‘Andor’ Recap & Review: Ep. 7 “Announcement” Explores Repercussions

“Announcement,“ the seventh installment of Andor, takes us around the galaxy to show us the ripples of repercussions resulting from the heist under The Eye on Aldhani. The young Empire is still gathering control of the galaxy, which becomes the perfect excuse for them to tighten their grip. But as a newly outed Rebel, Princess Leia, once said, “The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”

We didn’t know it yet, but with that statement, she had people like Mon Mothma (Caroline Blakiston in Return of the Jedi) in mind. As an Imperial Senator with a troublesome reputation, she sympathized with the Rebel movement. She covertly helped the Rebellion financially before becoming an overt voice for it, then a leader before the Empire’s fall. This new episode takes us through the big and small results of the previous six episodes and lays out the premise for the second half of the season.

Arguments that Andor is a slow-moving drag accelerate as episodes like this pull us in to look at the brush strokes of the overall masterpiece that is Star Wars. There’s nothing flashy about Andor, not even when we finally get Stormtroopers of several varieties all at once. We aren’t looking at the big picture. Instead, we’re focusing on seemingly minor details that comprise the subject we love so much.

The style of Imperial soldier, droid, and officer is cleverly used to bring us around the galaxy and to the past. As Star Wars fans, these visual cues tell us exactly where and when we are. Traditional Stormtroopers show us we are in Original Trilogy territory, toward the center of the galaxy. Sand Troopers, first seen in Rogue One on Scarif, patrol a resort that Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is lying low on. Late-stage Clone Troopers alert us that we are in Cassian’s memory as he loses friends to a street slaughter. A KX-series droid shows us how close we are to Cassian’s role in the Rebellion we see in Rogue One.

The ISB Makes an Announcement About Andor

“Announcement” opens with Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) still sulking in his mother’s apartment. He’s determined to clear his name as a Security Officer, but his mother, Eedy Karn (Kathryn Hunter), is insistent that he use his uncle’s influences to take a menial job on Coruscant to get back on his feet. By the end of the episode, we can see the dissatisfaction in his eyes. He won’t be there much longer. Ironically he’ll have to go rogue to look for Cassian.

RELATED: CHECK OUT ALL OF OUR ANDOR COVERAGE HERE

Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), Andor’s other unknown adversary, will have a small victory in a Security Officers meeting that will bring her secret investigation to the forefront. She’ll no longer have to clandestinely search for ties that show her theory to be true. Seemingly unrelated military thefts around the galaxy are actually the young Rebellion accumulating data and goods to advance their movement. They never “climb the same fence twice” in order to make the crimes look unrelated. There would be no reason for connecting them at all if not for Dedra’s expertise.

She names this episode in discussion with her confidant about how she’d classify the robberies. “[It’s] An announcement,” she claims. When she’s challenged in an official meeting by a contemporary, she gains the approval of her superior. The Imperial Security Bureau will take the lead going forward, and she is encouraged to continue her line of investigation. That is until Emperor Palpatine finds it necessary to station troops on every backwater planet that smells of Rebellion.

Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) looks concerned upon listening to another report on the robbery at Aldhani. It’s not said outright, but it seems like his concern is over not hearing from Cassian, who’s now on the lam with his cut of the spoils. He’s the realist in his relationship with Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly). Or rather, he’s there to remind her that rebellions don’t just cost money; there are dirty details that she must be aware of, even if the dirt is never directly on her hands. Luthen is beginning to appear more as a Partisan of the Saw Gerrera ilk at this point. His relationship with Mon Mothma may be a representation of the rift that separates Partisans from traditional Rebels. As an audience, we view the Rebels as the glamorous side, while Partisans appear more like terrorists.

Andor Is Hunted From All Sides

After months of preparing for the heist under The Eye of Aldhani, Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) is finally cleaned up and back in the center of the galaxy. She’s now assigned to find Cassian and tie up that loose end. He’ll need to watch his back because he’s a known fugitive who will now be hunted by both sides. It’s probably a good thing for him that he’s apprehended on a vacation planet under an assumed name, charged arbitrarily under the Empire’s new tightened rules, and sentenced to six years in prison. As Luthen Rael told Mon Mothma, this is what the Rebellion wants. The only way to wake the galaxy to the danger of the Empire is to press them into abusing their power and oppressing civilians.

RELATED: WHY STUDIOS SHOULD TAKE A LESSON FROM ‘DREDD’ WHEN ADAPTING COMICS TO FILM

Cassian’s adopted mother, Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw), is surprised by Cassian’s return. He wants her to disappear with him, but she’s seeing the Empire put its foot to the throat of anyone and everyone in desperation. She recognizes this moment as one where he should flee, and she should be open about her disdain for the Empire. She’s tired and old and doesn’t care for comfort anymore. He tells her he’ll return, but she knows, and we know he won’t likely see her again. She’ll become a personal martyr for him.

Cassian may be getting the closure he needs to become what he’s meant to be when he is rejected by his old girlfriend, Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona). He’s alienated himself by bringing the Empire to his heels, so everything in his wake is being destroyed. Cassian Andor is not your typical reluctant hero. He’s fully aware of his calling, but he continues to deny it. It will take a moment of loss to push him through the door. Maarva’s droid, B2EMO, will probably be the bearer of bad news for him once he’s escaped from the Empire’s grasp again. We all know he won’t be in prison for six years.