*Spoilers for episode 8*
Another really good episode. Like I said in my last review, I was definitely ready to see some fallout from the big event of this arc. We get that in this episode, albeit from a limited angle—nearly the entire story takes place in one setting. And as we unpack the events of “Who Are You?”, we’re also given another strong dose of drama and tension.
Dawn has risen on Coruscant after the Ghorman massacre, and the Empire’s faithful in the Senate are quick to go with the official version of what happened. But Mon Mothma is determined to speak up, knowing that will put an immediate target on her back. As she prepares for her speech, Luthen positions Cassian to safely extract her afterwards.
People have been talking about Benjamin Bratt stepping in as Bail Organa this season, taking on the role when Jimmy Smits was unavailable to reprise it. I really like what Tony Gilroy said about giving Bratt a quick cameo in episode 6, so people could deal with the recast before letting him get down to business here. I enjoy Bail’s role in this episode—he has a couple good scenes with Mon near the beginning, and his own moment on the Senate floor is great. As Bail reminds Mon that she doesn’t have to go through with this, she tells him, “You’re brave enough to stay. I should be brave enough to go.”
After party-line senators getting up to speak about the brave “[Imperial] martyrs who gave everything on the brutal streets of Ghorman” (eww!), Mon’s speech is a steady but resolute condemnation of the Empire’s atrocities. Given that it’s a monologue in Andor, it’s no surprise that it’s a banger. Here’s my favorite part:
“The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest.”
Other than the last few scenes, most of the episode takes place in and around the Senate chamber and the ISB building on Coruscant. We’ve got surveillance, spies, political strategy, and a desperate chase. The tension builds expertly and leads into a spectacular climactic sequence.
Mon Mothma has probably been the second lead on Andor, and it’s a little wild that it took until episode 9 of season 2 for her and Cassian to meet. The whole thing is great—Mon has just displayed remarkable courage, but she’s apprehensive about who to trust, and while she’s smart and resourceful, daring escapes aren’t really her skill set.
That’s where Cassian comes in. I really love him throughout this sequence. After what he witnessed on Ghorman, Cassian is understandably disheartened. He’s traumatized and tired, and he doesn’t think he can keep doing this. But he gives his all to this mission: slipping seamlessly into another alias, connecting with an ally in the Senate building, and adapting on the fly as the situation shifts.
He’s especially good in addressing Mon herself. Other than the speech he just heard, Cassian doesn’t really know her, and he’s part of Luthen’s plan, not Mon’s. But he’s pragmatic, reassuring, and direct, knowing what to say to earn her wary trust as he takes charge. It’s the best look we’ve gotten at Cassian on a mission all season, and he doesn’t disappoint.
No comments:
Post a Comment