Please be aware of spoilers!

2022/12/14

Few months back when I wrote about my first watch of Obi-Wan Kenobi, I also wrote about my introduction into Star Wars, so I won’t bore you with that anymore. As far as I know Andor is the 4^th live-action series in the Star Wars franchise, and it is also a prequel TV show to the movie Rogue One. Let me tell you Rogue One is probably my favorite Star Wars movie and currently I am in doubt which Star Wars show is my favorite, The Mandalorian or Andor. I have to say before I started watching Andor I was intrigued but I didn’t expect it to be this entertaining and the season finale, in my opinion is just epic.

Just before I started watching, I had a talk about it with a friend of mine, at that moment he wasn’t really impressed with the first 3 episodes. He thought it was okay, but he did not really recognize Star Wars as he was used to. Because I only started watching Star Wars regularly only about 7 years ago, for me it isn’t really a problem that it is perhaps not the same Star Wars as before. I have to say I do have that same feeling with the new Star Trek shows as he has with Star Wars: Andor. Anyway, I was getting more and more excited as the first season was progressing.

Diego Luna is Cassian Andor, reprising his role from Rogue One. His story starts as he kills two officers from the empire, one by accident, one consciously. From that moment on he is on the run. Adria Arjona is Bix Caleen, she and Cassian have a history together, they haven’t seen each other in a while, but she is prepared to help him again. Stellan Skarsgård is Luthen Rael, he is sick and tired living under the Empire's rule and is starting a movement against the Empire. He asks Cassian to join, he only does it if he gets paid.

Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), also reprises her role from the movie Rogue one, is working with Luthen Rael, she finances, in part, the movement Rael is starting up. But because she’s taken large amounts of money from her bank she has been noticed. Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) is leading the investigation into Cassian Andor right after He has killed two officers. Karn was specifically told not to take an active role in this case and when it all blows up in his face, he is discharged. Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) an imperial officer, is taking an interest in what has happened on Ferrix. She is confident she will capture Cassian. She has arrested in Bix. Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) is also involved in Luthen’s movement, she is also Mon Mothma’s cousin. And when Luthen finds Cassian an uncertainty, he orders Vel and Cinta to kill Cassian. Cinta (Varada Sethu) is, like Vel, also involved in this movement. She and Vel go to Ferrix to keep an eye on Cassian’s mother Maarva. Maarva is very awake, realizing what is happening, the tyranny from the Empire. B2EMO (Dave Chapman) is a droid, belonging to Maarva. A sort of pet to Maarva and Cassian, his name explains what kind of a droid it is.

Episodes:

Cassian Andor gets himself in trouble when he is looking for someone, a woman, which would be his sister. While asking around in that brothel he gets “in the way” of two officers who feel that they were embarrassed by Cassian. Once outside these police officers find Cassian, they want revenge and want to ruff him up a little bit. But Cassian accidentally kills one in self-defense and realizes that he is in trouble even if it was an accident, so he consciously kills the other one also. Syral Karn, who at the time is a Deputy Inspector during the Imperial Era, gets instructions from his boss not to spend too much attention to this case, because these police officers weren’t squeaky clean themselves. But Karn cannot leave it alone, while his boss is away for business Karn uses every means to his disposal to apprehend the one who killed these officers.

Meanwhile Cassian flees and asks help from Bix, an old friend, they have a history together, he asks her if she can find a buyer for a certain item which he can cash-in and escape with his mother Maarva and B2EMO. In several backflashes into the past we see Cassian as a young boy, who lives in a tribe with his younger sister. At some point they see a spaceship crash. He is allowed to go with, but her sister has to stay behind. Presumably this is the last time he has seen his sister. Bix finds someone who is interested, Luthen Rael. But when he arrives, Karn’s men also arrive on Ferrix. Bix’s boyfriend got jealous because Cassian and Bix spend time together and he thought they were lovers again, so he snitches on Cassian. Luthen helps Cassian escape, leaving his mother Maarva and B2EMO behind, Luthen has a proposition for him, he wants Cassian to help in an operation against the Empire. Cassian accepts when Luthen offers a significant amount of money.

We see another backflash where Cassian goes into this crashed spaceship they’ve found, trashing the place, presumably for killing this girl who appears to be their leader of Cassian’s tribe. Maarva Andor is checking out that same ship for valuables and when she finds Cassian, she decides to take him with her. Meanhile back on Ferrix, Bix is captured by the soldiers, she’s been beaten, chained to a wall when her boyfriend runs towards her. The soldiers warn him not to come closer, but he does, so they kill him.

Luthen drops Cassian off to another member of his team. They are not happy with Cassian because the operation is in 3 days. But they must deal with it. They are even more upset with him when they learn he gets paid handsomely! Meanwhile Mon Mothma has a meeting with Luthen, she is responsible for a large sum of the funds, but she is being monitored and it becomes difficult to draw large amounts of money. Even her chauffeur is a spy, which she knows. Karn is being discharged after his fiasco in trying to arrest Cassian and is forced to back to him mum and live there. His uncle may have a menial job for him.

Luthen is very anxious about the op, he seems to be doubting his decision to bring in Cassian. But the operation is a success, Luthen’s team manages to steal lots of money, 80 million credits. The Empire has been embarrassed by it. But there are also casualties. Skeen tries to convince Cassian to betray Vel and Cinta by grabbing these credits and split up the money 50/50, each 40 million credits. Cassian shoots him and goes to Vel and demands his share of money. Karn is feeling quite unhappy with his new situation, working for his uncle, living with his nosy mom. He (Karn) wants to clear his name, feels it was an injustice to discharge him. The Empire cannot let this slide, they will be even more relentless. Meero is leading the inverstigation. Cassian returns home, wants him mother to come with him, now that he has some money, but him mom wants to stay and fight the Empire. She is proud of his participants in the robbery, but she does not know Cassian was one of the responsible persons. Luthen fears he made a mistake with Cassian, and he wants Vel to kill him. Mon Motha wants to know if it was Luthen who was responsible for the robbery.

Cassian is arrested, for a trivial thing, but is sentence 6 years to prison where he must work hard every day. Karn is picked up by Meero, she wants him to stop asking about Cassian, Meero arrests Bix and wants to know about Luthen and Cassian. Cassian’s mum is ill. Vel is watching his mum’s place to kill Cassian because Luthen is afraid of what he knows, what he will tell. Mon Mothma is afraid that she will be arrested, her cousin Vel visits, someone with whom she can speak honestly. Vel tries to make clear that a change is needed and that she must continue. Tay Kolma, a friend of Mon Mothma, has only one solution, bring in a thug!

Bix is being interrogated by Meero and her men, the technique is dreadful, very painful! Meanwhile, Cassian and other prisoners manage to escape, his shift manager wants to help when he realizes that no one ever gets out of this prison. Mon Mothma meets Davo Sculdun, the thug! He says he can help but he wants to become more social with them and he also wants his son to be introduced to their daughter! Mon Mothma shows him the door. Luthen meets up with Saw, to see if he wants to join his campaign against the Empire but is not prepared yet. Corv, in service of Meero, is also in service of Luthen, but he wants out. He is afraid he’ll get caught but Luthen doesn’t let him get out. He needs all the hero’s he can get so he blackmails / threatens Corv. Cassian mother passes away, 2BEMO takes this hard as all her friends do. Meero wants a funeral because she expects Cassian to come. Luthen’s team is also keeping an eye out for Cassian. Karn also learns of Cassians mother and wants to be there too. Bix, still imprisoned, is on the verge of breaking. Saw contact Luthen again, he does want to help but Luthen advices against it now, because someone (Kreegyr) is about to fall so that the Empire will settle down again. Cassian also learns about his mom being dead. Impressive escape from Luthen when he is approached by a Segra Milo Imperial patrol. Note – This escape scene was a lot of fun!

Cassian goes back to Ferrix but doesn’t show himself at the funeral, he takes the opportunity to rescue Bix. Via 2BEMO Maarva gives a marvelous and rebellious pre-recorded speech against the empire, really inspiring. Fighting starts between the people of Ferrix and the soldiers for the Empire. Meanwhile Brasso is getting a ship ready, Cassian brings Bix to the ship, promises Bix and B2EMO he will find them again. He finds Luthen’s ship and gives him choice, either kill him or take him in. Luthen realizes Cassian has truly joined the cause. Mon Mothma knows that she is being overheard, argues with her husband about him gambling again. Which could help her with her financial troubles, if it was known her husband was gambling, that not she but he was spending the money. She does accept Davo Sculdun (the thug) conditions. In final moments, mid end credits, we see a Death Star is in the last phase of completion.

Final Word:

So, as said in the beginning of this blog, I didn’t expect I’d be enjoying this so much! Not sure if I prefer The Mandalorian to Andor, as for Star Wars in general, I know there are many dissatisfied Star Wars fans out there, but these two shows should be set as an example. This kind of quality is what Star Wars creators should strive for. If they do that, I believe fans will eventually trust Disney with this huge legacy again. So I am really looking forward to season two and also to rewatch the movie Rogue One! Highly recommended!

Screencaps taken from: cap-that.com