"NOBODYS LISTENING!"
WRITTEN BY ELLIOT LINES / NOVEMBER 3, 2022
Tensions are beginning to rise across the galaxy. Dedra's desperation to find Cassian and "Axis" cause the torture of Bix, Mon Mothma is in need of money but isn't quite sure exactly where its coming from, or who from, Syril's obsession nearly puts him in trouble again and Cassian Andor questions where he has landed, finding a terrible truth. It's safe to say that the characters across the show have a much more adult and relatable feel, as does the show itself, but where will they all end up, and this begs the question, will it come together?.
We know the threat of the ISB, and what their work entails, but here is the first tre showing of who Dedra is as a person. Before torturing Bix she utters the words "the last thing you can do right now is bore me", at this moment you see the threatening nature in Dedra's face, she will do anything to get a result. What comes after that is truly terrifying, explained as children's crying screams that'll render a man useless. Now we never actually hear this sound but it's the use of the 'Jaws' effect, scared or what you can't see, or hear in this case, that doubles down on the fear Bix and the viewer will suffer.
Throughout the show Mon Mothma has hidden her true self, and her desperation gets ever deeper in this episode. We discover that her cousin, who we know all too well, Vel, comes to visit, just emphasising Mothma's position in the Rebellion. She's losing a grip on what she's trying to achieve, even more so losing a grip on her family relations, which will more than likely be the fallout here. She needs money, but doesn't like who she's going to have to work with.
There are a lot of "unknowns" here, and they just keep building throughout the show, but one worrying revelation is Cassian's imprisonment predicament. Throughout this episode there are rumblings of something happening on Level 2, rumours fly around as to exactly what has happened, but the outcome is ever so harrowing. Once one of these prisoners catches wind that they'll never get out no matter if their sentence is served, the whole floor is electrified. The Empire has control of everything and their grip is tightening even more on the Galaxy, without remorse, showing that Cassian's need for escape is all the more urgent. This leads to probably one of the most horrifying deaths we've seen in Star Wars to date, and it's not even a character we've spent too much time with, but it once again emphasises the Empires grip on everything.
Leading into Rogue One, a show about the beginning of the Rebellion was never going to bring joy to the screen, but Andor takes it's role in the story to a whole new level. The adult themes on show here show the true horrors that are happening across the Galaxy, making what we know of the Empire even more spine-chilling. One does begin to question how these character may in the end come together, but maybe that's not the point. With only 3 episodes to go (and next week most likely being the prison break), we don't have too much time to spend bringing it all together, but not everyone can get what they want here which leads me to believe that we may spill over into season 2 with these storylines.