‘Andor’ Episode 4 Recap: Star Wars’ Insurgent Heroes Function within the Shadows

Episode 4 of Star Wars collection Andor hit Disney Plus on Wednesday, revealing Cassian’s early steps into the tremendous secret riot in opposition to the totalitarian Galactic Empire after abandoning his household, mates and residential in final week’s three-episode premiere. The fourth episode additionally introduces a well-known face in one in every of Star Wars’ biggest heroes and a brand new one within the Imperial risk.

The present takes place 5 years earlier than Rogue One, which revealed the occasions main into the unique Star Wars movie, A New Hope. Life on this galaxy kinda sucks on this period, when Emperor Palpatine’s forces are increasing their sphere of affect and enveloping unusual people in a vicelike grip.

On the run from the legislation, Cassian (Diego Luna) escaped with insurgent recruiter Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) for components unknown. Let’s try our hero’s new scenario, see how the seeds of riot are being planted on the coronary heart of galactic energy and meet our impeccably tailor-made baddies. An Empire of SPOILERS awaits.

The pitch

HYPERSPACE — Luthen continues to be supercool as he convinces Cassian to affix the insurgent trigger, reasoning that he is already earned a loss of life sentence by stealing from the Empire. The nihilist Cassian reckons combating the Empire is a waste of time — higher to dwell no matter life you possibly can carve out beneath that regime. 

“You will finally die combating these bastards,” the charismatic recruiter says. “So what I am asking you is that this: Would not you quite give it abruptly to one thing actual, than carve off ineffective items till there’s nothing left?”

It is primarily a repeat of Luthen’s speech again on Ferrix, however Skarsgård is so magnetic that I might fortunately watch him riff on this similar level one million other ways.

Luthen reveals that he got here to Ferrix to recruit Cassian to affix a heist on the quarterly payroll for the whole Imperial sector — presumably as a technique to bankroll the riot whereas hurting the enemy. 

The fabulously dressed Galactic Empire

CORUSCANT, THE GALACTIC CAPITAL — A bit of this episode takes us to the seat of Palpatine’s Empire and introduces the villains of the Imperial Safety Bureau, or ISB. This legislation enforcement and intelligence company is answerable for maintaining the citizenry firmly beneath the regime’s management, and is usually scary and nasty.

However rattling, these individuals look wonderful of their white uniforms. You may recall Orson Krennic from Rogue One dressing in an analogous outfit; he is a director within the ISB-linked Imperial Navy Division of Superior Weapons Analysis and secretly engaged on the Loss of life Star at this level within the timeline.

Among the many impeccably tailor-made, and doubtless the present’s primary Imperial baddy, is Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough). Listening to concerning the mess the company safety power made on Ferrix because it tried to catch Cassian, she turns into intrigued regardless that it is exterior her purview — finally suggesting that it hints at an organized insurgent effort. 

Her snide boss, Main Partagaz (Anton Lesser, whom you may bear in mind enjoying creepy ex-Maester Qyburn in Recreation of Thrones), would not assume there’s sufficient proof and is simply too targeted on sustaining paperwork to take a better look. He just about tells her to remain in her lane.

The Imperials do loads of sneering at one another as they attempt to climb the ladder — this may very well be boring, however everyone seems to be so fabulously dressed and the performing is so good that it is all tremendous partaking.

Did I point out how a lot I like their uniforms?

An actor prepares

On the opposite facet of the coin is Sen. Mon Mothma, whom you may bear in mind from her iconic “Many Bothans died…” speech in Return of the Jedi. Filling the position right here is Genevieve O’Reilly, who portrayed the character in Revenge of the Sith (although most of her scenes have been deleted), Rogue One, and CGI animated collection Rebels.

She’s secretly spearheading the nascent Insurgent Alliance and principally the anti-Palpatine. It is superior to see her on this paranoid setting — the Empire is clearly onto her, however she’s too distinguished to eliminate. 

As Luthen returns to Coruscant, he dons a lush curly wig, a wonderful outfit and foppish demeanor as a part of his cowl — the proprietor of a elaborate vintage retailer catering to the capital’s elites. Skarsgård is as soon as once more magnificent on this facet of the position, and the multilayered efficiency makes his assembly with Mon a delight to observe. Luthen has clearly been learning house Stanislavski.

They can not belief Mon’s new driver, so he places on a giant flamboyant present as she enters beneath the guise of getting a gift for her husband. He drops the facade and turns into his intense insurgent self solely after they’re alone. 

She’s struggling to entry funds for the riot and needs to convey somebody new into their tightly managed inside circle — a dangerous transfer, and Luthen is not wild about it.

“It is a daring selection, however I belief you may have the braveness to show again if it ought to be a bit a lot,” he says, reassuming his persona and hitting us with some tasty subtext.

Assembly the partner

At Mon’s gorgeous house, we meet her beforehand unseen husband Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie). He comes throughout as a hedonistic jerk, and might be the proper cowl for her actions (although she’s clearly annoyed with him). It is potential that is simply one other act and Perrin is in on the riot, however we do not get any sense of that right here.

He is organized a elaborate dinner for his outdated military buddy, and Mon notices two excessive degree Imperials among the many friends:

• Ars Dangor is one in every of Palpatine’s primary advisors, and certain one of many guys in humorous hats seen in his throne room in Return of the Jedi.
• Sly Moore is the bald, pale-skinned lady seen by Palpatine’s facet in Assault of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. She’s one of many few individuals who know his true identification as Sith Lord Darth Sidious. And her first identify suggests she’s to not be trusted.

Mainly, Mon Mothma is surrounded by enemies, cannot belief anybody and all of it sounds quite traumatic. It is fairly wonderful to observe.

A workforce of rebels

ALDHANI — Earlier than his journey to Coruscant, Luthen drops Cassian off on this sparsely populated (however quite inexperienced and plush) world. The Empire took it over to be used as a distribution level in its galactic conquest, messing up the natives’ historic lifestyle beneath the guise of employment alternatives.

We’re additionally launched to the suspicious insurgent workforce of all-new characters led by Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), with Imperial Lt Gorn (Sule Rimi) as their man on the within. They’re largely fairly darn sad with having Cassian be a part of the group simply days earlier than their heist goes down.

Their goal is a large, fortified Imperial garrison they usually have to interrupt right into a vault in an effort to get their arms on the payroll earlier than escaping in a freighter. They’re going to use a celestial occasion as cowl, but it surely’s all fairly darn harmful.

Cassian is beneath stress to catch up in time for the heist and has to tug all-nighters, which jogs my memory how I used to deal with project deadlines in my faculty days, however with means larger stakes right here.

Rogue ideas, unanswered questions and Easter eggs

• This present is so grounded and plausible that it is simple to overlook that the galaxy is run by a cackling house wizard who shoots lightning from his arms and as soon as shouted “Uuuuunlimited powerrrrr” as he did so.
• The music that performs over the opening titles is wildly thrilling; composer Nicholas Britell (Moonlight and Succession) provides a complete layer of depth to this present.
• The attention-catching helmet in the back of Luthen’s vintage store seems precisely just like the “Darkish Lord’s Armor” worn by Galen Marek (aka Starkiller) in The Power Unleashed. The character adopted this search for the 2008 recreation’s darkish facet alternate storyline. It isn’t canon, but it surely nonetheless seems cool as heck.
• Additionally seen within the store — which is an Easter egg treasure trove — are a Mandalorian armor set, a Twi’lek Kalikori, tablets with arms linked to The World Between Worlds, what seems to be an Indiana Jones whip encased in carbonite, and potential Sith and Jedi holocrons, amongst different cool objects.
• Cassian mentions being compelled to battle for the Empire on unpleasantly muddy world Mimban when he acquired out of jail at 16, and it sounds quite a bit just like the chaotic battle seen in Solo. Cassian could have crossed paths with our boy Han.
• Luthen offers Cassian a reasonably superior necklace as a down cost for his work with the rebels — a necklace with a kyber crystal. These uncommon stones are attuned to the Power and an important a part of a lightsaber, in addition to the Loss of life Star’s planet-destroying superlaser.  
• The crystal “celebrates the rebellion in opposition to the Rakatan invaders,” in response to Luthen. This species was first seen in noncanon 2003 online game Knights of the Outdated Republic, so this enjoyable reference brings them again into the continuity.
• Cassian makes use of the alias Clem, after the late adoptive father we met in the earlier episode’s flashbacks.
• The ISB assembly features a point out of Ryloth, the Twi’lek homeworld seen in CGI animated collection The Clone Wars and Rebels.
• The Empire is seemingly mining on the distant world Arvala-6. Arvala-7 is the planet the place Mando finds Grogu in the primary episode of The Mandalorian, which takes place just a few years after Return of the Jedi.
• The Empire makes use of the Ferrix fiasco as an excuse to grab management of the Morlana system — basic colonialism. The Company Safety guys are concerned, together with our pal Syril Karn (Kyle Soller).
• The identify “Hosnian Prime” is among the many bulletins as Syril arrives house to Coruscant — that’ll turn into the capital of the New Republic a long time after the Empire’s fall and is destroyed by the First Order in The Power Awakens.
• The slap/hug Syril’s mother Eedy greets him with hints at a bizarre relationship.
• One of many Aldhani crew mentions insurgent extremist Noticed Gerrera, an superior however harmful character seen in The Clone Wars, Rebels and Rogue One.
• Marvel’s present Darth Vader comedian collection sees dinner visitor Sly Moore embroiled in prison syndicate Crimson Daybreak’s plot to kill Vader. This story is ready between The Empire Strikes Again and Return of the Jedi, so practically a decade after the occasions of this present.
• I have been wanting a Mon Mothma story since 2016, once I occurred on an announcement that her previous can be revealed in a novel. That turned out to be an April Idiot’s joke, however the thought was so thrilling that it is caught in my thoughts for the final six years. I am glad Andor is giving her the highlight.

Come again for extra Easter eggs and observations subsequent Wednesday, Oct. 5, when episode 5 of Andor hits Disney Plus.