‘Andor’ Recap & Review: Ep. 8 “Narkina 5” Sees Cassian Taken Prisoner

Andor Episode 8 Narkina 5
Disney+

Andor episode 8,  “Narkina 5, has completed the setup for the conclusion of the second major plot of the season. Pieces are in place to promise more action in the final four episodes. Characters who need to come together are making their way across their respective stages with some of the most impressive writing and acting we may have ever seen in Star Wars.

Understandably, Andor isn’t for everyone. In contrast to the mostly comic-like approach we’ve seen in Star Wars television, Andor continues to dig deep into the inner workings of the Empire and the assembly of various factions of the Rebellion. Putting together a Galactic Rebellion is similar to how nuclear bombs are made. The common rumor is that they are not constructed in one place, and various unconnected teams assemble the parts. Only once the pieces come together are they a threat.

Andor Lands at Narkina 5

Narkina 5 is so off-grid that Cassian Andor has never heard of it. As a political prisoner, Cassian has been made an example of by the Empire; but they have him under his assumed name, Keef Girgo. He’s been assigned a sentence for manufacturing unidentifiable parts for some unknown machine. We can probably surmise it’s something to do with Death Star 1. His new boss is a fellow prisoner with less than a year of his sentence left to serve. Foreman Kino Loy (Andy Serkis, also known for playing Snoke) is a hard-nosed leader who only wants to please his oppressors with good numbers in his production team so he can finish his sentence without incident.

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Judging by the casting here, that’s not likely. Serkis has all the ingredients for playing a role as big as Saw Gerrera’s (Forest Whitaker), who makes his awaited debut in Andor this week. Or maybe Loy is just a cameo role. Doubtful. As Serkis stated in a recent interview with Vanity Fair:

“What I imagined of Kino’s backstory before he was in prison, was that he was a union leader. He’s used to working as a foreman. I wanted him to come from a place where he was put in prison for, perhaps, standing up for workers’ rights, and then put into a position of authority because that’s what he does. He is a natural leader. But he really just wants to serve his time. He’s got a family. He wants to get out and get back, and assumes that that’s going to happen after his incarceration.”

If you read between the lines, especially in that last sentence, we can assume that’s not what will happen.

Keef is shuttled off to Narkina 5, an apparent prison moon that resembles Squid Game in decor and atmosphere. Kino Loy even refers to their competition against neighboring prisoner teams as a game they must win to survive. Narkina 5 is such a harsh location that the least productive prisoners are “fried.” This is the suffering Luthen Rael is looking for (“Oppression breeds rebellion”); he just doesn’t know Cassian is among the sufferers.

Luthen’s verbal concern for Cassian in this episode hints at a possible prison break if he finally learns that Cassian has been captured. Luthen’s conversation with Saw Gerrera spells a wedge in the rift between Partisans and other factions of the Rebellion. Luthen may see Cassian as the lynchpin that will hold the machine together long enough to get us to the events in Rogue One.

The ISB Is Tracking Someone Who Isn’t Andor

As expected, Dedra Meero’s (Denise Gough) story is converging with Syril Karn’s (Kyle Soller). Syril has been filing reports on Cassian Andor from his menial desk job, and that’s got the attention of the Imperial Security Bureau. The former Corporate Security Officer is questioned by Officer Meero. He senses that his puzzle pieces are extremely valuable to her and requests a chance to offer more help. Meero’s new authority in the investigation to find Andor gives her the luxury of keeping Karn as an ace in her sleeve.

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She strongly denies his request, but Gough plays the role well enough to tell us she’s interested in what he may have to offer when she decides to put him in play. We learn in this episode that Andor isn’t the big catch the ISB is looking for. She’s looking for a big player in the Rebellion, code-named: Axis. We know it’s Luthen Rael. The ISB hopes to get that name from Cassian Andor.

The Rebellion Amps Up

Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) is back on track with an itch to be a part of the Rebellion now that Cassian is gone. Meanwhile, Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw) is showing signs of slowing down just as she’s decided to ramp up her own participation in the Rebellion. When she begins to see her own end in this story, she’s even more likely to martyr herself in Cassian’s name. Her inspiration to hasten her own demise may have already arrived. Bix is taken prisoner to be questioned, and what she knows about Cassian will inevitably come to Dedra Meero and the ISB.

Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) and Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) watch Bix before she’s arrested in hopes Cassian shows up again. It’s good to see the strained couple continuing to work together, but their script points to trouble ahead between them. In the first place, it’s unusual that a duo is assigned to an assassination, so we’ll see whether the typical lone “find and eliminate” operation puts the two at odds once Luthen gets word to them that the assassination is off and a rescue is on.

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That hasn’t been said out loud yet, but if you’re reading the room, that’s the next likely step. Stay tuned for next week’s episode of Andor. The title is as yet unannounced, but “Axis” sounds like the right title for an episode that may revolve around Luthen. After all, it’s his chess board we’re playing on. Or is it a Dejarik table? Are we going to get Wookiees? Remember, we’ve been advised to let them win.

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