Andor hit its halfway point with episode 6, which is titled “The Eye”, and just like episode 3, it was loaded with tension and payoff from the setup episodes 4 and 5 provided.
Please check out our full SPOILER review below! You can also check out our Easter Egg and Rogue One connection breakdown while you’re getting your Andor fix.
Script
Andor Episode 6, aka, The Eye, once again showcased just how amazing Star Wars can be when it’s reskinned as a spy thriller. Like Episode 3 before it, The Eye managed to maintain a high level of tension from the moment it started until the moment Luthen realized the rebellion has effectively introduced itself to the Empire.
It expertly utilized the buildup from Episodes 4 and 5 to deliver an edge of the seat Star Wars experience that is hard not to describe as the best episode to date for the series, but also for the franchise as a whole.
Visually, the Eye itself has to be one of the most mesmerizing and unique looking spectacles featured in the decades worth of Star Wars content released before it. The greens, blues, oranges, and other celestial-like colors were the perfect backdrop for a daring escape that helped to make the TIE chase look like one of the coolest Star Wars dog fights of all time.
The cinematography in general was a master class in mixing practical locations with VFX wizardry, and while the shows shot using the Volume don’t bother me as much as some fans, we all have to agree that Andor has reached a level of photography only seen in movies, and it makes you wonder if other shows will stick to the Volume setup only after seeing what Tony and his team achieved on Andor.
The heist itself was brilliant on many levels starting with reminding us of how awful and arrogant the Empire is via Jayhold’s command and his talk with the Colonel. But it also shined by reminding us that the Rebels, our supposed good guys, are willing to do some dark and heinous things to get the job done in the name of freedom. I mean they kidnapped a mother and son at gunpoint, which is something you aren’t used to seeing by the faction that takes down the Empire in a few years time.
How about the Skeen double cross? If you listen to the Star Wars Time Show we predicted he’d do something shady, but not to this level. You also had to appreciate Cassian’s swift reaction, but it was a bit surprising to see him want to bail so quickly after pulling off the heist. There was a part of me that felt like this mission would’ve bonded him to the rebel cause a bit more than it did, but him going his separate way will possibly allow fans to explore his past a bit more if he continues his search for his sister, and it will also open up Luthen’s quest for rebellion, so I expect to see Saw’s partisans in the next arc while Cassian figures his stuff out and Luthen puts the Rebel cells into overdrive. Don’t worry, Nemik’s manifesto will bring Cassian back eventually, he just has to experience a bit more pain and loss first.
And now for the Top Moments.
The entire discussion between Gorn, Jayhold, and the Colonel is easily one of the best scenes ever at relaying just how awful the Empire is, as well as those who embrace it for power. The giddiness they showed in knowing they’ve reduced the Dhani pilgrims from 15k to 60 was sickening. Not to mention the fact that they joked about using them as slaves to give them a chance to return to their sacred grounds after the Empire turns it into an air base.
Scenes like this make it easier to watch Jayhold’s family get kidnapped and held at gunpoint, because it’s hard to sympathize with any of these goons.
It was cool to see the girls get tasked with the Mission Impossible aspect of the heist. I dug the Star Wars wetsuits and their Tom Cruise like stunts. Seeing Vel hesitate also added an extra layer of tension to the already tense feeling of this episode.
This was probably throw away to many of you, but I absolutely loved seeing the TIE pilots load into their TIEs and get prepped for takeoff. We’ve seen similar scenes from the Rebels perspective, most notably on Yavin 4 before the Death Star battle, so I thought it was rad to finally see the Empire’s aces strap in for a mission in live action.
The freighter escape combined with the Eye yielded what could be the most mesmerizing looking chase scene to ever be featured in Star Wars. The visuals alone were a treat, but then you factor in the the dangers of the escape, nemik being critically injured and giving us a callback to K2”s CLIMB Climb moment, the Eye taking out TIEs, and you end up getting a damn near all around perfect Star Wars scene.
While Skeens betrayal wasn’t that surprising, how it went down definitely caught me off guard and I dug the surprise. We speculated he’d try to screw Cassian at some point, or he’d get killed trying to screw him before the mission was complete. I did not predict that he was actually a legit nerf herder who always planned to screw Vel’s team and walk away with some cash. The cherry on top was having Cassian waste him without thinking, once gain showing us how ice cold he can be, but also showing that while he’s no Rebel yet, he’s not backstabbing pice of crap either. Him getting the manifesto is no mistake either, as it will be the impetus for his return to the rebels after he figures out that’s his purpose.
Finally, one had to appreciate the reactions to the heist on Coruscant. Seeing the ISB calling an all hands meeting to the senate getting disrupted mid Mothma speech really sold how big of a deal this heist was, and how it will fundamentally shift the Empire’s reaction to future rebel activity. Don’t forget about Luthen’s laugh of relief either. It was cool to see how everyone else on Coruscant, at least the Imperials, were disturbed or shocked by the news, but in Luthen’s case he was elated because he knows his fight with the Empire has now been thrust into the next phase, eventually leading to the full rebel alliance mustering on Yavin 4.
Make sure to tune into the next episode of the Star Wars Time Show in which myself and my co-host Nick will fully breakdown The Eye and give our thoughts on it as a whole.
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