TL;DR – This episode is all about the foreboding feeling that ebbs into every pore of your being.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Andor Review –

In the modern era, there are many different distribution models. While Netflix was famous for its binge dumping of a whole season at once, it still mostly follows that arrangement. It has become clearer that the binge model does not build engagement for shows, bar the odd exception. Andor has chosen a slightly hybrid model, in that they are releasing three episodes at a time, which I think will work because this very much feels like a part two of three episodes.

So, to set the scene, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is trapped on a jungle planet with a big problem. The pilot he was meant to be handing off this new tie fighter to has been killed by rebels that were dumped and left. Now, those rebels have started fighting amongst themselves. The only thing keeping Andor alive is the fact that he is the only pilot, but with tempers flared and rational thoughts cast aside, is that enough to keep him alive when even the planet could be the greater threat? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

This week’s episode is all about the growing fear that everything that they are working for is about to fall out from underneath them all. It took extensive work to infiltrate the training facility, and now all of that is about to be undone by people who are meant to be on the same side. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) is holding a wedding that she does not want to do because that is the only way to save herself, and even that might not have been enough. Also, the Imperials have shown up to conduct an audit on Mina-Rau, which Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) and the others have been using as a base. As each of the stories starts to unravel, you can feel this tension building, waiting for a release value that might not even happen this week.   

Besides last week’s odd Rebel Moon homage, it is very clear that the story on Mina-Rau has very real modern-world inspirations. Immigrants are needed in agriculture to work, only for themselves to be placed in a precarious position when authorities arrive. It is hard not to read American/ICE vibes into the story, though America is not the only place on the planet with that kind of dynamic. Conversely, on the Jungle Planet, which turns out to be the moon Yarvin IV, we see the fractures that happen when resources start falling apart. One side has food, the other has the ship, and no one is ready to budge a centimetre. While there are some interesting moments here, like one of the oddest duals I have seen in the show. This plotline suffers the most from ‘Part 2 of 3’ syndrome because it feels like it only exists to keep Andor busy until he can be helpful in the next episode.

This leads us to the most interesting part of the episode: what is happening on Chandrilla. Mon is likely the Rebellion’s most senior asset in the old government, which still had some whisps of power in the Imperial era. But this also means she is the most exposed asset, which means that everything she does is under scrutiny. The wedding has already put her in a precarious position, only amplified this week by Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) basically initiating a shakedown/blackmail. It was fascinating watching Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) immediately shift into ‘how are we going to kill this person without drawing suspicion’ mode. But even more so, watching how Mon felt in her heart that she would find a number to pay him off, even though you can see in her eyes that she knows her dear friend probably has to die. It is a performance that always draws you in more, but what is not said at times.    

In the end, do we recommend Andor: Sagrona Teema? While it was not as strong as the opener, nor would I suggest the closer. It was still a strong and interesting episode of television. Have you seen Andor yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Andor
Directed by – Ariel Kleiman
Written by – Tony Gilroy
Created by – Tony Gilroy
Based On – Star Wars by George Lucas
Production/Distribution Companies – LucasFilm & Disney+
Starring – Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Faye Marsay, Elizabeth Dulau, Alastair Mackenzie, Joplin Sibtain, Muhannad Bhaier, Anton Lesser, Ben Miles, Richard Dillane, Sam Gilroy & Benjamin Norris and Dave Chapman, Gloria Obianyo, Sonny Poon Tip, David Olaniregun, Philip Hill-Pearson, Chicho Tche, Dylan Blore, Jack Bandeira, Samiah Khan, Dylan Brady, Alison Pargeter, Laura Marcus, Ryan Pope, Alex Waldmann, David Omordia, Bronte Carmichael, Finley Glasgow, Rosalind Halstead, Pierro Niel-Mee, Claire Brown, Jonathan Coy & Suzanne Bertish