Andor Episode 11 Review: Cliffhangers Ahead?

In the penultimate episode of Andor, the tension continues to ramp. It’s mostly setup, and I find myself wondering how all of the dangling plot threads are going to be dealt with – but then, perhaps they won’t?

Andor Episode 11 – Daughter of Ferrix

My gut is telling me that Season 1 is going to end is several parallel disasters and a cliffhanger, to draw people back in when Season 2 finally debuts. Here’s where we’re at for now:

The episode begins with Andor and Melshi climbing a sheer cliff face and trying to avoid aerial patrols of TIE Reapers – they’re looking for a ship, any ship – while hopefully avoiding the natives of Narkina 5. Melshi is losing hope and stamina, but Andor finds the words (which seems to be his great talent) to inspire him to hang on and keep climbing. We shift to a perspective I don’t think we’ve seen before – that of the droid, B2EMO – listening and watching as volunteers from the Daughters of Ferrix work to clean out Marvaas dwelling – she has passed off screen, and the droid is not handling it well. He begins to shake in fear at his charging station as they begin discussing what his fate will be now that Marvaa is gone. Fortunately, Andors friend Brasso is present, and senses the fear and loss of B2 – offering the droid a chance to say goodbye. He wants to accompany Brasso to his job because he doesn’t want to be alone, but Brasso tries to distract him by giving him jobs to do with the Daughters of Ferrix in the cleanup. The droid is childlike, and clearly grieving and it’s nice to see a droid being taken seriously. It’s clear he’s been through a lot, and I hope his history is explored a bit more in Season 2. As Marvaas body is taken out, the ISB observer and Cinta both note her passage down Rix Street.

Back on Narkina 5, Andor and Melshi observe some natives near a Quadjumper, and plan to steal it. Melshi can no longer stand the waiting and makes a break for the ship, with Cassian reluctantly chasing him. The natives see them, and activate an ingenius trap that reminds me of Timothy Zahns’ Stokhli sticks from the Thrawn Trilogy. On Ferrix, the local Imperial Prefect reports to Dedra Meero about Marvaas death. She insists that they intensify their surveillance. The prefect wants to deny a permit to close Rix road for a funeral procession, but informs him that he must grant the permit – the funeral will be the best and last chance to catch Cassian, if he appears, so she definitely wants the funeral to take place. Local Ferrix customs allow two days for the funeral, after which Marvaas body will be cremated and baked into a local brick – which then will be made part of a wall, so the citizens of Ferrix can continue to keep watch over the community.

Returning to Narkina 5, the natives discuss between themselves their catch – after a lack of aliens in prior episodes, it was great to see some fully realized creature effects, with a distinct speech pattern. While the scene could have been played for more tension, it is broken with humor – I thoroughly enjoyed this scene. Cassian and Melshi escape on the seriously broken-down quadjumper, and plan to head back to Niamos. On Coruscant, Kleya works to clean up another artifact, and is surprised by the appearance of Vel. At first they speak in code, but the fiction is quickly dropped. Vel has been trying to contact Luthen with the information of Marvaas death, but has received no response. In frustration, she breaks every protocol to directly contact Luthen at the boutique. Kleya chastises her for breaking the rules, and tries to imply that Luthen is there, but Vel has done her homework. Before arriving, she verified that the Fondor Haulcraft was gone – Luthen is off-planet. After some sniping, Vel reveals her information and why it is time-sensitive. Like everyone else, they’re looking for Andor – Kleya will pass on the information, though she doesn’t truly want to give Vel credit.

Once more to Ferrix, the ISB spy and Cinta both observe Brasso returning to Marvaas dwelling after his shift. B2EMO is glad for his return. As night falls, Brasso sadly observes the partially emptied house. After turning out the lights, he tells B2 that it’s time to go, but B2 can’t stand to leave – he protests and says that he needs to charge, but Brasso sees through the fiction. He promises that he will take the afternoon off and come back tomorrow, and that Maarva is gone now and on her way to the afterlife – B2 says that he could stay, just to make sure she won’t come back. Brasso protests – Marvaa wouldn’t want him to be alone all night, so B2 pleads with him to stay – just for the night. Brasso agrees – he is a good man. I hope we learn more of his and Cassians backstory later on.

The next scene we catch up with Bix after her interrogation. It’s clear that her mind is shattered, but they continue to interrogate her, with threats of the return of Dr. Gorst if she is not truthful with her answers. They question her about Anto Kreegyr and whether or not he was the contact that she met on Ferrix who recruited Cassian. We do not see her reply. We cut back to Coruscant, where Mon Mothma drinks wine while watching her daughter participate in a practice marriage ritual – when Vel arrives, she confides that Leida has become wrapped up in the old customs of Chandrila, to her mothers horror. Mon Motha clearly despises the Chandrilan Custom of arranged marriage, and it’s obvious that this is Leidas way of rebelling. When Vel begs Mon to tell her that she’s not entertaining proposals, Mon begins to tell her about her financial and legal troubles. She describes the withdrawals she had made for Luthen, and how the Aldhani operations endangered her. Vel susses out that Tay Kolma has been trying to help her, but all he has managed to do is verify just how much trouble she will be in if she can’t replace the missing money. The total she needs to replace is 400,000 credits.

Elsewhere, Syril receives a late-night call from Sergeant Mosk on a bad connection from a foundry on Ferrix – his fortunes have clearly laid him low since the Ferrix incident. The scene plays for laughs as Mosk clearly can’t hear a thing that Syril is saying, but he finally gets out that Andors mother has died – and Cassian will likely return for the funeral. This lights a fire under Syril, who likely will be making a trip shortly. Melshi and Andor have made their way back to Niamos. Cassian surreptitiously enters the apartment he previously rented to retrieve his credits, Nemiks manifesto, and his blasters from under the sleeping nose of the current tenant.

We finally catch up to Luthen, who is planning to meet Saw Gerrera once more. Saw is in a frenzy – he’s changed his mind and is eager to provide air support to Anto Kreegyr in exchange for raiding rights of the east garrison – he’ll also want some of Luthens hardware. Luthen has to disabuse him of the notion, and Saw realizes that Spellhaus is going to be a trap, and Luthen is letting him burn. Saw’s paranoia kicks in, and he questions whether Luthen is an ISB agent, and whether any of his own men are watching him. Luthen takes special care with Saw, recognizing his volatility, but also knowing that he can’t let him join the raid. He trusts him with more information that I’ve seen him let loose yet, but Saw is still angry and suspicious. When he begins to go off the deep end, Luthen baits Two-Tubes to draw him in and steal his blaster, holding it on Saw – commanding his attention. Saw tells him that he’ll never make it out alive, and Luthen makes sure he knows he’s only doing it so he’ll listen. If he were ISB, why wouldn’t he just let Saw join the raid? He surrenders the blaster. Saw sees the reason, but vows war to the Empire.

While leaving the planet, Kleya and Luthen have a conversation in code, talking about the negotiations with Saw – and “the other piece, about which there are other interested buyers.” They’re clearly talking about Andor, and Kleya tries to warn him off. Luthen responds that if they aren’t able to acquire this piece, they’ll have to close up shop. Their call is interrupted when Luthen is intercepted by an Arrestor Cruiser, Cantwell class. (Look up this ship if you haven’t heard about it, it has a fascinating and touching history.) Suspicious of finding Luthens haulcraft in an area that has reported Partisan activity, they demand identification. Luthen quickly forges a Alderaanian transponder code, but the Imperial Captain isn’t buying it. Luthen tries to talk his way out, but the Arrestor locks its main tractor beam and begins drawing him in. Luthen attempts to fake an engine malfunction, but while doing so he also prepares countermeasures. While the prep for countermeasures counts down, the captain tells him to prepare for boarding and inspection. In response, he throws a hard burn to his thrusters, but it’s not enough to break the tractor beam. In response, the beam is intensified, which plays into Luthens hands – he engages the countermeasures – flechettes that are quickly drawn towards the Arrestor and shred the tractor beam generators. (hat tip to Timothy Zahn again, who described a similar tractor break maneuver using reflective strips to confuse the targeting array of the beam projector.)

As TIES are sent to to pursue him, Luthen engages what can only be described as “lightsaber beams” while performing a roll to shred his pursuers when he passes between them. He escapes, but the Fondor Haulcraft is likely to be blasted out to every Imperial Holonet receiver in the Empire. On Ferrix, Cassian calls the freight hauler from the early episodes – wanting to pass a message to Marvaa that he will be returning home soon. Xan has to inform him that Marvaa is dead, A stunned Cassian hangs up and returns to Melshi. After what they’ve been through, Melshi wonders how many of them survived – he’s haunted by the fact that they may be the only survivors, and the galaxy doesn’t even know. He wants to tell the galaxy – they agree to part company to increase their chances. Andor gives him a blaster and some credits, and they split up, before Cassian heads home.

All roads now point to Ferrix, where far too many interested parties – the ISB, Luthen, and Syril – all want him for their own reasons. Who do you think will net the prize?