Andor Episode 9 review! This episode was amazing for me, Andor is not only the best Star Wars under Disney to date, it’s one of the best shows this year. I’ll be staying SPOILER FREE within this review, so have no fear there. With that all out of the way, let’s discuss what I thought about Episode 9 of Andor.

Tension Rising

Last week we left Cassian incarcerated in a hellish Imperial prison, whilst the ISB search for Cassian continued. I won’t be surprising anyone to know that Episode 9 follows on from 8 completely and boy does it raise the tension stakes. This could be classified as another ‘set-up’ episode, but instead think of this week as peeling another layer of the onion. In Episode 9 we sink deeper into the despair of Imperial rule. In the prison, some unforeseen events raise the tension stakes to very high levels. Meanwhile we dive deeper into the crimes of the Empire and the kind of people who gravitate towards working for them. Conversely we see Mon Mothma’s life and begin to understand why such extreme action is necessary, and how in many ways she’s in a prison just like Cassian is.

It’s all there from Episode 8, but as said, we dive deeper.

RELATED: Andor Episode 8 Review – Imperial Prisons Suck

As we dive deeper, the true horrors of these scenarios are played out. The Empire’s torture methods are both PG-13 in theory and one of the most horrific things I’ve seen in a while. Unless you have zero imagination, or compassion, this will hit hard. That’s not even getting into how we learn all about prison life through the eyes of these prisoners as they begin to realize what predicament they are in. Then, we also have Sylas adding creepiness personified into his obsessive authority kink persona. Honestly, Andor is a f***ed up show if you take it out of Star Wars and even more of a mind-bend knowing that’s where things are set. But, it’s the kind of messed up that we love to watch unfold on screen. This is drama, this is adult drama, this is really good adult drama.

The Rest

I have to give some special praise here. Part of that praise has to go backwards into Episode 8, and again I feel like we have one story cut into three.

However the performances on show this week are simply on another level. I felt like we got a glimpse at that other side of Cassian again this week, Andy Serkis was absolutely immense this week, what a performance. Equally to Serkis I have to give kudos to Adria Arjona as Bix. Arjona sold a scene so well by her acting that we felt what she felt without having to experience it. Genevieve O’ Reilly is a star in the making for me. how has she not got more work yet? O’Reilly sells us on Mon Mothma and carries the section of her story with aplomb. I should give praise to all those actors who had scenes with these mentioned above this week as well, they were all brilliant, even if some were also horrifying, that was what was needed.

Then, I have to praise the sound effects, the cinematography, the direction, and at the root of all this, the class A script. The execution in Episode 9 is amazing. There are a few cuts which felt so well done when mixed with the sound and emotions on show. Some of the blocking of shots to show scale and also claustrophobia where necessary in the same scenes. Plus we have that sorta creepy score which just feels so right for this show.

There’s so much to praise and I will get to that in spoiler talk when I record this weeks The Cantina Reviews, which Kyle and I hope to do just after I finish writing this. You can find last week’s episode in the link above.

RELATED: Andor Episode 7 Review – Still Great

Andor isn’t going to fall of a cliff in terms of quality. You can see how well this is written in every scene and how it all builds. Andor is not going to need any crazy cameos to keep fans happy, because the characters created for this show have more dimensions than 80% of the characters we already know from this franchise. If Luke Skywalker showed up and saved everyone, or Darth Vader showed up and killed everyone at this point, it would ruin the show.

Rebellions are built on…..

Andor may follow Cassian Andor. However, in reality Andor teaches us the reality of this dictatorship, the horrors suffered by the people and the real reasons for rebellion. In Rogue One Jinn says rebellions are built on hope. They may be eventually, but that’s not how they begin. Rebellions begin by people being pushed beyond their limits, How do you react when there is no hope left. Once you understand what the system you are in does, what is left but to fight, whether you win or not? Are there any real viable alternatives?

People may comply for a while through fear. However once you take hope away, once you cross certain lines, then there are consequences. Andor is a show that tells us where the Rebellion came from? The answer is that the Empire created the Rebellion, not intentionally, but they did create it. When the Empire fights against it, they inadvertently strengthen it, and swell its numbers. It now feels believable that the fledgling Rebellion we see in Rogue One got that far. It now feels almost slow that it took the destruction of Alderaan to really push the Rebellion forward. And yet, we also see that had the Rebels not destroyed the Death Star, then all hope would truly be lost. Andor is what a prequel can, and should be.

Phenomenal Episode, again, and there could be better to come in Season 1 of Andor. Andor is now up there for me with the likes of Better Call Saul, House of the Dragon, Ozark, Stranger Things as one of the very best shows I’ve watched this year.

Grade: A

What did you think of my spoiler free Andor Episode 9 review? Leave your own review of the eighth episode below. Tell us what you think, were you as positive about Andor as I am? As always, leave your own thoughts below.

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