– Spoiler Review –
With the kindling set as Andor’s second season launches into its penultimate block of episodes, “Episode 7 – Messenger” & “Episode 8 – Who Are You?” & “Episode 9 – Welcome to the Rebellion,” the fire is not only started, the show burns it all down in the most evocative fashion possible, resulting in the series’ best so far with emotional, bristling tense, and mobilizing storytelling which should hopefully stick with all viewers long after it’s over.
In my review of the season premiere block of episodes, I spoke on Cassian Andor’s arc, how Andor will take him from a dashing hero in “One Year Later” to the dingy alleyway spy of Rogue One, and while the second block didn’t move him much one way or another, this third block puts in a lot of hard work on the subject. It’s all done in a fascinating way as well, from bringing in the Force in a small yet impactful way, Bix Caleen’s tough yet important choice, experiencing the Ghorman Massacre, extracting Mon Mothma, and even the arrival of K-2SO in his life, Cassian’s journey from one man trying to give it his all for his own reasons and his own future with those he cares about into giving it all for the future of everyone is laid in stone and sky here.
I’ll go into this more later as well, but the building intensity of this block of episodes was nothing short of spellbinding. While “Messenger” is more about placing the final kindling and straw under the fire it wants to start, “Who Are You?” & “Welcome to the Rebellion,” even with several characters whose fates we already know in the mix, sparks the fire with rhydonium, be it the build of the Ghorman protest as they sing their anthem, when and where Brandon Roberts score kicks in, or as the Imperials rush to shut off Mon Mothma’s speech and she flees with Cassian. A lot of where this tension also comes from how real it all feels and how close to our current and recent crises it touches, even though this was written in 2022.
Episode 7 – Messenger
By 2 BBY, the rebellion’s Yavin IV base is really coming along, though until Mon Mothma’s rallying cry speech aboard the Ghost, as seen in Star Wars Rebels’ “Secret Cargo,” it’s not quite the united front yet. This block of episodes makes it apparent the rebellion needs unity and a leader, as Wilmon and Cassian clash about Luthen’s actions vs those of the Yavin IV group, and even later in “Welcome to the Rebellion,” Luthen’s revealing Bail Organa’s team is corrupt somehow and Mon should only trust his (there’s more to the story, I believe, but I’ll cover it in that episode’s review). With various groups and no uniting leader, and an informal military structure in place, which results in Cassian only scolded for leaving with Wilmon by General Draven (Alistair Petrie, returning from Rogue One!) and no consequences when he comes back, it’s an interesting way to depict how far the movement has come yet how far it still needs to go. There’s also plenty in “Messenger” which shows how far the whole thing has grown away from Luthen’s machinations, as while he’s out there getting Wilmon involved with Ghorman and asking him to give Cassian a mission to kill Dedra Meero, Cassian doesn’t want to be involved with the man’s games anymore and even Vel Sartha is all about the main cause, leaving Luthen behind. How Andor will wrap up Luthen’s story in the final three episode is of great interest to me!
Cassian sees the benefits of what they are doing on Yavin IV, building an army to combat the strength of the Empire over going it alone via Luthen’s actions, as it also helps him feel more confident those he cares about will be protected. Yet he lives in a beautiful hut with Bix, far from everyone else, a subtle way of saying he’s still not fully part of the team, happy to help and give what he can, but then return home and imagine a future and a life without the fighting and the missions. Bix enjoys their domestic bliss as well, yet it seems she knows Cassian could be doing more, which is why she uses his slow healing blaster wound to put him on a collision course with a Force Healer (Josie Walker) on the base, in hopes she’ll help him see what Bix sees in him, of what he can become, if she can also heal him. Presented as it is, the introduction of the Force to Andor fits very well with the aesthetic and tone of the show, as there’s so much doubt from Cassian and lack of surety by the Healer herself in what she’s seeing/experiencing, it makes it feel so impossible and easy to see how the everyday citizens could write it off or forget about it so easily.
The Healer senses Cassian before Bix even has a chance to bring him over, stopping her current work and coming over to them, and it already sets Cassian on edge. The whole interaction is so awkward and interesting, as Cassian keeps his guard up despite also feeling something when she connects with him and his wound, and he rushes off, while Bix stays to hear what the woman has to say, to learn if what she’s been feeling is true. The Healer reveals, while she can’t say exactly what she saw, she can sense how he’s not carrying the things which shaped him or his past, but rather gathering it with purpose, and calls him a messenger, saying he needs to be someplace, though she questions if it’s Bix or not. When she returns home, Cassian doesn’t deny Bix’s inquiry if his injury hurts less now, instead he’s doing his best to debunk what the Healer said to him or what Bix reveals she told her, about the messenger comment, while he and us viewers learn Bix’s had dreams about him being a messenger as well, which is why she kicked off this whole collision in the first place. She pleads for him to let it in, as it has to be good, and while they embrace, he says nothing, yet the gears already turning for both of their futures.
The next time we see Cassian, he’s loading up a U-wing to head to Ghorman with Wilmon, with Draven warning him but not ordering him to stay. Sneaking under the radar, they arrive in Palmo under the cover of night, with the bellhop he met a year ago, Thela (Stefan Crepon), the one to check him in to the hotel again, warning him how it might be hard to hide his arrival, as he recognizes Cassian despite the new identity and look, while elsewhere in the episode we see he’s part of the Ghorman Front now, so it makes sense how much more confident he seems than when they first met. As Cassian sees the increased Imperial presence, he begins to wonder if this mission will be as easy as Wilmon told him.
On Ghorman, “Messenger” does a lot of scene setting, putting the last pieces in place started by the second block of episodes. We hear the propagandized reporting on the Ghorman Front’s recent bombing, showing how the Empire is spinning events already to the galaxy, while Dedra learns from Major Partagaz they are moving forward with their plans since no mineral alternatives could be found and the new arrival Captain Kaido (Jonjo O’Neill) is there to be her blade, and even the Ghorman Senator gives Mon Mothma a heartfelt thanks for her tireless work for their cause, giving her credit for filing another petition for them even if won’t go anywhere, showing how hopeless they all feel. In their secret enclave, the Ghormans fight amongst themselves, with Carro Rylanz arguing they are playing right into the Imperials’ hands and his daughter Enza arguing they can’t just sit down and take what’s happening to them. Lezine (Thierry Godard) cuts through the shouting and reminds them, no matter what, they are Ghor, and if they let them take that away from them, there’s no point either way. We know what’s coming, we know it’ll happen, but these scene setters in “Messenger” increases the tragedy, as it feels more and more avoidable by the second.
While Dedra’s learning her work is paying off and they’ll be leaving Ghorman soon with the Emperor’s good eye on the ISB, Syril’s hearing the spin story of outside agitators emboldening the Ghorman cause yet everything he learns from his connections to the Ghorman Front says otherwise. When he confronts Dedra about it, the cracks in their relationship, how brittle their connection was in the first place, make their presence known, as he’s questioning why he’s even here if he was meant to look for outside agitators and yet she can’t share any evidence with him. I love the little ways the team and actors make it known things have changed for these two even before their conversation begins, as Syril’s normal tidy look is gone, with poofy hair and a more relaxed outfit, while Dedra lets her controlled, measured demeanor slip several times while talking with Partagaz, whereas she’d never do so even a year before. The situation these two are apart of, have helped created, weighs on them in ways they haven’t realized yet. But they will soon…
Episode 8 – Who Are You?
What’s there to say about the Ghorman Massacre other than it’s an incredibly heartbreaking sequence, rendered in ways which make comparisons to the real world impossible to ignore, heightening the emotional impact and message of the moment. I couldn’t watch the Empire slaughter the Ghormans without thinking of the Palestinian broadcasts of Israel’s genocide against them; without thinking of the student protestors of Israel’s genocide who were attacked by police or anti-protestors and the current fascist Trump administration trying to silence them through fear; without thinking of how the media has whitewashed the genocide, refusing to calling it exactly what it is or reporting only what Israel has said has happened without any disclaimers, much like how the reporters at the Ghorman scene call this an insurrection despite the fact the people are just chanting and singing behind them and nothing else; and on and on and on, these real life incidents and connections bringing me even more tears as events unfold. Yet this was written in 2022, but how prescient it is becomes so chilling, because if history informed the writing and plotting of this terrible moment for the creatives behind Andor and now we’re living through something similar in our modern times, history is repeating itself in all the wrong ways, exacerbated in a world where propaganda can spread fast and often and drown out the truth in such a way it may never surface. We get to see the fallout and the Empire’s controlled coverage of the event in “Welcome to the Rebellion,” but “Who Are You?” doesn’t mince the message on how drowned out the Ghorman’s already are, as we listen to Dreena’s (Ella Pellegrini) pleading message to the galaxy about what happened on Ghorman, asking anyone to listen and to help, but she’s only getting static in return, while Syril’s mother Eedy, from the comfort of her home on Coruscant, watches the Imperial broadcast which claims the Imperials who died are the victims, heroes even, as they died for trying to keep the peace. It’s disgusting on its own and shows the desire of fascism to control the narrative because they know what they are doing isn’t natural (as Nemik spoke on in his manifesto), but to watch the Trump administration gut public radio and TV, claiming they are biased, but want to replace it with their propaganda, the parallels we all should make from Andor to this administration are the opposite of what the White House’s sloppy AI May the Fourth post wants us to believe.
Syril and Dedra’s already fracturing relationship teeters on the edge and tips right the hell over as the Massacre unfolds. Syril’s long craved and coveted control, believing himself to be the main character of the galaxy’s story, his dogged pursuit of a man he’s never met, Cassian, makes him a good man in his own eyes, as Cassian is chaos and Syril is order, and while it maybe comes from an overbearing mother, Syril’s never relinquished this desire. But the time season two starts, he’s working as a spy, making big suggestions, and controlling the narrative of the Empire’s response and Ghorman’s actions, making him the supposed center of the universe again. When he learns in “Messenger” he’s potentially been used, the real control in Dedra’s hands, he’s on the edge of breaking down, but when Rylanz confronts him before the Massacre begins, calling him a monster for what he’s done and revealing the mining ships have already landed, the Empire so confident it’ll silence the Ghormans and get away with it, Syril sees his world unraveling. He’s never had the control he believed he did and he thought he was on the good guy’s side, as they wanted control and order just like him, but spending the time he did with the Ghormans has helped him see they aren’t as bad as the Empire is claiming, and without any evidence of outside agitators to report, they seem less the enemy and more the victim. While he doesn’t get to confront Dedra right away, when he does it’s after he’s been simmering in his anger over losing his place in the story and he begins to shout at her, choking her even, to get the truth of what’s really going on. Her revelations shatter his remaining sense of place in the story, marking him as one of the reasons the Ghormans are being slaughtered in a mass genocide, and as he wanders around in a daze amidst the carnage, he can’t bring himself to do anything about it either way, as what control does he really have anymore, if any, if he can be as used as he was using them. But then he sees Cassian and all his anger over the situation, the hurt over the loss of control, bubbles up and he rushes to attack him, maybe to take it out on Cassian, to blame him for it all rather than face the truth, or maybe because he can have control one last time. One thing is for sure, we’ll never know.
Before the Empire stirs the pot and kicks up the Massacre, Cassian sees the Empire building a fortress, so to speak, around the building his target, Dedra Meero, is in, yet the Ghorman see it as an opening and their chance to take back the plaza of Palmo. He decides to move from the hotel, in hopes of getting a better shot, but Thela, the bellhop, catches him before he goes, revealing he hid Cassian’s arrival. Cassian doesn’t want to get involved, he’s only focused on his mission, and he shares a sentiment of hope everything works out for the Ghormans to Thela, yet the bellhop’s response will become a rallying cry years later, as he tells Cassian, “Rebellions are built on hope.” He shares this with Jyn Erso and she’ll later use it to rally the troops despite certain death before them and this felt like such a natural and beautiful place to put such a memorable line in Cassian’s path before the events of Rogue One. As the massacre unfolds and the situation grows out of hand, Cassian struggles for a chance to kill Dedra while also trying to protect himself and Ghormans where he can. Yet just as he’s about to have a shot on Dedra, he’s attacked by Syril and the resulting fight is a brutal knockdown drag-out, the two men slugging away at one another, though an explosion and stray Imperial shots break it up, which is when Syril gains the advantage, grabbing Cassian’s rifle and gets ready to shoot. In a way I had forgotten it, as while I innately knew they hadn’t met, given Syril’s pursuit of Cassian, it almost seemed like they had, yet right until this very moment, they had never met, so Cassian marks the occasion with episode’s title: “Who are you?” Syril deflates, all his time and anger and focus and this guy, years later, doesn’t even know who he is, this attempt at control just as lost and false as the control he thought he had running this double-life on Ghorman. Then Syril takes a blaster bolt to the head thanks to Rylanz himself, ending his part of the story far too late, and the episode wastes no time leaving Syril in its rearview, making for a fitting end to the character, while I felt like their fistfight was as dirty and rough as it should’ve been.
As the loss of Ghorman souls grow and the introduction of the KX-series droids causes those remaining to flee, Cassian and Wilmon try to connect and escape, yet Wilmon’s more concerned with finding his girlfriend, Dreena, and Cassian wants to leave, so the two decide to part ways for now. Yet their efforts to flee put them in the path of one of the KX droids, which is about to kill them before Samm, the dweeb who caused Cinta’s death, rams the droid with an Imperial trooper tank, splitting it in half. Cassian sees this as an opportunity, taking the tank and the droid to his ship, heading back to Yavin IV, and while Samm’s still got a lot to atone for and make right, this was a pretty solid start, putting Cassian on a course to have K2 in his life. Also on a new course, maybe, is Dedra, who breaks down in her little secret meeting chamber, though whether its over her hand in the genocide, Syril leaving her/finding out he’s dead, it’s not clear, but it’s less about the why and more about where she’ll go next after this breakdown, as does she keep up her work in the ISB or will she find a purpose elsewhere, maybe feeding the rebellion intel alongside Lonni Jung? This is the last time in this block we see Dedra, so we’ll have to wait for the final block for more.
Bonus Thoughts:
- Yes, this episode contradicts the now previously canon one-shot comic Rogue One: Cassian & K-2SO Special #1 which came out in 2017, but whereas more recent contradictions sting much more as they lessen what we already had, Andor‘s version of the Cassian & K-2 meet-cute is more interesting, especially the implications of when he’s finally activated in “Welcome to the Rebellion,” which we’ll discuss in a moment, so I’m okay with Andor changing things up.
- The Terminator-esque way they used the KX droids isn’t new to me, having played the Jedi series of games where they are an intimidating presence, but something about seeing it happen in live-action and no one with a lightsaber was around to help, really upped the ante of their arrival.
Episode 9 – Welcome to the Rebellion
As Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt) and Mon Mothma watch the Ghorman Senator be arrested and dragged out by the Empire, the intimidating message hard to miss: dissent with the Imperial version of the Ghorman Massacre will not be tolerated. Watching immigrants, especially ones who protested against Israel’s genocide, be snatched up by Trump’s fascist administration and deported without due process, the horrors of real life and fictional blend in a haunting way in this opening scene. Bail and Mon discuss their next moves, with Mon to give a speech in the Senate about what’s happening but flee immediately after to assume leadership of the rebellion groups, while Bail will stay behind, a hostage in all but name, to fight where he can until it’s no longer safe for him either. It’s a daunting realization for them, the future is here and there’s no going back, and it leaves Mon up pacing all night, trying to write her speech, while her attendant Erskin Semaj scans her room for Imperial listening devices. She’s interrupted by Luthen, whose twin revelations Erskin’s been working for him and someone in Bail’s group extracting her is corrupt, so he claims only the person he’s sending can be trusted, frazzles Mon’s nerves further, leaving her unsure who to believe. She dismisses Erskin from his service, despite Luthen’s assurances he’s saved her in many ways and his tireless work for her, and of course avoids her ISB planted driver, staying in and working on the speech and readying herself for what’s next.
As Mon gets ready to put herself in the sights of the Empire, Cassian prepares two extractions: one regarding Mon from Coruscant and the other himself from the rebellion. After watching the massacre, one would think it would strengthen his connection to the cause, to fight back even more, but all he saw was the end of himself and his dreams, as how can he have his blissful life with Bix, how can he make his own choices, if confronting the Empire can have such a devastating outcome. Kleya is the first to confront him over this notion, as she’s the initial one he confesses it to, though he doesn’t look at her through most of it because I think deep-down he knows he won’t leave, and she counters his desire to have his own choices with the reminder it’s what they have been fighting for with everyone. In a way, this is about control, as where Syril wanted control over everything rather than accept his place in the story, Cassian wants control back from what he sees as it being taken away from him, as everyone else looks to him and believes in him to be so important, but he doesn’t think he wants that, he wants his dream getaway even still, like he did before everything changed on Ferrix. As Kleya and Cassian meet up with Luthen outside the Senate building, the man who’s given everything for this cause wistfully responds to Cassian’s claim he’s making his own choices, as he can’t see anything but fate in their meeting and all Cassian’s been involved with. As Luthen tells him this, Cassian’s face looks much like he did when Bix talked with him about what the Force Healer told her, what she felt about him, scared, as he’s realizing it’s all probably the truth and he doesn’t believe it or want to hear it yet.
After the harrowing escape, with some help from the loyal Erskin despite her earlier dismissal, (don’t worry I’ll cover Mon’s part next), and then seeing Dreena and Wilmon back to Yavin IV, Cassian comes home to Bix and reveals his desire to be with her, that she is enough and he wants to leave the Rebellion to be with her. She’s silent through most of it, listening, knowing what she’s about to do, hence why she pushes the sleeping tea on him, so she can do what she must before he awakes. When he gets up, Bix is gone, but she left a recording, a final message to him that she’s leaving because she couldn’t live with herself if she was the reason he left the Rebellion. She believes he has a greater purpose with the cause, which the Healer in “Messenger” only confirmed for her, and to take him away from it could hinder something else she cares so much about, as she wants them to win this fight as much as she wants to be with him. The whole message hit me hard in the feels and I was in tears by the end, as she says she’ll find him afterwards, after the fight is over, yet we know that will never be possible and now I’m crying again (damn you, Gilroy family!). Yet as Cassian deals with the emotional loss of Bix leaving, he’s called over to watch the reactivation of the KX droid he brought back which, after a frightening boot up sequence, comes alive with the personality we all know and love of K-2SO! We already know Cassian’s fate and what he’ll become, but to see Bix leave, trusting in her beliefs, only to see Cassian on the course he’s meant to be on, meeting K-2 officially now, hammers home the inescapable fate facing them all. I’d have loved more K-2, but his return this late feels right for the story and for Cassian, though I’d have loved Bix and K-2 teasing him together or something, and I’m glad he’ll be in the final three episodes!
Mon’s speech is one so full of conviction and truth, of calling everything what it is, not tiptoeing around reality in hopes of retaining power or status, it makes the continued in-action and catering to both sides, in fear of repercussions with votes, of the Democrats in America feel more frustrating and egregious. As Star Was Explained pointed out with one of the many juicy and prescient lines from the novel Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear, the Empire claims its new laws are all about justice but really they are tools of fear to lash obedience to ideals they believe are right, so as the fascist Trump administration and other conservative growing governments limit the rights of so many they deem undesirable, creating laws limiting access to safe spaces, banning materials about different identities, and teaching a whitewashed version of history, it’s so frustrating to watch fear take hold and truth be smothered, just like Mon orates about in her stellar speech. But we don’t have to watch, we can act, act like Mon standing up, exposing the falsity of the Imperial narrative and its attack on truth (look at how all the insurrectionist traitors on January 6 get a full pardon, but protesting Israel ends up with people being deported), we can act like Cassian and fight on the front lines, going to protests, or we can even fight from afar, giving where and when we can. Everything about Mon’s speech, delivered so mesmerizingly by Genevieve O’Reilly, felt like a call to action, a radical distillation of what we’re facing, and its call is hard to ignore, its truth so innate, it reaches into the soul and makes one want to do something, do more, where and how they can. Your actions can be as big or small as you want, so if you can watch this and feel the truth of it, to feel it stir something inside, there’s no better time than now. I do my best to message my state’s representatives daily, be it reminders of what we want to see them fight for or what they are selling our souls for, and donate when I can, and if you’re looking for inspiration on where to start, then look no further than Project Fulcrum, a newsletter put together by fans like you and me, which explores the messaging of the show and provides areas to join in the fight, which has inspired me in new ways too. Star Wars’ history with politics is loud and clear, no matter how much people would like to believe otherwise, so if you’re upset I’m talking about it here or that Andor is so overt about in both of its seasons, it’s willful ignorance or a fear of realizing your heroes in the wars of the stars are fighting against you. I was surprised to hear the term genocide used so freely, and even insurrection mentioned before, as while Lucasfilm under George wouldn’t have shied away, Disney is a whole other corporate beast, and while allowing for something as prescient and topical as Andor to do all it’s done so far is a notch in their favor, it doesn’t actually mean they’ve taken any bold steps or ever will, so that’s where you and I come in, dear reader. Rebellions are built on hope and hopefully you’ll join in whatever way you can.
Bonus Thoughts:
- As for a member of Bail’s group being corrupt, it’s said by the other Imperials that she was an agent of Jung’s aka Lonni Jung. Did Luthen burn that bridge and he sent the agent after Luthen’s plans or did they coordinate this, to give Mon a reason to trust Luthen, to trust Cassian? We may never know, but I love that we’re teased this info and left to make our own decisions with it.
- The whole sequence of Mon and Cassian’s escape was tense as hell, even though we knew their fates, and I credit so much to the score and acting, especially O’Reilly’s as she confronts the violence she’ll have to get used to now her stage is no longer in the Senate rotunda. “Welcome to the Rebellion” lines up well with Mon’s big moment in Star Wars Rebels, complimenting and strengthening it in fact, and I urge you to watch “Secret Cargo” as soon as you can after finishing this!
- Benjamin Bratt makes another strong case for recasting, delivering on his bigger appearance, especially as he gets the memorable “Tear the shit out this place” line. Hoping we’ll get even more of his time with the character in the final three episodes!
- Melshi joining the Rebellion felt like an oddly placed scene, and it took me a moment to put it together it was Syril’s gun Cassian gave him that Vel recognized, but it was still nice to see he’s back and will be part of the story again!
- Looks like they originally had an idea for a horror-like episode which focused on K-2 before he’s turned, but they cut it for budgetary and story reasons and I think what happened here worked out really well anyways.
- I didn’t think about it until after the episode was over but…what’s the situation with Perrin and Leida, Mon’s family? Will they be arrested in her stead? Or has her commitment to the cause in the year since the last block caused them to separate from her fully? I’ll be curious to see if we’ll get any hints in the final episodes or not, or if that’ll be a detail for another day/story.
Here’s one more thing:
- Love coffee? Chai? A really good café/coffee shop? And want some fun Star Wars themed coffee goodness for the month of May?! Well, if you happen to be in the greater Chicago area, make your way to Folklore Coffee in Lemont, IL, as one of our best friends owns Folklore and we collaborated on a special Star Wars menu for May!!! The Froth is strong with these specials!!
- The “Declassified” videos have been a joy to have, exploring behind-the-scenes of each block of episodes, yet the revelation in the latest video that O’Reilly wanted the whole speech written, to deliver the whole thing, and make the connection between Mon and Cassian meeting and their scene in Rogue One, was so cool to see how much these things can mean to the actors as well.
Andor’s penultimate block of episodes, “Episode 7 – Messenger” & “Episode 8 – Who Are You?” & “Episode 9 – Welcome to the Rebellion,” are the season and show’s most exhilarating, heartbreaking, and charged yet.
+ Mon Mothma’s impassioned and rallying speech against fascism
+ Heartbreaking and harrowing portrayal of the Ghorman Massacre
+ Bix’s choice and Cassian grappling with his destiny
+ Syril’s fitting death and Dedra’s realizations
+ Spellbinding intensity throughout
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky and Instagram @mynockmanor.
ANDOR SERIES REVIEWS:
Season Two: “Episode 1 – One Year Later” & “Episode 2 – Sagrona Teema” & “Episode 3 – Harvest” | “Episode 4 – Ever Been to Ghorman?” & “Episode 5 – I Have Friends Everywhere” & “Episode 6 – What a Festive Evening”
Season One: Premiere “Episodes 1-3” | Ep. 4 “Aldhani” | Ep. 5 “The Axe Forgets” | Ep. 6 “The Eye” | Ep. 7 “Announcement” | Ep. 8 “Narkina 5” | Ep. 9 “Nobody’s Listening!” | Ep. 10 “One Way Out” | Ep. 11 “Daughter of Ferrix” | Ep. 12 “Rix Road”