This review contains full spoilers for episode seven of Andor, now available to view on Disney+. To remind yourself of where we left off, check out our Andor episode 6 review.
The comedown is never as good as the high – or so I’ve been told. Following on from Andor’s thrilling heist was always going to be tough, but Episode 7 manages to successfully reset the stage and bring Cassian back home to sort through the wreckage left behind. It’s a quieter – and still highly enjoyable episode – but one that pulls a match out of the box and looks set to strike again soon.
The dust is settling after last week’s blowout on Aldhani with both sides counting their wins and losses. Having poked the hornet’s nest, the rebels have incurred the full legislative fury of the Empire. This episode spends much of its runtime setting up the retribution that is heading Cassian, Luthen, and others’ way. Those ‘others’ may well be innocent people not even tied to the cause, something that doesn’t sit well with Mon Mothma in a fantastically nuanced scene at Luthen’s shop. She’s one of the only characters seemingly uncorrupted in Andor, acting as an effective moral compass often pointing in a truer different direction to Luthen’s. Genevieve O’Reilly is superb as she effortlessly glides between playing politics and party host. It’s a risk for her to open up the circle of trust, especially in a place laced with secrets like Coruscant, but it’s another symbol of a fractured resistance, not yet the Rebel Alliance pulling in the same direction we all know.
All isn’t hunky dory on the Imperial side either. It’s in panic mode following a rare kick in the teeth, and therefore not all pulling in the same direction. Denise Gough continues to excel as the snarling Dedra Meero – forthright and headstrong, she’s a great onscreen villain and the inevitable meeting between herself and Andor is one to look forward to. The showdown between her and a group of accusatory colleagues is a fantastic warmup for the inevitable faceoff, as she stands up for her methods and has the receipts to back them up with. It’s a fantastic reversal capped off with a brilliantly smug smile at her victory.
It’s a testament to the show’s performances that it doesn’t need to rely on huge spectacle or action to stay engaging, and something as subtle as the humbled but still driven Syril Karn playing with his blue-milked cereal keeps your attention. We’re also seeing further increased range from Diego Luna. After showing his colder, deadlier side in Episode 6, he paints a much warmer tone this time around, although that ruthlessness still bubbles within. These two characters really are two sides of the same coin, operating under the radar of their relevant allegiances to achieve their goals.
For Cassian, that goal may have to switch back to simply surviving due to him now having another red dot pointed at his head. The mysterious, red-robed associate of Luthen that delivers this new mission to Vel makes a big impact in a fleeting amount of time. The coldness with which she bluntly states “this is what revolution looks like” is yet another example of the young rebellion having to get their hands dirty for the greater good. We’re already aware the lines between good and bad are smudged in Andor, but it’s never been boiled down so starkly and effectively as in the delivery of that one line. It’s rare for a prequel to carry the sort of peril and stakes that keep you guessing as much as Andor does and a credit to the writers and directors that it consistently carries such a sharp edge.
While he’d love nothing more than to move on and switch focus back to finding his sister, the stark realisation that Stormtroopers now patrol the streets of his hometown brings back unwelcome memories. It’s this coupled with a heartbreaking scene with his proxy mother, Maarva, that is the episode’s standout moment. Fiona Shaw is outstanding as she tearfully tells of her love for him and her hate for the Empire. Two of the rawest emotions may finally be what unlocks Cassian’s mind to what he needs to do. He’s the match, his mother’s pain the matchbox, and the Empire is ready to burn.
The tonal crash that beckons in Cassian’s resort getaway is a stark one, but a welcome dash of levity in the context of the episode. Nicholas Britell once again stakes his claim for MVP with an energizing hit of the closest we’ve got to dance music in Star Wars since Figrin D’an laid down his woodwinds. No matter how much Andor tries to escape his troubles, however, we’re once again shown that destiny is inescapable as the Empire’s grasp finds him again. The walls of the maze are yet again closing around Cassian. We’ll have to wait to see how he finds his way out of this one.
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