Aldhani

In the last two episodes this show has gone from 'good' to 'great'.

The first two episodes of the series were a welcome departure from the standard Disney Star Wars formula but I disagree with those saying that it was a return to 'Star Wars', as the adult nature of the show and delicate dialogue do not hearken back to vintage Star Wars for me.

Episode 3 and 4 still don't have a vintage Star Wars tone, they very much so have their own tone, but the writing, directing, and acting are so good that I simply don't care.

The script is nuanced, as are the characters. The B cast, in particular, are utterly brilliant, being filled out by a host of British stage and TV actors, all of whom could and have lead productions, lending their immeasurable skills to background characters. This adds so much realism and flavour to the show.

It should also come as no surprise but Stellan Skarsgård is an utter joy. In a sea of great performances, his wave crests highest.

If the show can keep up this trajectory, it will be comfortably the best Star Wars content that Disney have produced.

The episodes has great pacing.

It sets the stage with great ambiance.

You can feel everyone's struggles.

The mood oozes out of the screen.

I get strong black and white film vibes in a good way.

Everything that passes on Coruscant really hits the nail on the head. I get strong foundation vibes wich is a good thing to draw inspiration from to portray the capital. (it more acuratly represents the vibe from the book then the apple series)

The mood/ attitude of the people in the camp switching felt a little rushed but realistically they would have to get on board quickly so It's a hard thing to portray.

The inconsistencies in film grain were a bit of putting, but that is an incredibly small detail.

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.

The writing, fan service and background lore are amazing. I haven't seen such dedication in trying to create a real SW-universe since the OT.

This episode shows that Andor is Star Wars on a whole different level than previous Disney shows.

It's mature, gritty and dark. It contains politics, subterfuge, espionage, layered conversations (whatever that means ;-) ). It's fast paced when it needs to be and slows down when it can be. In these slower scenes we are given the lore and worldbuilding us SW-fans truly deserve.

This is Star Wars heading for the right direction. Can't wait for what's coming!

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.