Last night's new episode of Andor made me want to watch A New Hope afterwards. It breathed such life into the Star Wars universe, the world it depicts seemed vivid in ways it hasn't in a long time. Dan Gilroy, brother of Tony, wrote this fourth episode and I'd say he certainly proved the two are cut from the same cloth.
I love the sense of secrecy and paranoia the episode establishes in the galaxy, both among Imperials and Rebels. Rael delivers Cassian to Aldhani, a world with a tiny rebel cell. And the leader is forced to lie to her people about where Cassian came from. Cassian is forced to adopt a new name--he chooses Clem, the name of his adopted father--and is told he can't even reference the existence of Rael.
We see Rael going back to his life on Coruscant and I love the moment where Stellan Skarsgaard first puts on the clothes and wig and then puts on the smile and attitude.
And we see Coruscant! I do believe this is the first extended look at it we've had since the prequels (unless I'm forgetting something). I've dreamed of seeing Imperial Coruscant since I started reading the old Extended Universe books in the '90s. Here it is in all its cold, dangerous glory.
It seems to have become a colder place since the prequels. We catch up with Mon Mothma, at this point a senator, and we get a good sense of her position, first as someone constantly dealing with spies, then as a senator whose husband seems to be of the opposite political faction.
The scenes in the Imperial Security Bureau were captivating. Anton Lesser's Major Partagaz comes off as credibly competent and ruthless. Denise Gough as Dedra Meero is another weirdly sympathetic viper in the nest, a bit like Karn and Krennic before her. People who genuinely subscribe to the ideals of the Empire but find themselves at odds with the machine.
I want to see the next episode immediately.
Andor is available on Disney+.
No comments:
Post a Comment