Warning! Spoilers ahead for Andor episode 4.
After its super-sized three-episode premiere set up the premise of Cassian fleeing from the Empire while searching for his missing sister, Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars streaming series Andor settles into its regular one-episode-a-week release schedule with the fourth installment, “Aldhani.” Whereas the three-part premiere blended together like an extended pilot episode or even a movie, “Aldhani” has its own standalone adventure-of-the-week storyline as Cassian is reluctantly recruited for a heist by mysterious Rebel ally Luthen Rael. Rael drops Cassian off on the titular mountainous planet and leaves him in the hands of a group of Rebels who need all the help they can get.
Scripted by Dan Gilroy, brother of showrunner Tony Gilroy and writer-director of modern neo-noir classic Nightcrawler, “Aldhani” continues to explore the moral gray areas on both sides of the central conflict. Breaking from Star Wars tradition, the Rebels aren’t blindly portrayed as the good guys and the Empire isn’t blindly portrayed as the bad guys. Cassian is still dealing with the consequences of his double homicide, while most of the show’s Imperial characters aren’t smarmy warmongers in the mold of Grand Moff Tarkin; they’re just trying to do their job, seeking justice for the deaths of two of their colleagues. Unlike the typically archetypal entries in the franchise, this show has no straightforward heroes or villains; it has a sprawling ensemble of three-dimensional characters who all believe they’re doing the right thing.
Andordoesn’t use fan service as a crutch; it stands on its own two feet with compelling characters and sharp storytelling. The show’s references to Star Wars lore aren’t just there for a wink to the audience. Coruscant, the capital city-planet of the galaxy, features prominently in this episode, but not as an homage to the prequels. Fans get a glimpse at what Coruscant is like post-Revenge of the Sith, with its still-functioning Senate operating under Imperial rule. When Genevieve O’Reilly shows up as Mon Mothma, she’s there to serve Rael’s story, not the other way around. There’s a nod to fan-favorite Saw Gerrera at the Rebel camp, but it’s not just a cheap Easter egg; it’s setting up Forest Whitaker’s promised appearance later in the series.
Taking over from premiere helmer Toby Haynes, director Susanna White maintains the series’ grimy, lived-in aesthetic and its reliance on old-school practical effects. Andor stands out from the VFX-heavy Obi-Wan Kenobi and Book of Boba Fett with its minimal use of CGI and maximal use of real shooting locations. The new series looks and feels a lot more real than Star Wars’ recent streaming content. Blades of grass blow in the wind and waterfalls drench their surroundings. A galaxy far, far away is a lot more convincing and immersive when its otherworldly settings aren’t just projected onto giant TV screens on a soundstage.
As seen in the first three episodes, Diego Luna anchors the series with a nuanced portrayal of the titular antihero. Luna is seizing the opportunity to bring more depth to Cassian than he could in Rogue One and making full use of the extra screen time allowed by leading a TV series as opposed to making up part of the ensemble cast of a feature film. His performance is full of subtle non-verbal cues like when Rael steps off his ship to meet his Rebel contact and Cassian briefly considers stealing the ship before the onboard droid catches him in the act. While the episode is mostly focused on its external conflicts, there are some interesting little details that round out the character. When Cassian is asked to come up with an alias on the spot, he chooses the codename “Clem” after his adoptive father.
Stellan Skarsgård, arguably the most prolific actor in the cast, brings a suitable gravitas to Rael’s Rebels-versus-Empire exposition. His character was introduced with an air of mystery over the last couple of installments, but this week’s episode provides some answers to those mysteries as the grizzled black-market buyer dresses up and puts on the friendly, upbeat facade of a political ally. Rael’s two-sided nature recalls the duality of Sheev Palpatine as a harmless politician and a sinister Sith Lord. This week also brings some great new additions to the cast, like Faye Marsay as no-nonsense Rebel leader Vel Sartha and Denise Gough as high-ranking Imperial officer Dedra Meero.
Whereas The Mandalorian is a space western and Obi-Wan Kenobi is a samurai epic, both teeming with spectacular set-pieces to get the audience’s blood pumping, Andor is more of a political drama. This episode in particular is short on action, and it ends all too abruptly. Just as the stakes have been established and Cassian and co. are ready to risk their lives hitting the Imperial garrison, the credits begin. Still, as a piece of a larger puzzle, “Aldhani” brings Cassian closer to the Rebellion as he joins a fledgling band of Rebels for a suicide mission. The stage is set for a more exciting episode next week, but it would’ve been satisfying to see at least one action scene to keep viewers engaged this week.