‘Andor’ Episode 8 Explained: Cassian Suffers in Dystopian Sci-Fi Hell Prison

Wonderful Star Wars sequence Andor reached episode 8 on Disney Plus this Wednesday, and we meet up with mercenary Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) within the wake of his being sentenced to 6 years in jail after a run-in with the mistaken Imperial trooper. Turns on the market’s no escaping the horrible totalitarian regime.

Over on galactic capital Coruscant, insurgent true believer Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) has been tasked with killing Cassian so he cannot reveal the identification of recruiter Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). Vel would not appear wild about her mission, particularly since Cassian performed a vital position in her mission to steal thousands and thousands of credit from the Empire.

It additionally appears to run counter to the philosophy of Luthen’s fellow insurgent chief Sen. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who is not wild about his willingness to shed harmless blood of their shadowy struggle in opposition to the Empire.  

Andor happens 5 years earlier than Rogue One, which reveals the story instantly earlier than unique Star Wars film A New Hope. Let’s examine how life in jail is treating Cassian, by testing all these scrumptious episode 8 SPOILERS.

Shiny white hell

NARKINA 5 — Shipped to an ocean jail advanced that appears a bit like the Raft in Marvel, Cassian continues to make use of the alias Keef Girgo as he adjusts to life inside its stark white partitions. 

The guards have insulated boots whereas prisoners are pressured to stroll round barefoot, getting shocked if they do not comply with the principles or meet their manufacturing line objectives (making ship elements, possibly?). There are three doable shock ranges; we solely see a degree one and that appears like agony.

Cassian’s jail unit supervisor is Kino Loy (Andy Serkis in his second Star Wars position, having performed Supreme Chief Snoke within the sequel trilogy), who’s fairly imply and determined to achieve the Empire’s harsh quotas as he nears the top of his sentence.

You may acknowledge one in all Cassian’s table-mates as properly — Ruescott Melshi (Duncan Pow) is a part of the insurgent staff that steals the Dying Star plans in Rogue One. He is acquired some facial hair in that film, and appears fairly tight with Cassian. 

Cassian and Melshi will presumably escape this horrible jail collectively, however Melshi appears to have misplaced hope after they meet right here — partially because of the Empire’s nasty new laws cracking down on something even mildly rebellious.

“Anybody who thinks they’re getting out of right here now’s dreaming,” he warns Cassian. “These days are over.”

Strong first day actually.

The extremist insurgent

SEGRA MILO — As he tries to convey disparate insurgent teams collectively, Luthen travels to this distant system to fulfill Noticed Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a personality beforehand seen in The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Dangerous Batch and Rogue One. 

He is the superior however harmful chief of the brutal anti-Imperial group generally known as the Partisans, and his violent strategies put him at odds with different rebels. Regardless of this, he has good rapport with Luthen and the pair accuse one another of being liable for the Alhani heist (Luthen by no means admits it immediately).

He affords Noticed a bunch of kit if he’ll work with one other insurgent group, however the Partisan boss is not — he is desperate to label all the opposite factions based mostly on their completely different philosophies:

• Separatist.
• Neo-Republican (this appears the closest to Mon Mothma’s strategy).
• The Ghorman entrance.
• The Partisan alliance.
• Sectorists.
• Human cultists (I might watch a Disney Plus present about this intense-sounding group).
• Galaxy partitionists. 

In a fascinating, scenery-chewing second, Noticed slams all of them as “misplaced” and asks Luthen the place he stands.

“I am a coward. I am a person who’s terrified the Empire’s energy will develop past the purpose the place we are able to do something to cease it,” he says. “I am the one who says, ‘We’ll die with nothing if we do not put apart our petty variations.'”

He needs rebels to drag collectively, and just about dismisses Noticed’s strategy as the trail to anarchy. It momentarily looks as if the unstable Noticed will homicide Luthen proper there, however he chuckles and sends the recruiter on his manner. Good attempt, Luthen.

Noticed can also be the foster father of Jyn Erso, Rogue One hero and Cassian’s future ally, however she and Noticed have parted methods at this level within the timeline.

Along with Noticed, we catch a glimpse of Benthic “Two Tubes,” a Tognath mercenary with distinctive respiratory equipment. He is seen amongst Enfys Nest’s Cloud-Riders in Solo (which is ready 5 years earlier than this present) and is amongst Noticed’s allies in Rogue One. He leads the Partisans after Noticed’s demise in that film, and encounters Luke Skywalker and associates in Marvel’s Star Wars comedian sequence.

Imperial encounter

CORUSCANT — Imperial Safety Bureau Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), newly empowered to analyze coordinated insurgent exercise, is decided to search out Cassian and use him to achieve Luthen. They do not have the recruiter’s identification however have found out components of his position and given him the superior code title “Axis.” 

Pity they cannot determine that Cassian is already in Imperial custody.

She additionally tracks down disgraced ex-security officer Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), who continues to nurse his grudge in opposition to our hero. He is been in his new job on the super-dull-looking Bureau of Requirements “lower than a month” however has filed quite a few false stories in his personal hunt for Cassian.

Syril says he remembers Luthen’s voice and suggests he could be an asset to the Empire, however Dedra is not having any of his nonsense and sends him on his manner. Good attempt, Syril.

The search widens

FERRIX — Unbeknownst to the imprisoned Cassian, his adoptive mother, Maarva (Fiona Shaw), is chilly and sick, partially on account of her empty makes an attempt at rise up in opposition to the occupying Imperial drive.

It sparks the priority of buddy/former flame Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), who contacts Luthen to search for Cassian (the more and more cautious insurgent decides to not reply). Sadly, Dedra acquired the thumbs-up to watch Ferrix communications and is drawn on to Bix.

She’s finally captured and dragged into the Imperial base for interrogation — there is a machine that sounds ominously much like an Imperial torture droid within the room.

Cassian’s former heist buddies Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) are additionally on the planet, having been tasked with killing him to guard Luthen’s identification. The locals haven’t any clue the place he is gone, and Vel finally leaves whereas Cinta sticks round alone to await him.

Rogue ideas, unanswered questions and Easter eggs

• The jail is aesthetically much like the dystopian future world seen in THX 1138, the 1971 directorial debut of Star Wars creator George Lucas. 
• The title “Keef Girgo” is oddly much like Greef Karga, a personality you may keep in mind from The Mandalorian. 
• There’s zero proof for this past the actor, however Andy Serkis enjoying Kino and Snoke may indicate a connection between the 2. If Kino occurred to have some Power sensitivity and the Empire took his DNA whereas he was in jail, it may have discovered its manner into the genetic soup Palpatine used to create Snoke. 
• I might spend all day staring out the window of Mon Mothma’s condominium, it is a fairly candy view.
• Mon Mothma’s disagreeable husband Perrin was the “academy firebrand” as an adolescent, suggesting he has some rebellious tendencies. It appears a cushty life within the Empire has dulled these.
• He and Mon have been married at 15, she turned a senator at 16, in accordance with the customs of their residence world, Chandrila. That is fairly intense.
• It seems like Vel is “a wealthy lady operating away from her household.” Hopefully we study extra about her previous.
• Andor is not the one Star Wars present to hit Disney Plus on Wednesday — CGI animated quick sequence Tales of the Jedi landed on the streaming service as properly.

Come again for extra Easter eggs and observations subsequent Wednesday, Nov. 2, when episode 9 of Andor hits Disney Plus.