Andor Season One and Finale Review: A Slow Start, A Solid Story

The finale of Andor’s first season is a microcosm of the series as a whole. There are positives, minuses, but in the end, the question remains whether or not Star Wars fans will return.

Andor was a surprising show for me. Even though most people didn’t seem interested in the premise, I had high hopes for the show going in. I was somewhat baffled by what I saw in the first half of the season – gorgeous production values and good writing, but the first five episodes felt like a slog. Most of my predictions for the show ended up being off-base, but in a good way – and after episode 6, I was hooked.

So how did episode 12 stack up?

For me, sort of like the entire season in microcosm. There was a lot to pack into this episode, and in some ways it felt a little rushed – I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more time with some characters, and some more character moments. Most of my predictions for the episode ended up being off-base, but not in a bad way. It’s always a pleasure to be surprised, and this series managed to do this multiple times. Pacing remains a bit of an issue, but if the writing continues to be this tight in Season 2, by all rights Disney should have a qualified hit on their hands. It’s a shame they took so long to ramp up at the start of the series – they lost half the audience by episode 3 – combined with the preceding two series that were an insult to the fanbase and Disneys overall mismanagement of Star Wars, I can’t help but wonder how things would’ve looked had Andor dropped immediately after The Mandalorian’s first season. We might be in a whole different place with Star Wars.

Spoiler Warning:

The episode begins with all parties converging on Ferrix. The scenes are intercut with the son of the man who ran the junk shop and maintained Luthens contact radio building an IED that will come into play later. He wants revenge for what was done to his father during the interrogation. The opening scenes are beautiful, and I have to credit the cinematography throughout the entire series. Using practical sets was a wise move, and truly give Ferrix a unique character. Mon Mothma devises a way to explain the missing credits from her accounts, with the help of her unwitting husband. Knowing that watchers are listening, she both explains the missing funds, and creates an excuse to engage the services of Davo Sculden that Perrin will not question. Vel reunites with Cinta, who anxiously observes all the comings and goings around Marvaas house. In the dead of night, Cassian sneaks into town, rendezvousing with the used ship lot contact from the earlier episodes. He learns of what has happened to Bix.

On a stormy night, we see Bix, Luthen, and Andor, with narration from Nemiks manifesto accompanying the storm. It’s ironic that the lines quoted in his manifesto are words Disney and their ilk would do well to remember. Back at the Hotel Headquarters of the Empire, the strategy for the mornings funeral is discussed. Lt. Meero insists that Cassian be taken alive, despite the Imperial penchant for destroying their enemies.

Gracias Angela !! #Andor https://t.co/AB15haTixx pic.twitter.com/OGNjI8JAOY

— diego luna (@diegoluna_) November 11, 2022

Back at ISB headquarters, Blevin consults with Mon Mothmas driver – he’s interested in the conversation, but they are interrupted by another officer informing them that they’re missing the ambush on Anto Kreegyr. Spellhaus is a massacre, with all rebels killed. Deedra complains via video link to Major Partigaz, but he informs her that if she wants to call the shots, she needs to identify Axis. For Partigaz, this was not about gathering intelligence – it was about appeasing the Emperor after the Aldhani operation. The ISB agent assigned to watch Maarvas house sees a big man leaving, and recognizes that it isn’t Brasso. He calls it in, realising they’ve been played. Andor moves through the tunnels under town, and is reunited with Brasso, who gives Andor Marvaas last words for him. Cassian decides to go and rescue Bix.

Syril Karn and Sergeant Mosk are reunited and join the deadly mix ahead of the funeral. A creditor who shook Andor down in the earlier episodes observes the shipyard contact leaving a building and puts together that he’s helping Cassian. Luthen reunites with Vel and perceives that the ISBs intense interest in locating Cassian is a good thing – they’ll do the hunting for them, and then he can be executed. The anvil begins ringing, hours before the scheduled funeral. The people of Ferrix defy the Imperial schedule in protest, and begin convering on Rix Road for their funeral procession. It looks like most of the town turns out for the procession, alarming the imperial watchers. Everything converges on the street as the marching band moves towards Imperial riot police at the other end of the road who assemble at the double – tensions rise to an unbearable level. Andor watches all from above, spotting Luthen in the crowd, and realizing what this means. Andors creditor approaches the ISB spy and bargains for double what he’s been promised, plus a ride off Ferrix, for revealing where Cassian can be found.

As the riot police hastily assemble at the end of Rix Road, and the procession marches toward them, I was reminded a bit of Gangs of New York. You can feel the anger in the crowd, and know that violence is about to erupt. The ISB spy searches the location that Cassians creditor told them they could find him, but Cassian has already moved on – they miss him by minutes. When the band and mourners arrive at miners square, they chant “Stone and Sky.” Brasso emerges with Maarvas brick – and B2 plays her final message for the people of Ferrix. As it plays, Andor moves through the hotel, searching for Bix. Maarva implores the people of Ferrix to wake up and recognize that the Empire has occupied them – they’re not transient anymore. The imperials grow agitated as they realize that Maarva is inciting them from beyond the grave. As she implores the townspeople to fight, the Prefect can stand no more and rushes forward to cover up the transmission. His temper breaks and he tips B2, which sets off the crowd – all hell breaks loose. The mob charges the Imperial riot troops, and Cassian locates Bix. Her mind is shattered, but she can speak, believing that Maarva was just there. Andor wants her to leave, but she refuses.

The fight in the street continues, the kid who built the IED tosses it towards the imperials – it explodes, blowing out windows and sending smoke throughout the street. An ammo case is knocked over, and the concussion of the blast sets off the grenades that were within, causing even more chaos and destruction. People rush to escape the blast zone, while Vel runs toward it. Cassian helps Bix up and begins to extricate her from the hotel.

Into this chaos, the Imperials begin beating townsfolk with riot batons, and the Prefect orders stormtroopers on balconies to open fire on the crowd. Brasso rescues the kid while the shipyard contact rescues B2 – they leave the area. Cinta encounters the ISB watcher and kills him with a knife. Out on the streets, all is chaos. Blasterfire continues and several Ferrixians are killed. Lt. Meero fires into the crowd and is hit in the head by a rock and stunned. Even the bellringer kills a stormtrooper in an epic (and funny) fashion. Lt. Meero is fallen on by the mob and traumatized with fear…her gun is retrieved and pressed to her back, and she is ordered to move straight ahead and through a door. Shaken, she complies – when the parties enter the room, she finds that it is Syril, come to rescue her. They share a moment – definitely creepy. Luthen watches the chaos in town from afar now, a pained look on his face – both because he knows he’s missed his opportunity to catch Cassian, and because of what has happened in the town.

It was incredibly satisfying to watch fascists look absolutely terrified in the face of the people they’re oppressing.

Because that’s what they are: Scared. always scared. It’s why they’re so brutal and unforgiving. They know that if the people rise up, they’re done. #Andor pic.twitter.com/IrTxY7Cd9w

— MaceAhWindu 🇵🇸 (@MaceAhWindu) November 24, 2022

Vel and Cinta empty their flat and prepare to escape. At the shipyard, Jezzi, Brasso, the kid, the shipyard man all work quickly to prepare a beat-up ship to evacuate. Andor and Bix arrive – he puts Bix on the ship, and tells them to leave. He gives Jezzi instructions to escape, and parts. He promises them all he will find them. The ship lifts off and heads for open sky. On Coruscant, Mon Mothma and Perrin present Leida to Davo Sculden and his son. There is sadness in Mon’s face at the realization of what she has done.

Luthen prepares the haulcraft to leave, giving instruction to his droid intelligence. It does not respond. He is startled to find Cassian waiting for him. Believing he has come to kill him, Cassian reveals that he has left his Bryar Pistol where Luthen can reach it. “Either kill me, or take me with you.” He is a mercenary no more. Post-Credits – spider droids work to use the connectors that were constructed at Narkina-5 – placing panels together that will be part of the laser-array of the unfinished Death Star.

Conclusion:

I did not expect Luthen to survive this episode. After the events of last week, I was certain his Haulcraft would be on every detain on site bulletin throughout the Empire – the short timeframe between his escape from the Arrestor and his jump to Ferrix could account for this, but the end of the episode hints that he’s going to be around for awhile longer yet. Seeing the funeral on Ferrix was moving, as was Maarva’s speech. Tying the funeral march into the Andor main theme was a nice touch, and the riot scene was chaotic and scary. Andors rescue of Bix and the subsquent escape of Brasso, B2, and the kid are intriguing. I expected more of Syril – I feel he was let down a bit after his brilliant performance in the first 3 episodes. After so many episodes of seeing him eat cereal, I t expected he would have a big character moment this episode – something a bit more epic than “rescues Deedra and has a brief moment with her.”

But these are minor complaints – despite my misgivings about the early episodes, this show was a revelation, and worthy of the canon. It is just as good as the Mandalorian, though it scratches a different itch. It’s a shame that Disney squandered their audience due to the slow start, and mismanagement of the franchise as a whole.

So what did you think? Did you enjoy Andor’s first season… will you be coming back for a second? Or have you checked out of Star Wars already no matter the future? Let me know in the comments below. As always, keep reading That Park Place for all the latest news that should be fun.