Ryan Shoots First: Andor (S1 Ep8) “Narkina 5”
Man, I love this show, following last week’s tremendous episode this week we are setting up the next arc in the series. So far we know this mini-arc will take 3 episodes with the final 2 episodes being the finale.
With that, I love how Andor allows us to just sit in moments. For years we have heard how oppressive the Empire is. We’ve ready about it, maybe we’ve seen some brief moments of people working in the background but Andor sits us in these moments and just leaves us there to really experience what the might of the Empire feels like. This week it is Andor being processed and put to work in an Imperial prison. We see it all, how he is brought in, how he is introduced to his work, even down to the logistics of his cell and how he eats. It really drills down deep to show the Empire’s grip. Likewise, we go back to Aldhani to see the Empire exerting its control more and more there, now pulling Bix and Cassian’s friends into the fray.
Luthen has a great line in this episode that oppression breeds rebellion. He knows things have to get worse before they get better but he also fears the Empire growing so strong the Rebellion is crushed before it even gets going. This just adds to the tension the entire show thrives in. This feeling that something needs to be done, but you have to be careful, but you also need to take risks, but you have to be patient, but time is running out. If all of that seems contradictive the answer is yes. I love the build and “slow burn” it’s why TV shows can build worlds better than movies sometimes. Past Star Wars TV shows with short episode counts and short run times have leaned a bit more to the movie side than TV but Andor is setting new expectations for episodic storytelling in Star Wars.
Observations
- Syril has had the slowest arc in any show ever and it’s totally by design.
- It’s funny were like “he did nothing wrong!” but like an episode, before he helped knock off an Imperial vault.
- The irony of the Imperial overreach is they already have Andor in custody but they’re so busy locking anyone away they can’t even realize it.
- Dude is taking in all the angles
- Bet you didn’t think Andor would be a Snoke origin story
- You didn’t think all those Star Destroyers built themselves, did you?
- “I’m fearing your definition of wrong” – Man is that quote timely.
- I’m fairly sure there are apartments in NY for 1200 a month that are smaller than that.
- This schmuck husband cannot be the one that brings down Monma
- Man watching this knowing that we kinda find ways to keep people incarcerated so they can be exploited for labor is… unnerving
- A New Glup Shitto in training!
- Two Tubes!
- Forest owns Saw for sure.
- Yep we’ve reached the point that people will finally turn on Dedra
