Before we begin, there will be spoilers ahead for Andor episode 8.
Proceed with caution.
You have been warned.
I know a lot of you would like me to review the new Star Wars series Tales of the Jedi,
and don’t worry…I will.
But for now, I’ll discuss Andor.
And stick around til the end to see my thoughts on the Narkina 5 prison production facility.
Andor Episode 8 is out and there is still no sign of Jedi, no Force, no Death Star project,
no Darth Vader, and no Skywalkers.
Is that a bad thing?
Absolutely not!
It’s actually a breath of fresh air.
Some people will say that it makes Andor feel disconnected from the Star Wars universe.
But in fact, it makes the galaxy feel larger.
More connected to real people standing up against tyranny and an oppressive Empire.
Even though none of the Force aspects have even been talked about in this series, other
than the mention of the Emperor on several occasions, the Star Wars universe seems to
be growing exponentially.
With the addition of several new, previously unheard-of worlds, it harkens to fans who
crave to see more of the galaxy.
Revisiting Coruscant is about the only familiar world we have seen, and we’ve only seen
glimpses of the planet as a whole.
We are confined to the dwelling of Mon Mothma and the storefront property of Luthen Rael.
It’s nice not to see Tatooine again.
There will be a time and place for it, but this series has no need for that.
Especially if there are no Skywalkers or Hutts…or Boba Fett.
That’s refreshing.
Even though Boba Fett is my favorite character.
Now we have Andor episode 8.
The second part to the third arc of the series.
And it begins the interaction of one of my favorite partisans…Saw Gerrera!
We’ve always known he was a bit brash and quick tempered, but now it shows a method
to his madness.
Saw isn’t just in it for the fight.
He’s careful as to who he chooses to team up with and he’s also careful to choose
his battles.
A smart strategy when endeavoring in such a dangerous life.
He wants to take out the Empire, but he won’t do it haphazardly.
Monetary and technical gain is nothing if the risks to his men are too high.
I like this about him.
In the past we have seen him not care about collateral damage, as it was a means to the
end for him.
Saw Gerrera is developing as a character very nicely and I can’t wait to see more of him.
We go to Cassian Andor serving out a 6-year prison sentence under an alias called Kiev.
He’s been sent to Narkina 5.
A planet we haven’t seen yet.
A water planet with island factories building tech for the Empire.
The way the prison is set up is genius.
The prisoners are barefoot, and the guards have minimal weaponry.
The floors have the ability to be electrified and the only way to avoid it is with special
boots that only the Imperial ranks have access to.
If an inmate steps out of line, anyone on the floor gets shocked.
If they aren’t in their cells when instructed…shocked by the floor.
I say it’s genius because there is no need for cell doors.
There is also no real need for guns, which can be taken from guards during an uprising.
Save for a few guards who seem to carry blasters anyway.
Probably not a good idea.
The electric floors minimalize the risk to the Imperial ranks and maximizes the risk
of an inmate uprising.
But we can tell already that there are those who are still going to take the risk.
We all know Cassian won’t serve his entire 6-year sentence.
It’s only 5 years from this point that the events of Rogue One take place and Andor is
a captain in the rebellion at that point.
Cassian Andor’s supervisor is a short timer played by none other than Andy Serkis.
It’s good to see him in a role that doesn’t include him wearing a CGI suit.
If you don’t now who he is, for Star Wars fans, he’s most notably played Supreme Leader
Snoke in the sequel trilogy.
He’s also taken on roles such as Caesar in the latest Planet of the Apes bit, Gollum
in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and Klaw…or Ulysses Klaue in The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
It’s a welcome sight to see him back in the Star Wars universe.
Not only is the electrified floor of the prison on Narkina 5 a genius idea but the manner
of which they run production is equally so.
7 tables are set up with 7 inmates per table.
The table which produces the most gets taste with their food.
The table that produces the least gets electrified…or fried, as they call it.
Seems inhumane but look at it like this: it makes everyone strive to be the best.
It has the potential to increase produce on a constant basis.
Every day the production will increase.
A top team one day could be at the bottom the next day.
This makes the bottom team strive to be better the day following that and each team striving
to beat them in the following days.
I know we can’t implement something like that in our real-world factories…but it’s
still an ingenious idea.
With Cassian Andor sitting in prison, there are multiple parties looking for him.
Dedra Meero…you know…the ISB agent…is among them.
Unaware that they already have Cassian Andor in custody, due to his alias.
Seriously…are the Imperial Census data bases that incomplete that they can’t figure out
someone is using a fake name?
I know the galaxy is vast, but it just seems odd that a galaxy wide Empire can’t figure
that out.
Supervisor Meero is thorough and should be able to deduce he’s not in the system as
Kiev…eventually.
But will she find him first?
Luthen Rael is also on the hunt for Cassian Andor.
We get a little more depth to his reason for this.
He doesn’t want Cassian Andor identifying him.
So, his mission is to have him found…and killed.
Cassian is a loose end to him, and we’ve all seen enough Mafia movies to understand
why loose ends need to be eliminated.
I know, this is far from a Mafia show.
Anyways…Luthen Rael has Vel and Cynta looking for Cassian.
And we see Cynta in a new way.
She’s more dedicated to the cause than she is her relationship with Vel Sartha.
The cause comes first, she tells Vel.
As sad as this makes Vel, she begrudgingly understands.
Both are sitting on Ferrix waiting for Cassian’s return.
Syril Karn…remember?
He’s the deputy director of the Corporate Security Force who lost Cassian Andor and
Luthen Rael on Ferrix.
Syril is pulled from his mundane job for interrogation with Dedra Meero.
He presses and presses to be of use to the Empire but is shut down and told that his
inquiries into Cassian Andor better cease or there will be consequences.
You have to feel a little bad for the guy.
His mother controls him, the Empire ignores him, and all he wants is peace and justice
for the wrongs Cassian Andor has committed against the Empire, all while besmirching
Syril’s good name.
This guy can’t get a break.
But let’s go back to the prison factory for a moment.
What are they making?
At first, it appears they are just being made to work for the sake of working.
But when you look closer, and the more we see their product, one can deduce they are
actually making something of use to the Empire.
Not just insignificant tasks to ensure the inmates remain docile.
That useful product appears to be the undercarriage leg attachments to a Viper Droid…better
known as an Imperial Probe Droid.
Now, I say it appears that way because of its distinctive look.
I could be wrong, and I accept it if I am.
But think about it, these Probe Droids need to be mass produced.
The galaxy is enormous and sending troops to every corner isn’t always possible.
Not to mention, sometimes the risk of sending a squad of Imperial troops can be overkill
for something as simple as surveillance, when a simple droid can go in and be mostly undetected.
But I wonder if it’s harder to recruit Stormtroopers than it is to simply build a machine to carry
out the dirty work.
Let’s ask the separatists about their Battle Droids…
I plan to do a deep dive in this series when it’s complete.
Overall I am really enjoying the Andor series.
It isn’t full of lightsabers, the Force, nor over the top choreographed action, but
it is thought provoking and shows us how citizens and Imperials alike think.
It gives us an inner working of the Empire itself, on a mid-rank perspective…and who
doesn’t like seeing Colonel Wulff Yularen?
This Andor series is also proving that there is a larger galaxy to look at.
That everything doesn’t have to be tied to a Skywalker.
Sure, the end result is a Skywalker aiding in the destruction of the Empire, but for
now…Skywalkers are not at play.
And that’s refreshing.
One day we can get back to them.
But for now, let’s enjoy the story that shows the founding of one or two rebels cells
that eventually join forces with the larger Rebellion.
This is Gerald from Star Wars Fanatic signing off, wishing you all great health, happiness,
and peace.
Thank you for watching and remember, this is the way…the only way!