Aldhani

After the gigantic battle of episode 3, we slow down here to introduce new locations and characters as Cassian starts his rebel journey. Saying that this episode is slow is not at all a critique though. It grants some time for great world-building and interesting inner-Empire politics and drama.

I enjoyed the ISB's metaphor that rebellions are a virus that needs to be contained. I was also beyond happy to see the return of Coruscant here! It's so interesting to see this capital planet become more gloomy after the empire took over.

Seeing Luthen's double life was very fascinating. Stellan is simply doing a phenomenal job playing the character and it's really cool seeing him and Mon Mothma secretly plan as they live their two-faced lives.

We oddly continue to follow Syril's character after he loses his job. There is clearly a deeper character arc they're delving into with him that I want to see. I like that he is still being focused on despite the plot currently moving on without him.

Dropping Cassian in the middle of a large-scale suicide mission is an awesome idea. While Cassian despises the empire, he has yet to be convinced a rebellion is the answer. I'm excited to see him have to put his life on the line regardless and eventually change his views.

Every member of the heist group has their own quirks and personality traits that are instantly evident. I felt familiar with each of them very quickly. I'm expecting many of them won't make it out alive, so I'm dreading the bloodshed to come.

This episode achieved its purpose of making me anticipate the future of the show. Can't wait for more!

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.

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.

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 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.