Narkina 5

"Andor" is utterly outstanding this week. Easily the most macabre, fiercely mature & intelligent, topical & genuinely disturbing story being told within the "Star Wars" universe, by far - & in the history of the franchise. Here, it consequently takes an unflinching look at the brutality of fascist imperialism (what "The Empire" is an embodiment of) & doesn't shy away from depicting the horrors of it in a quite unsettling manner, lensing events through the perspectives of the working classes to truly ground the events in a feeling that's authentic & tangible.

I cannot believe Disney+ actually allowed something so risky to be made for a show that's set in the reality of one of their biggest brands. Feels more akin to "Squid Game" on Netflix than anything else; a grim, cynical refutation of a broken political system (which draws direct comparisons against our own), masterfully captured by the indomitable director Toby Haynes - who truly depicts even the darkest moments that could potentially be quite triggering, respectfully - whilst skilfully juxtaposing the growing sense of hopelessness with the hopefulness of the flourishing rebellion & thus, clearly conveying to the audience just how important it is to the survival of civilization; the oppressive establishment isn't just corrupt & tyrannical, but inhuman, so the narrative is far deeper than that because it becomes a poignant reflection of the endurance of the human spirit, in spite of insurmountable odds.

I say this as a casual "Star Wars" fan but the utter genius & creator Tony Gilroy has used the iconic sci-fi Disney property to explore real-life issues, making a beautifully nuanced commentary which feels startlingly relevant. Truly profound.

I liked the new "Star Wars for grown ups." I kinda like SW for people who think too much.

Episodes that slow down to flesh out new characters or just to add some more to the story tend to catch some heat. Surely a burst of violence or a riveting chase or cash grab are more interesting when we know who these people are. That has been said about Andor before and will be again.

It hasn't disappointed yet so maybe we can give it a chance before we write it off. We got a couple of big new names to hear about, one of them a complete surprise.

The Empire is a very well known entity but we have never been given more inside looks into how the uniforms think and feel about their status (and how to better it).

I'm sure the special effects will be back. Knowing more about these people is not a distraction.

We now come to a key moment in Cassian Andor's life, which is extremely effective in showing us what it takes to radicalize a man into a rebel. That process of radicalization is adorned with frighteningly convincing performances and subtle details, all of which are cautiously presented to us.

Between radicalization, back door politics, and subtle clues to family strife, it is clear that Andor is again building a massive tower of cards, and preparing us for its climatic and eventual toppling. Yet even as it builds this tower, it manages to demonstrate predicaments in the literal and figurative prisons of the show's characters. Deedra is imprisoned by her ambitions. Syril is imprisoned by the monotony of a corporate job and a need for vengeance. Vel and Cinta, are imprisoned by their rebellion, unable to pursue their love for each other. Luthen is imprisoned by his anxiety, counting the number of days he has left. Yet all of them are tied to the ultimate prison, the Empire. And all of their fates are tied to Cassian Andor.

It is Cassian who is the ultimate prisoner, as we are introduced to a brutal new way of life. This new way of life clearly borrows from several inspirations both real and fictional, but most notably the Shawshank Redemption. There is something sadistically fascinating about watching someone such as Cassian navigate this new way of life, as hopeless, blasé, and vicious as it is. We are jarringly introduced to it by Paul McEwan's playing of an Intake Warden, whose glaring eyes and smile is about as good as Satan's. And then, I could not help but geek-out at Andy Serkis appearing as a brutally efficient manager of his fellow inmates. He incentivizes with a gleaming smile, then goes from 60 to 0 in a split second and turns it into the glare of the grim reaper of an insane asylum. After dealing with Serkis, we meet other characters and soon suspect that Andor and many others may simply have been forced into slavery. This place we see is definitely not fun and games, no matter what galaxy you're from.

As is the case with all the previous episodes, the show continues to follow the detailed interpersonal story of several characters, which is what allows us to recognize the subtle suspicions of Mon Mothma's family, or the cold, precise, brutal efficiency behind the persons of the ISB. It is perhaps this incredible detail that tends to detract from the usual things that we obsess about with Star Wars. Other than a quick shot of shore troopers at the beginning of the episode, the quirky droids that spout funky noises, the strange locales, strange aliens, the unusual Star Wars vernacular. All of it takes far less stage. But whether this episode could have achieved what it did with or without those things is a matter of debate, with some advantage to the persons who constructed this episode and series.

Regardless, Narkina 5 is an excellent investment of your time if you have followed the show up to this point. And it seems to be setting up its audience for a future episode of toppling its intricately constructed fortress of cards. I have a hope and feeling that it's going to be pretty breathtaking to behold. 9 out of 10 stars.

For the first time in a Star wars movie or series we get to see the diabolical mechanisms of the empire in such detail....this episode in particular felt like orwell's 1984 in some parts of it...the empire is the ultimate regime and this is reflected perfect here...the character building is fantastic and the climax at the end of the season i imagine will be spectacular.,.........i believe that this series is the best star wars series ever.. and i know we have The mandalorian which is spectacular show also ..but this series has a special heart like nothing before..we are gone see for the first time how the revolution begins.

No spoilers.....This is a very character driven episode, as we find out more about Andor's path to his eventual place in the rebellion, but it is rich with character development in that more than a few that we've already been introduced to in Rogue One show up, as well as some new additions that look to be driving this series in interesting directions. Action packed this series so far hasn't been. Revealing of the main and supporting characters as those with more than one dimension? Highly successful. It is rich with characterisation. Perhaps overly so (has that ever been said about anything Star Wars?!), but it seems to this reviewer that Gilroy and company are building a layered foundation that they are going to hopefully deploy as skillfully as they've built it in having them execute for a common purpose, and for those who've stuck with this series, this detail has built trust. A kid's show it is not, but good. Let those of us who were kids in the original trilogy nerd out for once and the rest can feast on Obi-Wan Kenobi and the prequels.

The protagonists are great so far and especially Luna, Skarsgård, and O'Reilly as Andor, Luthen, and Mon Mothma. The imperial characters, almost as good, but they are revealing that even in the middle ranks of the Empire, they are devious, cunning, and up to no damn good, and I suspect we have definitely not seen all of them yet.

A deeply rewarding detailed show so far.