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andor - who are you review - dedra
Television

Andor – Who Are You? review S2 E8

Jeffrey Lyles , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Are You? really, really should have been renamed We Are The War or The Galaxy is Watching. Those statements are some of the most powerful and foreboding in the Star Wars mythos. Regardless of the title, Who Are You? is the episode that Andor’s second season finally makes its case for being a vital and integral part of the franchise lore.

Andor Season 2 has been slower paced than its predecessor despite the yearly jumps every three episode, but it all came to a head (finally) here. In all likelihood Who Are You? is going to go down as one of the strongest episodes in Star Wars TV history.

Since the start of the season, Director Krennic has set his sights on Ghorman. He thinks it’s key for the Empire’s perpetual energy project. It’s wild how even among the Empire, they lie and withhold truths. This energy project is the Death Star and he doesn’t care who he has to kill, planets he has to plunder or destroy to achieve his goal.

Carro has seen his peaceful resistance blow up in his face as the Ghorman leaders, including his daughter, Enza, want to strike back. Captain Kaido invites the lambs into the wolves’ den by opening up the plaza. Carro has a bad feeling about this and warns Enza that this is a trap. They’re opening the plaza up because they want them there.

Among the peaceful protestors, Carro spots Syril, who swears he doesn’t mean him any harm before throwing him to the ground. Talk about mixed messages. The Ghormans know mining equipment was flown in last night that’s going to be used to plunder the planet. Syril has zero idea what’s happening per the norm, but he’s starting to get a clue as he watches the propaganda reporter at work spreading the lies and misinformation.

Cassian sizes up the situation and tells Thela, the former bellhop he isn’t sure if he’ll return, but he hopes things work out for him. Thela responds, “Our buildings are built on hope.”

The Ghormans continue marching into the plaza chanting “We are the war. The galaxy is watching” as TIE Fighters fly overhead. Director Janus Metz stages an incredibly ominous scene where any minute it feels like everything is going to explode.  The chants are really making this feel like a major happening.

Stormtroopers emerge into the plaza as the Ghormans start singing ‘We are the Ghor.’ If Star Wars always felt more than a cool hybrid of Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers and Kurosawa, Who Are You? officially takes it into Les Misérables territory with its spin on “Can You Hear The People Sing?”

Syril aggressively enters Dedra’s office asking what she’s done going so far as to yell and throttle her. This is a very different side of Syril, who is actively lashing out as he’s seeing the truth perhaps for the first time. Also in a first, Dedra seems wholly unprepared for this side of Syril as she shifts to Lady Macbeth selling Syril on the idea that they’ll be heroes back on Coruscant. He wants no part of it and wishes Dedra luck.

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As Dedra expected the tensions quickly start rising with the Ghorman rebels and the Imperial patrol. Partagaz orders to continue the mission and Kaido sics his Stormtroopers and snipers on the rebels. With the rebels in a shooting gallery, even the Stormtroopers can’t miss them. Mostly.

This is an intensely powerful moment — one that somehow manages to make the Empire, which is literally destroying this planet to mine its planet destroying weapon — look even worse.

Dedra learns Syril is out there, but it’s too late for her to help. Her greater concern is staying out of view from Cassian’s sniper rifle as he’s getting closer at getting a good shot. As the blaster fire and bodies fall, Kaido sends in the Imperial security droids.

andor who are you review - syril

One grabs Enza and tosses her, instantly killing her. This is pure chaos perfectly orchestrated by the Empire. Syril takes in all this insanity seemingly considering his role in the carnage. It’s hard not to feel for the guy — at least in this part of Who Are You — as he never seemed to consider the impact of his actions or the group he backed. But then he notices Cassian taking aim at Dedra and tackles him.

Any trace of sympathy for Syril vanishes now as he’s managing to give Cassian a better fight for way longer than expected. Thela tries to help by unleashing a bomb, which separates Cassian from his gun. As Syril points his blaster at him, Cassian asks the logical question “Who are You?” more so because why would a Ghorman rebel in the target zone try and stop him so passionately? Before Syril can answer or consider against pulling the trigger, Carro kills him. Wilmon is with him, and they lead Cassian out.

Dedra observes from her chamber. Does she have any recriminations? She certainly seems to have some feelings about what’s happening below her.

Wilmon wants to make sure his girlfriend, Dreena (Ella Pellegrini), is safe as more of the Imperial droids arrive. They are straight up Terminators here. The classic models not the soft batch easily stopped modern versions. Ironically it’s Sam, the overeager Ghorman rebel who got Cinta killed, who saves Cassian and Wilmon from getting killed. Guess he took Vel’s words to heart? And in an even greater sense, he does make good as his actions in keeping Cassian safe directly lead to millions being spared being obliterated by the Death Star left unchecked.

Cassian goes for a closer look at the droid as Wilmon asks him to tell people what happened here. Cassian asks for one last favor as we see the droid, who we’ll eventually love as K2-S0 in the back of his transport. Quite the introduction.

Dreena is on the comms telling whoever can hear that the Imperial murder of Ghorman has begun. “We’re being destroyed. This is Ghorman reaching for any open channel that can hear me. This is murder! The Empire built this fire and led us to the slaughter.”

Cassian lets a single tear fall as TIE Fighter fly in the sky like vultures as Who Are You hits a tremendous final look at our titular character in this key episode.

Dedra is crying and fighting a twitch in her arm. This is such a terrific performance from Denise Gough as she conveys so many emotions in this moment. Back on Coruscant,  Eedy and her friends watch the propaganda video with the official Imperial spin on the massacre on Ghorman.

Who Are You? was perfect TV. It fully made the investment in this season worth it. If Who Are You was the series finale, it would have been all that was necessary to have fans rushing to turn on Rogue One. With a few more episodes left, they’re going to have to go aways to top this phenomenal installment.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Photo Credit: Disney

Enjoyed Who Are You? Check out the Andor: The Complete First Season on 4k now on Amazon.

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