Season 1, Episode 4: Aldhani
Aired: September 28, 2022
Synopsis: Out of options, Cassian joins a mission to infiltrate an Imperial garrison on Aldhani.
Directed by: Susanna White
Written by: Dan Gilroy
#Andor - Episode 4 - Episode Discussion
toxic void
unreal lily
I loved the reference to the Rakatan. Very small thing, but expands the history for those who know that EU stuff
wary nacelle
Yeah, I chuckled about that one.
I guess we're back in the setup phase. Looking forward to where that leads this time!
sick mauve
Yeah, It's neat hearing off-hand comments and references to stuff like the Rakatans ans other galactic history. Not in a purely fanservice way, but in a way that respects that the galaxy has a tens of thousands of years long history.
Definitely back to the setup phase for this next arc.
It was nice getting some insight into the pure bureaucracy of the ISB.
Cassian links up with a small rebel cell. That was cool.
And we get some more insight in Mon Mothma and her relationship with her husband. He seems to be more Imperial-aligned than her, not seeing the problems with the Empire that she does.
wary nacelle
I quite like the secrecy and paranoia in the cell too - a far cry from RotJ's "Oh and this smuggler we just defrosted is a general now."
sick mauve
My only real gripes are on a structural level. Now that we're only getting an episode a week from now on, I think some of the pacing and structure is off. It really does feel like portions of a movie chopped into episodes.
This episode just ended at a weird point.
delicate yoke
Ya know, that makes sense! If instead episodes were released in batches, it might have a better flow, but otherwise, I'm not complaining.
raw quest
I want to gripe about 1 a week but with how good the episodes are I’m okay with 1 a week
Really want to see where the story is going with the corpo’s who got fired
wary nacelle
Really want to see where the story is going with the corpo’s who got fired
I'm guessing ISB girlboss is going to recruit him.
raw quest
I feel they’d get along well
spiral dirge
I'm guessing ISB girlboss is going to recruit him.
becomes mon mothma's new new driver
sick mauve
Deedra and Syril both seem overly ambitious. I'd say they're practically made for each other. 🤣
But all that fiery drive and commitment might be too much to handle. Lol
lavish steppe
To a degree I'd say she's what he wants to be. Still getting stifled by her leadership structure but seems much more competent so far. She might be able to make good use of someone like him.
toxic void
Wow that was a cool episode. So much going on. Loved the ISB scenes.
spiral dirge
Such a stark contrast in quality to the Inkies' jockeying in Kenobi
Giving actors some nuances and implications to play actually allows them to give an interesting performance
sick mauve
The writing quality between the SW shows is just staggering honestly.
spiral dirge
The guy playing the Grandquisitor in Kenobi is a good actor, he delivered some magnetic performances in Homeland
lavish steppe
The inquisitors being little more than edgelords with some actual power(s) is on-brand, but that's not to say that this still wasn't executed much better.
spiral dirge
But there simply wasn't anything interesting for him to play in Kenobi
lavish steppe
They should be more awkward about their power jockeying than people who are only where they are because of it, but it could still be done compellingly.
sick mauve
I think Kenobi never quite figured out if it wanted to be campy action-adventure fun, or if it wanted to try to be a serious introspection on the characters at least with Obi-wan and Reva.
Even with the inquisitors basically being rent-a-sith edgelords as a thing. I think there was still some meat to dig into there. The fact that they're all former Jedi who got turned to the dark side and are hunting down their friends/ surrogate family is something to dig into.
Could be very compelling.
spiral dirge
I think Kenobi never quite figured out if it wanted to be campy action-adventure...
Revenge and ANH have such different tones, probably not easy to straddle that
sick mauve
Yeah
lavish steppe
Even with the inquisitors basically being rent-a-sith edgelords as a thing. I th...
Yeah a video game pulled this part off.
sick mauve
Second Sister best inquisitor. 🤣
spiral dirge
Man the actress' reading of "the mu-ti-LATION" still haunts me
toxic void
Oh also loved Luthen's coruscant self. Lol the little pose to get into character on the ship. All the coruscant stuff was really interesting this episode.
spiral dirge
Oh also loved Luthen's coruscant self. Lol the little pose to get into character...
So what does everyone think, is he actually part of what will become the rebellion, or is he self aligned?
lavish steppe
Dinner at the Mothmas' is going to be gold.
sick mauve
I think he's part of the Rebellion for sure.
toxic void
Interesting. Hadn't crossed my mind that he might not be in the fight and self interested.
spiral dirge
Like, he talks a lot of politics, but is that just another cover, like the salesman persona?
sick mauve
Now, given that he isn't around at all later. I think... Luthen is going to step too far and get got.
toxic void
I think he's part of the Rebellion for sure.
Agreed. Will probably be one of the casualties if we're being honest.
lavish steppe
Given he seems pretty closely working with Mon Mothma yeah I think he's in.
toxic void
Now, given that he isn't around at all later. I think... Luthen is going to step...
We on the same page
lavish steppe
Might serve as a scapegoat in the end to keep her safe longer.
spiral dirge
What if he's just a thief, ultimately, and that's what makes Cassian join for real?
Shades of DJ from Last Jedi
lavish steppe
Certainly possible.
sick mauve
Basically, with how Andor is really pushing for the noir and espionage thriller tone, I have a feeling that most characters in the show aren't going to survive throughout the show besides the key players that we know make it.
Seems like sacrificing for the greater good/ what you believe in is a core theme, just like it was in Rogue One.
lavish steppe
...but I need a Bix spinoff.
She's in significantly less danger right now than most of the side characters, but that could very quickly change.
sick mauve
We gotta get the ISB spinoff that's essentially a police procedural.
I'm really fine with most characters in this show either getting killed off or getting faced with some consequences for their actions and the things that happen, since we know the main players of Cassian and Mon Mothma are fine.
I want to actually see the Empire be a little bit effective and squashing pockets of rebellion, making them seem like a credible threat even if they might be bumbling and incompetent most of the time. When you have resources to spare and manpower to use, don't have to be the sharpest tools to deal with your enemies.
spiral dirge
We gotta get the ISB spinoff that's essentially a police procedural.
I've been watching clips of NYPD Blue, and half the time the cops are torturing suspects for information/confessions in that show. Actually interrogating that kind of COOL BAD COPS GETTING SHIT DONE attitude, like The Shield did, would be pretty cool
sick mauve
It'll serve to maintain the integrity and the sheer momentous moment of A New Hope when the Rebels finally manage their first true victory of destroying the Death Star and kickstarting the civil war.
You don't get to that moment without the sacrifices of other people.
That's just how rebellions operate.
Dangerous business.
spiral dirge
Yeah, the Empire needs to win some
lavish steppe
Yeah it would be really interesting to have an ISB show that clearly shows them as the bad guys while also letting them be the focus.
Flip the police procedural on its head a bit and don't make excuses for how they get results.
spiral dirge
Yeah it would be really interesting to have an ISB show that clearly shows them ...
"What do you mean, Homelander is the villain??? He's getting the job done!!!"
In other words, lots of people online will take presentation as endorsement
Depiction? One of those words LOL
lavish steppe
Unfortunately. Also I'd fully expect any show advertised with that premise to end up being about a defector.
sick mauve
Right now, it was cool seeing the ISB having what amounts to a quarterly meeting about progress and what everyone's got done recently.
The ISB are some of the worst of the worst when it comes to the Empire, yet here they are, arguing about quotas and how many people they've arrested or "dealt with" recently and if that meets their standards.
The Empire's banality is the scariest thing about it. LOL
Harkens back to the boardroom scene in ANH where the generals and admirals are literally talking about taking over the galaxy with their weapons and new superweapon like its just a everyday thing that they do.
spiral dirge
What's that movie about the Wannsee Conference
Conspiracy?
Goes into the same kind of bureaucratic evil
wary nacelle
"What do you mean, Homelander is the villain??? He's getting the job done!!!"
Oof, that's the problem isn't it? I'm not sure they could stick the landing between "dark enough that no one could romanticize them into the good guys" and "dark enough that I just don't care what happens to them".
pallid ledge
Wow, great to see and hear so much world building! Anyone stoked for that dinner?
eternal crane
Wow, great to see and hear so much world building! Anyone stoked for that dinner...
"Don't make me pay attention" LOL.
Still not sure if Mon Mothma is actually philosophically opposed to her husband and he's innocent of rebellion, or whether he's aware but playing a part?
Really enjoyed the introduction of the ISB characters, their contention striving for upward mobility, and Mon Mothma, the contrast of the rich with the poor rebels.
Corpsec guy running home to his mother-- he has to be useful later on. Question is, will he turn rebel or just give ISB lady a corporate bump with what he knows?
red oak
Oh, he's an imperial pawn, is my read
wary nacelle
The series is good at surprising me, but yeah, anything else would be a massive surprise.
spiral dirge
he's gonna double down on his law'n'order fetish
seems incompatible with rebellion, at a fundamental level
also:
west sluice
Corpsec guy running home to his mother-- he *has* to be useful later on. Questio...
I wonder if he’d become an imperial officer. He’s probably banned from corsec and doubtful he’d have a redemption arc. To him, Cassa is a rando blowing up civilians.
still phoenix
Nice to see Cyril's story is clearly going to continue. But I did adore Luthen's display of tradecraft
eternal crane
https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/xqbrkt/thought_this_looked_familiar_s...
LOL. I said, "That sure looks like an airport today. Just diff vehicles outside."
spiral dirge
makes sense for the public spaces in the Empire to look like corporate HQs
sick mauve
Makes sense that spaceports on Core worlds or major planets would be more akin to airports and have more structure.
It's a good contrast to Tatooine and the Outer Rim where they have spaceports, but they're individual hangars that are operated and they don't often have any strict customs authority or anything.
austere crag
I really liking how andor can weave in moments of levity. Like the play disguise practice
Without going cornball
I’m wondering now what book of boba could have been if they had the andor team on it
spiral dirge
Impossible to guess whether Gilroy would have had an approach to the material
spiral dirge
A very short video, but contains material from future episodes, so careful if you do 100% no spoilers.
atomic surge
Space Scotland looks pretty dope.
spiral dirge
good interview with Tony Gilroy about the 4 released episodes, the show's genesis, and how Rogue One came together
all from a screenwriting perspective
sick mauve
Seems to me like Tony Gilroy got a canon deep dive lesson by Pablo Hidalgo or someone at some point while writing the show. Haha. So he knows what events happen when and where some characters end up, at least in regards to linking up with the Rebels series.
Also, hearing Tony Gilroy, a very much non-Star Wars fan say "BBY" with confidence makes me chuckle..
spiral dirge
Probably did a lot of research , like with his other work