What a Festive Evening

So far this is the standout episode to me of the season. It's wound tight enough. The acting bristles with energy. The whole story has a good rhythm to it.

The only real negative is that the audio is mixed too bassy. Like someone just boosted it 3dB at 120hz the whole way through. I watched this on my studio computer, and I know this room. Trust me.

But otherwise it's a great episode. One thing that I really appreciate about this episode, but also the series in general. Is that it actually challenges the viewer with long quiet scenes. And shifts the intensity and rhythm of the editing and acting for different parts of the story. This is very refreshing. So many similar series fear losing your attention span, so they constantly barrage you with eye candy and dynamic sequences. This series challenges the viewer to keep their attention on the story and not pick up the smartphone. I like that a lot. Yes please more.

This episode does a fantastic job of starting off slow and then accelerating and increasing the tension and intrigue.

I do have to say I was a little bit confused for a moment. I happen to be watching Agents of Shield and Doctor Who in parallel with this series. And a few points in the story I got off track wondering where the Doctor was (on seeing Varada Sethu) and later I was wondering when Simmons and Tremors were going to show up, what with the green vials and all.

I wish that this show more regularly featured the round table with Major Partagaz. I love his whole British boarding school Neoplatonist rhetoric thing. We only get a taste of that in this episode. And it's excellent, I feel if that was more consistently a part of the show it could help viewers orient themselves from there.

I know I said I love how the writers push and pull with the pacing. But thats not it. There are just so many damn characters to keep track of. Wait do I know this one, or do I recognize them from Doctor Who or Mad Men?

But that's what is great about it. It's what make's it remind me of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The dense intrigues that slowly move forward a plot. Winding the tension higher until you can't bear it. However most of the time it's subtle and restrained.

Half expected to have someone whip out a brief case and start assembling a sniper rifle. Well we got 6 episodes to go.

This is a strong conclusion to the second trilogy of episodes with standout moments.

There is little information about the plot I can reveal without spoilers but it is safe to say that this is a pretty tense and eventful episode that contains compelling moments on both Ghorman and Coruscant. Characters like Syril, Dedra, Luthen, Krennik, Kleya Marki, Vel and Cinta are all use well by the filmmakers.

For me the highlight is the final scene, which I can give no details about, other than it was unexpected to me and a satisfying moment given the build up involving the relevant characters. What the fallout will be is quite intriguing. I hope when the time jumps to the next three episode arc that it will be shown as having a significant impact.

For me all actors are on top form and the visuals are amazing as ever.

For me it is an 8.5/10, but I round upwards.

"Andor" has quietly but powerfully established itself as one of the most compelling entries in the "Star Wars" universe - not by leaning into nostalgia or spectacle, but by building real, tangible stakes into every moment. That's no small feat for a prequel. In a story where we know that only a few characters survive into future installments, it would be easy to assume the outcome for everyone else is predetermined or inconsequential. But "Andor" flips that assumption on its head- Instead of using predetermined fates as narrative limits, it treats them as a creative challenge. The show thrives in the ambiguity, where the lack of guarantees for its ensemble becomes a source of constant tension. Every character feels like they're walking a tightrope over a bottomless chasm, and the show is relentless in its willingness to let any of them fall. That uncertainty doesn't just serve suspense - it deepens emotional investment. As a result, "Andor" crafts tension not through cheap thrills, but through the calculated risks its characters take, the moral compromises they make, and the weight of decisions that may never pay off. It's a brilliant method of storytelling that keeps the audience on edge, not just because they're wondering what will happen, but because they truly don't know who will survive the next crossfire, betrayal, or act of rebellion. Episode 6, "What a Festive Evening," builds on that foundation with gripping momentum. It weaves character, politics, and action into a narrative that's both deeply personal and grand in scale, offering a stunning example of how this show continues to elevate the genre through sheer narrative craft.

Cassian's dynamic with Bix continues to evolve in complex, painful ways, revealing how trauma and loyalty intersect and often conflict. Their scenes carry a rawness that underscores how far Cassian has come - and how much he still carries. Meanwhile, Vel and Cinta are given some of the most emotionally resonant moments of the episode, allowing their relationship to breathe in ways it hasn't before. All of this plays directly into Luthen's cold philosophy that unity breeds vulnerability, a haunting notion that this episode dares to test - and perhaps even vindicate.

Politically, "Andor" continues its scathing indictment of imperial bureaucracy and aristocratic indifference. The Investiture party, dripping with opulence and indifference, becomes a microcosm for the Senate's impotence - where debate is performative, and power is wielded in whispers rather than policy. The inclusion of figures like Krennic and the sharp verbal sparring between him and Mon Mothma brings a chilling reminder: the machinery of the Empire doesn't need to be efficient to be effective. In fact, it's very dysfunction is what allows it to thrive unchecked. These scenes act as a mirror to modern-day political complacency, making the commentary as sharp as ever and terrifyingly relevant.

Visually, director Ariel Kleiman once again proves his mastery of tension and tone. The climax of the episode, which juggles the chaos of a daring heist with the slow-burn unease of high-society politics, is a triumph of cinematic storytelling. The editing is precise, ratcheting up suspense with perfect timing, while the cinematography uses claustrophobic framing and sharp contrasts to juxtapose adrenaline-fueled action with icy decorum. The result is not only one of the most gripping sequences of the series but also one of the most stylishly executed.

The performance, as always, are stellar. Adria Arjona's Bix is a standout here, delivering a quietly devastating performance that carries both pain and agency. Faye Marsay gives her most layered turn yet as Vel, capturing grief, rage, and love in a way that feels heartbreakingly human. And Ben Mendelsohn slips into the room like a shadow in the night - his Krennic is all icy menace and calculated charm, a terrifying reminder of the Empire's capacity for charismatic cruelty.

"What a Festive Evening" is "Andor" at its most potent: character-driven, politically charged, and visually elegant. It's an episode that deepens the emotional toll of rebellion while never letting up on the pulse-pounding tension. In a series already lauded for redefining what "Star Wars" can be, this chapter proves it can still surprise, devastate, and dazzle in equal measure.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"What a Festive Evening", a sixth episode of "Andor" season 2 was a good one. Tense, were thing and events starting to (finally) move. Its not just about building pieces of a puzzle, but pieces started to move. The ending was surprising and rewarding. What is like about "Andor" is its unpredictability. Its a Star Wars but in spies world. The scene in the museum was a standout for me. Rebels, spies - all coming into one place.

Performances were excellent as usual, and i really looking forward to see remaining half of the last season 2. Its intriguing and well written story.

This series really does get better and better from story arc to story arc. The build-up is insane, the script is perfectly structured, the dialog is fantastic and the acting from EVERYONE involved is just great.

This is peak Star Wars!

Andor proves that with the right leads in front of and behind the camera, it's still possible to tell great and not forced stories in the Star Wars universe and I'm so grateful that this show exists and hopefully Disney will finally take a cue from the quality of this show for the future of Star Wars.

Tony Gilroy has created something truly wonderful here.

PS: Gohrman is so detailed I could cry.