Everyone Crashes Out, but At Least the Music Slaps

Editor’s note: The recap below contains spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episode 3.

Andor Season 2 is breaking with convention in a lot of ways. Not only are we getting three-episode drops each week, but those episodes span a single year in Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) life before the series jumps ahead another year in its relentless drive toward the events of Rogue One. This means Tony Gilroy only has a little under an hour to tie everything up with Episode 3, and the results are both devastating and illuminating.

The episode opens with Cassian in the TIE Fighter, fleeing his encounter with the Maya Pei Brigade. He finally makes contact with Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) at the gallery, and he is (understandably) quite frustrated with how everything played out after he left Sienar. He tells her that he wants to go home to Mina-Rau, but Kleya covertly relays the news that his homeworld is “crowded” and that a frequency blockade is making it impossible for her to get an accurate “weather report.” Rather than heeding her surreptitious warning, Cassian drops the call and decides that he is going to go home one way or the other.

Mon Mothma Faces the Consequences of Shepherding a Rebellion (Again)

The first season established that Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) has a complicated dynamic with her daughter, Leida (Bronte Carmichael), and the teenager’s impending nuptials have done nothing to repair their relationship. Ahead of Leida’s wedding, Mon attempts to have a heartfelt conversation with her, building off of what she witnessed during the First Night celebrations. Mon remarks that her own mother was drunk the day of her wedding and that she never forgave her for it, but now, standing where she once stood, she understands why her mother was so distraught. She assures Leida that they can call the wedding off if she isn’t ready to marry, and that doing so will be remembered as an act of great bravery — but Leida shuts her mother down. She refuses to see the reason that Mon is bringing to the situation and glibly remarks that she wishes her mother were drunk instead so they wouldn’t be having this conversation. Mon takes a moment to compose herself, wiping away tears, before falling in line with the duties laid out before her.

As with Episode 2, Andor goes to great lengths to showcase Chandrillian customs like we have never seen them before. Leida steps over a branch held by the Sculduns and approaches her soon-to-be husband, who is standing in the middle of a circle. As the young boy beckons Leida to join his circle, we once again see this idea of circular imagery, which has been a theme throughout the first three episodes. Similar to the Jedi who lose their Padawan braid when they become a Knight, Chandrillian brides have their braids cut off by their fiancé as the ceremony begins. The wedding goes off without a hitch, which can’t be said for the party that follows.

Before the festivities kick off, Davo Sculdun (Richard Dillane) unveils his wedding gift to the guests. It’s a rare Chandi Merle — a temple figure that was stolen from the planet centuries ago. As a testament to the union between the two families, he had the figure repatriated, thanks to Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård). It’s an incredibly valuable piece that also serves as a testament to Sculdun’s great wealth, which stands in contrast to Tay Kolma’s (Ben Miles) financial situation. Like previous episodes, there are small details dropped throughout the party. Namely, the fact that Mon’s assistant Erskin (Pierro Neil-Mee) isn’t from Chandrila, but rather the son of a Naboo and a Ghor. Surely, this will become a major factor behind Mon’s backing for Ghorman, in addition to it being the morally upright thing to do.

Mon notices that Tay is drinking quite liberally again, and she learns that he has been fraternizing with Sculdun, which further intensifies the threat to the Foundation and the Rebellion. It seems as though she may finally be starting to see Luthen’s point of view on the matter, but that isn’t necessarily true. When Mon and Luthen discuss the matter once more, Luthen more pointedly addresses the fact that Mon knows what the number has to be to fix the Tay situation. It’s only then that she realizes that the only way out of the situation is for Tay to be removed from it — permanently. The realization sends Mon into a downward spiral, and she spends the rest of the wedding festivities getting drunk and dancing like she’s trying to forget what’s about to happen to her dear old friend. Tay leaves the party early and is surprised to find an unfamiliar driver has come to pick him up, but she isn’t unfamiliar to audiences: it’s Cinta (Varada Sethu). Luthen has expedited the plan to handle Tay. As Cinta leaves with Tay, she locks eyes with Vel (Faye Marsay), but it seems we’ll have to wait at least another year for them to officially cross paths with each other once more.

Mother Knows Best, Until She Meets Her Match

It turns out that the meeting that Syril (Kyle Soller) and Dedra (Denise Gough) were putting off was actually them hosting his mother, Eedy (Kathryn Hunter), which most of us would’ve delayed indefinitely if we could’ve. Just as she was in Season 1, Eedy is a whirlwind of negativity and backward compliments aimed at her son. The preamble to her arrival gives audiences a peek into the inner workings of Syril and Dedra. Rather than wearing something crisp and white like her uniform, Dedra opts for an all-black ensemble while she practices a smile in the mirror. Syril, meanwhile, wears a drab outfit that makes him feel small, much like his mother does.

Upon meeting Dedra, Eedy makes a snide remark about her being nothing like she imagined. While Andor doesn’t establish a timeline for their relationship, it seems as though Syril has been living with Dedra for some time, making it even more comical that Eedy hasn’t met Dedra until now. Eedy also makes a fuss about wanting spiced tea, which they don’t have on hand. While she assures Syril that he doesn’t need to rush off to the store to buy her any, it’s clear that she’s trying to make it seem as though Syril wasn’t prepared to accommodate his mother’s whims.

7:45

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They settle around the table to enjoy some fondue, and Eedy makes a terrible mess, dripping the cheese all over the table, much to Syril’s horror. It’s a curious choice, given how pristine their home was on Level 91. Eedy’s behavior is clearly a manifestation of her frustration that someone has “stolen” her son from her. Very much typical “boy mom” behavior. Eedy also tries to guilt Dedra into viewing her as some sort of selfless victim by waxing on about Syril’s absent father (an adventurer who upped and left them), but she isn’t particularly swayed, especially considering Syril has already told her all about this. Eedy questions Dedra about her parents, and Dedra reveals they were criminals who were arrested when she was three, leaving her to be raised in an Imperial kinderblock. Eedy tries to make a snide remark about how Dedra grew up without a mother’s love, but it doesn’t really touch her at all. Syril eventually reaches a breaking point and, rather than blow up at the table, he excuses himself to have a lie down on their bed in the other room. It’s perhaps the most relatable Syril has ever been.

While Syril is out of earshot, Dedra lays down the law with Eedy. From this point forward, she will be controlling everything in Syril’s life and Eedy will no longer have any sway over him. Dedra doesn’t even give the woman a chance to argue with her before she makes a point of mentioning that she pulled Uncle Harlo’s ISB file and discovered that he has a criminal past, which surely Eedy doesn’t want attention brought to. By the time Syril composes himself and returns to the table, his mother has entirely changed her tune, and the dinner continues without further issues. Going from living with his mother to living with Dedra seems to be a bit of an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” situation for Syril. He needs a strong woman in his life to guide him.

Tragedy Strikes Cassian’s Closest Allies Once More

What’s fascinating about Andor is the fact that the fates of many of its characters are sealed by a predetermined outcome. Cassian will die during the events of Rogue One, and given their absence in the lead-up to his death, it’s highly unlikely that Bix (Adria Arjona), Brasso (Joplin Sibtain), or Wilmon (Muhannad Ben Amor) will survive Season 2, and Episode 3 delivers the first tragic death.

It’s harvest time on Mina-Rau, and the laborers and toolies have come together for a feast, despite the noticeable tensions caused by the planet’s Imperial occupation. Brasso and Talia (Claire Brown) exchange a few adoringly teasing words while they eat, but their joyful celebrations are cut short by Kellen’s (Ryan Pope) grim news that their council is next on the inspection schedule, meaning the Imperial officers will be back tomorrow. He explains that the Empire is doing random visa checks, which will make it infinitely harder for them to stick around, just in case they are randomly selected. Rather than simply fleeing and running the risk of being caught, Kellen provides Brasso with an emergency work order from the Council Eight Hundred to use as their excuse for leaving. Kellen is clearly more than just an on-world contact, as he knows all about Luthen and presses Brasso to let him know what’s happening on Mina-Rau.

Later in the day, Brasso, Bix, and Wil begin preparing for their departure, packing up equipment they will need when they reach the Eight Hundred. Brasso breaks the news to B2EMO, who they intend to leave behind, and the droid is hopelessly worried about Cassian and what it will mean for him if he returns and finds them gone. As Brasso delivers the news, another Imperial vessel streaks across the sky, and he realizes they should leave sooner, rather than later. While all of this is happening, Bix finally picks up a signal from Cassian as he enters the atmosphere, but it’s far too late for him to stop what’s about to transpire. Unfortunately, Brasso doesn’t make it back to the farm in time — and Wil is off saying goodbye to Beela (Laura Marcus) — when Krole (Alexander Waldmann) returns to begin the audit. This time, he’s far more threatening and intimidating to Bix than he was before. Clearly, letting him down gently isn’t going to work this time. He comments on her husband’s absence and notes that it looks as though they were preparing to leave their home. She tells him about the job at Eight Hundred, but he’s not convinced this time. Krole rants about the “difficult” situation he is in on Mina-Rau: he’s been instructed to round up undocumented labor and to ensure the harvest happens on time, but so much of the labor on the surface is undocumented, meaning the harvest will be delayed. Bix tries her best to keep the situation under control, but Krole isn’t just there to perform an audit — he’s there to rape her.

Bix doesn’t go down without a fight. She breaks his nose and knocks him around quite a few times with metal tools, but Krole is larger and stronger. She takes a few knocks herself, but ultimately she’s able to overpower him. Still, he stumbles out of the house and raises the alarm, and everything starts to fall apart rapidly. Brasso attempts to make a break for it, but he is taken into custody by the Empire, and it looks as though Kellen sold him out. Bix straight up tells the other Imperial officer who was with Krole that he attempted to rape her, but he doesn’t care, so she kills him too. Andor hasn’t shied away from showcasing the horrors of the Empire, but this is the first time we’ve seen this particular side effect of fascism explored at all in the canon of Star Wars — on screen and on the page. Students of history know that rape has long been used as a tool of fascism. Once you create the ecosystem for oppression, women are often the first to face the brunt of the systems of power. It’s terrifying and brave storytelling, especially because it doesn’t frame Bix as a helpless victim; she fights back, and she prevails. Exploring this here, in Andor, also recontextualizes a lot of other Star Wars stories, and adds new layers to the Empire’s far-reaching hand.

During the ensuing chaos, Brasso manages to escape from custody, but he’s pursued by the one stormtrooper with a true aim. Cassian offers some assistance from above, picking off several Imperial units with the TIE Fighter, but his arrival is simply too late. Cassian is the first to find Brasso’s body among the fields of golden grain, and the tragedy of his death undercuts his reunion with Bix and Wil. There’s no time to retrieve Brasso’s body, and they leave him behind as they board the TIE Fighter and escape Mina-Rau with what remains of their lives.

Andor Episode 3 ends in such a fascinating way. As Cassian pilots the ship, looking just as shell-shocked and traumatized as Bix and Wil do, the upbeat techno music from Leida’s wedding plays over the scene. It’s such a brilliantly framed dichotomy between the horrors of the slow-building war and those who have the privilege to indulge in grandeur. That isn’t to say that Mon isn’t also having one of the worst days of her life; there’s a pretty glaring disparity between the two, even if the end result is a longtime friend becoming a casualty of the Rebellion.

The first three episodes of Season 2 are streaming now on Disney+.

Andor

Andor Season 2 Episode 3 culminates in another death for one of Cassian’s closest allies.

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Tony Gilroy

Pros & Cons

• Genevieve O’Reilly gives an all-star performance as Mon Mothma faces the weight of the Rebellion.
• Brasso’s death is a crushing, but necessary blow that sets the stakes for the remainder of the series.
• Adria Arjona is a standout in this episode as she faces the terrifying reality of authoritarianism.

#Crashes #Music #Slaps