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Andor could be criticized for many things (actually, not), but not for its clever writing, something that would put even the best of Star Wars shows and films to shame. With the fifth episode releasing on October 5, 2022, the prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story continues to explore tiny movements inside the vast universe of Star Wars while also carefully holding on to its pre-mediated pace.
Andor's fifth episode was a deviation from almost everything that made the original films great. Its medium pace, intricate exploration of political and familial scenarios, and the lack of a hero figure to follow set this show entirely apart. However, these are perhaps the aspects that make this 40-minute-long episode better than most of the material that came from the Star Wars franchise.
Read on for a detailed review of Andor episode 5.
Andor episode 5 review: A lesson in beautiful filmmaking
If one thought that a sci-fi or "space opera," per se, needed to blast out the lights and jump into extravagant combat to make it appealing, the new episode of Andor is here to prove them wrong. Though the great thing about this series is that all the episodes preceding this one have been able to avoid the gimmicks of mainstream action shows, this episode has been brave enough to slow down further.
Yes, this may make it less appealing to some, but the episode has surpassed even its brilliant predecessors in terms of cinematic brilliance. Dragging the pace down was a conscious choice that allowed the show to focus on some of the more latent aspects of the characters and the universe.
For instance, though Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) is pushed into the background in this episode, it quite beautifully captures the essence of a family drama with an opposing leader trapped in a space with other right-wing idealists. It's just that, instead of blasters, there are words.
The episode begins with Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) at home having an intriguing discussion with Eedy (Kathryn Hunter) on a very well-made set with detailed work all around. Cassian (Diego Luna) has plenty of screen time in this episode, but the show does not stop emphasizing that this is not a single-character affair. With that in place, the entire story dynamic changes throughout the course of the 40 minutes in this episode.
Some major characters that were an active part of the plotline in the previous couple of episodes have also been pushed back to emphasize this tendency of Andor. One of the things that this episode lacked was the steady exploration of the Empire's shortcomings within its own ranks. The previous episodes featured these tiny snippets filled with political tension, and in all honesty, they added a lot of weight to the already-filled premise.
This episode was not boring in any sense. It was a cinematic masterpiece with a very strong script, something that worked well for the multi-dimensional characters, be it the rebels or the villains. It also ended up expanding the universe to an unprecedented amount. It is hard to see how this series can do anything wrong in the coming days. By the time it ends, it should wear the crown of being the greatest Star Wars series ever made.
The fifth episode of Andor is now streaming on Disney+.
