Aldhani

Lots of comments about slow pacing in the first 3 episodes, and I agree with that. And while those flashbacks are an important introduction to Cassian's origin, they further reduce the momentum of an already sluggish plot. I like slow TV and I was entertained well enough, but the first three episodes did fail to properly hook me and get me invested in the story and characters, until Ep. 3. Hopefully just a stumble out of the gate.

Ep. 4 changes the beat, though. Cassian finds his stride (and so does his story arc), and we're treated to a set-up for several subplots involving Imperial politics, intrigue and espionage. The pacing, atmosphere and visuals are great, and more importantly: everything feels decidedly Star Wars-y; from agricultural backwater planets to the drawing rooms of Coruscant. The actors are finding their stride as well.

I'm looking forward to the next installment. If Disney can fulfil the promise shown in Ep. 4, we'll have a great season ahead of us.

This episode was Great, it's Star Wars but just enough of the political aspects and how they changed in a few mins of dialogue between two important characters. I am curious how the imperial senate operates and how the very few senators who aren't corrupted operate in this age of the Empire. I think most people want to see how the senate operates since we never gotten that especially in live action. Star Wars is very much about a rebellion but also the political aspects that play a Huge part and now we're getting to see that up close in live action. Curious to see how it goes from here this season!

The first three episodes were setting things up but the acting was really good. This episode pulls it together and Andor becomes more engaging. Game of Thrones fans will recognize The Waif and the Mountain's Frankenstein creator.,Qyburn. I don't think you have to be a Star Wars Fan to appreciate this show. The whole production looks more like a movie than a TV series. It might be good to watch Rogue One again to recall why we came to love Andor in the first place. I think this series is capturing the fragmented universe the was left when the Jedi and the Republic were all but wiped out. It sets up why A New Hope was needed. I hope the old Star Wars fans will stay with it until the more recognizable pieces of the puzzle become evident. I love Luke Skywalker too but without the rebels there would be no stolen plans for Darth Vader to be chasing.

With the first three episodes, this show did an amazing job of setting up the worlds that are outside of the Empire's constant overview and show how they are still being suppressed by the powers at hand. While furthering that underdog narrative, it seems like they're finally starting to go deeper into the workings of the system by giving us an insight into how the rebellion really began. It did really begin both at the top and the bottom with people of varying systematic importance. A lot of fun things to digest in this episode, and a lot of nice set-up for another big event.

A big part of the episode is dedicated to showing what Luthen Rael's actual role in the bigger picture is. The way they showcase his importance is done in a fascinating manner, putting a lot of great dualism into his work as a rebel and his service to the people of Coruscant. There's not a lot of that shown in here, but from a single scene, it's shown clearly how Luthen is able to move between these two worlds and it's done quite brilliantly. This episode also finally introduces the real Empire into the picture, setting us right into the ISB (Imperial Security Bureau) and setting their own drama in there. They smartly put us next to characters that we can root for, despite their evil ways. And it all serves as a good side dish next to the big meal, which is the things that are unfolding on Aldhani. With Cassian now thrown into something that he never wanted to be a part of, it's fair to assume that his rebel roots are growing and we're witnessing the beginning of the military leader that we meet in "Rogue One." How he gets there is interesting, as his demeanor doesn't scream team player yet. The show is doing a great job so far of opening up the universe to these other corners that we never heard of before, and with the show actually being shot on real locations for most of it, the landscapes easily make for some of the most beautiful "Star Wars" destinations.

"Aldhani" is a great follow-up to the previous arc, going even further into Cassian's evolution into the rebel leader that we're going to know later. It also brilliantly shows how the rebels started to form inside of the Empire and the troubles facing them, while providing some very interesting character motivations and places for them.

Cassian prepares for his first mission.

This is another strong episode that lays solid foundations for what is to come.

The best scenes for me all take place on Coruscant and involve characters like Mon Mothma and settings like the security council. These scenes portraying the logistics and politics of both the rebellion and the security of the empire are excellent. For Star Wars fans who like certain blanks around the movies filled with purposeful world building, it is the stuff of nerdgasms.

Cassian's scenes introduce more characters and slow burn towards an event likely to happen in the next episode. For me they are not quite as interesting as the above, but they develop the character's arc very effectively.

Visually it continues the superb production designs of the show so far and we have more variation with the different settings on Coruscant.

All performances are strong, particularly Genevieve O'Reilly.