Most decisions in Mass Effect Legendary Edition can be made by one of two standards. The first standard is the paragon and renegade system; do players want the story to reflect that Shepard was a nice guy who stood on principle or that Shepard was a hardcore force who committed everything to fight against the reaper threat? The second is the simple right or wrong idea; certain actions make the universe worse off and gamers have fun trying to get a perfect or imperfect run.
But a handful of choices must be made without being able to know either the right or the wrong choice and have no indicator of what the paragon or renegade choice is. One such decision is how to have Anderson get the Normandy out of lockdown. He presents two choices and neither one stands out as a good or a bad choice. So what's Shepard to do? Instead of flipping a coin, these are the outcomes of each option.
Have Anderson Break Into Udina's Office
There are several differences between the two choices. Players that want the minimum amount of harm to come to Anderson should tell him to break into Udina's Office. He will be physically alright after the encounter there.
Players that don't like Udina will also like this option best, as Anderson will give him a solid punch to the side of the head. He'll fall unconscious after the attack and allow Anderson to hack his console without any pressure.
As far as the story goes, Udina actually forgives this assault, probably not because he's a good guy, but because it makes political sense. Anderson will suffer no repercussions for his actions at the conclusion of the game. Choosing Anderson as the Councilor will spark Udina to say that he likes to "let his fists do the talking" at the end of the game.
Have Anderson Hack A Console In Citadel Control
This option has an immediate negative for Anderson; he will be non-fatally shot during the hack. He doesn't seem to suffer any lasting consequences in future installments in the game, so outside of the immediate pain, there isn't any lasting damage.
Instead of Udina, Anderson knocks out a nearby turian who is guarding the controls. Much like with this first choice, there isn't any backlash to these actions as the council sees that it was for the good of all galactic life.
Players might like this option because it makes Anderson appear self-sacrificing and ready to give up his life for the cause, whereas the other option can be construed to mean that Anderson is willing to make others pay the price for what he believes to be right. However, this is purely a debate of luxury among the community; in the game's universe, the perception of Anderson is the same with either choice.