Andor – Daughter of Ferrix Review

After last week’s tour de force installment, this week’s Andor pulls the story back a bit, allowing the characters and the series’ game board to reset for one final showdown on Ferrix. And, honestly, I think we all needed this small respite – a chance to catch our breath, take stock of where each character is, where they are going, and how they will factor into what is sure to be a complex and emotionally difficult season finale next week.

I appreciate that Tony Gilroy opted to make Cassian and Melshi’s escape from Narkina 5 relatively simple in the grand scheme of things. They deserved the break and we all know that Cassian’s purpose at this stage of the story is to return to Ferrix – which, of course, is the exact last thing he should be doing – in order for all of our key characters (save Mon Mothma, who has her own issues – more on that in a moment) to meet-up in a singular place for the confrontation we’ve been waiting the entire series for. Imagine: Dedra Meera, Vel, Cassian, Syril, Cinta, and Luthen all in one place. And with Bix on the brink of collapse, likely going to to ID Luthen when the time comes due to the torture she’s endured. Some people aren’t going to make it out alive (and I’m guessing some people might include Luthen, who knows he’s on borrowed time and who we all suspect won’t make it to the true underground stage of the Rebellion). I haven’t looked forward to a confrontation this much in a long time – even if some of the ways folks found out about what’s coming were a tad too convenient for my tastes (Syril and the ex-strike force officer, I’m looking at you).

And then there’s Mon Mothma, who knows she’s losing control of everything (and for someone like her who relishes control, that’s a terrifying prospect). The Senate is falling apart, her daughter has – on her own accord – opted to embrace traditional Chandrillan customs (which include arranged marriage – which may work out in Mon’s favor, even if she doesn’t want it to), and her finances are on the verge of being audited. It also doesn’t help – although she doesn’t know it – that her cousin was the ringleader of the assault on Aldhani that led to the crackdown that has placed her in precarious straits. We know her future – that soon, she’s going to have to go into hiding and command the Rebellion underground without her husband and daughter – but it’s crushing to see what this level of uncertainty has done to such a strong and noble character. She’s at a dead end and is rapidly running out of air. If Luthen doesn’t make it out of the season alive – as I suspect he won’t – it will clear the way for Mon to take her place as the figurehead of the Rebellion. And major kudos to Genevieve O’Reilly, who has been just sensational in this role this season.

Speaking of the head of the Rebellion, I found the most effective scenes of the episode were those with Kleya, Luthen’s assistant (and voice of reason). Lurking in the background throughout much of the season, we’ve seen flashes of Kleya’s innate intelligence and knack for protecting her boss. Her speech to Vel about how hard her job is echoes Luthen’s from last week. It may look like she just takes in messages and sends people out into the fray while she sits, safe, in her office. But she’s in charge of coordinating disparate groups throughout the galaxy, ensuring that they have the tools to succeed – or, in the case of poor Kreegyr, the lack of knowledge that he is about to fail – all while protecting not only her identity but the identities of Luthen and the rest of his agents. It’s an incredibly complicated role to undertake, and one that means torture and death if she’s caught, but Kleya undertakes it with a clear vision, laser focus, and exceptional organization.

Up until now, she’s also been able to keep Luthen in-line and stop him from acting out on his own accord. But it’s become clear – both to her and us – that Luthen has a mind of his own and can’t seem to shake his need to stop Cassian from exposing not only him but the entire Rebel network. Kleya is right – Luthen absolutely should not go to Ferrix. There are plenty of people there – including Vel, who Kleya tasked with eliminating Cassian earlier this season following the Aldhani heist, although we know she won’t be able to do that – and Luthen’s appearance will only put him and the rest of the Rebels on the ground in danger. But there’s something about Cassian that seems to draw everyone from the series to him, so if Luthen doesn’t make it out alive, Kleya is about to become even more important to the Rebels – if she can manage to slide into her boss’s role and convince their various contacts that she’s the new Luthen.

And really, it would be incredibly interesting to see this play out in season two (which, according to Tony Gilroy, will cover the remaining four or so years before Cassian begins his Rogue One story). The Rebellion will need a central command post out in the open (with Mon Mothma leading the underground), so what better way to end the season than by having Kleya take up the mantle Luthen leaves behind? She’s established enough as a character so that we’ll know her more hardline tendencies – it’s nice to see someone in the Rebellion understands the need for secrecy, even if the rest of our characters seem to think nothing of waltzing into places where they could be recognized or worse – and with the Empire growing bolder each day, someone like Kleya would be a huge boon for the Rebels.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. We still have one final showdown in Ferrix to get through before the end of the season. And remember what Marva said several episodes ago, before her unfortunate death: The were once underground tunnels to the hotel where the Imperial troops have set-up shop. That’s a Chekhov’s gun if I’ve ever heard one. Several of our characters still have key roles left to play. Will Bix betray Cassian and Luthen? Will Dedra get her big win and hook Axis? Will Syril get a final showdown against Cassian? Will Cinta and Vel manage to stop Cassian from getting captured – and will they make it out alive in the process? And will Mon Mothma end the season running to the underground, losing everyone and everything she had in service of the Rebellion? I suspect we can all sus out the answers to some of those questions already, but I, for one, am still excited to see this final showdown play out on screen.