Andor 1x04 Reaction

Cousin!

GreedCtrl

Agree about the guy (Anton Lesser) playing Partagaz -- he nails that character. He also does a good job playing his character in the British "Endeavor" series (36 episodes) (IMDb 8.6, RT 90%, RT Audience 92%).

Clay F

Incase someone else hasn’t mentioned it (I don’t want to scroll through 60 comments) but each episode does have different music. The same theme but different variations. I will say the main reason I watch LM is to re-appreciate how amazing some shows are, and Andor is a prime example of that. The guy playing Partagaz is so good at playing that specific character it’s crazy.

Patrick

This show is intoxicating for anarchists such as you to watch.

Thomas Fahey

The crystal that Luthen gives Cassian is a kyber crystal which has significance in the lore for being kinda mystical and a power source for things like lightsabers, etc. The uprising against the Rakatan's Luthen mentions is ancient history, tens of thousands of years ago. I really like how Andor does it's easter eggs and background lore drops. They are naturally sprinkled throughout without there being some wink wink nod from the camera or character and they aren't necessary to understand anything about the story. Sometimes there might be some symbolism or connections to be made to the story and sometimes its just a cool thing they threw in. Also another great motivating/radicalizing line from Luthen to Cassian this ep. He's so cool "Wouldn't you rather give it all at once to something real, then carve off useless pieces till there's nothing left?"

JC

You did misread that scene with Dedra and her superior Partagaz. It was not a sexist thing at all. The man is extremely competent. He said Dedra came in from "Enforcement" meaning she was basically a police officer, whereas the others are all management. They wanted more people like her who have experience "on the ground" and can offer different perspectives and experience. That's one of the things I like a lot about this series, its portrayal of the Empire as actually competent and not just a bunch of bumbling fools.

Hollow

Time to take a break from Mad Men's bad husbands and office sexism by watching the scifi Star Wars show, where there won't be any of that! ...wait [deleted] It's open to interpretation but when Dedra's (ISB officer woman) boss says "that's why we're bringing in officers like you" I read it as meaning women, or younger women. In the earlier scene there's only 1 older woman supervisor, the rest are all men. What if Peggy Olsen worked for the CIA? 💀 Milena's instinct was right - Aldhani was shot in Scotland. Vel's story about the Empire clearing out the Aldhani people who lived in the highlands is again inspired by real history. The Highland Clearances were a period of time where Scottish landowners forced their tenants off their land, moving to newer southern cities + different jobs to serve the newly industrialised Scotland and England.

Kara

Literally right now, during the US government shutdown, the Trump administration is illegally appropriating funds (without congressional approval) to pay federal law enforcement. If the money is disrupted, everything is disrupted.

Kara

This is an excellent and concise summary

Śéáń

Watching yall finally react to Andor is a dream come true. Things are about to heat up 🔥🔥🔥

Jesse S

This arc is amazing. Luthen getting into character, Mon's husband earnestly saying "Must everything be sad and boring?", Partagaz saying "that's why we're bringing in officers like you"... there's a lot being said but even more being implied. Aldhani is shot in Scotland, and funny thing about Scotland, something called the Highland Clearances started there in the second half of the 18th century. Scottish clans were pushed from farming/shepherding to do factory work in the lowlands. The landlords earned more money replacing people with sheep, so they burned down homes (the Sutherland fires lasted 6 days) or paid people to emigrate. As clans were essential to the social fabric of Highlanders, the move was devastating to gaelic culture and way of life. A completely accidental side-effect for the English, as everyone can be certain. History is full of normal and cool events.

Berezant

Perrin is such a great, instantly recognizable character. Rich and insulated enough to be totally unconcerned with anything real. Friends with people on both sides of the aisle and totally oblivious to the position that puts his wife in. He just wants to have fun and host parties, because even though he is *married to a senator*, he knows that politics don't affect him. You know that dipshit would be hobnobbing around at Windsor Castle with King Charles and Trump and Sam Altman. Post-show discussion touched on how expertly the show suffuses the story with little details that slowly build up your anger at the Empire. If that detail about forcing the Dhanis out of their homeland doesn't get you, or the incidental mention of cutting off shipping lanes to starve Ghormans doesn't make an impression, or the underlying idea that they are drafting 16yos out of prison to be soldiers doesn't land, well, something else will. I guess this is "telling" instead of "showing", but it's such carefully-drawn world-building that it feels both invisible (from an expositional standpoint) and infuriating (from a rhetorical storytelling standpoint). The show is good, is what I'm saying.

Mike

Delete this, this is a spoiler

My Toasty Toast

I don’t know if you were asking but here’s some quick non-spoiler answers to your questions around 38-40 minutes in. - The Empire is around 14-15 years old at the time of this episode. - Before the Empire was founded there was a Galactic Republic; Lola your interpretation of the US with the different states having autonomy but there being a governing federal body above it fits how the Republic worked. - The Republic eventually became the Empire by a single Senator and his political party and allies utilizing existing corruption and manipulating events to eventually install him as an Emperor. They did this by: (a) Fostering/gaslighting an external threat to have an excuse to over-militarize. (b) Getting rid of the ultimate counter-power (the Jedi Order). (c) Weaponizing fear and xenophobia to both centralize powers under one political office and excuse deportations of non-human species and needing “a firm hand” on other planets. (d) declare the end of the Republic and the advent of the Empire to the Senate. Quoting Natalie Portman’s character in the prequels “This is how Democracy dies. With thunderous applause.” I’m sorry if this was too long, I tried to keep it simple, thank you for reading if you did.

My Toasty Toast

I absolutely adore this arc. Can't even say it's the best one in the show because they are all amazing but definitely one of my favorites. You can feel the story expand massively going from episode 3 to 4. All the new characters are super interesting and nuanced.

Bishey

The Tie Fighter screech is one of my favorite sounds in all of cinema, and this show did something i didnt think was possible, it made the sound TERRIFYING 😮‍💨

Daniel Molina

Unfortunately back-to-back episodes also means like a 2 week gap afterward before they watch the next, so I'm torn on that.

Hollow

Love the reaction to the TIE fighter lol. On rewatch, the Aldhani arc might be my favorite, after a certain one in S2.

SwampFox95

i’d also add that for someone like cassian both the republic and empire were functionally similar in terms of the oppression he experienced on both kenari and ferrix. whereas with someone like senator mon mothma the curtain really got unveiled when the empire came and took away all the window dressing and began the erosion of civil liberties etc

Sebastian

Jack Hoff

Yep! One of two Game of Thrones actors I recognized in this episode. The other is the boss of imperial security Major Partagaz who played Qyburn.

Michael M

not a lore expert so perhaps someone can correct me but the empire has existed for ~15 years at this point. prior to that the galaxy was governed by the republic which was nominally a democracy but had corruption, wealth inequality, colonialism but wasn’t as outright fascist as the current empire. the republic was complicit in the birth of the empire.

Sebastian

I love that the show wasn’t like “we’re going to steal this piece of sci-fi tech” or whatnot it was like “we’re stealing the payroll of the fascists.” Literally hitting where it hurts. The Empire can make millions of starpath units. The people working for the Empire won’t be able to pay rent, that’s going to hurt more

My Toasty Toast

They will give Bix the “babygirl” honorific first, but Mon will not be far behind

Joshua Something

I thought it was funny you called Vel "smaller" than you thought she'd be. She played "the Waif" in Game of Thrones, the other girl at the House of Black & White/Faceless Men with Arya.

Hollow

I love the first 3 episodes but man it’s so clear the show jumps up a level starting in episode 4! You can see they felt that too with how engaged they were with every scene! Definitely recommend you watch 5 and 6 back to back

Sam

Same. Im also still waiting gor a Godfather 2 and Goodfdllas reaction. Theres alot of great ootions.

Julmor

Hoping that they become obsessed with Dedra

Myeh

They are not as good but it is exaggerated of how bad it is. The general idea and overall plot composition and world building is great and hold up still despite the rather theater-like dialogue.

menofhorror

I really want you to react to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. My brother wanted to watch it with me, and I almost died of boredom. After the first hour, I just started making stupid jokes because I didn't like the story, the dialogue or the pacing at all. So seeing Lola hype up every scene while Milena's body loses all will to live would be so damn funny for me to watch.

Robert Dirk H.

The downside of Andor is that it makes about 95% of the other Star Wars movies and shows pale in comparison. I get why Lola gets excited to watch the prequels after Andor, but honestly, the writing and dialogue in the prequels are so bad and cartoonish that it’s hard to believe they exist in the same universe as Andor. They often feel more like a mediocre Saturday morning cartoon for kids—just with extremely convoluted political plots layered on top.

Julmor

Big day for people who love women and Andor and women in Andor

hman70

classic Richie

HenryM

Cousin!

Raphgod7

I can't believe Richie was so fed up with Carmys BS that he travelled to a galaxy far far away to join a group of rogues.

ksg

I know for sure Mon will be a favourite

Śéáń

Let's go!!! most anticipated episode for me

BigJo H

I’m so excited for reaction of the introduction of all these characters in this episode

My Toasty Toast