Wonderful Star Wars sequence Andor reached episode 8 on Disney Plus on Wednesday, catching up with mercenary Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) within the wake of his being unjustly sentenced to 6 years in jail after a run-in with the fallacious Imperial trooper. Turns on the market’s simply no escaping this horrible totalitarian regime.
Over on galactic capital Coruscant, insurgent true believer Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) has been tasked with killing Cassian so he cannot rat out recruiter Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). Vel would not appear wild about her mission, particularly since Cassian performed a necessary function in her mission to steal thousands and thousands of credit from the Empire.
It additionally appears to run counter to the philosophy of Luthen’s fellow insurgent chief Sen. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who is not wild about his willingness to shed harmless blood of their shadowy battle in opposition to the Empire.
This episode was directed by Toby Haynes, who helmed additionally episodes 1, 2 and three, as nicely 8, 9 and 10. He beforehand labored on Sherlock, Physician Who and Black Mirror.
Andor happens 5 years earlier than Rogue One, which reveals the story instantly earlier than unique Star Wars film A New Hope. Let’s examine how life in jail is treating Cassian, by trying out all these scrumptious episode 8 SPOILERS.
Shiny white hell
NARKINA 5 — Shipped to an ocean jail complicated that appears a bit like the Raft in Marvel, Cassian continues to make use of the alias Keef Girgo as he adjusts to life inside its stark white partitions.
The guards have insulated boots whereas prisoners are pressured to stroll round barefoot, getting shocked if they do not observe the foundations or meet their manufacturing line objectives (making ship components, perhaps?). There are three attainable shock ranges; we solely see a degree one and that appears like agony.
Kino Loy would not have a lot time to get Cassian skilled up.
Lucasfilm
Cassian’s jail unit supervisor is Kino Loy (Andy Serkis in his second Star Wars function, having performed Supreme Chief Snoke within the sequel trilogy), who’s fairly imply and determined to achieve the Empire’s harsh quotas as he nears the top of his sentence.
You may acknowledge one in all Cassian’s table-mates as nicely — Ruescott Melshi (Duncan Pow) is a part of the insurgent group that steals the Loss of life Star plans in Rogue One. He is acquired some facial hair in that film, and appears fairly tight with Cassian.
Melshi and Cassian can be allies in Rogue One, 5 years after the occasions of Andor.
Lucasfilm
Cassian and Melshi will presumably escape this horrible jail collectively, however Melshi appears to have misplaced hope once they meet right here — partially because of the Empire’s nasty new laws cracking down on something even mildly rebellious.
“Anybody who thinks they’re getting out of right here now’s dreaming,” he warns Cassian. “These days are over.”
Strong first day actually.
The extremist insurgent
SEGRA MILO — As he tries to convey disparate insurgent teams collectively, Luthen travels to this distant system to satisfy Noticed Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a personality beforehand seen in The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Dangerous Batch and Rogue One.
He is the superior however harmful chief of the brutal anti-Imperial group often called the Partisans, and his violent strategies put him at odds with different rebels. Regardless of this, he has good rapport with Luthen and the pair accuse one another of being accountable for the Alhani heist (Luthen by no means admits it instantly).
Noticed Gerrera would not have a lot persistence for his fellow rebels.
Lucasfilm
He affords Noticed a bunch of kit if he’ll work with one other insurgent group, however the Partisan boss is not — he is desirous to label all the opposite factions based mostly on their completely different philosophies:
- Separatist.
- Neo-Republican (this appears the closest to Mon Mothma’s method).
- The Ghorman entrance.
- The Partisan alliance.
- Sectorists.
- Human cultists (I might watch a Disney Plus present about this intense-sounding group).
- Galaxy partitionists.
In an enticing, scenery-chewing second, Noticed slams all of them as “misplaced” and asks Luthen the place he stands.
“I am a coward. I am a person who’s terrified the Empire’s energy will develop past the purpose the place we will do something to cease it,” he says. “I am the one who says, ‘We’ll die with nothing if we do not put apart our petty variations.'”
He desires rebels to tug collectively, and just about dismisses Noticed’s method as the trail to anarchy. It momentarily looks as if the unstable Noticed will homicide Luthen proper there, however he chuckles and sends the recruiter on his manner. Good attempt, Luthen.
Noticed can be the foster father of Jyn Erso, Rogue One hero and Cassian’s future ally, however she and Noticed have parted methods at this level within the timeline.
Watch this:
Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser: What It’s Really Like…
29:28
In addition to Saw, we catch a glimpse of Benthic “Two Tubes,” a Tognath mercenary with distinctive breathing apparatus. He’s seen among Enfys Nest’s Cloud-Riders in Solo (which is set five years before this show) and is among Saw’s allies in Rogue One. He leads the Partisans after Saw’s death in that movie, and encounters Luke Skywalker and friends in Marvel’s Star Wars comic series.
Imperial encounter
CORUSCANT — Imperial Security Bureau Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), newly empowered to investigate coordinated rebel activity, is determined to find Cassian and use him to reach Luthen. They don’t have the recruiter’s identity but have figured out elements of his role and given him the awesome code name “Axis.”
Pity they can’t figure out that Cassian is already in Imperial custody.
This impeccably dressed pair finally crosses paths. Too bad they’re jerks.
Lucasfilm
She also tracks down disgraced ex-security officer Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), who continues to nurse his grudge against our hero. He’s been in his new job at the super-dull-looking Bureau of Standards “less than a month” but has filed numerous false reports in his own hunt for Cassian.
Syril says he remembers Luthen’s voice and suggests he can be an asset to the Empire, but Dedra isn’t having any of his nonsense and sends him on his way. Nice try, Syril.
The search widens
FERRIX — Unbeknownst to the imprisoned Cassian, his adoptive mom, Maarva (Fiona Shaw), is cold and sick, partially as a result of her empty attempts at rebellion against the occupying Imperial force.
It sparks the concern of friend/former flame Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), who contacts Luthen to look for Cassian (the increasingly cautious rebel decides not to answer). Unfortunately, Dedra got the thumbs-up to monitor Ferrix communications and is drawn directly to Bix.
Dedra looms over Bix as she prepares for an interrogation.
Lucasfilm
She’s ultimately captured (the guy who screams “GET HER” really goes for it, well done to him) and dragged into the Imperial base for interrogation (there’s a machine that sounds ominously similar to an Imperial torture droid in the room). It’s a dangerous moment, since Bix can at least reveal what Luthen looks like. Between that and Syril knowing his voice, it feels like the Empire is zeroing in on him.
Cassian’s former heist buddies Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) are also on the planet, having been tasked with killing him to protect Luthen’s identity. The locals have no clue where he’s gone, and Vel ultimately leaves while Cinta sticks around alone to await him.
Rogue thoughts, unanswered questions and Easter eggs
- The prison is aesthetically similar to the dystopian future world seen in THX 1138, the 1971 directorial debut of Star Wars creator George Lucas.
- The name “Keef Girgo” is oddly similar to Greef Karga, a character you might remember from The Mandalorian.
- There’s zero evidence for this beyond the actor, but Andy Serkis playing Kino and Snoke could imply a connection between the two. If Kino happened to have some Force sensitivity and the Empire took his DNA while he was in prison, it could have found its way into the genetic soup Palpatine used to create Snoke.
- I’d spend all day staring out the window of Mon Mothma’s apartment, it’s a pretty sweet view.
- Mon Mothma’s unpleasant husband Perrin was the “academy firebrand” as a teenager, suggesting he has some rebellious tendencies. It seems a comfortable life in the Empire has dulled those.
- He and Mon were married at 15, she became a senator at 16, according to the customs of their home world, Chandrila. That’s pretty intense.
- It sounds like Vel is “a rich girl running away from her family.” Hopefully we learn more about her past.
- Andor isn’t the only Star Wars show to hit Disney Plus on Wednesday — CGI animated short series Tales of the Jedi landed on the streaming service as well.
Come back for more Easter eggs and observations next Wednesday, Nov. 2, when episode 9 of Andor hits Disney Plus.
