*Episode premise spoilers, which spoils episode 11.*
I feel drained yet energized. What a masterful show. Every person involved with this series has been putting their whole hearts into it from day one, and here, they land the plane beautifully. It’s a show I can feel in my blood. With season one over, I feel a little adrift, but I’m also counting down the unknown number of days until season two. This show!
Last episode, we found out that Maarva passed away. She hadn’t been taking care of herself since Cassian left and had been sick for a while. Dedra plans to use her funeral as bait for a trap to catch Cassian. Everyone is converging on Ferrix, and Cassian has to decide what he’s going to do, what sort of man he’s going to be, and how he can honor Maarva’s memory.
I won’t get too much into the plot stuff here. Just know that it’s all fantastic. Each storyline comes to a head with tension and emotion, and the way the different threads come together culminate in an explosive finale. On Ferrix, you can feel it stirring in the air like electricity before a storm, as everyone prepares themselves for what’s coming. ISB and the Rebels are both waiting to catch Cassian, and the citizens of Ferrix have a few things to say about people coming into their house and hurting their friends.
The dialogue is incredible. There are some gorgeous speeches on display, and even small moments sing with beauty and intensity. This is truly a writer’s show, and the actors have such rich material to work with.
Our final character of the week this season is Brasso, played by Joplin Sibtain, who’s had small guest roles on two different Whoniverse properties (The Sarah Jane Adventures and new Who.) A friend of Cassian’s from Ferrix, Brasso is a salt-of-the-earth workman who looks out for his own. The ISB officers surveilling him call him “the big guy,” but really, he has a big heart. We saw it most acutely on display in episode 11 as he comforted poor B2EMO after Maarva’s death, and we see it here in his relief to see Cassian, even as he worries for him.
At this point in Cassian’s journey, it makes sense that he’s just stupid and sentimental enough to come to Ferrix immediately after breaking out of prison. He doesn’t know quite how much heat will be on him until he arrives, but he has to know what a bad idea it is. However, once he’s there, I really like seeing how he operates, the choices he makes amid his grief and guilt as he skulks through the powder keg of Ferrix.
It's interesting. Cassian is definitely an active character who makes big plot things happen, but he’s also so quiet and observant. This is another episode where a lot of Diego Luna’s best moments come in his wordless reactions. The stirring emotions in his face as he thinks of Maarva and Clem, another parent he lost. The beat he takes before pulling the trigger on an Imperial soldier. The gentle way he approaches a devastated friend. The tightness of his grip as he hugs Brasso upon seeing him. Not that he has no dialogue—he may not have a ton, but he always makes it count. But every moment is played so strongly. Luna’s performance wastes nothing, and in a series where Cassian is surrounded by a lot of showier, more verbose characters, it says something that he keeps drawing your eye to him.
Even though this is the longest Disney+ show to date and Andor just gave us twelve glorious episodes in a single season, I can’t quite believe that it’s over. “And now my watch begins” for the long wait until season 2.
Closing thoughts on this first season:
Recommend?
In General – Unquestionably. This isn’t just a great show. It’s is one of the best shows out there, some of the best Star Wars in existence. It’s ludicrously engrossing for Star Wars fans while still being perfectly accessible to those who are not. A prestige drama that tackles weighty themes with complexity and power. If you’re not watching already, why on earth not?
Diego Luna – Absolutely. I loved Luna in Rogue One, but he’s incredible here. A nuanced performance that never misses, Luna makes Cassian one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe. I’m just so damn happy that this show exists for him.
Warnings
Strong thematic elements, violence, drinking, implied sexual content, and mild language.
No comments:
Post a Comment