'Andor' Season 2 Episodes 4 - 6 Review
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Andor Season 2 continued this week as Episodes 4 through 6, titled "Ever Been to Ghorman?", "I Have Friends Everywhere", and "What a Festive Evening”. debuted. There was a different energy this week, a far more slow-burn cerebral series of events for many of the characters, though this arc was not without its moments of action. As with our review for the season opening, we will run down each storyline in its entirety rather than going episode by episode.
WARNING: This episode contains SPOILERS for Andor Season 2.
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We begin as the episode does, with Cassian and Bix, and particularly much as the first arc did, with Bix experiencing a nightmare of Dr. Gorst. However, this dream is a waking nightmare, a vision of the man who tortured her to the point she has picked up Cassian’s gun and is aiming it at thin air. She and Cassian are living on Coruscant now, in a safehouse kept by Luthen and Kleya while going out on missions together or separately as needed. However, there is friction in their homelife recently due to a soldier Cassian felt he needed to kill after the man saw Bix’s face. Bix objects to this idea and also seems to have become addicted to medication meant to help her sleep. Their complex relationship is later contrasted with that of other couples in the series, and while the two love each other, it is clear there are issues involving trust from multiple different angles. Despite all of this tension, though, the two ultimately seem strengthened as a pair by the end of Episode 6 when Bix finally kills Gorst. Hopefully, this lasts, but tragedy might be around the corner.
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Next, we catch up with Wilmon Pak on D’Qar (the fan speculation was correct!). Luthen has sent him to help Saw Gerrera steal rhydonium (a dangerous fuel), but things quickly become tense when Saw refuses to let Wilmon leave at the time agreed to with Luthen. Trapped, forced to train the man who will do the Partisan’s fuel line tapping, Wilmon comes to see that Saw’s paranoia has a place, but also that Saw is already off his rocker. The man Wilmon was training was wearing a wire for the Empire, and Saw later actively breathed in the rhydonium fumes while speaking about his past once the Partians began the fuel line tap.
The story he tells might be real, some event from before we saw him in The Clone Wars, but this is unclear. He does, however, have Wilmon take off his oxygen mask and breathe in the fumes, bringing the young man to a point of emotional adrenaline, shouting to the heavens as Saw looks on, nodding in approval. This brief storyline gives us a lot of intriguing information about Saw, but also hints that Wilmon may be getting pulled down a darker path than either Cassian or Bix back on Coruscant.
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Meanwhile, in the smallest subplots, we have the efforts of Mon Mothma, Luthen, and Kleya as they relate to Coruscant high society and the Senate. It is Senate Investiture Week, where new senators are sworn in, and a host of parties, galas, and banquets are held. During the daytime, Mon and Erskin Semaj are running around trying to gain support to end the P.O.R.D., the act that passed during Andor Season 1. Mon argues that the act has only created criminals where there were none before, but finds her colleagues, even the senator for Ghorman, unwilling to act with her. By night, she and Perrin jet between the various social gatherings. Meanwhile, Kleya discovers that Davos Sculdun is having his entire antique collection recertified soon after the Week ends, which would reveal a bug installed in one of the pieces Luthen acquired for him. At a party attended by Mon, Luthen, members of the ISB, and Orson Krennic, Kleya is able to just barely pull out the bug. The tension between Kleya and Luthen is building, though, as the argument they have regarding the bug reveals that the two of them might be juggling too many balls at once and making too many moves. Still, they pull off their own heist, for now, but what happens a year from now?
The final encompassing arc, which intersects with all of these stories, is Ghorman. The Ghorman Massacre is not this week, but instead, this week’s arc dedicates itself to giving us a cast of characters, locations, culture, and history for the Ghorman people instead of dropping us in blind. Tony Gilroy stated that we would get five episodes dedicated to the subject, and this week puts all the pieces on the board for the two episodes next week. On the side of the Empire, we have Syril and Dedra, with Syril having been sent out to head the Bureau of Standards field office in the capital city of Palmo and gain the trust of the Ghorman people. He speaks with Dedra when he can, and throughout this arc, comes into contact with the Ghorman Front and successfully begins working as their double-agent within the Imperial presence on the planet. But, it is all a ruse, as he eagerly reports to Dedra and Major Partagaz about his actions. Syril and Dedra’s relationship remains incredibly unique, but the shadow of secrets in their relationship and the true nature of Syril’s work are hinted to be a potential problem down the line.
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Meanwhile, Cassian goes and analyzes the Ghorman Front in person. Playing the part of a fashion designer, he is in his element as a spy here, a far cry from his abilities in Season 1. He ultimately believes that the Front is acting too late and they shouldn’t proceed with their hijacking plans. This insults their leader, leading Luthen to offer his help to the Front anyway by sending in Vel and Cinta as he dreams of opening yet another angle of attack against the Empire.
Their reunion is bittersweet, as it appears they have again been apart for quite some time, though Cinta is the one to begin with the expression of fondness on their reunion. She recently had some sort of accident and was forced to stop moving and recuperate, leading her to think more about her relationship with Vel. Renewing her devotion to her, the end of Episode 6 sees the two help the Ghorman execute an Aldhani heist in miniature…until Cinta is shot dead in a freak accident when one of the Ghorman Front members brings along a blaster despite being explicitly told not to.
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This moment is already controversial with some fans, as the “bury your gays” trope has become extremely tiring for many, and they are unhappy to see it make such a prominent appearance here. Personally, while it unfortunately fulfills that trope, this reviewer sees the moment as sadly fitting for the wider message of the episode and this arc regarding fighting for the things one cares about. Cassian for Bix, Dedra and Syril for the Empire (and for Syril, Dedra), and now Vel for the memory of Cinta. There are a few other issues with these episodes, but on the whole, it is yet another strong week for Andor. Next week will almost certainly bring us to the Massacre, and the chaos that unleashes will be one hell of a viewing experience.
Rating: 8.5/10
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Source(s): Andor
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