Andor has been one of the most popular Star Wars spin-offs in recent years. With a great cast of characters, even better dialogue and amazing storytelling, Andor sits among thelikes of Clone Wars, The Mandalorian and Rebels as one of the best Star Wars shows out there.
As with any show, Andor has some thrilling episodes, showcasing how deep and far-reaching the tyranny and corruption of the Galactic Empire is. Andor’s more mature take on the Star Wars universe gives a window never-seen-before.
8Reckoning
Episode 3
This is the first episode that truly sets up the rest of the series in Andor. Cassian meets Luthen in a factory, which is then raided by the Empire, so they make an epic escape. They also show some very interesting and important flashbacks regarding Cassian’s childhood when he was adopted by Maarva.
One of the saddest moments of the episode is when Bix finds out that Timm, her lover, had reported Cassian to the Empire’s authorities in a drunken jealousy rant, so she tries to warn him. Regretting his actions, Timm then tried to help Bix, but got killed by the Empire, to Bix’s horror.
7Announcement
Episode 7
Episode seven, Announcement, serves as a great way to set up the latter half of the season, by having a lot of plot points that establish new situations that the cast will have to face heading towards later episodes. Like Luthen sending Vel to kill Cassian, for example.
Cassian gets arrested for absolutely nothing, setting one of the best arcs of the season in motion. But the point of this scene is to show how broken and corrupt the Empire is, but without even showing the Emperor, his reach is so vast that evil lurks even when he is so far up.
6Narkina 5
Episode 8
The Narkina 5 Imperial Prison Complex is where they send Cassian after arresting him. It’s literally a prison in the middle of the ocean, and one of the cruelest and hardest places to be sent to. Inmates are forced to work building weapons for the Empire.
This is the episode where Maarva, Cassian’s adoptive mother, gets sick, and we start to worry about her. Also, Lieutenant Meero goes to Ferrix and captures Bix, Cassian’s love interest. This is when things really start to move forward in Andor, and the tension starts to grow.
5Nobody’s Listening
Episode 9
The tension continues to build up in episode 9. Bix is severely tortured by Lieutenant Meero, using a very cruel and harsh technique that could be described as both physical and psychological torture, at the same time.
Cassian finds out that the prison disposes of inmates who can no longer build weapons for them, and that they never let a prisoner leave. Whenever they finish their sentence, they are simply transferred over to another part of the prison, so he teams up with Kino Loy to devise an escape plan.
4Daughter Of Ferrix
Episode 11
Probably one of the saddest momentsin Star Wars historyhappens in episode 11: Maarva’s death. A funeral is allowed by Lieutenant Meero, in the hopes that Cassian will show up so she can apprehend him. Cassian just found out about Maarva’s death, and knows he’s wanted, so he has to be extra careful.
There’s an important tradition in Ferrix: when a person passes away, their ashes are turned into a brick to help build the community. We also see scenes with Mon Mothma, who is still working as a double agent within the Empire: she plans to marry off her daughter in order to secure funds for the rebellion.
3The Eye
Episode 6
After a lot of planning and build-up, episode 6 is when we can finally see the heist. We’ve spent a couple of episodes seeing the gang Luthen put together trying to coexist and get ready to steal the credits, and this is where it all pays off.
We see a couple of deaths, and even betrayal, with Skeen trying to split the loot with Cassian if they both leave, but Cassian doesn’t trust Skeen, so he shoots him. Stakes are high, and the action and tension are through the roof. The first big pay-off we see in Andor.
2One Way Out
Episode 10
To many, One Way Out would probably be the best episode in the whole series, but if it falls short just because it doesn’t mean much to the overall story, it’s just important for Cassian, who finally manages to break out of an unbreakable prison.
The break-out sequence is simply a work of art. Kino Loy’s speech is another one of Andor’s top-tier monologues, inspiring all the inmates to rise against the guards and escapewith three words. Also, one of the most tragic scenes and one-liners comes when they finally break out, but Kino can’t swim.
1Rix Road
Episode 12
As expected, Andor’s finale is jaw-dropping. The season ends with Maarva’s funeral. She recorded a message before her passing, which was played byher droid during the funeral. It is one of Andor’s several magnificent monologues, and one that encourages and inspires the people of Ferrix to rise and rebel against the Empire, in a truly eye-watering sequence.
The episode’s post-credits scene is also a chilling sight, showing droids using machinery produced by inmates in the Narkina 5 Prison Complex to build the iconic dish of the Death Star, giving even more context to everything that’s been going on during the entire show.
