Andor Announcement Review: A changing tide brings chaos to the Empire

Announcement continues the immediate fallout from the last episode’s heist on Aldhani.

Cassian returns to Ferrix. Vel returns to Coruscant. Chaos sweeps through the Empire and responds predictably by enacting more control over the galaxy. Planets passed off to local security are now under the thumb of The Empire.

Announcement doesn’t quite have the tension of the heist in The Eye, but does a great job of showing how the characters react to the heist on Aldani. All of the characters make one of two choices. They either run or stay the course.

The runners like Cassian and Mon Mothma are trying to have the best of both worlds. They still think it’s possible to dip their toes in the water and not drown. Meanwhile, the more steadfast characters like Maarva and Luthen Rael are unwilling to move from their current positions. Now that the cork has been tapped, the rebellion can’t be put back in the bottle.

The Empire and specifically the ISB also have runners and individuals committed to their cause. Although in the Empire’s case, the runner is viewed in a positive light rather than the negation association assigned to Cassian’s motivations. Dedra Meero is doing everything she can to acquire more data on the raids conducted by the rebels. Meanwhile. Blevis tries to block Meero’s acceleration.

The only aspect of Announcement that falters a bit is Mon Mothma. For a character who operated covertly for so long, she sure likes to have conversations out in the open with someone who is openly against the Empire. Mothma’s indignation at finding out Luthen was behind the raid on Aldhani weakens her a little bit as well.

Announcement is the first episode of the series that wasn’t written by a Gilroy, but the script by Stephen Schiff is still top-notch. In spite of the Mothma story, Andor continues to feature the best dialogue in the Star Wars franchise. Seemingly every line draws you into these characters and the constantly shifting dynamics in a galaxy far, far, away.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood in Announcement. There may be some minor spoilers. Andor is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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Running after the Announcement

Cassian returns to Ferrix with plenty of credits to go anywhere in the galaxy. He wants to bring Maarva and Bix with him. Nobody wants to see Cassian on the planet. The community blames Cassian for the Empire’s firm grip on the planet.

Cassian wants to run away to live in a small corner of the galaxy without the Empire. He eventually leaves without Maarva or Bix. He ends up on a planet that looks like a tourist destination. Stormtroopers find him suspicious for no reason. Cassian is arrested and sentenced to six years for crimes that used to carry a six-week sentence.

Meanwhile, Mothma finds out about the heist on Aldhani. When she shares the news with Luthen, she picks up on Luthen’s involvement which he doesn’t deny. She was looking for an outside party to generate more funding. Luthen didn’t trust Mothma’s source would pan out and came up with a way to get the money faster,.

Mothma returns to the party she’s been dreading. She comes and meets an old friend who can help her access her family funds. She cuts off the conversation before she explicitly spells out the rebellion. However, I feel like this storyline lacked the depth of spycraft we’ve seen up to this point. While Mothma tells her friend to move away from the party to a more private area, there are still people in the vicinity who could hear the conversation.

Aside from Mothma’s stuck-in-neutral story, I found Cassian’s desire to keep running riveting. There’s a feeling throughout the episode of a noose tightening around Cassian’s neck. He’s trying to run away when there’s no means of success in heading down this path. If Cassian could change direction and run toward the cause rather than fight against the current, he could find conviction.

Standing Firm

Luthen, Maarva, Bix and Vel are attempting to stand firm on their convictions.

Luthen is unwavering in his approach to the rebellion. Vel returns to Coruscant, but her contract is with Luthen’s assistant. She orders Vel to kill Cassian to prevent him from revealing Luthen’s identity. Maarva is apprehensive about leaving Ferrix and eventually refuses to leave altogether. Ever since her husband died, she’s avoided the street in which he was hung to death. After news of the Aldhani heist, she’s able to walk that street again knowing that finally there’s some resistance.

Bix isn’t willing to leave either. She’s conflicted over her feelings for Cassian in relation to Timm’s death.

These resolute characters are a nice contrast to Cassian’s shifting nature. Diego Luna is sensational as Cassian. In this episode, it’s quite apparent how uneasy he is. There’s an urgency with which he talks to both Maarve and Bix that sells his desperation.

Turmoil in the Empire

Dedra recognizes the heist as an announcement. The successful heist on Aldhani is a confirmation to many systems and planets that the Empire has flaws. One spark can weaken the foundation.

The ISB under Major Partagaz is now trying to use the data collected to predict the rebels’ next move. Earlier, each member of the ISB was trying to plug holes in their respective districts. Now, they’re trying to dig deeper.

Commander Blevin challenges Dedra over breaking protocols to acquire data outside of her jurisdiction. They have a spirited debate and Partagaz rules in favor of Dedra. He also gives Dedra jurisdiction over Ferrix. Partagaz ends the meeting with a word of warning for Dedra.

The dialogue in the ISB sequences is terrific. You can see why the orderly approach of Empire is ultimately undermined by the Empire. They’re looking for a central thread to tug on, but with so many competing allegiances among the rebels, finding a causality is difficult. The lack of uniformity is a strength and a weakness for the rebels.

Announcement Final Thoughts

Andor continues to provide tense, well-written television that happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. There are no action sequences or heists in the episode. However, the pace of the episode shines due to the constant tension, terrific performances and sensible character arcs.