“Andor” - Episode 4 Review
Not a blaster fired or lightsaber ignited yet “Andor” episode 4, titled “Aldhani”, is another extremely captivating piece of Star Wars media.
Once again, the acting, cinematography and sound design are of feature film quality and notably better than some of the more recent Star Wars Disney+ shows.
This episode gives us our first look into actress Genevieve O’Reilly’s character, Mon Mothma. O’Reilly played the character all the way back in a deleted scene in Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.
The people at Lucasfilm liked her portrayal of the character in that one deleted scene so much, they brought her back for Rogue One. Now she is back as the character once again as a lead character in “Andor”.
This episode splits mostly into two parts with Mon Mothma on Coruscant and Cassian Andor on Aldhani.
Andor, now going by fake name Clem, meets fellow rebels and learns of the crew’s plan to steal the Imperial quarterly payroll.
These scenes are shot in the Scottish highlands and provide some great scaling, especially when Cassian hides as a Tie Fighter flies past.
On Coruscant, Mon Mothma visits Luthen, who has an antique shop to use as a front for rebel activity.
I must say, for a show said to not have a lot of “easter eggs” this store is full of connections to other Star Wars media. Some of the things I spotted were a gungan shield, what looked like Starkiller’s helmet from the Force Unleashed video game and a wookie helmet.
Mon Mothma tells Luthen about someone she thinks can help her, which should be a fun mystery to follow for the next couple of episodes.
Fellow senator Bail Organa is probably the lead candidate for this mystery helper, but there are plenty of other characters in this era that could fit the description.
Meanwhile on Aldhani Andor and company prepare for a mission that will take place in three days.
We also get a glance into the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) during this episode. The cleanliness and stark whites of the ISB were a great foil to the wilderness and mountains of Aldhani.
While there was not a lot of action if any during this episode there was a ton of great setup and tension built up for this new arc.
Like the first three episodes, the acting was great and as promised by showrunner Tony Giilroy, the characters felt real.
Not only were the scenes and characters gripping, but there were some nice nods to greater Star Wars lore throughout the episode, which is icing on the cake.
“Andor” has been as serious, grounded and intriguing as advertised through four episodes. I am glad it is so different from any of the other Star Wars shows on Disney+ and am looking forward to the rest of the season.
Maclain Young is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email macyoung21@gmail.com.
