‘Andor’ Episode 8 Explained: ‘Rogue One’ Cameos and a ‘Star Wars’ Hell Prison

Wonderful Star Wars collection Andor reached episode 8 on Disney Plus on 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 unsuitable Imperial trooper. Turns on the market’s simply no escaping this horrible totalitarian regime.

Over on galactic capital Coruscant, insurgent true believer Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) has been tasked with killing Cassian so he cannot rat out 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.  

This episode was directed by Toby Haynes, who helmed additionally episodes 1, 2 and three, as properly 8, 9 and 10. He beforehand labored on Sherlock, Physician Who and Black Mirror.

Andor happens 5 years earlier than Rogue One, which reveals the story instantly earlier than authentic Star Wars film A New Hope. Let’s have a look at how life in jail is treating Cassian, by trying out 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 compelled to stroll round barefoot, getting shocked if they do not comply with the principles or meet their manufacturing line targets (making ship components, possibly?). There are three attainable shock ranges; we solely see a stage 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 succeed in the Empire’s harsh quotas as he nears the top of his sentence.

You would possibly acknowledge certainly one of Cassian’s table-mates as properly — Ruescott Melshi (Duncan Pow) is a part of the insurgent staff that steals the Loss of life Star plans in Rogue One. He is bought 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 carry 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 Unhealthy Batch and Rogue One. 

He is the superior however harmful chief of the brutal anti-Imperial group referred to 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 answerable for the Alhani heist (Luthen by no means admits it immediately).

He provides 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 primarily based on their completely different philosophies:

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

In an enticing, 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 will 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 tug collectively, and just about dismisses Noticed’s method 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 approach. 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 pals in Marvel’s Star Wars comedian collection.

Imperial encounter

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

Pity they cannot work out 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 reviews in his personal hunt for Cassian.

Syril says he remembers Luthen’s voice and suggests he will be an asset to the Empire, however Dedra is not having any of his nonsense and sends him on his approach. 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 riot in opposition to the occupying Imperial pressure.

It sparks the priority of good friend/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 bought the thumbs-up to watch Ferrix communications and is drawn on to Bix.

She’s finally captured (the man who screams “GET HER” actually goes for it, properly achieved to him) and dragged into the Imperial base for interrogation (there is a machine that sounds ominously just like an Imperial torture droid within the room). It is a harmful second, since Bix can no less than reveal what Luthen seems like. Between that and Syril realizing his voice, it feels just like the Empire is zeroing in on him.

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 id. The locals don’t have 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 just like the dystopian future world seen in THX 1138, the 1971 directorial debut of Star Wars creator George Lucas. 
• The identify “Keef Girgo” is oddly just like Greef Karga, a personality you would possibly keep in mind from The Mandalorian. 
• There’s zero proof for this past the actor, however Andy Serkis enjoying Kino and Snoke might indicate a connection between the 2. If Kino occurred to have some Pressure sensitivity and the Empire took his DNA whereas he was in jail, it might have discovered its approach into the genetic soup Palpatine used to create Snoke. 
• I would spend all day staring out the window of Mon Mothma’s condo, 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 had been married at 15, she grew to become a senator at 16, based on the customs of their house world, Chandrila. That is fairly intense.
• It appears like Vel is “a wealthy lady working away from her household.” Hopefully we be taught extra about her previous.
• Andor is not the one Star Wars present to hit Disney Plus on Wednesday — CGI animated brief collection 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.