– Spoiler Review –
The full weight of the Empire’s oppression is felt in Andor “Episode 8 – Narkina 5,” where the juxtaposing journeys of Syril and Cassian paint different yet similar stories, while the many sides of the coming battle prepare for what comes next.
From the beginning, as I discussed a bit more in detail in the review for “Episode 7 – Announcement,” Andor hasn’t shied away from being comparable to modern politics and systems of government, a franchise hallmark. In print media, there’s already been great commentary on the last few divisive years in US politics and across the world, but this feels like the first real attempt at it on screen. “Episode 8 – Narkina 5” is often haunting and almost too close for comfort, while some of the comparisons risk painting their targets in too fantastical a light, but I believe the episode balances it well enough. The first scene of “Narkina 5” is a Black man in prison, followed by many other people of color, including Cassian, a very unsubtle but important image to highlight, as people of color disproportionally make up prison populations here in our real world, and the Empire being a stand-in for the modern way of ours and many other countries policies. As Cassian’s situation grows clearer, it offers a haunting example of oppressive tactics, not only giving us something to fear, but also ways to fear one another, pitting us against one another so we don’t rise up and fight back, leaving the real enemy, the real problem, untouched. The closing shot of the episode stuck with me a long time after the credits, as instead of the camera being close up on Cassian as it had all episode, it pulls away from him, working with his little group in the prison, until we can’t distinguish him from the rest, another number lost to the system as its methods seem to have worked on him for now. On the flip side, there’s Syril Karn, already another forgotten number among hundreds, individuality lost, fighting for his chance to be someone again when he senses an opportunity as Supervisor Dedra Meera questions him about the Ferrix incident, looking for more information on who came for Cassian Andor. His prison isn’t at the same level as Cassian’s, but it’s another side to the fascist coin, his individuality the casualty, the higher ups taking credit for their work, keeping them docile by making them feel important to have something but they are barely noticed by the larger galaxy. And then in Mon Mothma’s latest soiree, we hear political dialogue not dissimilar to comments from supporters of Trump, but this time it’s about Palpatine, saying stuff like “he says what he means,” while the mindset of the current Republic Party is mirrored in comments regarding order, saying you shouldn’t have anything to worry about if you’re not doing anything wrong. Mon and others in the small group respond in quick and precise counters, from comments about how does saying what he means lead to actual legislation or being worried about what the other person’s definition of “wrong.” The team behind Andor is biting and pointed in their critiques and it’s only gotten better as the season’s gone on.
The slow build on Cassian’s situation allows it to settle in for us and for him how terrible and oppressive it really is. As I mentioned earlier, the camera is close to Cassian through most of this, as if we see it through his eyes, but also see his defiance slowly slipping away, replaced by fear and compliance. Shipped off to Narkina 5, the weird request for him and a few other new inmates to take off their shoes comes shockingly clear, as the floor of his new home is able to deliver an increasingly excruciating shock. Then we find out he’s to be working through his sentence, joining a table of workers building the same part over and over again, set up in such a way there is something for each person at the table to be doing at all times. But it’s not that simple, as Andy Serkis (!!!), I mean Kino Loy describes to Cassian when he first joins the work floor. A prisoner himself, Kino is the leader of their work group and while Cassian and all the other tables compete against one another for top place in efficiency (the reward being different layers of taste to their food), he’s competing against other floors, a simple yet effective system that’s turned Kino against the others and each table largely against one another, turning everyone against everyone else so they can’t unify and rebel. Despite how long these prisoners have been here, they seem to have some hope it’ll be over when the Empire says it will, especially Kino, but the rest of the workers are eager to hear from Cassian what’s going on in the galaxy, curious about the response to the new act passed due to his actions at Aldhani. Much like with Maarva, Cassian wasn’t prepared for the unintended consequences of his actions, as all the prisoners had their stays extended due to the Empire’s response to Aldhani, but he’s been too busy with his head in the sand he had no idea, though the truth of it, explaining how and why he’s here now, washes over him. I don’t imagine Cassian will ever consider running or feel safe again after this prison experience and I can see him becoming the man who will shoot his own informants to get away safely, afraid to go through this same experience again (or for anyone else to go through it). Amongst his group, a variety of ages, there’s one familiar face: Melshi (Duncan Pow), from Rogue One! Unlike the other prisoners, he’s not as hopeful they’ll get out at the end of their sentence, telling Cassian escaping is just a dream. When we jump forward 30 shifts of work, Cassian has settled in, no longer looking up or all around, but focusing on the work, which is when the camera pans away, losing him amongst the other prisoners. It seems to suggest his spirit is broken or, at the very least, he doesn’t see a way out yet, but with the galaxy seemingly looking for him, he’ll find himself ‘free’ eventually.
As I mentioned before, Syril Karn has his own prison to escape and it’s going just as well, though he’s left a little more defiant than Cassian is by the end of the episode. Dedra’s assistant appears at his new job and pulls him into an interrogation chamber where Dedra awaits, curious for more information about the incident on Ferrix because he’s been filing reports on Cassian via his role, catching the ISB’s attention. Syril immediately picks up on Blevin’s disappearance and is eager for this new opportunity, jumping at the chance to see Blevin’s report he was forced to sign, but when he realizes she’s not as interested in Cassian as she is the mysterious man with him, and therefore his chance is slipping away because he doesn’t have the info she wants, he drops his privilege on her. He was such a good inspector he says, he deserves better he claims, but he’s spent far too much time since Ferrix wallowing, not applying himself, not trying, as it’s been clear from the start he has a chip on his shoulder and privilege to boot so he’s not ready for this moment; he didn’t expect this. Instead of rewarding him or crediting him, Dedra warns him the next person won’t be as forgiving as she is, leaving him to return to his mindless work, but her inquiries might be enough for him to try and start putting his own investigation together, his way out. Expecting the government to care about his push for order and concern over one single person exposes the great lie of the Empire, but he’s too focused on bringing justice he doesn’t realize how they say they want order but really they want compliance.
Speaking of Dedra, what Syril doesn’t see but we do is her in all-hands meeting, Yularen back again to hear what she’s proposing. He seems disinterested, but he’s agreeing with her assessments so far about the robberies all being connected and it all being done by one man, who she has nicknamed “Axis” and we all know as Luthen, picking up what Blevin didn’t about the situation since she’s not as conceited and arrogant as him. Yularen isn’t totally sold, though it seems more so since she’s a woman, which Major Partagaz deduces and aides her call for action by confirming her work to him. She pegs Cassian Andor as their prime target to gain access to “Axis,” setting off a hunt for him. The Empire’s not the only one looking for him though. Last episode, Vel was sent to track Cassian down and kill him and we pick up with her efforts here. She’s staking out Brasso and Bix, waiting and hoping he’ll return, but those two know as much as she does about his whereabouts. We find Brasso and Bix checking in on Maarva, who is injured after attempting a little form of rebellion, and they are growing more and more concerned for her, while it’s clear Maarva is trying to make an impact to distract herself from her feelings about Cassian and him being gone for so long. Vel isn’t privy to these things, but she echoes Maarva a bit, missing someone dear to her…Cinta, who happens to be on Ferrix will Vel now, but it’s like she’s still planets away. The most visible moment of their LGBTQIA+ relationship happens this episode, as Cinta tells Vel she’s a mirror and Vel loves her because she shows her what she needs to see. Cinta says the mission comes first and whatever’s left they get to have, which isn’t what Vel wants to hear but it’s just who Cinta is. Skeen was right, she’s the toughest of them all, as while she might love Vel too, her past haunts her too much and burns inside her too brightly, revenge will always be the focus.
She’s not the only one with intense focus, as Kleya thinks Luthen is slipping, as his mission to get Cassian, while helpful for Aldhani, has brought potential heat on him and heat on those who have contacted him. Hence why Vel’s out there to kill Cassian, so there’s no loose ends, while responding to little inquiries from someone like Bix could only further draw attention to them. He has her shut down the line, right as Bix is calling for his help with finding Cassian, and while it sucks to leave her hanging like that, it was the smart move considering we pick up on Ferrix and find the mechanic who owns the shop she communicates out of has been taken by the Empire. Bix tries to flee when they call her out in the crowd watching the arrest, but she’s caught and sent to a room with Dedra, an interrogation less friendlier than what Syril got about to go down. And this happens just when Bix seemed to be doing better than when Cassian saw her last, getting back into the swing of life on Ferrix and not wallowing as much over what happened. Luthen and crew were all so concerned about Cassian, they overlooked Bix because they believed the Empire would too…but not anymore with Dedra on the case!
If Bix was being overlooked, I wonder if Mon’s daughter Leida is, as her behavior these past two episodes has been even more interesting than Perrin’s. At least with Perrin, he’s been too obvious in his distaste with how Mon’s treated him and being bored, only concerned about what party is next and not why the parties are happening. He seems to be trying a little more this episode, but not enough, though with Leida she sort of awkwardly says hello to Mon and Tay, after this arrival, and slips away. Is she surveying her mother on behalf of the ISB, as she did something similar when Mon and Tay were alone last episode. Or am I reading too much into this? Either way, when Tay arrives, Perrin gets moody again, and Tay has even less time for the man, throwing in a biting comment that shows he knows what type of man he is. Tay has little time for Perrin because he has bad news about moving the money around, new banking regulations getting in the way, that he’s growing concerned. He leaves without saying goodbye, something Mon learns after chatting frivolously about the view from their home, and it’s clear she’s even more concerned by his actions. Did she trust the wrong person? Will he get in trouble? Is her daughter reporting on them spending so much time together? Mon Mothma’s parts, while seemingly an endless stream of parties now, are absolutely fascinating for the political maneuvering she has to do and I cannot wait for more!
While Mon wines and dines in the comfort of her glamorous Coruscant home, Luthen’s doing a similar, less glamorous dance in cold, dark caves on Segra Milo with…Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker again!) and his Partisans. Saw’s not in as bad of shape as we last see him Rogue One, some five years after this, but rather fully intact, though his paranoia is in full bloom already. They start the convo trying to pin Aldhani on the other person, neither quite winning but a good tactic for the rumor to start it was Saw, helping draw attention away from Luthen. It seems they have a rough relationship, predicated on the desire to see the Empire brought down, and Luthen doesn’t quite get his way or takes as much initiative as he does when dealing with Mon. He offers Saw a significant set of parts, though Luthen’s only willing to part with them if Saw works with Anto Kreegyr to take out an Imperial station. He knows they can’t win this apart, but united they stand a chance, so he’s trying to get Saw to work with others. He takes it about as one would expect, believing he’s the only one with a clarity of purpose, the others too lost in the own fights to see what really needs to be done…he is an extremist after all, so I imagined it’ll be hard for others to work with him too. We’ve seen a bit of Saw and Mon’s eventual history in Star Wars Rebels (which Whitaker reprised the role for too) and it’ll be interesting to see how Luthen, and maybe Mon, manage to get him to work with them for a little while.
Andor “Episode 8 – Narkina 5” is another brilliant episode, its psychological horrors for Cassian, the political intrigue of Mon Mothma’s world, and how it’s all colliding as various forces look for the titular character ramping up the tension, while digging deeper and deeper into the show’s themes.
+ Allusions to real world politics stronger every episode
+ Cassian’s slow fade
+ Quality of Vel and Cinta rep strengthens
+ Saw’s introduction
+ Dedra and Syril’s ambitions
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
ANDOR SERIES REVIEWS:
Season One Premiere “Episodes 1-3” | Ep. 4 “Aldhani” | Ep. 5 “The Axe Forgets” | Ep. 6 “The Eye” | Ep. 7 “Announcement”