Ryan Shoots First: Andor (S1 Ep10) “One Way Out”

Another banger this week as the prison arc of Andor comes to an end. With last week’s revelation that no one ever really leaves this facility, the plan is put into motion and we see one of the first Achilles heels of the Empire.

In A New Hope, Leia tells Grand Moff Tarkin the tighter they make their grip the more star systems will slip through their fingers and that is right. This facility runs on fear alone, the guards don’t want to be there and they are severely outnumbered and that is their downfall. Still the courage and conviction it takes to take that leap is literally shown as prisoners across the facility take that step onto cold ground that they’ve seen electrocute man after man. Everyone in the show is feeling pressure in different ways, they all have a lot on the line but some suffer silently. Mon Mothma is at turning point of her ideals now requiring much more sacrifice. To go deeper into her goals she is really having to make compromises it’s not entirely clear she understood would come. Meanwhile, Luthen clearly understands this and made the decision long ago to make those compromises but that decision doesn’t come without scars and he tells one of his assets he has given away his humanity to bring a sunset he will never get to see. It’s clear his decision has been made and while he feels the cost of his soul is worth the payoff that doesn’t make it any easier. 

Notably absent from this episode was the Syril arc, we also really didn’t see Bix and only briefly saw Deedra as the focus was on Andor’s escape. That doesn’t mean those characters don’t loom large as Dedra springs her trap on the rebel pilot and we have to assume Syril is in his booth eating cereal and further falling into his incel hate-fueled edge lord persona that I am sure will end in a totally peaceful manner. 

This episode featured some fantastic performances from Andy Serkis and Stellan Skarsgård. Both these vets really flexed their acting muscles with some great monologues and extended takes in this episode. I love the pacing of this show with its build and payoffs with a focus on characters and performances and now we head into the final 2 episode finale arc of the series I can’t wait to see where we end up.


Observations

• Power doesn’t panic… what a line
• The costs of rebellion
• The Starshank Redemtpion??? I’ll see myself out. 
• Poor new guy
• You can go far in this universe when you’re a good shot
• Holy Hell Andy Serkis
• Didn’t really think that part through
• So is he a true believer or an asset?
• What a speech by Luthen
• I thought it was a water planet good thing I was wrong