Max Nocerino 
Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
The penultimate episode of the first season of Star Wars: Andor delivers a relatively suspenseful and uncertain turn of events
The penultimate episode of the first season of Andor delivers a relatively suspenseful and uncertain turn of events. All the chess pieces are getting ready and the lioness is ready to pounce. Maarva, Cassian’s adopted mother has died, and everyone who is looking for Cassian Andor, hope to intercept him at her funeral. Yet, Cassian doesn’t even know his mother is dead. He has just escaped and after a very confusing re-capture and re-release which I didn’t get, Cassian needs to phone home.
When I say capture and release, I mean he is briefly subdued by some aliens who seek to turn him in for money and then don’t. It’s probably the only weak spot in storytelling this whole season. And I was a little shocked, to be honest. Yet I know Tony Gilroy knows what he is doing so I’ll let it slide.
CATCH & RELEASE
Maarva’s death affects her droid very deeply. He cannot accept her passing and it makes you wonder how droids process the loss of their “masters”. They are synthetic bits of intelligence with limited emotions. Yet B2 misses her greatly. It is the equivalent of a dog missing its owner, and if the dog could talk and ask for the loved one to return.
The whole Luthen and Saw confrontation confused me as I had difficulty paying attention to it. But it appears that Luthen wants to make some sacrifices and will do anything to accomplish his goals.
MON’S TURMOIL
Meanwhile, Mon Mothma has dug herself into a pit she may not be able to get out of. After filtering away 400,000 credits, Imperial inspectors will soon be looking into the misappropriated funds and Mon may lose her Senate seat. Or even worse, be arrested for fraud or whatever they call it in Star Wars. She confides in her cousin Vel, who when dressed up is strikingly attractive. Much more so than when she is decked out in Lord of the Rings attire. Syril is still living with his mother and finds out Andor also may attend his mother’s funeral. Everyone wants to get Cassian and it looks like the season finale will center around this funeral.
The real star moment of this show was Luthen’s encounter with the Empire. I LOVE how they dug deep into Legends lore to execute an awesome starship maneuver and Luthen’s ship also has a weapon I’ve never seen before in Star Wars. So fun and creative. The suspense this show generates boils up every few episodes or so like a pressure cooker. I have no doubt the season finale will be spectacular and all this waiting for the end exhilarates me.
As a final note, I also feel Cassian’s pain when he learns his mother is gone. She was his whole world and as he stares forlornly into the distance on a beach, you can almost feel his realization that nothing in his life will ever be the same. Well done Gilroy. 8.1 out of 10 Death Stars.
Star Wars: Andor is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus now.
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
