Star Wars: Andor - 2.02 - Sagrona Teema

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Cassian caught in a rebel turf war. Mon's wedding woes mount. The Ferrix survivors face inspection.

Runtime: 44 minutes IMDB score: 8.2 (1.4k votes)

 

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I find it interesting that out of the three episodes, the first two has dropped scores from 9 to 8.2. The last one has remained as 9. Thing is, it's not unheard that some people rebel against the ideas, and some people just cannot fathom a space fantasy without the space wizards. Although the Force was a lot of things to Mister Lucas, it wasn't the only idea.

I'm certain that given a chance, he could've come up with something like Andor. After all he'd readied a pile of draft, almost 99 episodes, mostly set in the Coruscant, detailing well the underworld. And that's the thing, because in the aftermath of Order 66 there isn't a great deal of Force Users hiding underground. But in this series, we haven't seen a Force Sensitive being, not talking about Users or Beings.

The only thing we've got is the Emporer references. But what I like is getting details on the ISB operations. Some could call it as the Emperor's Gestapo, and they wouldn't be very far from the truth. Thing is, the Imperial machine is one that ruthlessly work galaxy wide. It is a system of oppression, while the Rebels are mostly dispanded freedom fighters. Especially in these crucial years, where they are not gathered and organised under Mon Mothma's banner.

Only thing that they really have is Luthen as their spymaster, grand strategist. It's just his success rate isn't really high and the casualties are piling up, while nothing seems to stop the Imperium.

So let's see how the natural spy fares in the rebel civil war...

Poor Cassius, stuck with the idiot rebels in the monsoon, and all he has to drink is drips from a broken hull. A lot of the people that they introduced in the last episode, and carried in this one, reminds me of Andor's childhood friends from his home planet. The thing that unifies them is that both groups are super argumentative and somewhat stupid, leaving Cassius being the only genius in the small screen.

I have to admit, whatever the situation he's in, he's creative, and therefore he can invent ways out of the situation. Just as he did by suggesting to his captors to collect the rainwater, before the rain was over, and the sun would be back to scorch them in high humidity. One could assume that it would be bad for the advanced machinery, but if you look closely a lot of SW equipment are the same as you can find in the Aliens saga, meaning that they are rugged and retro futuristic.

It also makes me wonder if the general galactic population are mostly uneducated and poorly trained, because that seems to shine through in the rebellious rebel groups. They simply don't have the knowledge base to do any higher operation, while the Imperium is quite the opposite.

You could clearly see it once the hunger settled in. None of them were equipped for the jungle, or knew how to operate in there. Not talking about hunting or gathering supplies. And to think of it, it was a real surprise that the jungle they'd settled in, is the same jungle where the Rebel command sets their HQ in later days.

So where the idiot rebels locals or not? Cassius didn't stay to find out as he committed second GTA in two episodes and fly away, this time with a long range radio.

"Before we go in," Debra stopped the pair and turned to look her boss in the eyes. "I don't want the Ghorman project. I've thought through it all night. And I don't want it."

"Humbling? Isn't it," Major Paratagaz replied. "Both of remained of our place in the chain-of-command."

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

Without hesitation, Major popped the question, "Did Krennic offer you a job?"

"You know that his did," Debra answered.

"Then it's done. We're in it."

Frowning, Lt Meero asked, "What about Axis? That's where I belong." Then she added. "I cannot do both."

"Axis!?!" Major replied. "You've invested almost two years. You've built the legend and delivered almost nothing."

Well, ain't that the truth. The details don't escape Major Paratagaz' attention and he almost always speaks the truth. Like in this time, when he knew that ISB could not deny Director Krennic's request, or they would be paid a visit by Palpatine's henchman, Vader. He understood that Ghorman was a gift to the witch-in-white-suit, because in the long run it would make her more powerful. A true madam.

While the rebel spymaster is still tied to the wedding reception, Mon and the Imperial Hubby seems to basking in happiness. Or at least that is what they'll show in the public, but you hardly hear them arguing, except in this case the hubby brought up Mon's banker. "Tay Kolma. He is your lover, is he not?"

"Haven't heard that nonsense for a while," Mon snapped back.

"His wife has run off," Imperial hubby replied. "So the field is clear. He's all yours now."

"Stop," Mon ordered.

It didn't work as the Imp Hubby continued sliding out his poisonous garbage. "Well, maybe you've all dropped him. That would explain a great deal."

"Like what?"

"It's always best to lay them down gently," Imp Hubby answered, "or so I've been told."

Mon sighed. "We've a long day ahead, Perrin."

Not that it really worked on the Imp Hubby as he continued pushing out the frogs and there was nothing Mon could really do. But what I don't get is the jealousy. Mon haven't shagged the driver, even though after Hubby's flip-flops, she could've been entitled to and nobody would have said nothing.

In fact, it feels that she's mostly in dark when it comes to anything these days. Luthen doesn't tell her anything and even the banker friend is turning the old greed back on. And all she can do is to smile and take it as it is. So, if you're like me, you must wonder what it'll take her to fly away from her home and to take rebel life as her own, because if you look at the wedding reception, it's really grand.

Why would she abandon it all?

Yet that is the plan. To find the number to satisfy the greed and retain status quo.

Cassius family and a local farmer. For the second time, I have to admit that I absolutely love the sight of a farming world. Compared to Coruscant this world seems almost positive, except the Imperial Census. That is troubling, because it scares Bix and the boys as a chance of getting captured. But the farmer stated that there were at least 50 of them on the ground and an unknown number in the air. Although I doubt that Imperial Navy would have put anything heavy in the area. After all, it is just an agricultural world.

"What if they come this way?" Bix asked.

"Look," the farmer answered. "They need the grain. They know we need help, and they know not everyone is legal. How hard they look, what they do... It's been ten years since last audit. Nobody's happy."

"Talia thinks they'll lead us slide," Brasso suggested.

"We can't count on that," Bix made a statement. And she's right, because it would be foolish to trust the Imperial doing the right wrong thing. Except it seemed that it was exactly like that once the Imperial Inspection team arrived to the farm. None of them were hostile. Instead, the Imps were acting as if they were on a holiday.

Man, what a surprise. Cyril and Debra both living in one of the above ground towers. But you look at that flat, and you'll see it's a nightmare to keep clean with everything white. Although there's a lot of plastic and steel, making it all easier to clean. Cyril was also sweet that he didn't really pry into Debra's business, just casually asking how it all went.

Do you guys think they're getting married next?

 

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On a farming settlement, Cassian’s old friend Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) is still recovering from her torture on Ferrix last season. The Empire’s come for a routine inspection (and to find undocumented workers), and an officer has taken a particular interest in her, asking when her “husband” is coming home and casually noting comms have been blocked. He then forces himself on her, resulting in her killing him in a blow to a head and a declaration to the man’s subordinate: “He tried to rape me.”

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Tony Gilroy—the show’s creator and writer of this season’s first arc—said it felt “organic and right” to incorporate the scene, which is part of Bix’s “difficult path” back to herself pre-torture.

“I get one shot to tell everything I know or discovered about revolution and battles, with as many incidents I can get in there without having the story tip over,” he explained. “I mean, let’s be honest: in the history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s rape. […] Armies and power throughout history have committed it.”

Star Wars has previously touched on sexual assault via Leia’s slave outfit and mentions of Qi’ra’s backstory in Solo, but it’s never shown an attempted assault. Gilroy noted the “very clear” limits of sex and violence Andor is allowed, but otherwise, Disney had no pushback on the scene.

In a separate interview with Variety, Arjona recalled a mix of emotions reading and filming the scene. On one hand, she admitted being “really scared” beforehand, but she considered it “really ****ing powerful” to get to do it in this franchise. “Bix is in the most vulnerable state she can possible be in, and someone tries to take advantage of her,” she said. “We’ve heard that story many times. The fact that Tony gave it to Bix was a big honor—and it was right.”

There was “so much power” felt in declaring the attack an attempted rape, added Arjona, and advised for “any woman, for anyone, when you have a stranger, a male stranger, in your own space, everything becomes survival.”

Tony Gilroy and Adria Arjona on Andor's Dark Season 2 Scene

The Star Wars series continues to push the envelope in its newest episodes.

gizmodo.com

 

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In Legends canon, Maya Pei served on Senator Bail Organa’s security team during the Clone Wars, and later joined the Alderaanian Resistance. She was part of a team sent by Organa to steal cargo that would strategically weaken the Empire. While we don’t know much about Maya in standard canon, aside from the fact that this version of her is also leading a rebel cell, it seems like she’s pretty badass.

However, when we meet the Maya Pei Brigade, it seems like they are on their last legs. They have clearly fled from an intense battle of some sort. Gerdis’ (Ben Norris) brother left them all on Yavin 4 claiming to go back for more survivors from the Brigade. However, not all of the survivors believe that he’ll come back for them. Some of them believe that Gerdis’ brother abandoned them, and they’re on their own now.

Between infighting amongst the group and the deadly beasts that roam the jungle, the odds that the Brigade survived after Cassian left aren’t very high, but they also aren’t zero. We know that the Rebel Alliance eventually decides to call Yavin 4 home a bit more permanently. Maybe what’s left of the Brigade will help the moon become more habitable. Or maybe Maya Pei does survive and finally finds herself reunited with her crew.

Star Wars: Andor - Who is Maya Pei and What is the Maya Pei Brigade?

Andor season 2 introduces the Maya Pei Brigade, but Maya Pei and her rebels aren't new to Star Wars history.

www.denofgeek.com