Every time an episode of Star Wars: Andor lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on episode four of season one, ‘Aldhani’. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Ross Hollebon
Hello, everyone. Meet Clem. And meet Luthen Rael (again). This time the mysterious, deep-pocketed, anti-Empire leader reverts to his alter-ego—owner of the Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest Gallery on Coruscant.
As Episode 4 begins, Cassian Andor provides the name “Clem” as his disguise before being dropped off by spy Luthen on Aldhani for a dangerous mission, once again giving credence to the wisdom of the brothel worker during the initial episode: “Nobody gives their real name.”
Luthen is the exception in name, but not in character. As he returns to Coruscant after securing the asset (Cassian, not the Starpath Unit), he transforms from the quiet, gruff, operative to a gregarious, opulent, shopkeeper with a golden client list—including Chandrilan Senator Mon Mothma.
I won’t focus on the amazing Easter eggs in Luthen’s store, or the major steps Cassian takes while beginning his new mission, that I’m sure some of my peers will hit, but on the gut-wrenching facade that the Senator and shopkeeper must exist in to further their political and financial front of the cause against the Empire.
Luthen and Mon Mothma use subterfuge, and distractions by store concierge Kleya Marki—who is also a dedicated rebel—to discuss spies, finances, level of commitment, and level of danger as they keep getting deeper into plotting and acting against the burgeoning enemy. The stakes are high, and these are two of the most at-risk players, especially as Mon suggests adding a new member (Bail Organa, maybe?) to the inner circle of the cause.
They are leaders, sacrificing at the highest levels and feeling the pressure and danger, especially as Mon’s husband invites some of her closest enemies to dine in their home. I’m excited to see what happens at the garrison on Aldhani—but I’m even more excited to watch Luthen, Mon Mothma, and their political allies build the fledgling rebellion brick-by-brick to protect the freedoms and decency they believe in.
Daniel Lo
I used to have a DVD collection. Back before the days of streaming, anyone who walked into my living room had immediate visual access to my library of movies. It wasn’t unusual for friends to develop a familiarity with my taste in films, nor was it unusual for them to laugh about it. I can’t blame them. My collection did contain its fair share of lame movies. When it comes to entertainment, I like checking my brain at the door so all I generally need are action sequences, special effects, and a splash comedy.
Up until September 21, 2022, that described most of Star Wars. Now, we also have Andor. As we start on a new trio of episodes with a new writer and director, I was not expecting the pace of the show to slow back down right away after what felt like a springboard at the end of the previous installment. In lieu of more action scenes, we are back in world building mode. That’s great for the discerning viewer but as someone who falls outside of that category, certain scenes felt a bit information overload. I’m sure I’ve missed out on all sorts of details in some of the more dialogue-heavy scenes, and as such will make no effort to address them in this review. Despite it hurting my brain a little, I remain appreciative of the profound levels of detail and character building much more than it may seem. The slow burn continues, and we are perhaps getting a taste of what it would have been like had the first three episodes aired one at a time.
Well, that last part isn’t completely true. There is considerably more setup this time around and, unlike the first three episodes, we are finally back into familiar visual territory. At long last, we now have our first current day return to Coruscant in live action Star Wars since Episode III. We also finally see the first recognizable Star Wars vehicles, even if for a few brief glimpses. Similar to the repurposed AT-ST in Bryce Dallas Howard’s first episode of The Mandalorian, I really appreciate that a humble pair of TIE fighters are portrayed as a lethal threat to be taken seriously. And last but not least, a welcomed familiar face in Mon Mothma. The stakes have escalated as well. The main antagonistic force is no longer an obscure second tier security company, but is now the Empire proper. Cassian is still the hero, but suddenly has more resources and a small team behind him, albeit a reluctant one. So far none of the Aldhani rebels seem particularly enthused about his sudden appearance, with the exception of Nemik. He kind of reminds me of Mouse from The Matrix.
The theme of deception continues. Take nearly any scene and chances are there is a lack of trust between or amongst the characters, with just about every interaction brimming with tension, suspicion, and/or general conflict: Cassian continues to lie to Luthen with little success, Luthen argues with Vel and forces her to lie to her team, Vel argues with “Clem” and instructs him on how to play along, the Imperial officers sit in a tense meeting and argue over jurisdiction, Vel lies to her team as instructed while “Clem” faces open skepticism from nearly everyone in her camp, Pre-Mor gets shut down by the Empire, Karn gets slapped by his mother, Kleya distracts Mon Mothma’s chauffeur while she and Luthen stage a fake conversation in his gallery, and Mon Motha argues with her husband who in all fairness does seem like a colossal jerk. The writers did a brilliant job weaving so many layers of deceit and complexity into an ever-growing cast of characters, further setting up future events in all sorts of intriguing ways.
In the opening episodes, I had given the most interesting character award to Karn. While he appears well poised to play an intriguing part of the story later on, the accolade currently goes to Luthen. We still don’t really know who he is or how he knows so much about Cassian, aside from that he’s asked around. He appears to be genuine and well meaning overall, but is clearly no stranger to the art of deception. He hires Cassian for a mission that turns out to be more dangerous than he initially advertised, although he also gives him his kyber crystal as collateral with the appearance of good faith. When Luthen tells Vel that “Clem” is disposable, it isn’t clear if he really means it or if that is simply what Vel needs to hear at the moment. Just the right amount of ambiguity to keep things interesting. The gallery scene is probably my favorite in the episode where Stellan Skarsgård shines as the “dude playing a dude disguised as another dude”. Or perhaps not all the way, since Mon Mothma still addresses him by “Luthen”. What we do know for sure is he has an air of unshakable confidence in the way he speaks and carries himself that is on full display regardless of the situation he’s in. I would be pretty surprised if Luthen turns out to be an Imperial spy, but at the moment I can’t rule anything out.
More thoughts on Cassian himself. Out of the gates, he is still the same: a distrustful and self-centered lone wolf. Even after agreeing to Luthen’s offer and accepting his kyber crystal down payment, Cassian appears to consider stealing the ship only to be interrupted by the Fondor Droid Mod (subtitles to the rescue, again). He is still more or less himself while traveling with Vel but becomes noticeably more quiet and subdued once he arrives at the rebel camp. I can’t tell how much of that is due to playing the character of “Clem”, which I realized after the fact was his adoptive father’s name, or if he is uncomfortable with the mission and/or being thrown into a group of unwelcoming people.
Overall, I continue to be impressed by how good the show is. Despite a new writer and director lineup, the underlying consistency in feel and quality remains uninterrupted. I have mainly been listening to Star Wars soundtracks since the start of the show, which is a pretty good indication that I am fired up about Star Wars again. And I can’t emphasize enough all the brilliant “show, don’t tell” details that clearly demonstrate the amount of effort and care put into Andor: Karn’s pain and humiliation at being fired, and the telling elevator descent into the lower (but not lowest) levels of Coruscant where his mother resides. The unmistakable sound of twin ion engines even to those within the Star Wars universe. The mini montage of Luthen putting on his disguise and getting into character. Noting the misspelling of “Ferrix” to humorously underline Pre-Mor Enforcement’s general incompetence. Kleya and Mon Mothma exchanging multiple glances while coordinating a smokescreen for the senator’s chauffeur, inside Luthen’s gallery which must surely be filled to the brim with easter eggs that I don’t immediately recognize. Sly Moore earning a mention, and perhaps an upcoming appearance in the near future. Last but not least, the analog holomap was an excellent touch. Looking forward to seeing how the heist goes down.
Brad Boutilier
So, Andor episode 4 is in the books and I remain impressed. I was weary about the single episode release and being left with the same feelings as other series where we end feeling incomplete and underwhelmed, but thankfully it wasn’t the case here. The episode nicely set in motion what I anticipate will be another 3 episode arc concluding with the end of the operation involving Cassian that was set in motion throughout this episode. We were also reintroduced to what many will likely feel is more classic Star Wars in the shape of the Empire proper, Mon Mothma, and Coruscant. This episode actually set up 3 separate primary story lines:
1- Andor and the operation to steal the quarterly payroll for an Empire outpost
2- An internal power struggle at the Imperial Security Bureau as seen through the eyes of Dedra Meero
3- Mon Mothma’s moves behind the scenes to fund rebel activity which I think we’ll likely see play out over the course of the dinner party that was set up at the end of the episode.
All three of these story lines have a lot of potential, and this episode weaved between the 3 seamlessly. This brings me to one of the primary points I’ve seen raised in regards to this show – It’s a slow burn and/or the pacing is too slow with not enough action. I personally don’t feel this is the case, and actually, I think the pacing is perfect. Ironically, the one time I felt like a scene was dragging on too long and the show began to lose me a little bit was the action scene with Cassian and Luthen in the building where they met. That aside, for my own tastes, the pacing of the show has been great. None of the scenes drag, nor do they serve as filler where nothing to move the plot along happens. Everything has purpose and serves to give us something we need to fill in gaps for something that’s already happened or will happen, or to help us better understand a characters motivation, or the wider galaxy.
The scenes (and series as a whole) contain everything they need to, and nothing they don’t. Something I didn’t touch on much in my last review was Syril Karn. First, his performance was excellent, especially his final scenes in the premiere drop. His absolute shock and devastation at how everything unfolded was masterfully portrayed. We truly witnessed a man whose entire world just crumbled around him. Karn is a complex and fascinating individual. To an extent, we’re all driven by our own ideologies. We all have values we hold dear, that shape our world view and our moralities. Karn is different though.
He’s someone who’s entire personality, entire sense of self, who’s entire sense of right and wrong, entire morality is derived from their ideology. The ideology of the Empire, the ideology of bureaucracy, the ideology of power. He didn’t care that two men needlessly died, he cared that two company men needlessly died. He believed in the supremacy and righteousness of the empire and the bureaucracy that he served and his outrage at the deaths of the men stemmed from it being a slight towards those entities.
When Hyne told him to come up with a good story and put the matter to rest he wasn’t angry because the families of the dead men would never receive closure nor justice, he was mad because protocol wasn’t being followed and their organization wasn’t striking back when struck against. When he decided to take matters into his own hands it wasn’t because he had a deep and abiding sense of justice and wished to provide the families with closure, it was two-fold. First, for someone like Karn an attack on the corporation and resulting inaction of his superior is an attack on him personally. Second, he saw a chance to seize more power for himself. If he could find the perpetrator and bring him to his superiors, he could expose Hyne, tell the higher ups how he excused the crime and wanted to let the perp get away with it, but he managed to solve the crime and bring the perp in. He could paint Hyne as corrupt or a rebel sympathizer, as ineffectual, and present himself as the better option for Chief Inspector. All the power and glory could be his. His mother would finally be proud. But as he stood on that street in Ferrix, surrounded by dead company men, destroyed corporate property, and with his targets still free and safely escaping, his entire world crumbled around him. This wasn’t an isolated operational defeat, this was an all-encompassing defeat where a man lost his entire being, everything he believed in, knew, and held true and dear. Kyle Soller did an exceptional job of portraying the magnitude of the situation. I look forward to seeing how Karn’s character evolves, and I suspect we’ll be seeing much more of him as the series moves along. I think we’re likely to see Dedra and him connect and become allies, likely forming the core of a faction within the Empire who become obsessed with the idea of a growing rebel threat. Syril and Dedra could nicely mirror Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, with both pairs working covertly in the shadows directly under the noses of those who disapprove of their tact. As George would say, it’s like poetry, it rhymes.
Years ago, back when we first got the announcement of the slate of live action series to come, I had the highest hopes for Andor. Partly because it was billed as a spy/thriller type show with some political intrigue, and partly because it was set in a timeline with characters where there was limited potential for Disney to completely balls up long established canon and lore. In the run up to the premiere I largely avoided rumours, leaks, and discussion of the series because I wanted to go in fresh and untainted and let the series speak for itself. I did see/hear some things, but I didn’t dig into them, and I didn’t go to the usual suspects for their take on them. Despite my high hopes, I also had some fears. Primary among them was a series aiming to tell a story about the birth of a rebellion/resistance against an authoritarian state being released in the social/political climate we find ourselves in today. Combined with the absolute state of modern journalism, the antagonistic relationship Disney and many of their creative team has with a large swath
of the Star Wars fan base, and comments from some involved in the series (Fiona Shaw- ‘Great, scurrilous take on the Trumpian world‘, Denise Gough stating her character would be about gender politics) I think those fears were justified. Maybe surprising to some, but the comments of Shaw and Gough were of least concern to me because it could have very well just been them projecting their own world view onto the story as they interpreted it. Thankfully, that seems to be the case. The writers and producers, to this point anyway, have skilfully navigated story lines that are inherently political and beg to have parallels drawn to recent/current events. Now, for those of you currently yelling “BuT sTaR WaRs hAs AlWaYs BeEn pOlItIcAl!1!!!1! GEORGE LUCAS, VIETNAM, NIXON!!1! 1!!!” First, sit down and take a breath. I hear you and I agree. Star Wars indeed has always been political. The difference is in approach. In my view, George did politics in an even handed, subtle way that left the overall message very grey. It was an exploration of political ideas and concepts, of human nature, and it was on the viewer to draw their own conclusions. He didn’t strive to provide commentary on current events. Given more then a quick, surface level viewing, there was no clearly good or bad side, and the creator wasn’t barracking for a particular side or cause.
On the other hand, again in my view, Disney’s approach has been more heavy-handed and overt. They’ve not been exploring ideas and themes, it’s clearly been ideologically driven, an attempt at political commentary on current events, with a message they wish you to take away from it. Regardless of whether one believes in or agrees with the message being pushed, this isn’t the right approach for tackling political and/or social issues in entertainment, especially mass-market entertainment. Even if you want to tip the scales a little bit, you need to play devil’s advocate to create that bit of a grey zone. Otherwise, you’re creating propaganda, and often it comes off as ugly, even to those who may otherwise agree with it. Thankfully, to this point in the series, Andor has avoided those pit falls, and with each subsequent episode my confidence that they’ll not stoop to those levels is bolstered. I’m all for the exploration of political/social issues in Star Wars, but let’s keep it a bit more philosophical and a bit less partisan and ideologically driven.
Anyways, I think that’s where I’ll wrap up this week’s thoughts. I’m very pleased with the series so far, and I eagerly await the next entry. It’s so nice to be excited for Star Wars again!
Becca Benjamin
The 4th episode of Andor dropped on Wednesday, and all I have is one word, MOTHMADNESS! Yes, we finally see the Senator behind the scenes, the major chess player or Queen chess piece, if you will uphold her promise to her colleague and friend, Senator Padme’ Amidala.
“Vote for Palpatine. Vote for the Empire. Make Mon Mothma vote for him, too. Be good little Senators. Mind your manners and keep your heads down. And keep doing all those things we can’t talk about. All the things I can’t know. Promise me, Bail.” – Padme’ Amidala, Revenge of the Sith novelization.
But, alas, I’m getting ahead of myself. So, episode 4 of Andor brings us to a new world called Aldhani where we meet Vel, the leader of a rebel cell who plans to steal a quarterly payroll from an Imperial garrison stationed there. Interestingly enough, Luthen entrusts Andor, now using the alias Clem, to join the rebel cell and complete the mission to secure his trust and place within the rebel cause.
Once Luthen updates Vel and leaves Andor in her capable hands, he heads for Coruscant! Yes, it’s like a homecoming for the fandom and made me think of Anakin’s line from Revenge of the Sith, “Felt like I’ve been gone for a lifetime.” That said, we get our first glimpse of the ISB, and it’s spectacular! Well, for the Empire, I mean. And new characters, too. For now, I’m not too sure how to feel about them and will have to wait and see what transpires as the series develops.
Also, on Coruscant, Luthen’s little ‘Gucci Shop’ of Antiquities are the things that make you go hmmm. But, the place to shop when looking for a Chandrilian Anniversary gift. Mon Mothma certainly thinks so, and it seems as though if one is looking for something of value or rarity, Luthen is ready and willing to lend a hand. And yes, the pun is very much intended here.
Probably the most intriguing scene overall is Mon Mothma’s apartment. We see her return to her home away from home, and she pauses (ever so slightly) to regroup herself in front of what appears to be white blossom tree. After all, ecotherapy is cleansing. On another note, it made me think about the Tintolive trees native to Chandrila; those that read the Aftermath Trilogy by Chuck Wendig will remember that Mon Mothma will sign the Galactic Concordance Treaty under a Tintolive Tree that ends the Galactic Civil War.
All in all, the best episode so far! I can’t wait for episode 5. Is it Wednesday yet?
Clair Henry
This week’s episode of Andor started to feel more like an espionage series, which is what I initially thought Andor was going to be. The growth of the show’s personality is beginning to develop! The introduction to what I see as the Rebellion – Mon Mothma – and her faction, and the conflict of those who support but want an easy life and then in turn support the Empire by default is building. It’s very apparent what the relationship between Mothma and her husband Perrin is like. I’m not sure he’ll see the series out.…
The first task of Cassian is an interesting one. We see him as a mercenary rather than how we see him in Rogue One, a dedicated follower of the Rebellion. I watched Rogue One immediately after watching this episode because I felt I needed to see the links between the film and Andor, which are definitely going to become more apparent. As the series develops, you can see parts from the film already that are already linking together.
I am thoroughly enjoying Andor. I know for some it may not feel much like Star Wars yet, but to me it’s an extension of the saga and shows maturity – it’s almost like a coming of age. I like this development.
Eric Onkenhout
The fourth episode of Star Wars: Andor propelled the series in a new direction introducing more characters, mostly new but one very old but primarily unexplored. It told the story of a new small band of rebels struggling to stay together and gather enough funds for their cause. Episode 4 also shined a spotlight on the Imperial Security Bureau, which has been around for decades but never onscreen. Overall, Andor continues to impress for reasons no other Star Wars series or film can give; its intellect and intensity.
The episode opens with Luthen and Cassian on their way to Aldahni, where a group of rebels posing as farmers awaits. Luthen and Cassian are still discussing if he’s joining the rebellion in an official capacity. I assumed he was given that Cassian agreed to leave with Luthen that he already agreed, but apparently, that’s not the case. Cassian is happy enough stealing from the Empire but joining a rebellion is asking for trouble he wants nothing to do with. Ultimately, the 2,000 credit offer is too good to pass up.
Cassian claims he fought on Mimban when he was 16 for two years straight out of prison. According to his age, that would place him on Mimban five years before Andor. The Mimban Campaign is also where Han Solo met Beckett and co. Luthen counters Cassian’s claim and says Cassian was was underground on Mimban and came in as a cook. Either way, is this just an Easter egg, or does Lucasfilm have plans to connect the two in the future? Han is six years older than Cassian, so perhaps he could be a mentor to the young thief.
And now the ISB or Imperial Security Bureau. The ISB has been around since the late 1980s in the West End Games roleplaying books. It’s sort of like the Star Wars version of the CIA. They don’t just collect intelligence; they root out any talk of rebellion…by the root. Agent Kallus from Star Wars Rebels was an agent for the ISB.
This episode consisted of many more Easter eggs than the previous three, which is fine; there has to be a balance. Arvala-6 got mentioned, which is in the same system as Arvala-7, where Kuill lived in The Mandalorian. Another ISB agent mentioned Scarif, which was seeing an “Increase in construction equipment.” Obviously, this is referring to the Imperial base on Scarif, where the Death Star plans will be located.
Cassian and Luthen arrive on Aldahni, a grassy/hilly planet. Looking out of the transparasteel window, a hooded figure approaches, walking with a walking stick. For a second, I thought Cassian was about to meet Ahsoka, who wears a similar cloak in The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian, not to mention her connections to the rebellion as Fulcrum. Alas, it was not Ahsoka but Vel, a new character who leads this group of rebels posing as farmers.
Vel agrees to take in Cassian as a new member and someone who can help steal money from an Imperial garrison. Cassian takes the name Clem, the name of the guy who was with Maarva when she found Cassian as a young boy. Before Cassian leaves, Luthen gives him a Kuati Signet of blue kyber sky stone, which celebrates the uprising against the Rakatan Empire. Another Easter egg. Knights of the Old Republic fans will recognize the Rakatan as the alien race who ruled the galaxy thousands of years ago.
The arguing between Luthen and Vel seemed a little unnecessary. Yes, it’s there to create tension and convey the seriousness of the situation, but Luthen is handing Vel someone who could help greatly, and she’s upset. Seems like she should be grateful. Star Wars does this sometimes where it tries to be serious and adult but misses the mark. It would’ve worked better if Vel got up close to Luthen and quietly discussed this in an understated manner. This would’ve conveyed the tension more realistically and while not yelling, possibly allowing the Imperial to hear.
(Magnificent) seven against a garrison reminded me of the mission on Scarif with Jyn, Chirrut, Baze, K2, and Bodhi Rook. Not including the rest of the rebellion, how many were against the Empire to steal the Death Star plans? Walk in like you belong there.
It was fascinating watching Stellan Skarsgård change outfits and change personalities. Stellen is a genius actor. Watching him change was like watching a caterpillar transform into a butterfly. Absolutely amazing! I found myself, upon first viewing wanting to fast forward through the Cassian parts to get to the Mon Mothma parts. Genevieve O’Reilly, as Mon Mothma, finally has a chance to shine, and she is brilliant as the Chandrillan Senator. The two together are a wonder to watch. I personally loved the side-eye Mothma gave Luthen’s assistant.
Andor does something no other Star Wars film or series has. It has gripped us. Where Obi-Wan Kenobi was an emotional connection, Andor is cerebral as it methodically places the pieces strategically on the board. While The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian feel like we’re dumping out toys and playing with random figures, and where the story goes is anyone’s guess. Andor is focused and has a clear destination.
Mark Newbold and Mark Mulcaster discuss episode 4 on Making Tracks Reaction Chats.
Brian Cameron and Mark Newbold discuss episode 4 on Good Morning Tatooine.
- Hardcover Book
- Knox, Kelly (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 64 Pages - 07/12/2022 (Publication Date) - DK (Publisher)
