Andor Recap: Say the Word
The previous episode of Andor was a perfectly contained chapter in the larger story of the Rebellion, finally getting news of the Death Star on its way to the Rebel Alliance and ushering along the fate of Luthen Rael. The episode that follows is, perhaps inevitably, in more of a weird in-between space. Much of it feels like part two of the previous episode, and then its ending makes it feel like part one of the series finale. In a lot of ways, this is a classic piece-moving episode, but the pieces are moved so quickly and shot so beautifully that it never feels quite as workmanlike as it probably should.
Indeed, there are a surprising number of memorable compositions from cinematographer Damián García here, mostly sustained not-quite-close-up shots like the very first image of the episode: a ground-level view of a dead stormtrooper as various Empire security forces examine the aftermath of Kleya’s hospital mission, which they still haven’t figured out was the work of one person, not an “attack” perpetrated by a team.
Regardless, it’s Dedra who’s taking the fall for it, as some ISB functionaries explicitly discuss early on. We first see her in another particularly eye-catching shot: Dedra sitting center frame with Krennic directly behind her, looming over her unnaturally; the image then reverses, the camera on the back of Dedra’s head as Krennic literally lowers himself to face her with uncomfortable closeness. The physical dynamics of this scene are disconcerting throughout; Krennic can’t wield the Force as an instrument of his pitiless disgust, the way Vader could, but there’s something similarly creepy about the way he occasionally puts his gloved hands on Dedra, pressing down on her head like she’s an animal or a malfunctioning machine.
Krennic practically goes Twilight in this scene, urging Dedra to “say the word” — not “vampire” or even “Geonosian,” but “Death Star,” the all-consuming secret project that she’s not supposed to know about. That she knows at all is cause for Krennic to treat her as a spy for the Rebellion, even though he likely doesn’t actually think that; intentions don’t much matter when they threaten his glory. “I should have pegged you as a scavenger a long time ago,” he hisses, and Dedra’s efforts to defend herself, pointing out the sloppy bureaucracy that forced her to scavenge for information while hunting for Axis, amount to little.
The investigation moves on from Dedra to the more practical matters of examining security footage, which is intercut with their target, Kleya, unearthing a communication device so she can tap out a Morse-style message to whoever’s on the other end of the transmitter. This sequence, too, is beautifully shot, using medium close-ups, shallow focus, and shadows in the Coruscant safe house to pinpoint Kleya’s solitary desolation without Luthen, the only person she could really count on. There’s a shiver of satisfaction to the moment when ISB realizes and says it aloud: “There’s no team. It’s only her.”
The clicked-out message does reach Wilmon on Yavin; it’s too primitive to offer much in the way of details or identification, but he’s convinced it’s legit, and Cassian assumes it’s from Luthen himself. So Cassian, Melshi, and K-2SO take off for Coruscant, without asking the Rebellion’s permission. There’s a passage of this episode that turns on a number of conflicts that I must admit to not finding all that convincing, mainly involving the tensions between the Rebel Alliance and Luthen’s smaller, more shadowy forces (and, by extension, Cass and his association with that group). At this late stage, there’s not a whole lot of drama to be mined from the fact that Cassian chafes a bit at the Rebel Alliance’s restrictions, and that they get annoyed when he wants to head out on an unauthorized mission. Then, when Cass and Melshi do arrive at the safe house to find Kleya, it turns out she’s reluctant to go with them to Yavin, and wants mainly to impart the Death Star information.
There’s something poignant, to be sure, about Kleya tapping out a distress call not to actually save herself, but to force Cassian to memorize the broad details of the Death Star plot. But while the schism of sorts between Luthen’s early rebellion and the bigger, more militarized capital-R Rebellion has some importance to the overall story, it’s hard not to think that maybe here it’s overstated. Would Kleya actually feel threatened living on Yavin, just because she was associated with Luthen? Even with Cassian vouching for her and providing major intel about an Empire threat? Distrust between different factions and forms of rebellion have their place, but as Andor enters into its literal final hour, that particular material feels a bit played out.
Of course, it’s about to be overshadowed for the characters, too, as Empire forces close in on the dingy apartment where Cassian, Melshi, and Kleya are having this conversation, as K-2SO keeps the U-wing engines running. But the Empire shuts down comms shortly after they land. Perhaps emboldened by the 17 to 18 direct orders he and Cassian have disobeyed, and in a nod to his inability in Rogue One to stay on the ship, K disembarks and heads for his friends, tossing Empire goons left and right. It’s one more set of images that pop, this time aiming for pure suspense rather than mood, as Andor offers one final cliffhanger on its way out that blocked door.
Rebel Yells
• A scene earlier in the episode where K-2SO plays cards with a bunch of humans, offers unsolicited statistical analysis of their decisions, and Cassian notes that “he’s trying to droid you” might be the most J.J. Abrams–ish scene in all of Andor. I don’t mean that as an insult; it’s just interesting to see such a chummy, funny little scenelet in this context, and weirdly heartening to see that the Rise of Skywalker perpetrator can still have a little imprint on the franchise he helped bring back and then almost ruined, however incidentally.
• I would love to know more about the parade K-2SO participated in featuring 200 K-X unit droids, which was also attended by Emperor Palpatine. Was he watching the parade, or was he in the parade? Palpatine is mentioned primarily in menacing context here (as he is earlier in the episode, name-dropped alongside good ol’ Grand Moff Tarkin by Krennic), so it’s sort of delightful to picture him preening his way through a ridiculous (and probably also still very menacing) droid parade.
• While Andor’s version of the media this season struck me as unimaginative, whenever the show makes reference to Empire office politics that sound incredibly mundane, I light up inside. To wit: Apparently Dedra’s files contained “Jedha Working Group print-outs.” Man, I bet the weekly stand-up meeting for that was annoying as hell (and that Dedra wanted desperately to be in on it anyway).