I can say that it matters for me. With two young kids, I have a limited amount of time to devote to TV. I'm loving Andor but haven't watched the other two. Will probably get to them eventually if I hear enough positive things.

You know what's a bit mind blowing and ironic to me?

That Imperial Stormtrooper was correct.

Cassian Andor IS part of 'them', he WAS running from a crime. Just not the current one.

Madmarttigan said:

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TCTTS said:

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And "up against" both House of the Dragon and Rings of Power.

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I'm kind of curious and I wonder if statistics show if timing of shows with other big releases really matters in the age of streaming?

I know for movies it matters because people are only going to go to the movies every so often, but streaming it is at our fingertips anywhere we are with such easy access.

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You'd be surprised how many people really only have time for one or maybe 2 shows to keep up with.

I have time to watch 0-1 shows at a time. A few weeks back, my wife and I watched the first episode of House of Dragons, Rings of Power, and Andor to decide which show we'd watch this fall. Andor won.

CondensedFogAggie said:

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You know what's a bit mind blowing and ironic to me?

That Imperial Stormtrooper was correct.

Cassian Andor IS part of 'them', he WAS running from a crime. Just not the current one.

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Bruh. It wasn't a Stormtrooper. It was a Shoretrooper.

And now the direct connections to Rogue One start to show up. Same actors as well. The layers within layers on this show are amazing. Precious, I dare say.

I just don't understand how a prequel to a Star Wars prequel is probably the best TV series of the year. Maybe even better than any "prestige" show so far. This episode, in particular, was like clockwork, moving with the efficiency and precision of table five/team Cassian after his 30 shifts, and just as tense. The pacing + the music alone were more than enough to keep me on edge of my seat the entire time.

This episode was also somehow one of the most captivating and inventive prison dramas I've ever seen? In roughly twenty minutes of screen time, if that? The world building in that plot line was jaw dropping. And Andy Serkis as the "warden"?! So damn good. (Seeing as he also voiced Snoke, I couldn't help but wonder if there might be a connection there, but then quickly realized how stupid that would be.)

Everything else was fantastic as well, especially the back-and-forth between Luthen and Saw at the end. This series is so good, in fact, that I'm starting to worry it might ruin Star Wars for me going forward. I'm afraid nothing is going to compare to the Gilroy touch. Not even Rogue One was at this level, and I can't go back to Book-of-Boba-Fett-level crap aimed at 12-year-olds. At least we still have four episodes left this season, then 12 more in 2024, and I'm going to cherish every single one…

Serkis wasn't the warden, was he? I thought he was just the prisoner with seniority. That's why he was in charge of that room & shift? Maybe I misunderstood. I swear he commented on how much time he had left on his sentance.

Man, another good episode. Glad to see Saw gain.

Loving this series. Far and away the best Star Wars show we've seen. Feel like my excitement is growing every week for the next episode. Dying to know what happens next, and how we get there.

Great episode. They did a great job with the prison factory scenes. Terrified the **** out of me.

chase128 said:

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Would someone help clarify something for me please:

How did the ISB get Bix's name and description? Are we supposed to believe Luthen's assistant leaked that info? Or did they have it from the investigation into Cassian which happened in episodes 1-3?

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It would seem likely she was included in the original report, as TImm called in the tip on Andor and she was probably referenced as Andor's ex-girlfriend. She was also detained at the scene when Timm was shot and killed. I would infer that the ISB was able to track that signal she sent looking for Luthen the night before and when they raided his yard and took him in, either he or his kid told them that she had been there the day before. So with a picture of her from the previous incident and then spying her in the crowd they had probable cause.

Really strong episode again, although I wish we'd get moving more on Mon Mothma's plot line. Was cool hearing about her becoming a senator at 16, that's straight from a lot of EU stuff about why she wanted Leia to eventually succeed her as Chancellor of the New Republic, because Leia was also a senator at 16.

Great reference to Belsavis when they are getting on the prison ships. It was introduced in the EU, then made canon in The Old Republic video game, and has a high-security prison on it (pic).



I don't watch a lot of prison movies, but as someone else said, that was the most terrifyingly accurate depiction of what it feels like to be locked up I think I've ever seen. The hopelessness, the bright lights, the systematic taking away of your rights and conditioning you to do what they want on command to the point they don't even have to talk, you're just turning into Pavlov's dog based on a sound, a light, whatever. Great plot line that the Empire can't find Cassian because he's locked up in an Imperial prison. Also love the way Diego plays Cassian in the first hour he's in the prison - taking it all in, noticing the lag in shift change, taking those few extra beats to see how everything works - not quite enough to get tazed, but enough to file it all away in his memory bank.

What happens to Henry Thomas now? Shut down by ISB. Will they revisit him if they can't get an Cassian lead from Bix and company? I liked the passive resistance of the big guy when he told Bix to run. Didn't raise his hands but just put himself in the way.

Does anyone not think Aunt Petunia is going to suicide bomb that hotel?

Serkis was great. I recognized his voice straightaway but didn't connect it.. He's a Disney company man at this point with Snoke and Klaue. Love those character actors. Guys all look like they've done time. Old man gives you the vibe of the guy from Shawshank.

Mon Mothma's daughter seemed really perturbed when she saw her mom and Tay at the party. Wonder if there was a missing deleted scene or something else. Hubs seems more and more convinced she's boning Not-Valorum.

I have to save Forest Whitaker for last. I love the subtle changes they made to differentiate him from his Rogue One version. He's slimmer, wearing less armor, doesn't have the breath mask, and he's ****ing rageful as hell, much closer to the version we see of him in Clone Wars when he loses his sister. Rogue One Saw seems like a total lunatic, especially if you didn't watch the cartoons. That one scene of him and Luthen makes me revisit an opinion I've had over the last few years, that Forest Whitaker is the best actor in the world. His facial expressions of barely controlled fury to laughing it off and that painful pride, refusing to really join a Rebellion are just fantastic. I hope he comes back soon.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH! I NEED MORE!

The Porkchop Express said:

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Really strong episode again, although I wish we'd get moving more on Mon Mothma's plot line. Was cool hearing about her becoming a senator at 16, that's straight from a lot of EU stuff about why she wanted Leia to eventually succeed her as Chancellor of the New Republic, because Leia was also a senator at 16.

Great reference to Belsavis when they are getting on the prison ships. It was introduced in the EU, then made canon in The Old Republic video game, and has a high-security prison on it (pic).



I don't watch a lot of prison movies, but as someone else said, that was the most terrifyingly accurate depiction of what it feels like to be locked up I think I've ever seen. The hopelessness, the bright lights, the systematic taking away of your rights and conditioning you to do what they want on command to the point they don't even have to talk, you're just turning into Pavlov's dog based on a sound, a light, whatever. Great plot line that the Empire can't find Cassian because he's locked up in an Imperial prison. Also love the way Diego plays Cassian in the first hour he's in the prison - taking it all in, noticing the lag in shift change, taking those few extra beats to see how everything works - not quite enough to get tazed, but enough to file it all away in his memory bank.

What happens to Henry Thomas now? Shut down by ISB. Will they revisit him if they can't get an Cassian lead from Bix and company? I liked the passive resistance of the big guy when he told Bix to run. Didn't raise his hands but just put himself in the way.

Does anyone not think Aunt Petunia is going to suicide bomb that hotel?

Serkis was great. I recognized his voice straightaway but didn't connect it.. He's a Disney company man at this point with Snoke and Klaue. Love those character actors. Guys all look like they've done time. Old man gives you the vibe of the guy from Shawshank.

Mon Mothma's daughter seemed really perturbed when she saw her mom and Tay at the party. Wonder if there was a missing deleted scene or something else. Hubs seems more and more convinced she's boning Not-Valorum.

I have to save Forest Whitaker for last. I love the subtle changes they made to differentiate him from his Rogue One version. He's slimmer, wearing less armor, doesn't have the breath mask, and he's ****ing rageful as hell, much closer to the version we see of him in Clone Wars when he loses his sister. Rogue One Saw seems like a total lunatic, especially if you didn't watch the cartoons. That one scene of him and Luthen makes me revisit an opinion I've had over the last few years, that Forest Whitaker is the best actor in the world. His facial expressions of barely controlled fury to laughing it off and that painful pride, refusing to really join a Rebellion are just fantastic. I hope he comes back soon.

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I haven't seen this episode yet, but I assume Luthen told Saw that the Empire trashed his car?

100% agree about Whitaker's acting. Expert level, stuff. I will say that tctts's probably-rhetorical question about why is this show so good...the answer is the acting. The writing/direction/music all play into it, but these actors are f-cking nailing it. We've been comparing this show to Rings of Power and House of the Dragon all season, and for me...the acting in this one, and the subtle suspense during the non-dialogue parts are carrying it. The story is pretty straightforward, imo. Every single scene in the ISB is just fantastic, and I love how Meero basically drew a picture for how insignificant Cyril actually is and handed it to him. He's a true zealot of the empire.

The acting is also top-notch in House of Dragons, and the lore/story for Rings is where it's at, for me.

The Porkchop Express said:

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chase128 said:

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Would someone help clarify something for me please:

How did the ISB get Bix's name and description? Are we supposed to believe Luthen's assistant leaked that info? Or did they have it from the investigation into Cassian which happened in episodes 1-3?

---

It would seem likely she was included in the original report, as TImm called in the tip on Andor and she was probably referenced as Andor's ex-girlfriend. She was also detained at the scene when Timm was shot and killed. I would infer that the ISB was able to track that signal she sent looking for Luthen the night before and when they raided his yard and took him in, either he or his kid told them that she had been there the day before. So with a picture of her from the previous incident and then spying her in the crowd they had probable cause.

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I thought they traced the signal she sent to Luthen the night before to the shop owner. The caught him, questioned him and when he broke and gave her name. I doubt anything was on record about her from the Corpos.

Exactly. At the beginning of the episode Meero asks for a bunch of additional ISB resources to be transferred to Ferrix, on the list was a full planetary com net so that's what made me think the attempted call got traced.

redline248 said:

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My assumption was also that her co-worker or whoever gave up her name after being tortured. The empire probably has everyone's photo ID on record anyway.

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The Empire won't let you vote without one.

Hulla Baller said:

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I wonder what the prisoners were making on those tables? Maybe it was a part for an AT-AT? That would be cool.

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Would be awesome if they're making parts for the Death Star. Then the irony that Cassian, a rebel, helps both build it and destroy it.

The Porkchop Express said:

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TCTTS said:

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Btw, they've now mentioned "Palpatine" or the "Emperor" so many times on this show that I'm convinced we're going to see him at some point.

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I wanted that badly to start the show, but now I'm not so sure. Other than maybe in a hologram speech, I wonder if it will diminish him to see him around the normals. I would really like to see Thrawn though, just as a carrot for the Ahsoka series.

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I don't particularly need to see Palpatine, but part of me thinks that's what would be cool is actually seeing him in this more grounded world, among the normals. I'm just so curious how they'd portray him. Him and Mothma in the same room, if only for a brief scene, could be electric (no pun intended).