Review: ‘Andor’ Episode 4 ‘Aldhani’ Brings Mon Mothma and the ISB Into the Fold

As great as the opening three episodes of Andor were, anyone left feeling a little disappointed at the lack of Star Wars in their Star Wars will be glad to know that the fourth episode Aldhani is brimming with recognizable elements from the galaxy far, far away.

 

This episode sees the introduction of Mon Mothma and the Empire, specifically the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). This is the first episode to deliver on the promise of an ensemble cast, following around Mon Mothma, ISB agent Dedra Meero, and Syril Karn, in addition to Cassian’s storyline. It becomes clear this series isn’t just about showing how Cassian Andor became the man we see in Rogue One; it will also be showing us how the seeds of rebellion are sown.

 

Genevieve O’Reilly is predictably great to watch, as we see the senator engage in clandestine meetings, and get a peek at her home life. This is not the Mon Mothma we are used to seeing; usually, she is a calm and assuring presence, a beacon of light for others to follow. But here she’s frayed and paranoid. The Empire are keeping close tabs on her, and she’s starting to feel the heat. That pressure also seems to be seeping into her marriage, as she and her husband take passive aggressive potshots at each other in a later scene.

 

Stellan Skarsgård delivers a fabulous dual performance as Luthen Rael. While the Luthen we met last week is rough and ruthless, here we see him in his other life as the owner of an antiquities gallery catering to the wealthy and privileged. As the shop owner, Luthen appears a frivolous and flamboyant man, the complete opposite of the pragmatic intensity he displays in his secret rebel life. This intensity really comes to life in one scene as he erupts while arguing with another rebel leader.

 

Andor very much feels like a Star Wars show now, but without pandering to fans. The Easter eggs here are subtly included and feel natural rather than clunky fan service. While Coruscant and the ISB are heavily involved, stormtroopers and TIE fighters are only glimpsed. Some of these plot lines are more relevant to Cassian than others, but they all paint a very rich picture of the world Cassian Andor lives in during the early days of the Empire. I can’t wait to see more of it.

 

Spoilers ahead…

 

Vel and Cassian Andor arguing

 

It’s clear Cassian still has a long way to go before he becomes the man willing to die for the cause in Rogue One. He doesn’t trust Luthen Rael and, even after the promise of a 200,000 credit payday, he’s still tempted to steal Luthen’s ship and fly away while he meets with Vel Sartha (the ship’s droid AI noticing his wandering eyes provided a welcome moment of levity in an otherwise grim and serious episode).

 

As an aside, I have to acknowledge Luthen’s mention of the Rakatans, an ancient alien race with their own empire first introduced in the Knights of the Old Republic video game. As a huge fan of that game, I was blown away by the mere mention of them. Is this their first inclusion in canon?

 

Cassian only agrees to work with the rebel cell for the promise of money, and often points out the folly of the cell’s mission, literally describing it as a “suicide run.” It’s a far cry from the man who volunteers for a suicide mission on Scarif, but it provides a wry reminder of his future to those who have already seen Rogue One.

 

Luthen Rael and Vel arguing

 

Vel’s squad is a tight bunch and openly scoff at the idea of bringing an outsider into their group last minute. Vel protests Luthen vociferously, before eventually relenting. While Karis and Cinta seem to accept him after an initial discussion, Taramyn and Vel make it very clear he’s not welcome.

 

It’s understandable, given how dangerous their mission is. Vel keeps the rest of her squad in the dark about who her boss is; it’s not even clear if they know she has a boss, which makes some sense given the need to compartmentalize knowledge among different rebel cells.

 

Taramyn in Andor

 

It will be fun to see the operation in full effect next week. The drama in this episode is fascinating, but it will be nice to see the tension erupt when they take on the Imperial garrison.

 

Elsewhere, we got our first look at Luthen and Mon Mothma’s secret rebel meetings. Seeing Luthen prepare for his role as a flamboyant Coruscant socialite was enthralling, as he practiced his facial expressions and demeanor on his return to Coruscant. It was great watching Skarsgård raise and drop his facade, depending on the company.

 

Luthen Rael speaking to Mon Mothma

 

His meeting with Mothma had an Easter egg too, as he showed her an Utapauan monk cudgel. Once he and the senator can talk alone, he drops the act immediately, and we see the true Luthen come out. Though they share a common goal, they don’t appear particularly friendly. He makes it very clear that if she can no longer fund their rebel activities, he will have to look elsewhere for a partner.

 

As mentioned earlier, Mon Mothma is feeling the pressure. She describes herself as “under siege”, spotting potential Imperial spies everywhere all the time. We know she gets rescued from Coruscant eventually, but that day is years from now. In this story, her actions are getting her noticed, and she’s finding it harder to operate with each passing day. Upon leaving Rael’s gallery, we witness a private moment as she silently exhales and slowly blinks, deliberately calming herself to cope with the stress.

 

Mon Mothma in Andor

 

Her husband is not exactly helping to relieve that stress either. She returns home to find he has invited some of her political enemies to dinner, including Ars Dangor and Sly Moore, two of the Emperor’s confidants. He is annoyed that she’s forgotten about the dinner, and accuses her friends of being boring. He doesn’t seem to know about her rebel activities and is bored by their social life in comparison. If he did find out about Mon’s secret life, it’s not hard to believe he would turn her over to the Empire — he should be careful what he wishes for. It seems likely that we won’t see the actual dinner, but I would love a scene next week with Mon Mothma navigating a conversation with people in Palpatine’s inner circle. The tension would be on par with Game of Thrones‘ politicking.

 

We also met Dedra Meero, our point of view into the inner workings of the ISB. Like the rest of the Empire, the ISB is full of self-serving bureaucrats who are too concerned with their own ambitions to serve a common purpose. Dedra discovers that an Imperial starpath unit has turned up on Ferrix, the same cube that Cassian was trying to sell to Luthen. Clearly, this discovery will eventually bring the full force of the ISB down on Cassian.

 

Dedra Meero in Andor

 

However, the ISB’s bureaucracy impedes Dedra’s progress. Her colleague is unwilling to help, and Major Partagaz admonishes her for raising the issue with him without further proof that the unit is on the planet. Seeing the way the Imperials work is fascinating, while also being exactly what you’d expect from such a tyrannical government. It’s exactly what I wanted from Andor.

 

Meanwhile, we don’t see much of Syril Karn this week except to learn that he has lost his job. The private security firm has been overruled by the Empire, with Imperial forces moving in on its jurisdiction instead. Syril really struggles to keep it together as his pride takes a serious hit. He returns home to his mother, with whom he appears to have a complicated relationship. Syril doesn’t appear to take the lessons he should have from his efforts last week; he doesn’t appear to have been humbled by the experience and likely feels the rage of injustice burning hotter than ever. I’m not sure what’s in store for him next. He might try and join the Empire, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he took matters into his own hands and hunted Cassian Andor down himself.

 

Syril Karn in Andor

 

This week’s episode of Andor was fantastic. After a strong start, it has stepped up by taking us into a more recognizable world without hitting us over the head with Easter eggs, which is particularly impressive as this was our first time actually returning to Coruscant in live-action since the prequels (I loved its caption as “capital of the galaxy”), ignoring its brief flashback cameos in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Rogue One.

 

It feels like the show has taken its first steps into a larger world, and I can’t wait to see what Andor does in it.

 

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Josh is a huge Star Wars fan, who has spent far too much time wondering if any Star Wars character could defeat Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.

Josh Atkins

Josh is a huge Star Wars fan, who has spent far too much time wondering if any Star Wars character could defeat Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.

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