instead of checking in on every single story all around the galaxy. The final scenes of the episode were poor. The shift to Niamos was very sudden, and I thought that the directing choices here were quite poor. I was confused by the world-building and I struggled to figure out what Cassian was doing there, and what was going on on the planet. The transition to Niamos could have been done in a more creative way to make the story easier to comprehend. I strongly disliked Cassian's arrest for six years. I don't doubt that these sorts of things have happened to innocents in difficult times like this, but the way it happened felt cheap. It was like the show needed Cassian to go to jail but did not know how to do it so it just happened for no real reason. The show has been grounded in seriousness and realism for so long, so to see so many rules broken for no reason completely destroys the sense of immersion that this episode has built up. Not only is the shoretrooper almost comically stupid in apprehending Cassian (he wasn't even running when he was stopped!), but then Cassian is inexplicably sentenced for six years for seemingly no reason. It's frustrating to see the show put no effort into developing its judicial system after spending so much time exploring the political side of rebellion, making Cassian's arrest feel cheap and confusing instead of unfair and dramatic. Karn's story is still boring. It's been 4 episodes of nothing for him, and I find myself wishing that his story would either get a move on or end. The Unknown: Who was Clem? When did this flashback happen? How did Clem's death affect Maarva and Cassian? What happened to Kenari? Is Cassian's sister actually dead? If so, then who was he following in the first episode? Why did Cassian go to Niamos? What will happen to him now that he's been arrested? Will he be discovered again by Karn? Will he try to escape imprisonment? What will Karn do with his new position? Was that K2SO? Or just a similar droid? I wonder if K2SO will be appearing soon as the character we remember from "Rogue One". Will Kolma work with Mon Mothma? Will that relationship go well, or will it lead to problems in the future? Best Moment: Cassian arguing with Maarva. Character of the Episode: Cassian. Conclusion: This was another solid episode of plot progression. Nothing exceptional here, but decent enough storytelling to follow up on the show's best episode. I do hope that this show starts to feel more cohesive soon because it's doing a lot right, but it's not creating compelling emotional narratives in every episode. Score: 61 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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