‘Andor’ Season 1, Episode 5, Recap & Review: “The Axe Forgets”

The tree remembers what “The Axe Forgets.” It’s an African proverb that means the person who is hurt will hold onto the pain and memory of what has been done to them by the one who hurt them. It’s an appropriate title for the fifth installment of Star Wars‘ Andor on Disney+.

To the dismay of some critics, this episode slows the plot a bit to concentrate on character building. It reveals some of the motivations of characters who might otherwise be throwaways in short-form storytelling. Andor’s “The Axe Forgets” will serve as either the episode that seals it for anyone looking for a reason to stop watching, or it will be the pivotal point where the audience is fully invested in the sizeable ensemble cast of characters. The episode is short on action, but the tension is there to warn us of things to come. The pieces are in place. By episode six, we may start losing some of the characters we’ve come to care about.

Don’t let the blue milk throw you. Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) stares at a piece of the cereal his mother has poured for him in her apartment on Coruscant. She’s coaxing him to get out of his slump, mothering him with a combination of tough love and guilt. He’s in a funk about his position as a Corporate Security officer and letting Cassian Andor slip away. The ball of cereal he holds in his fingers is a swirl of brown and aqua, not dissimilar to the planet Aldhani. Something’s cooking in Syril’s brain. We don’t know what it is yet, but he clearly has an inkling of what’s about to happen. His mother, Eedy Karn (Kathryn Hunter), plays her role to perfection. Consciously or unconsciously, she’s eerily channeling twentieth-century character actress Nancy Walker. Known for some of the most decades-defining titles, in her most minor roles, she was a legendary scene stealer.

RELATED: CHECK OUT OUR ‘ANDOR’ COVERAGE HERE

Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) continues to hide his reasons from his new circle of rebels. Besides holding his cards close to his chest, he’s still keeping his valuable sky Kyber a secret. It’s the collateral he holds for Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). He’s lucky to have had it on his person when he wakes to find Skeen (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) taking inventory of the contents of Cassian’s bag. The confrontation is a soft one that leads to a little exchange of knowledge regarding both of their pasts. Skeen still doesn’t fully trust Cassian. He only believes he’s good at hiding who he really is.

Cassian’s teammates divulge their personal reasons for their rebellion against the Empire, but Cassian is vague. This sews distrust, especially with Skeen, who soon assails the newcomer to reveal the collateral he holds as a pendant. Cassian’s willingness to get dirty and ask questions when it comes to the mission gives most of the team reason to believe he’s fully on their side, but when strangers get together to commit a crime, tensions are expected. He demands to pilot the cargo hauler when he finds out that no one on the team knows how to get it off the ground. What were they going to do without him? Probably, they would all die. There’s still a chance most of them will. They are not far from being noticed as TIE patrols begin passing closer each day.

Mon Mothma’s strained relationship with her husband Perrin Fartha (Alastair Mackenzie) extends to her daughter Leida, an appropriate name. Later in her career, Mon Mothma will treat Leia as a political surrogate daughter. Leida has a clear preference for her father, who, once again, is scripted to mention their new driver. Mon reminds him the driver’s name is Kloris. It’s natural to infer this to be a nod to her personal skill for respecting all classes of citizens. Still, I suspect it’s a reminder that her new driver, mentioned multiple times over the course of two episodes, will be a significant player when the plot plays out.

Security officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) is uncertain about her instincts. She’s made a connection to what seems like random thefts around the Empire. The doubts of her superiors and contemporaries have forced her to freelance her investigation. She’s working on finding how Cassian’s stolen Starpath Unit relates to a bigger picture. We can expect her to find a link to Aldhani, and it’s likely coming soon.

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Lieutenant Gorn (Sule Rimi) is entrenched as an Imperial officer. We follow his story through the episode as his pieces fall into place. He’s at the bunker, ensuring the guard will be light on the night of the raid. He’s clever enough to manipulate his Imperial underlings to think it’s their idea.

No one stationed at this remote location wants to miss the rare celestial event, the Eye of Aldhani. The event will serve as their cover. Gorn’s smirk when he understands things are going smoothly is exactly what the audience needs to rest too comfortably. Dedra and Syril will surely pick up the slack and make things difficult for the rebel band we’re rooting for. Is Perrin a threat, too? We’ll soon find out.

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