Star Wars: Andor continues to fascinate me without relying on blatantly obvious easter eggs or fan service, and instead is a pretty direct translation of what made the animated Clone Wars and Rebels great into live-action. Character development and storytelling.
The heist goes off with most of the hitches you could predict. However, the robbery appears to be a success, as many Galactic credits were stolen. The Rebel leaders haven't been exposed, the next-stage funding appears secured, and a guy I expected to be dead is only severely wounded*. Cassian is still Cassian, perhaps the character showing the most negligible growth thus far.
We get a lot of Empire culture and another view of Star Wars parenting. This time it is an Imperial Commanding Officer and his family. So far, everyone is a pretty lousy parent. I suppose the 'kidnapped by the Jedi' thing might be preferable. The look at how the Empire and a local culture rub one another the wrong ways during their star gazing festival is also excellent and out of the animated series.
Mon Mothma shows us how ineffective and useless the Imperial Senate had become five years before the Emperor just disbands it entirely. The senate is pretty useless. I can see why Mothma would look to build a rebellion, she needs someone to listen to her ideas.
Six weeks in and no force users, no Wookie comic relief. Strange things are afoot in the Star Wars universe.
*I have been told I am too optimistic.
