*Spoilers for episode 3.*
Everything is lit. I know I’m biased, because I love Diego Luna and I love Rogue One, but this is such a fantastic Star Wars series so far. For me, it’s easily on track to be the best one yet. This week, we’re upping the ante and getting our first look at the actual rebellion.
In episode 3, the best way for Cassian to escape custody was to hop on Luthen’s ship and get the hell off the planet, which was exactly what Luthen wanted to happen. Because Cassian’s stolen tech was never Luthen’s prime interest: he wanted Cassian himself, recruiting him to “fight these bastards for real.” He proposes a one-time gig helping out on a rebel mission in exchange for a big payout, and though Cassian has all manner of doubts—about Luthen, about the rebellion, about himself—he warily decides to go along with it. We also catch up on Coruscant, where Sen. Mon Mothma balances her political responsibilities, her social obligations, and her secret aid to the rebels.
Since he’s a character that looms pretty large in this episode, we’ll go straight to our character of the day, which is Luthen. Played by Stellan Skarsgård, he’s still a bit slippery—we know he’s involved in the rebellion, with his fingers in a lot of pies, but while he can definitely handle himself in a fight, his role seems to be more of a mover and planner. He puts pieces on the board, making contacts and making things happen. He fits in equally well meeting Cassian in a dingy warehouse on Ferrix and having a quick tête-à-tête with Mon Mothma on Coruscant, where he poses as a dandified antiquities dealer. (Side note: I love seeing Star Wars universe antiquities!)
On the Empire side of things, the big dogs have caught wind of the ruckus on Ferrix and are quick to take the reins from Pre-Mor. Rather than having some introspection about having royally screwed up an investigation his superior told him to stay out of, Karn looks to be seething internally and likely puts all the blame for his situation on Cassian—seems on brand. We’ve also got a pair of lower-level imperial officers fighting over jurisdiction on the Ferrix case, because the Empire frequently shoots themselves in foot with the way everyone undercuts everybody else to get ahead. Their superior, however, isn’t interested in petty squabbling and is a dyed-in-the-wool fascist. At one point, he describes their role in quashing dissent as being “healthcare providers” to the galaxy, saying, “We locate germs, whether they have grown from within or come in from the outside.” Seriously chilling.
I just love how distrustful and guarded Cassian is right now. That might seem like a weird thing to enjoy, but Luna plays it so well. Once he agrees to Luthen’s bargain, he’s thrown into the last days of planning for a rebel mission where virtually no one trusts him or thinks he ought to be there, and he doesn’t exactly disagree. He’s incredibly taciturn with the rebels, constantly watching them as if he never stops contemplating whether or not he should bolt. But when he does speak, he demonstrates why he’s going to be helpful to have around, displaying both skill knowledge and tactical thinking—at the same time, though, he listens when other people talk and recognizes a sound strategy when he hears it.
Even though he’s still in “just one job, and then I get paid” mode, we’re seeing the start of the rebellion’s ideals getting under Cassian’s skin. Luthen, noting that Cassian’s troublemaking and thievery is likely to get him killed by the Empire eventually, asks, “Wouldn’t you rather give it all at once for something real, than carve off useless pieces until there’s nothing left?” And as he preps for the mission on Aldhani, he sees another planet that the Empire is using for its own purposes, to hell with the people who live there. Even though Aldhani’s situation is different than Kenari’s, you can still see his recognition of the parallels plainly in his expression. Luna’s nonverbal acting is fantastic here.
No comments:
Post a Comment