Warning! This review contains spoilers forAndorepisode 9.
Picking up where last week’s episode left off, the latest installment ofAndor– “Nobody’s Listening!” – opens with ISB supervisor Dedra Meero questioning a captive Bix Caleen for any information she might have about Cassian and his whereabouts. Meanwhile, under the alias “Keef Girgo,” an imprisoned Cassian teams up with his fellow inmates to plot a daring escape from Narkina 5. There might not be much action in this episode, but there’s plenty of captivating character development in its place – not to mention the promise of action next week.
Diego Luna continues to anchor the series with a gripping performance asthe titular thief-turned-Rebel. The actor is so in tune with human body language and understands this character on such a deep level that he can convey everything he needs to in a given scene with just a glance out of a window or a moment of piercing eye contact with one of his co-stars. Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Kino Loy is a stunning exploration of power dynamics. He’s an oppressed Imperial prisoner just like his fellow jailbirds, but he shamelessly lords his power as floor manager over them. Serkis develops a compelling chemistry with Luna as Cassian desperately appeals to Kino’s humanity and reminds him that he’s a prisoner just like them so he’ll help with the escape. It takes a few pointed conversations to get Kino down off his high horse, but Cassian’s persistence pays off.
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Genevieve O’Reilly does a great job ofplaying a conflicted Mon Mothmawho isn’t sure if her Rebel allies are doing the right thing and Denise Gough does a great job of playing Meero with real command and agency, whether she’s threatening to torture Caleen for her secrets or being stalked by Syril Karn. Joshua James gives an unnerving turn opposite Gough as Imperial torturer Dr. Gorst, striking a creepy juxtaposition between his polite smile and calm demeanor, and his ruthless interrogation methods.
House of Cardsshowrunner Beau Willimon’s script explores the all-too-familiar division between the elected officials in the Imperial Senate. As Mon Mothma gives a speech denouncing the authoritarian turn that the Empire’s rule is taking, some of her fellow Senators shout out in support while others turn off the lights in their Senate pods to express disagreement. After the prequel trilogy was criticized for spending too much time onpolitical discourse in the Galactic Senate,Andorhas made the Senate floor one of its most thrilling settings, using the divided government of theStar Warsuniverse as a parallel for the divided governments of the real world.
After setting up a sprawling ensemble of fleshed-out characters in the early episodes,Andorcontinues to pull those characters and their story threads together. After Meero questioned Karn last week, it seems that Karn is falling for her – and the feelings are far from mutual. Vel Sartha is revealed to be a cousin of Mon Mothma. Posing as a ground-level revolutionary sticking it to the man was all an act; unlike Cassian, she comes from a privileged background of wealth and notoriety. With such a high-profile cover, Vel has the luxury of hiding in plain sight afterthe Aldhani heist. Mothma tells her, “Be a spoilt rich girl for a while.”
Above all, this episode highlights what is arguably the point of the whole series: the Empire created its own rebels. At the beginning of the series, the Empire wasn’t the monolithic oppression machine thatLuke Skywalker and his cohortswould take down a few years later. But as the system is becoming more corrupt and tyrannical as the season goes on, more and more citizens are aligning with the Rebels’ cause. A few episodes ago, Cassian didn’t care who was in charge of the galaxy as long as he was getting paid. But after beingwrongfully imprisoned by the Empire’s power-crazed officersand one-sided legal procedures, he’s a full-blown anti-Imperialist. After watching an elderly prisoner nearing the end of his sentence die of a stroke because the Empire wouldn’t allow a doctor to save him, Kino is onboard, too.
The pacing ofAndorcontinues to keep its storylines on a slow burn. Caleen doesn’t crack, Meero is no closer to catching Cassian, Karn is still disappointing his mother, Mothma is still making no real progress in the Senate, and Cassian himself is still stuck piecing together the same heavy Imperial tech all day every day. But, as Cassian has identified the weaknesses in the prison’s systems and galvanized his fellow prisoners (including Kino, who’s inspired to join his side when the prison management takes a dark turn), the stage is set forThe Great Escapenext week. And, much like the Aldhani heist, the action-packed payoffs in the upcoming jailbreak episode will be even more effective because the series hastaken its time to establish the stakesand obstacles in the weeks leading up to the action.
Andoris streaming new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.
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