The Axe Forgets

Another slow burn episode. Lots of character development, but not much plot development. And for me, I am still really enjoying it. I am absolutely loving the interpersonal conversations. This show has been such a breath of fresh air for Star Wars.

You can argue that the story is too slow and it could have been told in 3 episodes up to this point, but I'm really invested. I will say though that I was expecting the dinner party and the job to be shown in this episode, but now I have to wait another week. But alas. They should have released the episodes on a daily basis, or all at once.

Overall, I'm excited for more. And we got space Captain Crunch!

8.5/10.

This episode is a perfect calm before the storm. We watch as Cassian gets implemented into the rebel group, and everyone in the group is characterized so well.

Nemik is a stand-out character. Despite his young age, his firm belief that the empire has brainwashed and oppressed everyone shows his knowledge and awareness of his surroundings. He's extremely admirable, though I have a strong feeling he will die in the next episode.

I like how Gorn is an imperial who learned to respect the people of Aldhani, as well as how snarky and mysterious Skeen is. His background is really dark and tragic.

The only character I think isn't characterized super well is Cinta. Her performance comes off a bit lifeless, but I'm sure there will be an opportunity for that to change as the series goes on.

I like how Cassian struggles to trust this group and the group struggles to trust him. It makes Cassian the perfect vessel for the audience to be introduced to this hodge-podge of a group. The hostility between them comes off naturally and showcases the stress they're all under.

We also catch up more with Syril here, who seems to be starting his own personal rebellion out of anger over his defeat on Ferrix. It's nice to see the parallels between both him and Cassian adapting to new environments.

Once again, this is a great episode. No surprise at this point!

Cassian and the crew have some trust issues in the build up to the mission.

This is a solid episode that creates some decent tension and build up to what hopefully will be some intriguing drama.

The plot doesn't move very far but the scenes are quite engaging as characters are fleshed out. Some may find it boring, but I think it is effective world-building and nothing to me feels like needless time filling. The next episode needs to be eventful and develop the plot significantly though, unless the writers have any worthwhile deviations up their sleeves.

All actors do a fine job once again with strong dialogue and the production values are top drawer. I particularly liked the music, which is very 'Bladerunner' and maximises the tension.

On my second watch of the first season (with episodes back to back) I enjoyed it much more knowing what is to come. I felt the tension in certain scenes much more. I also noticed some great visuals such as the seamless transitions between soldiers marching and discussions of soldiering.

This show carries its pace for a reason. There's a great story being told here, and they intend you to savor it. I can't say enough good things about this show.

The tone and feel are what they should be. The Empire is too complacent and uncaring, and people aim to make them pay. It's truly the beginning of a cause, and you can feel it in the characters. Nobody is doing anything on a whim.

Character development takes center stage, but also an important build for what's coming. I want to see the main mission carried out successfully, but also don't want to miss the wonder of what's going to be happening at the same time. So far, the show promises that great things are coming, and the quality of every scene makes you believe that they'll deliver.

After this episode I truly believe that Andor is one of the best story tellings in the entire Star Wars universe (only movies and shows; not games and books).

The writing relies heavily on show don't tell. The stakes feel real. In just one episode the show managed to make me care about a group of entirely new characters, made me interested in where they came from and what their motivations are.

This show diverts entirely from the Star Wars we know and focuses on the little people. We get to see the workings of the empire and not just have them as a luring evil that functions mostly in the background or appears when our heroes need a bit of resistance. They are people doing their jobs and believing in what they do. They, just like the rebells, are driven and have their motivations. We rarely get to see that side of the empire and it is so fascinating to see it.

Andor is (and probably will remain as) one of my favorite story from the Star Wars universe. The story telling is masterful and I cannot wait for more.