Andor Andor Episode 2.03 Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Oh that's right, there were 12 at first, weren't there? Well, there are nine now (and six back on Chandrila, I believe, with the others in alien hands).

 

Andor is a show that I don't think is bad but I rarely jive with. Stuff like the idiot rebels in the first two episodes were more "I get the point, but this really isn't all that interesting to watch".

 

I rank this 10, great episode

 

Yep phenomenal.

And let's be honest, everyone wants a disco bot now.

 

Have to listen to all of the music again, but this is the best track so far.

 

Finally some good SW content. Wanted to give this one 8/10 but hit 7 by accident :S

 

I felt uncomfortable with the SA momment and would done without it

 

As I understand, the concept of the condensed season is to make heavy use of character development happening between the arcs. The Tay Kolma at the end of season 1 wouldn't have acted this way, but the Tay Kolma at the start of season 2 does. Since we last saw him, he has hemorrhaged money, his wife has left him, and he looks around and sees everyone else successful and happy. He is bitter and jealous, and that informs his behavior now. If this was a five season show, we probably would have seen those changes, instead we have to infer them from what we do get.

 

I found it important… Andor wants to be grown ups sw then we need to show things how they are…especially if you are a woman, in a war those soldiers use all the weapons they have to subdue you and make you loose all your hope… time to say that out loud!

 

I thought it was tastefully done, but had impact and intensity. It was meant to feel uncomfortable... like when the camera lingered far too long on the dead man's face on Rix road. To have this and jar jar in the same universe is something to behold

 

It’s very difficult to do, and incredibly well done. With no exposition, we know that this guy has gotten into trouble over the past year, and is looking for something from Mothma. From their very first interaction, too. His demeanor, the hesitant way he says he wants to catch up, and Mon Mothma’s worried private reaction. A writing and acting masterclass.

 

“We call it ‘The Dance Star.’ There is no better name. And the day is coming soon when it will be unleashed.”

 

I kind of thought the rave droid looked like an interrogation droid, myself.

"And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base... with these sick beats as a backdrop. But the truly diabolical part is that we will end the song prematurely each time, unless you tell us the planet name so we can use it as a refrain!"

 

Just watched the first three episodes and they were much more problematic than I expected coming off the brilliant first season. Basically, I am getting the impression that the super talented but inherently unfunny writer/director Tony Gilroy has been asked to inject some "fun and humor" into the series which simply doesn't work. From some almost face-like character re-introductions to the rebel idiot squad on Yavin 4 there is a clear choice to try and make it more "fun".

The entire scene with stealing the TIE Fighter felt more like a cartoon than a serious war drama with no real tension. The way the ship bounces around the hangar and later into cliffs during the escape is just way over the top and undercuts the finely tuned realism established in the first season. I still remember when the two TIE Fighters screamed by over the small rebel squad in the forest in S1 and they felt terrifying. I am feeling nothing of that here.

And don't get me started on the rebel idiots in episode 1 and 2. Those scenes are just super poorly written and staged. Trying to manually turn the TIE Fighter and Cassian calculating that they will have turned it five meters by nightfall - come on man. I can buy that a group of wannabe rebels stumble across Cassian and perhaps also manage to take him prisoner by sheer numbers, but having to sit through almost two hours of them fumbling around and trying to fight each other is painful. Tonally, they're such a detour from the pervious season (and some of the other storylines here in S2) that someone should have realized they don't fit into the style. Worst of all is that these scenes also undercut Cassian's character as he seems like a complete tool for not simply fighting or manipulating his way out of the situation straight away.

Even Krennics shadowy build-up to the plans for Ghorman the planet seemed half arsed and without the intricacies and tension that we saw in the ISB scenes in S1.

Pretty disappointing IMO.

 

Try a rewatch. Because the quality is just as high if not higher than last season, and the humor is both minimal and situational, without any sense of it being artificially injected into the show. I do think the CGI guys went overboard with the amount of hits the TIE took though. Too much bouncing off mountainsides. But that was a small thing that was over with quickly. And it was a prototype of an elite ship.

 

Something I was unsure about - Mon's money-launderer pal, I thought he was looking for sexy-time with her, but he really wanted more money. Or was I right first time?

 

I think he's a charmer. On purpose.

He's using their life-long old friendship, and maybe never-acted upon attraction for each other, to his benefit. And maybe he knows that kind of thing works. Everyone in the room assumes they have a flirty thing going on. That protects his true intentions. Because beneath that smile, and vibes, he's actually really cold and merciless. He lets her know full well, that he knows she's financing rebels, who have now hurt his investments. And he'll either rat on her, or be paid to keep quiet and fill his lost fortune.

 

Yeah, I got a 1A and 1B vibe.

And speaking of the men in Mon's life, I may have mentioned it during Season 1, but I think Perrin is a underrated, fascinating character, and *so* well-acted. That moment when he sees Mon dancing and goes from "What's this?" to "Wait. She can be fun?" to "Oh, wow. Something is seriously wrong." all in a fraction of a second is excellent. Sagrona teema to Alastair Mackenzie.

 

Regarding the Kellen turning in Brasso thing, I think the following happened.

1. Kellen's wife reported them
2. Brasso fake-accuses Kellen of reporting them to protect Kellen and his family
3. Kellen understands that's what Brasso was doing

Essentially, I think both things happened. Kellen's wife decides to protect her family from the Empire by reporting the illegals (that protectiveness is why she didn't want her daughter hanging out with Wil), and Brasso decides to protect Kellen's family by making believe they're at odds in front of the imperials. Essentially, Brasso is a 100% standup dude.

I got the sense that he was asking for both. Abusing his power over her. Blackmailing her to get what he wants. This parallels with Bix, of course. Incredible and painful episode.

 

SW can show the slaughter of children, but a sexual assault scene is out of place? As an adult fan of the GFFA I can assume all I like about the atrocities the empire commits, but having them shoved in face, makes the monster a bit easier to hate.

 

I don't see many people saying it was out of place. In the end, it was not presented in a gratuitous way. And Bix had full agency. She fought him off, and killed him.

 

In the novelization of RotJ, Jabba takes things a step further than what we see in the film. From wikipedia's article of the differences between the film and the novel:

I agree with your "trophy" assessment however, but as for the above quote from the canon novelization, make of that what you will.

Moving on from that unpleasant business to different unpleasant business, my favorite exchange in this episode is when Mon pours her heart out to her daughter and gives her a chance to back out of the wedding, to which her daughter replies "I wish you were drunk." Ouch. And right on character for Leida.

 

Over the years there’s been a growing movement of fans who see the Empire as being in the right and the Rebels as terrorist scum. Anything done by Lucasfilm to quiet that movement and better highlight the risk factors of totalitarian fascism without oversight is fine by me.

At the same time, I also think Saw does represent an important line in the sand conceptually where it’s possible for well-intending people to become awfully close to the enemy they hate through their own hate and I have no problem showing that the methods of some who oppose do go too far and play right into the oppressor’s narrative desire, hurting their own cause’s momentum within the court of public opinion.

Similarly, while I think the Jedi were primarily a force for good, for peace, for justice, and for balance against those who would seek evil against others it would be absurd to assume that the concentration of all of that power combined with all of that old fashioned dogma wouldn’t lead to complex cultural challenges over time.

There are some who feel Star Wars is at its best when the contrasts between good and evil are so cut and dry that nuance and complication would have no room to exist. There are others who seem to feel Star Wars is at its best when the shades of grey are all that exist.

I find it most appropriate when the villains do represent the worst of humanity but have the odd complicated grey character and when the heroes represent the best of us but also have the odd complicated grey character.