*Spoilers for episode 8.*
This show, I tell you. This episode concludes the show’s third mini-arc, and while it isn’t as tightly-packaged as those that came before it, that’s because it’s exploring big ideas as it builds the tension ever higher for the last three episodes of the season. Gear up!
About a month into his six-year prison sentence, Cassian is focused on two things: finding a way out and helping as many of his fellow inmates as possible to get there. As rumors spread about something horrific that happened on another level of the building, Cassian and his growing allies search for any weaknesses they can find in the defenses. Outside the prison, Dedra has taken Bix into custody with the intention of getting information from her by any means, and Mon Mothma tries to stay ahead of increasing scrutiny over her activities.
One thing that I find so interesting about Dedra is how much she morphs depending on what scene she’s in and who she’s interacting with. Over at ISB, she pursues the investigation doggedly, chasing down leads with intelligence and imagination. However, put her in a room with Bix, and she’s chilling as hell—not openly sadistic or malicious like some Imperials would be, but no less dangerous for it. But then, she has a scene with Syril, who’s becoming nearly as obsessed with her as he is with Cassian, and my skin kind of crawls on her behalf. It’s a great achievement, a complex Imperial character who feels like a full person rather than just a “villain.”
But make no mistake. She and her colleagues are terrible. Bix’s interrogation is so tense, and we don’t even see most of it. The show does a fantastic job of conveying the full magnitude and horror of their treatment of her but without reveling in torture porn.
Another really intriguing character is Vel. I liked her throughout the Aldhani arc, but every appearance she’s made since then pulls back another layer to her, and she just gets more and more fascinating. She has a few scenes today with an unexpected character that only make me want to know more about her and her history, and there’s a fantastic callback to a line from last week.
Our character of the week is Kino Loy, played by the one and only Andy Serkis—and we even get to see his face! He’s in charge of Cassian’s block on Narkina 5, an inmate in charge of supervising their cluster of work groups. While last week showed us a Kino who runs a tight ship, this week starts to show the cracks. More than anything, it emphasizes that, for all his ‘authority’, he’s still an inmate like the rest of them and can’t necessarily count on his position or the approaching end date on his sentence. Serkis does some really nice work in showing Kino’s inner conflict throughout this episode.
After last week left him feeling pretty hollowed out and hopeless, Cassian has been able to regain his resiliency and drive, which is wonderful to see. He feels more like the scrappy young thief who steals from the Empire to survive, as well as a true precursor to the Rebel captain he’s going to become. His observation skills are put to great use, and he’s quickly started making friends who are just as eager to escape.
Normally, I don’t like it when a protagonist is dropped into a new situation and immediately starts taking over—The Maze Runner is my go-to example on that. But with Cassian, it really works. He doesn’t go about it with a “shut up and listen to me” attitude, instantly superior to people who’ve been there much longer. Instead, he collaborates.
Narkina 5, we’re learning, is basically a Panopticon. The ominous voice over the loudspeaker and the constant threat of the electrified floor creates the impression of constant surveillance, but the prison really relies on the inmates falling in line and complying. A big part of that is dividing them, forcing them to compete against each other to escape punishment as a way of ensuring that they don’t band together. But Cassian forms relationships. At his work table, he’s a natural leader, doing extra work to help out an elderly inmate in poor health and giving credit for a good idea to another. He shares observations and plans with inmates from other tables, and he never gives up on getting Kino to join their side. He rejects the Empire’s divisions and is working hard to help everyone, not just himself.
This quality really shines through in Diego Luna’s performance. Cassian has spent so much of this series scared, guarded, or running. Now, he’s in a dangerous high-pressure situation, and he’s still plenty scared, but he’s found hope again, and that’s obvious to everyone he reaches out to. It’s clear why people would want to follow him; the Rebellion is going to be so lucky to have him.
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