Nobody's Listening!

This show is killing it.

Great writing: the.tension continues grow with each instalment! Every moment is telling. Each event cascading in consequence.

The performances are superb. A dark foreboding score that hits the mark. The costumes and sets are lush. They and the cinematography are painstakingly true ti earliest (ie finest) Star Wars traditions.

And the direction is ... restrained but relentlessly taught. No there's not much humour.

I know people are saying "this isn't a Star Wars story" but it so very much is. No it's not a Jedi story. It's not even a Jedi adjacent story. And it is SO much the better for it.

This is a serious show about the desperate courage of real people trying to get out from under the heel of an authoritarian government. It is mandatory viewing.

Between this and Netflix's utterly brilliant All Quiet on the Western Front we have two powerful and timely studies into the horrors of conflict and oppression.

Dedra continues her investigation into the rebellion, whilst disturbing news is heard on Narkina 5.

This is another high quality episode.

The themes in this story are some of the darkest portrayed in the Star Wars franchise so far and they are depicted in a plot that is ramping up the tension, particularly on Narkina 5.

The detail covered about the complexities involved in securing an empire and developing a rebel insurgency, are everything that I ever could have wished for as a Star Wars fan.

As a long time fan, the best aspect of Andor is how it explores the details of concepts introduced in the original movies. The Empire and the rebellion have largely been mythical notions outside of the dealings of the elite characters on both sides, however episodes like this help bring it to life.

For me the best scenes involve Dedra and Mon Mothma as they are well plotted and give plausible faces to both sides of the conflict. I feel a sense that they are exactly the type of people who would be drawn to each ideology.

With Dedra and the scenes involving imperial officers, it portrays the horror of a totalitarian system (as well as fiction can) including aspects like torture, mass murder and euthanasia and does it with great tribute to George Lucas' legacy, such as the homage to the Princess Leia interrogation scene in the original Star Wars movie, complete with doorway/footsteps transition.

Visually it is a superbly filmed episode with excellent production design. Particularly the scenes on Narkina 5, that also pay tribute to Lucas. These are very well made, but there is no real tension associated with Cassian's fate here as we know the outcome. However, the writers use characters like Kino Loy and other prisoners well. I do want to find out what happens to them given the depiction of their plight and how the episode ends.

The standout performances for me are Denise Gough, Genevieve O'Reilly and Andy Serkis.

It's an 8.5/10 for me but I round upwards.

I definitely wasn't a fan when going into this prison arc, but with this episode it's really grown on me. Since the first Andor episode, I've been a fan of this realistic, gritty take on the Star Wars universe. I love this show possibly even more than the mandalorian but these past few episodes have made me understand why some viewers pass up on watching this show. Andor is a real slow-burn... mostly in a good way. This episode, however, nothing really happened and I understand they need to set up the finale to this arc but some bits really really drag. Luckily, the writing and acting just about keeps me interested in those bits. I just love Andy Serkis and his character SO SO MUCH, I'm so glad they cast him again even though he played Snoke. The final scene with Ulaf, Andor and Kino Loy literally gave me goosebumps... just great stuff! Obviously, next episode will be all about breaking out of the prison and I'm somewhat excited to see how they'll go about it. I have a feeling some characters are gonna be killed off in the next one.

Yet again, the new "Andor" series continues to really make shockingly excellent use of Toby Haynes' demonstrable ability to capture the dark, politically relevant cynicism of "Black Mirror" (since he previously directed "USS Callister") here because his episodes in particular grow increasingly more macabre & disturbing with each & every passing week.

As if the story wasn't already unsettling enough, writer Beau Willimon & creator Tony Gilroy have frankly, somehow found a deliciously sinister way of making the imperialistic "Empire" in "Star Wars" universe as dystopian as you can probably get on screen (without compromising the suitability rating for audiences), intellectually exploring the brutal, inhumane reality of what it means to maintain their flawed perception of "order" & the consequences its preservation it has on working class people, who predominantly suffer under its tyranny. Furthermore, it's this unflinchingly mature manner in which the themes are approached that continually catches me off guard, as the filmmaking fearlessly confronts the true horror of the harmful ideology many possess with a startling honesty that feels uncomfortably familiar & bold for a project airing on Disney+. This isn't just another mindless addition to a well-known sci-fi franchise (made to cash in on devout fan's loyalty to the brand); in grim installments like these, the season has a clear, distinct purpose, a voice - with a statement make - & it's not afraid to use it.

Man I love this show, it's a huge step up by Disney for Star Wars. It makes Marvel and Pixar look meek with the recent releases they've made.

The quality of this show is A grade, where everything is on point; the acting, the production and sets, and my personal favourite, the writing.

There's not one filler episode and neither is this one. Gilroy is doing a masterclass on how to keep multiple stories retain a heartbeat whilst keeping it interesting, intriguing and makes you look forward to the next episode immediately. As usual, Diego and Serkis are absolutely brilliant and as the series has proven thus far, every 3 or 4 episodes is a biggie so can't wait for next week.

Awesome episode.