Andor: Episode 4 "Aldhani"

In "Aldhani" tensions are growing and a Rebellion is ready to rise.

“Andor” is shaping up to be something exciting. The fourth episode of the series plucks our title character from his ordinary world and thrusts him headlong into a burgeoning rebellion against the evil Galactic Empire. The episode was so good I had to watch it twice and I’m glad I did.

Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) are road-tripping to meet up with a tiny rebellion group on the verge of attacking an Imperial armory on Aldhani. Still, Andor’s arrival has the Rebel leader Vel (Faye Marsay) and her crew on edge. If the attack on the facility wasn’t tricky enough, throw in the fact the facility also houses an Imperial Garrison they’ll have to contend with.

It’s nice to see Cassian thrust into a new set of circumstances, but that plays second fiddle to the revelation of Luthen’s true identity as a wealthy Coruscant antique dealer and a very powerful ally he spends time with – none other than Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly). Luthen’s business is a means to an end as we find out he’s helping finance the Rebels and Mon is trying to funnel Imperial money to help the cause, but new regulations are making things more challenging.

Deputy inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) has been relieved of his duties following the debacle at Ferrix and now returns to his mother’s home, where he’s greeted with a slap and quickly ushered inside. We also get introduced to some new Imperial faces and they’re wonderful. One of those faces is Lieutenant Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), a young officer noticing a more unified effort to resist the Empire but finding her voiced concerns falling on deaf ears.

The episode ends with Andor being presented with a data pad with all the intel he needs to prep for his mission with his newfound rebellion friends. The uneasy alliance between the Rebels and their newly found mercenary friend is played to perfection in the final scenes of this episode.

Episode four continues setting up the bigger story, but the new additions of Imperial Senator Mon Mothma, Rebel leader Vel Sartha and Imperial Lieutenant Dedra Meero make this episode stand out. It’s great to see Mon Mothma finally get the screen time she deserves, and O’Reilly’s performance is nothing short of amazing. It’s a character I’ve always wanted to see more of and O’Reilly does not disappoint.

Another performance I’ll continue to rave about is Skarsgård as Luthen. We still know very little of the character, but in every scene he’s in he commands with ease. It’s the subtle touches from the actor that make this character something special.

The episode is filled with nice moments, such as Luthen’s antique shop with many intriguing items, which eagle-eyed Star Wars fans will undoubtedly notice and Luthen giving Andor a Kyber crystal necklace.

The fourth episode of “Andor” feels like the proverbial calm before the storm. Tensions are swirling, stakes are rising, and it’s only a matter of time before we see a Rebellion rise to take on an Empire and I, for one, cannot wait for it.