‘Andor’ Episode 4 Review: ‘Star Wars’ Series Continues to be a Breath of Fresh Air for the Franchise
Andor promises to explore the origins of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars. The first three episodes reintroduced audiences to Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and hinted at a rebellion being formed. Episode 4 of Andor is another slow-burn episode, but it effectively portrays the growing rebellion and the power the Empire currently possesses.
Cassian meets a small band of rebels planning a heist
After Ferrix in episode 3, Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard) informs Cassian about a mission he is recruiting him for with a small group of rebels on Aldhani. Cassian is initially hesitant but joins once he is promised a hefty reward. Luthen is also more informed than we thought about Cassian as he calls him out, saying he knows he was a cook who ran when he saw any action.
On Aldhani, we meet Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), who is doing her best to lead a small rebellion group while taking orders from Luthen. The group is reluctant for Cassian — or Clem — to join, especially since they are pulling off a heist in three days. While we don’t know much about this group yet, their dynamic is intriguing, and they have given up everything to dedicate themselves to this cause. It has a vibe similar to Rogue One, with a small and diverse group ready to take on the Empire.
‘Andor’ brings ‘Star Wars’ back to Coruscant
Star Wars fans will be delighted to see a return to Coruscant, the galaxy’s capital featured heavily in the prequel trilogy. However, the capital looks entirely different now that it’s under imperial control. The colors are distinctly white, and it feels like a false utopia. Luthen returns to Coruscant to return to his day job as a merchant selling expensive artifacts and possible Star Wars easter eggs.
Skarsgard’s acting talents are in full display here as he transitions from ruthless rebellion leader to sociable, elitist merchant. He can be a completely different character, and it shows why he is so effective at working right under the Imperial’s nose. Meanwhile, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) also returns and meets with Luthen, explaining the difficulties of trying to work with the rebellion and the Imperial Senate.
The Empire is all-powerful right now, and Mon Mothma is feeling paranoia. Even dinner with her husband doesn’t feel safe. As we see with the Empire, they search the galaxy for hints of rebellion to exterminate before it can spread. Audiences are introduced to Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), a relentless imperial officer investigating what happened on Ferrix. She is ambitious but isn’t taken seriously yet by her peers. She may be another antagonist on the hunt for Cassian, similar to Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) from the first three episodes, who has been fired by the Empire and moved back in with his mother.
The galaxy expands in episode 4 of ‘Andor’
While the first three episodes of Andor focused on Andor’s escape from Ferrix, episode 4 shows the current state of the galaxy by showing the Empire’s reach and how other planets are reacting to it. It follows more storylines than just Cassian as viewers learn more about Luthen, Mon Mothma, Dedra, and Vel and her crew.
Episode 4 can sometimes be overwhelming due to its many storylines. Still, its slow burn is more deliberate and promises to build an exciting combination of these stories n the coming episodes. It is a refreshing change of pace from shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi that would have benefitted from having more episodes and taking a breather. The performances are all great, and Andor is doing an excellent job at establishing their characters before putting them into action.
There isn’t any action in this episode, but that’s fine because it builds to the eventual heist that this crew is planning. Andor continues to be a breath of fresh air, not only as a Star Wars TV show but as a Disney+ show that can expand its story and tell a more mature story with complex characters and political intrigue.
Episode 4 of Andor is streaming on Disney+.
