Andor Episode 7,8,9, They really went there

Damn they really be going full Kinky on this one eh?

These three episodes are a straight up movie kind of like the first three episodes of this series in the last season, and that is not a comparison without merit, it will come back.

These take place in 2 BBY, basically just two years before Andor leads Rogue one on a Suicide mission before a "Mining disaster" kills them.

And it is at this point that the Rebel Alliance is setting up it's base on Yavin four, although some of their operations still reside on Dantooine.

Now these three episodes, together perfectly form a three act structure, the first episode is set up and exposition, we learn how far the Ghorman Operation has come, and how much strain it has put on Dedra and Syrill's relationship.

This episode is also the first time we see the power Dynamic in their relationship shift from Dedra being in power with all the information to Dedra being hopeless and wishing that their ill fated love can survive all these lies that she has been peddling to her boyfriend.

On the opposite side of this relationship is the relationship between Bix and Andor, these two unlike Syril and Dedra began with different Goals but a shared begrudging friendship where one of them always messes up and the other always looks out for him.

Syril Stalked Dedra to show his love, Andor saved his love from Dedra's tyranny, and it is an unfortunate truth that they could love only because Bix's previous boyfriend betrayed her and Andor to the Pre ox Morlana Corporation causing the seige and later occupation of Ferrix leading to his and countless other Deaths.

But just like the Beginning, of the two, Bix is the one who believes, whilst Andor feels like he is on his own, and that is what leads to the Force healer scene, basically, what it means, is that Andor has a destiny set by the Force to be the messenger that will deliver the final message to start the Galaxy going from Dark back to light again.

But this means that this Semi peaceful life they are leading on Yavin 4 is going to end, the beginning of this end is when Wilmon gets a message to go to Ghorman to assassinate Dedra Meero, and to meet his new girlfriend Dreena.

And this episode is straight up cinema, this one sets up a single thing, the second massacre of Ghorman, we see the build up of Mining rigs setting up on the planet, the barricades being set up to lock the Ghormans in, once they start protesting, and the final sniper bullet, an intentional bit of friendly fire killing one of their own men to justify openning Fire on peaceful protestors.

This news is then spun by the enlightenment department as a Ghorman insurrection and used as the final nail in the coffin to start taking over Ghorman and strip mine it for calcite.

Upon coming to this realization Syril becomes enraged and in a moment of powerlessness assaults dedra choking her, we see true fear in her eyes, and we realise in an imperial power structure there can be no happiness only power struggles and every relationship is basically a time bomb waiting to explode.

It is on the massacre of Ghorman that Andor and Syril meet once again, and Syril having just broken up with the love of his life and realising how badly messed up everything has been for him finds a target for his anger and launches himself at Andor with all has.

Unfortunately the object of his obsession knows nothing of him and Syril dies having saved dedra one last time unknowingly and with the ultimate defeat of having lost everything, you know in a different universe him and Andor might have been friends since it is very likely that Syril would have disapproved of the two guards who Andor killed in self defence.

But the beauty of this show is in the small moments, we see as Syril stands dumbfounded by the destruction around him as partagaz commands dedra to proceed and she does knowing the love of her life is in the crossfire.

And the former hotel belabor whose father was killed in the first ghorman massacre who took the job there so that je could be close to the monument commemorating that massacre, who doesnt log Andor in to provide him safe passage as a Rebel.

Who throws a grenade killing many storm troopers saving countless lives, knowing its his death sentence.

And it is a tragedy thay the second massacre takes place around the monument of the first one and in the midst of a peaceful protest, where it is not the people with weapons that are shot, but those with flags, and we feel every moment of their pain as we have grown closer to these Ghorman rebels over the last few episodes.

And then come the KX security Droids, tossing people around like ragdolls in a sheer show of strength and Andor narrowly escapes the last one who he later collects to reprogram into K2SO.

The final shots of this episode are nothing But Andor driving away and the final messages playing reporting on the massacre in Ghorman.

We see the tears in his eyes as he silently drives away being left with no other choice as people carry their friends to safety only to realize they are dead, we see how hopeless the situation is, only for things to crescendo into the next episode.

Welcome to the rebellion as an episode felt like it was tacked on at the end to me because episode 8 was such a good place to cliffhanger for the next episode, and I felt this way right until I started watching the episode.

There was a line in the previous episode, a line told to Cassian by the hotel receptionist who didn't log him in a line that Andor remembered and told Jyn Erso, who later repeated it to the senators leading the rebellion to lead the Suicide mission to scarriff without which there would have been no death star plans for luke to know the weakness of and bomb the death star.

Rebellions are built on hope.

Episode 8, who are you? Was the utter and complete destruction of hope but episode 9 is the exact opposite, it is a reassertion that the loss of a single battle isn't the end of a war.

That there will always be those who are willing to sacrifice everything to get the truth out, often using the tools of the enemy, as it happens here Bail gives his speaking chance to mon Mothma using a law unstated by the emperor for his own gain and using the words of the pro empire senators against them calling this an emergency.

Mon Mothma gives her first of two speeches calling people in slowly and surely and broadcasts the truth that there were no imperial martyrs that it was a genocide.

But her escape plan is corrupt, and she is forced to trust Luthen one last time as Andor drives her away and the background score is past/present suite, the same theme that played at the end of season 1 episode 3, there it was andor being driven away to his greater call for adventure by marva in the past and luthen in the present, here it is Andor driving away mon mothma the future of the rebellion to fulfill her destiny and save the rebellion.

From here we catch up in rebels as mon is taken to Yavin 4 post her second speech as the new Rebel alliance leader.

Shit like this is why I love star wars, and it is not yet over, because Andor then decides to leave the rebellion, to be with Bix, but Bix knowing his true worth, chooses for him and leaves so he can stay.

And as he looses one friend, he gains another in a reprogrammed K2SO.

Also in a moment not many will catch Vel recognizes the blaster from their operation on Aldhani that she gave to Andor that Andor gave to Melshi and now he carries, realising the connection those two have.