In the first 2 episodes of Andor Season 2, while delivering a prototype TIE fighter, we saw Cassian getting stuck in the middle of a mutiny among a group that allegedly worked for Maya Pei and then making a narrow escape in that same TIE fighter. On the farming planet of Mina-Rau, we were reunited with Bix, Wilmon, B2EMO, and Brasso, who had settled down there and were trying to pass themselves off as mere mechanics. But their plans to stay there until Cassian joined them were ruined by Imperial officer Krole’s obsession with Bix. In the Mothma estate on Chandrila, the wedding ceremony of Leida and Stekan was in full swing. However, when Tay insinuated that he was planning to expose Mon’s association with the Rebels if she didn’t pay him enough to keep his mouth shut, things got tense, with Luthen even expressing his intention to kill Tay and be done with it. On the snow-capped mountains of the Maltheen Divide, Krennic revealed the Emperor’s decision to mine Ghorman for Kalkite, even if it meant rendering the planet uninhabitable. ISB’s Dedra and Partagaz were tasked with coming up with a plan to make that happen, which was something that Dedra wasn’t particularly excited about. She was enthusiastic about making goo-goo eyes at Syril, though. The third episode of Andor Season 2 is a bit of a doozy and will get your blood pressure to spike. So, brace yourself.
Spoiler Alert
Dedra Meets Eedy
In episode 3 of Andor Season 2, we go to Coruscant to see Syril and Dedra preparing to have lunch with Eedy Karn, you know, in order to make their relationship truly official. However, as soon as Dedra notices how detrimental Eedy is to Syril’s mental health, she puts Eedy in her place, and Eedy has no option but to accept the terms set by Dedra. The performances from Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, and Kathryn Hunter in this segment are obviously fantastic. But more importantly, it’s so odd that it stands in stark contrast to the Chandrila subplot. I mean, how is a space Nazi pushing back against the stereotypical mother-in-law-and-daughter-in-law abusive dynamic that transcends generations, while the elites of the galaxy are promoting bloody child marriage?! I am hesitant to call the former relatable, but I have personally seen women put an end to all forms of internalized patriarchy by simply calling it out on a personal level.
It seems impossible because such practices have been passed down like a family heirloom for centuries; however, it takes one moment of sternness to break the cycle, something that’s effectively portrayed by Dedra of all people. Also, I am afraid I’m making it sound like women are the only reason why these things happen; men are also guilty of enabling such domestic issues. When Syril gets anxious because of his mother’s actions, he goes and lies on his bed in the same way Mr. Bean lies on the street when he falls from that alien ship. This is the same Syril that’s capable of unleashing unspeakable levels of violence for the Galactic Empire. Well, maybe this just goes to show that a fascist’s greatest fear, right after a fierce rebel, is their parents.
Brasso Is Dead
Cassian is stranded in the middle of nowhere, in the vastness of space, trying to get the TIE fighter to move. Well, it does move, but not in the way he wants it to. But since the spaceship is mobile now, Cassian contacts Kleya to get some directions. Since Kleya doesn’t have any clarity, she tells him to wait. Cassian asks if he can head over to Mina-Rau, but Kleya warns him against doing so because it’s swarmed with Imperial officers and Stormtroopers. Before Kleya can persuade him further to not establish contact with Bix, Cassian hangs up and fires up the TIE fighter to get to his “wife.” On Mina-Rau, Kellen informs Brasso that since the sector they are in is up for thorough inspections, the Ferrixers need to leave as soon as possible. He has arranged for jobs in the Eight Hundred Block, where they can hide under the garb of fixing some machines, and then return to Kellen’s place before the Imperial officers reach the Eight Hundred Block. They plan to leave after sunset, but since the Imperial forces have already started to sweep the place for signs of immigrants, Brasso and Bix decide to head out immediately. That’s delayed by Wilmon, who is out there in the fields bidding goodbye to his girlfriend, Beela. By the time the lovebirds realize what’s going on, Wilmon’s speeder is rendered inaccessible because it’s parked near Kellen’s shop, right where the Imperial officers and Stormtroopers have stopped. So, he makes a run for his residence.
Brasso doesn’t know that Wilmon is making his way to the house; hence, he heads over to Kellen’s shop (the shots of Joplin Sibtain ripping through the fields on his speeder are so cinematic). Cassian reaches Mina-Rau and tries to establish contact, but due to the frequency blockade, he is unable to get through. Krole uses this moment of chaos and confusion to corner Bix and try to rape her. Yeah, this scene is pretty harrowing and gritty, but watching Bix beat the living hell out of Krole is quite satisfying. Brasso gets captured by a Stormtrooper, and Kellen is purposefully portrayed as the one who betrayed the Ferrixers by Brasso so that the Empire doesn’t punish Kellen and his family for providing shelter to immigrants. As news of Krole’s death reaches the rest of the group, they begin heading over to Talia’s residence. Cassian notices the Imperial Star Destroyer and decides to head into Min-Rau and destroys the Imperial convoys that were going to kill Bix and Wilmon, who has finally reached the shack. After that, Cassian sets his sights on all the Imperial forces shooting at Brasso. While he does manage to kill them all, he fails to save Brasso, thereby making him the first major death in Andor Season 2. Bix and Wilmon finally reunite with Cassian, but it’s not a happy reunion, as they have to leave Brasso’s body behind and search for the next planet they can hide on. I guess we’ll miss Brasso a lot and remember him for turning a brick into a symbol of rebellion.
Tay Is Dead
On Chandrila, before heading over to the final ceremony, Mon manages to have a one-on-one conversation with Leida. And she uses this opportunity to tell Leida that if she thinks that there’s something off about Stekan, she can call off the whole thing without thinking about how all the guests and relatives are going to react. Mon promises to protect her from all that nonsense because dealing with the comments of some outsiders is much easier than suffering through a loveless marriage. But since Leida is one of the most idiotic people in the entire galaxy, she decides to use this vulnerable moment to take a jibe at Mon. I know that it’s difficult for a parent to see their child being an absolute numbnut. However, in rare cases like this, in my opinion, parents should let children suffer the consequences of their actions. [Spoiler Alert] After this marriage ceremony, we don’t see Leida again, and I don’t think she’ll show up in some sequel to Andor or another Star Wars spin-off, but I genuinely hope that she is perpetually haunted by the moment when her mother tried to save her from a miserable life and she decided to demean her instead. By the way, since Star Wars fans have a habit of failing to separate the art from the artist, I must clarify that this isn’t some kind of shade on Bronte Carmichael, the actress playing Leida. She has clearly done a splendid job of portraying the stupidity of those representatives of Gen Z and Gen Alpha who can’t differentiate between regression and traditionalism.
Coming back to the plot, during his brief chat with Mon before heading out for the day, an incredibly drunk Tay insinuates that he has set his mind on telling Davo what Mon is doing with the money that he has given her. So, Mon goes to Rael and updates him about Tay’s current state of mind. Rael basically says that they need to kill Tay because, once they bow down to him by paying him whatever he desires, they’ll always fear him. A dead tattletale is better than one who has been bribed. Realizing that she is about to lose one of her oldest friends, Mon decides to get drunk (Genevieve O’Reilly is incredible) and dance to one of the hippest EDM tracks I have heard in the Star Wars franchise (I need it as a ringtone, to be honest). At the end of Andor Season 2, Episode 3, Tay boards his vessel, Cinta is revealed to be his driver, which is something that Vel notices, and the realization sets in that Rael has tasked her with killing Tay before he goes and yaps to Davo about Mon’s Foundation. Is this going to drive a wedge in Mon and Rael’s relationship? I don’t think they have the luxury or the privilege to react to these decisions emotionally. If something needs to be done, no matter how harsh it is, so as to keep the Rebel Alliance funded and running, it has to be executed. When the Galactic Empire bites the dust, they can mull over these moments all they want, if they survive the war, that is. Anyway, those are my thoughts on the ending of Andor Season 2, Episode 3. What are your thoughts on the same? Let me know through the comments section below.
