A big funeral is planned to mourn the passing of The Mother, but the Empire is ever-watchful and is keen to make sure no trouble ensues. Meero decides to allow them the permit for this 2 day event, explaining the customs to the other officers.
Meanwhile, Andor and Melshi make a run for it, intent on getting to a quadjumper and getting off the planet. Unfortunately, they walk right into a trap as a net springs out and catches them both. Two aliens watch with bemused expressions. Their names are Freedi and Greedi, and after some back and forth rapport, they admit they’re not happy with the nearby prison, which has siphoned all their water and caused them to scrabble for scraps. Thankfully Cassian and Melshi talk their way out of trouble, and take off in the ship to a safer system.
One person who is struggling here is Bix, who still suffers from the aftereffects of her harrowing ordeal. She has not given much information up, but she is a complete mess. In her exhausted state, she has been asked about Anto and his connection to Cassian Andor. She begins to weep, but does not crack. At least not yet. But how long can she hold on for? ..
Meanwhile, Vel learns the trouble Mon Mothma is in. The rebellion is not cheap and she admits in confidence that she’s been pulling 100,000 credits out of the family trust every month for the rebellion. It all seemed to be going swimmingly, until a few months ago she was contacted by one of the bankers back home, warning that Imperial inspectors would be taking a closer look at her books. ..
Mon has admitted that she was able to access all of the information she needed in her main account, but because it wasn’t enough to fix the off-balance ledger, she used Tay Kolma to help replace the credits. This has created a slippery slope and now there are 400,000 credits missing - and all eyes will be on Mon very soon as a result.
Luthen doesn’t even know how bad this is, but he did warn her. Vel narrows her gaze and admits this can’t get out… but Mon has a solution. It’s not a particularly pleasant one, but a solution all the same. And it could well be striking a deal with the shady Davo Sculdun.
Sergeant Mosk tells Syril that Andor has passed away and it’s the perfect opportunity to grab Andor as he could show up for the funeral.
Luthen warns Saw Gerrera about the Empire’s trap, and it is up to Saw to decide whether or not to warn Kreegyr. Luthen knows that the mole inside the Empire is invaluable, but it is up to Saw to decide whether or not to save Kreegyr. ..
Luthen believes that allowing the Empire to sacrifice its own people would make them feel invincible and cocky. This confidence would allow them to exploit any weaknesses the Empire has and strike harder. If the Empire were to attack, it would be much harder than if they allowed the sacrifice.
Luthen is picked up by an Imperial Star Destroyer en route back home. The ship has several big satellite dishes on the front, which is used to capture and hold Luthen with a powerful tractor beam. Luthen tries to get away, but his fake ID fails. The Commander onboard the Destroyer is determined to search Luthen’s cargo, claiming they “need the practice.” ..
When Luthen attempts to get away, evading the tractor beam with countermeasures, TIE Fighters attack. Thankfully Luthen has lasers on the side of his ship which completely cut through them in ease. I wonder if they’d cut through the Star Destroyer too? Well, we don’t wait to find out as Luthen jumps to hyperspace and manages to evade the Imperials. ..
Meanwhile, Andor tries to send a message back home to Maarva, but the news comes in that she’s passed away. He’s understandably heartbroken, and after handing over his gun to Melshi, who promises they need to spread the word about the horrors of Narkina 5, Andor is left with a difficult decision to make. ..
The Episode Review
Andor’s penultimate episode provides a strong foundation for what should be an intriguing finale next week. There’s plenty to like about this chapter and the subdued way Maarva’s death was handled is certainly a nice addition that works well in the context of the story.
The Ferrix funeral is a mystery, with many people eager to know what will happen. Al roads lead to Ferrix, with the Empire evidently eager to throw their weight around. However, Syril is the wildcard here and it remains to be seen exactly what will happen at this funeral.
The show has done well to keep all these moving parts ticking along and understanding how much trouble Mon is in helps to contextualize her plight and how difficult it’s going to be for her to actually stay in this rebellion and not arouse suspicions. Either way, next week’s finale should be quite the intriguing watch.
