With simply two episodes left in “Andor” on Disney Plus (opens in new tab) (after this one), our minds are raging torrents, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading right into a waterfall of inventive potentialities as to the place the primary season will depart us. What perilous, anxiety-inducing cliffhanger does creator Tony Gilroy deem match to depart us clinging to by our fingernails for, probably a complete yr?
This episode we had been lastly rewarded with escape from Narkina 5 and whereas the present is following the identical basic story-telling formulation because the raid on the Imperial base on Aldhani, there is no denying that the ante was considerably upped and in case you thought episode 6 dialed up the strain, this installment straps it to a Minuteman ballistic missile and fires it instantly into the center of our personal Solar.
Associated: ‘Andor’ masterfully builds up tension for an expertly-crafted jail break
Upon first viewing, it is rather a lot to soak up. Your coronary heart continues to be pounding in your chest from the masterful, sustained construct up of suspense and on prime all of that, add the destiny of poor Kino Loy (Andy Serkis) and you’ll virtually definitely miss a couple of key components. For starters, you possibly can truly see the shoreline within the distance in only a few photographs, blink and you will miss it. And that is essential to think about if you spend the following few days rewatching and reexamining this episode.
The factor is … to this point, this present has been a masterclass in science fiction drama. However, the very, very ending of the escape leaves you feeling ever-so-slightly incomplete. And whereas a lot of that’s intentional, to intensify the tragic separation of Andor and Loy, it additionally appears like necessary particulars have been intentionally neglected.
Alternatively, we may decide up as the primary wave of prisoners rushes in the direction of what seems to be the exit. Nearly instantly upon opening, we see that the exit results in a precipice and after a momentary pause, convicts start leaping into the ocean beneath. Many are merely being carried alongside within the tsunami and pour over the sting and into the water, 100 or so ft beneath. Loy reveals he cannot swim and our jaws drop and our hearts sink at which level Andor is sort of actually swept away.
Associated: ‘Andor’ continues its amazing world building this week in ‘Narkina 5’
Our POV switches for the briefest of seconds to the imposing Imperial manufacturing facility and the ledge we simply left, quickly disappearing into the space. Our perspective adjustments as soon as once more and we see the floor of the ocean racing in the direction of us after which we’re underwater. Andor plummets into the ocean and his fast descent slowly stalls as he frantically swims to the floor. All over the place, throughout him are our bodies plunging into the water, there is a flurry of bubbles and he breaches the floor, gasping desperately for air. He spits out a mouthful of water and shouts, “Which approach?! Which solution to the shore..?!” A voice behind him shouts, “To the west!” And off they go.
We reduce to Loy, who’s slumped, sitting towards the wall … as prisoner after prisoner sprints previous him. After we lastly return, the sun has now set and we see Andor and his colleague emerge like Ursula Andress from the ocean. We reduce to Loy, who’s again inside the power wandering round aimlessly. Nobody is round. A door hisses open … and we get an over-the-shoulder shot as we glimpse a shuttle parked and empty.
We reduce to Loy, who’s slumped, sitting towards the wall … as prisoner after prisoner sprints previous him. After we lastly return, the sun has now set and we see Andor and his colleague emerge like Ursula Andress from the ocean. We reduce to Loy, who’s again inside the power wandering round aimlessly. Nobody is round. A door hisses open… and we get an over-the-shoulder shot as we glimpse a shuttle parked and empty.up so simply. Not after having a lot time to replay current occasions by way of his thoughts.
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Maybe this ending has too many lose ends, a bit like the hostage situation within the raid on Aldhani. We’re requested to completely ignore the accidents that will be incurred by many as they willingly jumped off. Fatalities that come on account of leaping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are mostly due (opens in new tab) to non-fatal accidents brought on by preliminary affect, like punctured lungs and damaged limbs, which in flip trigger incapacitation and even lack of consciousness, which lastly ends in drowning. And that fall seemed rather a lot like about 220 ft, which is the clearance of the Golden Gate Bridge.
And… Loy could be despondent at first, however he would not quit. On the very least, he would arm himself — possibly he’d run into Imperial jail guards that had been hiding, that is fairly doable — however he would dig deep and faucet into the identical braveness it took to mount the escape within the first place. Possibly we’ll see him in a while in “Star Wars,” presumably in an expanded story, or possibly even later in “Andor,” who is aware of. However he would discover one thing he may use. Be it one thing he may craft a crude raft from, or a upkeep pod, or one thing. He must, as a result of he additionally is aware of that reinforcements — or on the very least, an investigation unit — will arrive, ultimately.
However you understand, nit-picking like this on a present that’s of such supremely high-quality is a welcome reduction and I might far quite be having a dialogue over why this episode solely scores 99% and never 100% than having to wade by way of all of the the explanation why different mainstream sci-fi is so depressingly terrible.
Associated: ‘Andor’ episode 6 dials up the tension with a heart-pounding heist
In different information, 4 extra networks can be displaying the primary two episodes: ABC on 11/23 at 9pm ET/PT, FX on 11/24 at 9pm ET/PT, Freeform on 11/25 at 9pm ET/PT and Hulu (opens in new tab) on 11/23 and 12/7. Whereas this is good news, simply displaying the primary two episode will not give new viewers the possibility to see that first act conclude correctly, in order that they’ll miss out. Hopefully, this may change between from time to time…however we’re not precisely holding our breath.
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