'Andor' Episode 10 Explained: Cassian and Company Strike Back, With a Major Sacrifice

Gripping Star Wars collection Andor reached episode 10 on Disney Plus this Wednesday, and we meet up with mercenary Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he gears as much as escape the merciless Imperial jail he received unjustly thrown into within the wake of the totalitarian regime’s harsh crackdown. Vitally, he managed to safe the assist of jail unit supervisor Kino Loy (Andy Serkis), who’s accepting that the Empire will by no means allow them to go free.

It looks as if the web is closing round mysterious insurgent recruiter Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), as Imperial Safety Bureau Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) relentlessly leads her allies in chasing down each lead in her pursuit of a person she solely is aware of as “Axis.”

Rael’s violent strategies have additionally put him at odds with fellow insurgent Sen. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), however she’s been struggling as she secretly raises cash for the trigger. One in all her allies prompt working with morally questionable financier Davo Sculdun. Regardless of his wonderful title, Mon is deeply uncomfortable with that concept.

Andor occurs 5 years earlier than Rogue One, which tells the story instantly earlier than unique Star Wars film A New Hope. Let’s get on-program with some SPOILERS.

A technique out

NARKINA 5 — As Ulaf’s physique is taken away, Cassian realizes that the arrival of their late buddy’s substitute will give them a gap to flee. He additionally is aware of the Empire should be freaking out, because it slaughtered a complete flooring of prisoners to cease them from revealing the ugly reality: it is shuffling individuals who completed their sentences into new services quite than liberating them.

“Energy does not panic,” he tells Kino to persuade him of their alternative.

They unfold the phrase to the opposite prisoners on their shift, then use a damaged water pipe to quick out the ground safety system as they make their transfer and assault the guards. It turns right into a basic Star Wars shootout as they overwhelm their gaolers and snatch their blasters.

As the primary group of prisoners liberate the opposite flooring, Cassian and Kino make their solution to the management room to confront the quite wussy trying dudes working this dystopian nightmare place. Taking on the intercom, Kino delivers stirring speech to the entire jail and encourages them to stand up towards the Empire.

“I’d quite die attempting to take them down than giving them what they need,” he says, quoting Cassian and sowing rebellious beliefs extra extensively.

The guards are positioned in an inconceivable state of affairs, for the reason that Empire will presumably punish them severely for letting the inmates run free. Alternatively, they’re going to undoubtedly be killed in the event that they tackle the prisoners. Cowering behind locked doorways, they resolve to threat Imperial anger. Most likely the clever alternative.

Following the rallying cry of “A technique out,” the inmates rush to an exit excessive above the ocean and leap out to freedom.

In a last-second emotional gut-point, Kino stops… and tells Cassian that he cannot swim. So he rallied his fellow prisoners to flee, figuring out he would not have the ability to be a part of them (Serkis sells this second of resignation magnificently). It is the sort of sacrifice that’ll encourage Cassian to grow to be the insurgent hero we all know from Rogue One.

Rattling, this present is so good.

A Sport of Thrones supply

CORUSCANT — Mon Mothma and her banker ally Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) meet deeply sleazy financier Davo Skuldon (Richard Dillane) at her Chandrilan embassy condo, and he lives as much as the promise of his title. This scene is delightfully tense, with the trio seated far aside as Mon radiates disdain for her visitor.

“I do know it is tasteless and cliché, however one of many indulgences of nice wealth is freedom from different folks’s opinions,” Davo says, telling us all we have to find out about him.

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He won’t also won’t take any kind of free for laundering Mon’s money, even after she says that owing him an open-ended favor makes her uncomfortable.

“A drop of discomfort may be the price of doing business,” he responds.

Davo reveals that he wants a return invitation so he can introduce his 14-year-old son to Mon’s defiant 13-year-old daughter Leida. Even though he denies it, he clearly wants to bind their families through a marriage pact and increase his family’s political clout. It’s more Westeros than a galaxy far, far away, and I love it.

Mon is understandably horrified and refuses, but clearly isn’t done with this idea. She’s gotta do something about that suspicious rebellion money, in case the Empire starts sniffing around.

Anyway, Davo seems nice.

The Imperial mole

Mon’s fellow rebel Luthen is summoned to a meeting in the city planet’s lower levels, which I was sure would turn out to be an Imperial trap. This show’s slightly paranoid vibe must be getting to me, because it turns out Luthen’s got an ISB double-agent who’s been feeding him information: Supervisor Lonni Jung (Robert Emms).

This guy has been super low-key hanging out in the ISB all season, but Emms gets his moment to shine here. On his elevator ride to meet Luthen, he uses an earpiece to communicate with the rebel. Luthen warmly congratulates Lonni on the birth of his daughter, which sure seems like a veiled threat.

Lonni reveals how close Dedra is getting to discovering Luthen’s identity. Luthen denies having any role in the Aldhani heist (a big lie, but he can hardly trust an Imperial who’s willing to act as a mole). He also decides the 50 rebels in the operation that Dedra is arranging a trap for will be sacrificed to put ISB at ease, which is the kind of Machiavellian tactic we’ve come to expect from him.

Luthen Rael looks intently at the camera he stands in the corridor of his ship in Andor — Luthen Rael is not messing around.

Lucasfilm

The Imperial wants to end their arrangement, prompting another Luthen speech dripping with charisma. He reveals that he started his rebel efforts 15 years previously — around the time the Empire was rising — but accepts that he won’t see it come to fruition.

“Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I’ve given up all chance of inner peace, I’ve made my mind a sunless space,” he says. “I share my dreams with ghosts.”

It’s jaw-droppingly cool, and he sends Lonni on his way with their arrangement intact.

“I need all the heroes I can get,” he says, before we jump back to Cassian and Melchi on Narkina 5.

The future rebel heroes — both of whom will give their lives fighting the Empire in Rogue One — run across the barren world as the Empire hunts the escapees in the distance behind them.

Rogue thoughts, unanswered questions and Easter eggs

So I guess this is how Kino becomes Supreme Leader Snoke?
That’s a joke.
But maybe…
The “On-program” phrase used to make inmates place their hands on their heads evolves in a fascinating way through the prisoner sequence. Cassian shouts it at Kino as he convinces him to escape, hinting that he’s seized power and influence, then yells it at the guards in the control room, indicating that he’s now in charge of the whole facility.
We have a super brief check-in with Dedra at ISB headquarters before Lonni sneaks out to meet Luthen. She seems mildly displeased about the influence he has, so maybe she’ll decide to dig up some dirt on him.
On Ferrix, Cassian’s adoptive mom Maarva (Fiona Shaw) is refusing her medication or any help, and her health is declining. This will presumably draw Cassian back.
Rebel Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) is watching for Cassian’s return, having been tasked with killing him to protect Luthen’s cover. This will presumably lead to a confrontation, hopefully Cinta isn’t killed, because she’s fascinating.
There appears to be another man watching Maarva’s place, but it’s unclear if he’s another rebel or an Imperial.
No sign of Syril Karn this episode, I wonder he’s still hanging out around ISB headquarters like an idiot?