TV Review: ‘Andor’ Season 1, Episode 7
by Frank Martin
After last week’s explosive episode, it seems as if Andor has shifted again. It was fairly predictable that the show was going to slow down after an action-packed heist. However, what wasn’t predictable was where the story would go next. It seems that the hints of the show being grander than just one character were understated. After the heist, the show began spending more time on some of its supporting and auxiliary characters in order to fully flesh out the universe and perhaps show a lot more than just one man’s journey into becoming a rebel. It seems it’s going to show how the rebellion grows as a whole.
News of the heist against the imperial garrison has spread rapidly across the galaxy. Andor (Diego Luna) returns home to find a city unwilling to take him back. Instead, he goes on vacation and is subsequently arrested for loitering. He didn’t do anything wrong, but that didn’t stop the empire from sentencing him to six years. Meanwhile, those in charge of financing the rebellion are starting to realize just how profound of an impact this heist will have as they continue to push their efforts and grow their network. Also, the ISB is starting to take these acts of rebellion seriously and will be crunching down in future episodes. Lastly, Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) takes a rather mundane job in the interim before returning to the Empire. It’s unclear where his story is headed, but he will probably tie into the plot soon enough.
Right now, the show is spread out with many different threads all acting on their own. Eventually, they will have to come together. But previous episodes of the show have told us that it is organized into arcs. This episode was merely the first in a brand new arc and things will need to be built up before the action returns. But there’s something else going on here. The show is not just about Andor anymore. It is about the birth of the rebellion as a whole. Fans got to see some of this with Star Wars Rebels. However, since this show takes place concurrently with that one, it offers a more adult themed alternative to seeing how people rise against the Empire when they are called upon.
Andor streams Wednesdays on Disney+.