‘Andor’ Episode 8 Explained: Rogue One Cameo and Star Wars Prison in Hell

Excellent Star Wars series Andor reached episode 8 of Disney Plus on Wednesdayand we catch up with the mercenary Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) after being sentenced to six years in prison afterwards clash with the wrong Imperial soldier. It turns out that there is simply no way to escape this terrible totalitarian regime.

Over the galactic capital of Coruscant, the rebel true believer Vel Sartha (Faye Marcy) is tasked with killing Cassian so he can’t lie to the recruiter Luten Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). Vel doesn’t seem wild about her mission, especially since Cassian played an essential role in her mission to steal millions of credits from the empire.

It also seems to contradict the philosophy of Luten’s fellow rebel leader, Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who isn’t crazy about wanting to shed innocent blood in their shadowy war against the Empire.

This episode was directed by Toby Hayneswho also directed episodes 1, 2 and 3, as well as 8, 9 and 10. He previously worked on Sherlock, Doctor Who and Black Mirror.

Andor appeared five years ago Rogue Onewhich picks up the story immediately before the original Star Wars film New Hope. Let’s see how prison life treats Cassian by checking out all of these delicious Episode 8 treats SPOILERS.

Shining white hell

NARCINA 5 — Sent to an ocean prison complex that looks a bit like this the raft at MarvelCassian continues to use the alias Keefe Girgo as he adjusts to life among the stark white walls.

The guards have insulated boots, while the prisoners are forced to walk around barefoot, getting shocked if they don’t follow the rules or meet the goals of their production line (making ship parts, maybe?). There are three possible strike levels; we only see the first level and it looks like agony.

Cassian’s prison warden is Kino Loi (Andy Serkis in his second Star Wars role after acting Supreme Leader Snoke in the sequel trilogy), who is quite mean and desperate to meet the Empire’s harsh quotas as he nears the end of his sentence.

You may also recognize one of Cassian’s roommates — Ruskot Melshi (Duncan Poe) is part of the Rebel team that steals the Death Star plans in Rogue One. He has some facial hair in this movie and looks pretty close to Cassian.

Cassian and Melshi will probably escape this terrible prison together, but Melshi seems to have lost hope when they meet here – partly because the unpleasant new legislation of the empire smashing anything even slightly rebellious.

“Anyone who thinks they’re going to get out of here now is dreaming,” he warns Cassian. “Those days are over.”

A really solid first day.

The Rebel Extremist

SEGRA MILO — While trying to unite various rebel groups, Luten travels to this remote system to meet Sou Guerrera (Forest Whitaker), a character previously seen in The Clone Wars, Rebels, The bad batch and Rogue One.

He is the formidable but dangerous leader of the brutal anti-Imperial group known as the Guerrillas, and his violent methods put him at odds with other rebels. However, he has a good relationship with Luten, and the two accuse each other of being responsible for Alkhani’s robbery (Luten never admits it directly).

He offers Sow a bunch of equipment if he wants to work with another rebel group, but the guerilla boss isn’t interested—he’s eager to label all the other factions based on their different philosophies:

• Separatist.
• Neo-Republican (this seems closest to Mon Mothma’s approach).
• The Gorman Front.
• The Partisan Union.
• Sectarians.
• Human Cults (I’d watch a Disney Plus show for this intense sounding group).
• Galactic dividers.

In an engaging, scenery-chewing moment, Saw brands them “lost” and asks Luthen where he is.

“I’m a coward. I am a man who is terrified that the power of the Empire will grow beyond the point where we can do anything to stop it,” he says. “I’m the one who says, ‘We’ll die with nothing if we don’t put aside our petty differences.’

He wants the rebels to unite and almost rejects Sow’s approach as the path to anarchy. For a moment it looks like the unstable Saw is going to kill Luthen right there, but he laughs and sends the recruiter on his way. Nice try, Luten.

Sow is also the foster father of Jyn Erso, the hero of Rogue One and Cassian’s future ally, but she and Sow have split up at this point in the timeline.

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In addition to Saw, we catch a glimpse of the Benthic “Two Tubes”, a Tognath mercenary with a distinctive breathing apparatus. He is seen among the Cloud-Riders of Enfys Nest in Solo (which takes place five years before this show) and is among Saw’s allies in Rogue One. He leads the Guerrillas after Saw’s death in this film and meets Luke Skywalker and friends in the Marvel’s Star Wars comic book series..

Imperial meeting

CORUSCANT — Imperial Security Bureau Chief Daedra Meiro (Denise Goff), recently authorized to investigate coordinated insurgent activity, is determined to find Cassian and use him to get to Luthen. They don’t have the recruiter’s identity, but they’ve figured out elements of his role and given him the awesome code name “Axis”.

Too bad they can’t figure out that Cassian is already in Imperial custody.

It also follows disgraced ex-security officer Cyril Carne (Kyle Soler), who continues to harbor a grudge against our hero. He’s been at his new job at the super boring-looking Bureau of Standards for “less than a month” but has filed numerous false reports in his own hunt for Cassian.

Cyril says he remembers Luten’s voice and suggests he could be an asset to the Empire, but Daedra doesn’t care about his nonsense and sends him on his way. Nice try, Cyril.

Demand is expanding

PHERIX — Unbeknownst to the prisoner Cassian, his adoptive mother, Maarva (Fiona Shaw), is cold and ill, partly as a result of her futile attempts to rebel against the occupying Imperial forces.

This prompts the concern of friend/ex-flame Bix Caleen (Adria Archona), who contacts Luthen to look for Cassian (the increasingly wary rebel decides not to answer). Unfortunately, Dedra has been approved to monitor Ferrix’s communications and is drawn directly to Bix.

She’s eventually captured (the guy yelling “DROP HER” really does, kudos to him) and dragged to an Imperial base for interrogation (there’s a machine that sounds eerily similar to Imperial torture droid in the room). This is a dangerous moment, as Bix can at least reveal what Luten looks like. Between that and Cyril knowing his voice, it feels like the Empire is targeting him.

of Cassian former robbery buddies Vel Sartha (Faye Marcy) and Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) are also on the planet, tasked with killing him to protect Luten’s identity. The locals have no idea where he’s gone, and Vel eventually leaves while Cinta is left alone to wait for him.

Trickster thoughts, unanswered questions, and easter eggs

• The prison is aesthetically similar to the dystopian future world we see THX 1138the 1971 directorial debut of Star Wars creator George Lucas.
• The name “Keef Girgo” is strangely similar to Griff Kargaa character you may remember from The Mandalorian.
• There’s no evidence of this beyond the actor, but Andy Serkis playing Kino and Snoke could mean a connection between the two. If Kino happened to have some Force sensitivity and the Empire took his DNA while he was incarcerated, it may have ended up in Palpatine’s genetic soup used to create Snoke.
• I would spend all day looking out the window of Mont Mothma’s apartment, the view is quite nice.
• Mon Mothma’s obnoxious husband, Perrin, was the “arsonist of the academy” as a teenager, suggesting that he has some rebellious tendencies. It seems the comfortable life in the Empire has dulled them.
• He and Mon married at 15, she became a senator at 16, according to the customs of their homeworld, Chandrila. It’s pretty intense.
• Sounds like Vel is a “rich girl running away from her family.” We hope to learn more about her past.
• Andor isn’t the only Star Wars show coming to Disney Plus on Wednesday — Tales of the Jedi CGI animated short series landed on the streaming service as well.

Come back for more Easter eggs and sightings next Wednesday, November 2when Andor episode 9 hits Disney Plus.