Notably absent from final week’s Aldhani heist episode, Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) opens Episode 7 of Andor at residence together with his mom (Kathryn Hunter). As soon as extra, their dialog takes place over breakfast, together with his overbearing mom needling him concerning the alterations he has made to his brown swimsuit—a excessive collar should imply one thing unfavorable, proper? Uncle Harlow has managed to tug a number of strings for Syril and Eedy is nervous her son’s lackluster enchantment may mirror poorly on her. But, even with the mess on Ferrix casting a protracted shadow over his resume, Syril manages to safe a brand new place pushing numbers within the Star Wars equal of company cubicles.
Elsewhere in Coruscant, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) makes a last-minute cease by Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) store to accuse him of being the mastermind behind the heist on Aldhani that has began a domino impact throughout the Empire. Whereas they fastidiously craft their phrases and conceal their true that means behind a façade meant to distract her ISB-backed driver, Mon and Luthen say sufficient to make it clear that the theft on Aldhani is being seen as an “announcement” throughout the galaxy, for each the Empire and the rebels alike. This concept of a single motion by a rag-tag group of rebels being seen as an “Announcement” turns into the thesis of the episode, as its ripples are felt within the lives of Andor’s whole forged of characters.
Throughout the ISB, Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) sees the assault on Aldhani because the gasoline that she wanted to drive her investigation into the scattered insurgent assaults throughout numerous sectors and the way they connect with the theft of Imperial weaponry. Whereas her investigation continues to be technically unsanctioned, Dedra makes use of the Emergency Act within the wake of Aldhani to order the studies she must lastly join the dots between every of the allegedly unconnected insurgent assaults—proving her idea that there’s an organized motion working behind the scenes. Dedra flies a little bit too near the solar within the episode, but even with Blevin’s (Ben Bailey Smith) accusations in opposition to her, she manages to not get burnt. As a substitute, her perseverance within the face of refusal is praised and Blevin is stripped of his sector project. Nonetheless, Dedra’s success comes with an ominous warning to observe her again. As Andor has proven beforehand by Syril’s plight: Imperial officers do the naked minimal and thrive inside the idea of the established order.
It has been no secret that Luthen’s concierge Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) is simply as concerned within the turning wheel of the insurrection as he’s, however she is proven in a complete new gentle within the episode as she makes her approach by the brutalist halls of Coruscant to rendezvous with a cleaned up Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay). Kleya may work for, and alongside, Luthen, however it’s clear that she has sturdy emotions about how he goes about puppeting the insurrection, notably the place Cassian Andor is concerned. She refers to Cassian as a unfastened finish with Luthen’s voice in his head that must be taken care of and even Vel appears stunned that Kleya needs an asset like that lifeless. Cassian actually can’t win: the Empire needs him lifeless and the Revolt needs him lifeless.
Earlier episodes have given audiences a broad look into Mon Mothma’s life on Coruscant, however Stephen Schiff’s script and Benjamin Caron’s route give a way more intimate look into the duplicity she is pressured to keep up to realize something, each personally and professionally. As her husband Perrin (Alastair Mackenzie) lounges round, shmoozing with the friends on the illustrious occasion, Mon has discovered an ally in an outdated good friend and fellow Senator from Chandrilla. Like with each dialog that Mon appears to have within the collection, there are layers to their fastidiously chosen phrases, particularly as Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) tries to really feel out the place Mon’s political alliances lay. Her public persona has clearly labored, seeing as Tay thinks she wouldn’t mesh nicely together with his extra excessive views in direction of the Empire—however little does he know that Mon is courting him to assist her fund the insurrection. With the Empire and their spies maintaining a tally of Mon’s checking account, she concocts a intelligent plan to create a charitable trigger with Tay in order that he can dip into her Chandrillian checking account with out drawing suspicion.
The “Announcement” underscores how a lot of an ensemble Andor is, however its titular Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) does play a bigger half within the second half of the 52-minute episode. With the monetary rating that Cassian made for his half within the Aldhani heist, he decides to make a fast journey residence to Ferrix to see Maarva (Fiona Shaw) and persuade her to run away with him. Ferrix has modified in his temporary absence, the Corpos have been rooted out of their jobs and changed with a heavy Imperial presence, which everybody views as Cassian’s fault. Cassian leaves Maarva to contemplate his provide to flee Ferrix and makes his option to see Bix (Adria Arjona) one final time. She’s lower than thrilled to see Cassian once more, and he’s stunned to see that she confronted violence by the hands of the Empire due to him. There’s lots left unsaid between them, notably the place Timm’s deceit and demise are concerned, however Bix makes it fairly clear that she’s accomplished with Cassian, and perhaps for good this time.
Regardless of being left with Nemik’s manifesto, Cassian hasn’t mirrored on his half within the insurrection within the brief window of time between final week’s episode and at the moment’s. He’s nonetheless fueled by his personal self-interests and self-preservation, and it’s a shock to his system when he learns that Maarva has been impressed to hitch the insurrection by the heist on Aldhani. He tries to decrease the impression of the heist, brushing it off as nothing greater than a theft, however he by no means tells her that he was a part of the spark that has lit the hearth inside her coronary heart. Briefly flashbacks, Cassian revisits the demise of his father Clem (Gary Beadle) by the hands of stormtroopers for doing nothing greater than making an attempt to cease the residents of Ferrix from throwing rocks on the stormtroopers and inciting an incident. It’s clear that this second in his life left an impression on younger Cassian. He witnessed his father get shot and hung due to the insurrection in others—and it pressured him to take the backseat to something that may draw consideration to himself.
Cassian continues to be so removed from the person that audiences first met in Rogue One, however the finish of the episode places him right into a place the place he’s pressured to understand that regardless of the place you run, the Empire will at all times be there. He makes his escape to a beachside resort on Niamos, utilizing his stolen credit to benefit from the excessive life as a vacationer, with an exquisite lady in his mattress, as one does after they’re making an attempt to overlook about the whole lot that got here earlier than. Irrespective of the place he goes, Cassian continues to be profiled by the Empire as a troublemaker. A fast stroll to the shop will get him cornered by a shoretrooper who’s satisfied he’s as much as no good, as a result of clearly anybody who sweats on a scorching seashore is suspicious. There’s some irony in the truth that he’s practically choked out by the Ok-2 unit when the droid is left to “hang around” with him, contemplating Cassian will finally have Ok-2SO as his fixed companion.
Andor attracts to an in depth with Cassian being sentenced to 6 years in jail for talking out in opposition to the Empire—one thing he didn’t do—and he’s fully unaware that his actions on Aldhani led to the Empire growing that specific sentencing from six months to 6 years. However clearly, Cassian Andor isn’t going to jail for six years, as a result of he doesn’t have six years left to dwell. The cliffhanger leaves the remaining episodes in a novel place to inspire Cassian into motion.
Score: A
New episodes of Andor premiere weekly each Wednesday on Disney+.