S01.E06: The Eye

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

With cover from a spectacular local festival, the Aldhani mission reaches a point of no return.

Dropping Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

[Mr. R0b0t]

Every single thing about this episode was brilliant and beautiful and it's perhaps my favorite Star Wars thing in years.

[Penman61]

Best hour of Star Wars ever. Grateful I was here to see it.

Real suspense, genuine stakes, compelling character moments, a chase scene set against a meteor-filled night sky. And tragic losses. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Penman61

[Tachi Rocinante]

Very well done. 

Is Cinta just going to put a coat back on and try to mesh with the pilgrims? Or was hers always a one-way ride? Same for Gorn?

[dwmarch]

Great episode. As expected, the heist doesn't go off cleanly, mostly because of people not behaving as expected.

I appreciate the realism of having one of the Rebels killed entirely by accident on the way out. We also see the Rebellion learning a harsh lesson here which is that wounded soldiers are a drag on the mission which makes them worse than dead soldiers. I always thought that young, idealistic Rebel was a little squishy. Too soon?

I also liked that the pompous, racist Imperial bigwig had a heart attack after having to sweat for the first time in who knows how many years. Should have kept up on that cardio!

The Eye was amazing. I hope the special effects crew gets a lot of recognition for their work on that. It really was something people would stand outside on a cold night to see. Even the Imperials were impressed.

Speaking of which, I liked that they showed that not every Imperial is pure evil. Some are just working stiffs and the families don't really want any part of it.

I'm compelled to nitpick the jamming device that had bright flashing lights on it (seriously, put a piece of duct tape over those!) but at the same time, everything in this universe has flashing lights on it so it kind of blends in. They should have slapped an Imperial sticker on it to be on the safe side though.

That shot of the TIE Fighters in the hanger was amazing. The pilots drop into them like firefighters!

Also nice that we see Mon Mothma trying to rebel in her own way with an impassioned speech at the Senate (which falls on deaf ears because everyone tunes her out for the breaking news alert). The Senate chamber being mostly empty was a nice touch, as if all the other Senators were like "oh, this grumbling-ass wench again".

[angora]

This show keeps getting better and better, and I already loved it from episode 1.

Considering that we only met these rebels a few episodes ago, I was thoroughly invested in all of them during the heist. Poor Nemik getting fatally injured in the getaway, but it was lovely that he was still able to direct Cassian as they made their escape. It killed me to realize Skeen fought with Vel to bring Nemik to the doctor mainly so he'd have an opportunity to convince Cassian to split with the money.

The Eye was simply *spectacular.* So gorgeous. I loved seeing the faces of the pilgrims as it began in earnest, and watching Cassian fly through it was amazing.

The series has shown us so much more about what it was like for people living under the Empire, but we're learning a lot about the people *within* the Empire too. I like seeing the zealous leader (Anton Lesser's creepy "we are healthcare providers" officer) and patronizing bigotry from the head honcho at Aldhani--both terrible, of course, but it has a lot more dimension than just "evil people doing evil things."

And then you throw in the Imperial soldiers who are just there for the job, especially the ones who are annoyed about being stationed on Aldhani. Lol, I thought the rebels pretending to be soldiers were almost *too* competent in comparison to those guys--if they really wanted to blend in, they should've been complaining and making excuses!

I can't say enough about how beautifully Diego Luna inhabits Cassian. That wary stance, the way his gaze never misses a trick, you can really tell that he's someone who's been looking over his shoulder his whole life, constantly on the lookout for someone to push him around. So different from the Cassian of Rogue One, even as you can see the hints of the man he's going to become. I was disappointed that he wants to run away again, but I get it. You could see the other rebels' remarks getting to him--Nemik noting that he has his beliefs while Cassian has "nothing," Skeen insisting that they're exactly alike--and I think, deep down, he's starting to realize that those things aren't true, but he's not ready to face it yet. He's been in survival mode for so long, he doesn't quite know how to do anything else.

In the first episode with the Pre-Mor corpo, and here again with Skeen, I appreciate that you really see the devastation in his face when he chooses to kill someone. He's been hardened by life, but he's not *hard.* It means something to him when he chooses to someone's life, and he feels the cost of it.

[Fool to cry]

I really hope Vel and Cinta are reunited by the end of the series!

I knew Nevik wasn't going to make it but damn, not like that.

Disappointed in Skeen.

As a long time Star Wars nerd I loved seeing the pilots getting into their TIE fighters.

I think about how the opening crawl in the first movie called it the "Galactic Civil War" instead of a rebelliom but it is aptly named. It is a civil war between people in the galaxy who've chosen to join the Empire and those who don't. It's one big "Stanford Experiment"!

[Jeddah]

This show just gets better and better. 

My closed captioning said the doctor was Quadpaw. Real creative naming there, writers.

I was waiting for someone to notice how scruffy-looking they looked compared to the real guards.

It was such an intense episode, but I liked that it ended with Luthen laughing. He didn’t know about all the losses, or Cassian leaving, so in the meantime he could just be happy and relieved that it worked.

[Msample]

When Quadpaw was working in Nemik, where was Barcona , the former stormtrooper ?

Nemik getting crushed by sliding cargo is the sort of offbeat thing you wouldn't find in the movie verse of SW; it was a nice touch IMO. 

Does anyone else wonder what such a small garrison was sitting on such a large payroll ?

I just realized where I'd seen the actress who plays Vel - she was the Waif ( the Faceless bully who beat up Arya ) in GAME OF THRONES. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Msample

[wanderingstar]

I've been loving this show since the first episode, but this exceeded my expectations. I was on the edge of my seat and nervous for the whole episode. 

I knew some of the rebel crew wouldn't make it out, but I was still sad to see it happen. RIP Tamaryn and Nemik (poor, sweet soul). Is Cinta just on Aldhani permanently?

Did not see the twist with Skeen coming (I sort of loved it when he said "I don't have a brother") Cassian shooting him was a shock. I thought for sure that Skeen wanting to take the money and run + Nemik dying would lead to Cassian sticking with Vel. And on a lesser show that might have happened, but not here. Skeen's remark about him and Cassian only knowing how to climb over people to get out of the hole definitely triggered the scrappy, me-against-the-world instinct in Cass. Skeen probably wasn't all that surprised at "Clem" shot him.

Seeing the news of the heist slowly spread was thrilling but also a bit scary. I can just imagine the wrath the Empire is going to unleash in the wake of the robbery. I just hope they don't blame the Dhanis for being involved. Luthen taking a moment to celebrate was nice, but still stressed me out a bit. For a minute, I thought that customer was an Imperial spy that was onto the plot.

Mon Mothma addressing a senate that was only half paying attention was way too real.

The Eye definitely lived up to the hype.

[Penman61]

Why do we think Cassian shot Skeen?

Psychologically/thematically, Cassian was killing off his mercenary self. But, practically, why do it? Skeen said he couldn’t pilot the ship. Was Cassian afraid Skeen would eventually find a pilot?

[wanderingstar]

42 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Why do we think Cassian shot Skeen?

Psychologically/thematically, Cassian was killing off his mercenary self. But, practically, why do it? Skeen said he couldn’t pilot the ship. Was Cassian afraid Skeen would eventually find a pilot?

My guess is Cassian didn't trust Skeen. Seeing how much of a long con Skeen had played with Vel and the rest of the crew, he probably thought I can't make a deal with this guy; he'll probably end up betraying me and taking all the money. 

[thuganomics85]

All that set up for last week was certainly worth all of this!

Not surprised that the heist would end up hitting some obstacles, but I guess it could have gone a lot worse.  I like that most of the issues weren't because of any major thing or a massively stupid decision, but little, almost human factors that are hard to factor in like Vel and Cinta being delayed due to having to hide from a solider taking a piss (yep, they do use the bathroom in the Star Wars universe!), the gold/credits being heavier than expected, and one comms officer really taking his job seriously enough to figure out something was going down quicker than predicted.

Also not surprised we did get a few deaths.  Taramyn gets shot in the middle of a blaster fight.  Poor Nemik gets fatally wounded in a freak accident when they are trying to escape.  And then Skeen trying to cut a deal with Cassian to make off with the credits and leave everyone else to dry, only for to get straight up killed by Cassian for that attempt.  Again, he clearly was a threat in a lot of ways and definitely not trustworthy, but this is the second time Cassian has killed someone who was unarmed and wasn't trying to fight him.  He really is about self-preservation here.

Was confused by about what happened to Gorn.  He wasn't with them at the end, so did he get killed in the blaster fight too?  Don't see why he would stick around since he would no doubt be executed as a traitor to the Empire.

Another unintended consequence of the heist: news of it breaks when Mon Mothma is trying to pass some kind of bill that sounds like it would have been helpful, but everyone else got too distracted.  Poor Mon Mothma!

The Empire has certainly taken notice now!  I'm guessing this will lead to Dedra taking a pivotal role with trying to hunt them down.

Luthen's smile was everything.  Short term wise, it was relief that they pulled it off.  Long term wise, it was finally having hope that the rebellion might actually have a chance now.

Great episode.

[Penman61]

4 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

Luthen’s smile was everything.  Short term wise, it was relief that they pulled it off.  Long term wise, it was finally having hope that the rebellion might actually have a chance now.

Great episode.

Was I alone in reading Luthen’s ecstatic smile as possibly diabolical? I should think a true rebel leader would be grimly excited but mostly relieved.

So I’m still worried Luthen might be playing us all…

Edited October 12, 2022 by Penman61

[paulvdb]

1 hour ago, Jeddah said:

My closed captioning said the doctor was Quadpaw. Real creative naming there, writers.

Was that really the best they could come up with? When I saw it I thought it sounded more like a racial slur than a name.

[tv-talk]

58 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Why do we think Cassian shot Skeen?

Yeah that was a bit cold-blooded given it's not as if Skeen said "Hey let's just kill those 3 and roll out." However he was clearly never to be trusted and having him along at all would endanger Cassian- so he offed him, just like he killed the fat cop when he didnt actually have to.

8 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Was I alone in reading Luthen’s ecstatic smile as possibly diabolical?

I dont know about diabolical but for sure his motives are beyond what he led Cassian to believe and I wouldnt be surprised if he's totally unconcerned with Cassian and the rebels now that their mission was accomplished. Lastly the guy had Vader-ish armor in his backroom, not a coincidence, imo meant to imply he's dangerous and not exactly what he seems.

[Bill1978]

This was a great episode, made even greater that at the time of watching there were no comments in this thread so I had absolutely no way of knowing what was going to happen. And had to sit through all the tenseness not knowing anything. A blessing and a curse trust me.

I expected deaths but not that many, but I guess if this show is designed in 3 episode arcs it makes sense to get rid of so many characvters so Cassian can continue on his 'Saving Private Ryan-like' quest. It seems that with all their planning they forgot to factor in 'What if one of the officers has free thought?'

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy a Jedi-less series but this has definitely proved to me that I don't need Jedis.

One thought I did have during the raid is that no one offered up the 'May the force be with you' as a good luck. I know at this stage of the world there are no Jedis and I imagine they've already become fairy tales. But in A New Hope they were throwing around May the force be with you even though there weren't any Jedis, so to speak. Would I be correct in assuming that the phase was adopted once the Rebellion is officially formed as a way of inspiring people to remember the good old days and what we are fighting for?

[Msample]

The lack of Jedi references is one of the refreshing things about this series IMO. The Jedi were relatively few in number; its not hard to imagine that in many worlds they are not even present let alone the knowledge of The Force etc .  In A New Hope the Jedi were key characters with Obi Wan, Luke, Vader etc.  And right now with the series set prior to ANH but presumably after Revenge of the Sith, with Order 66 a lot of the Jedi have been wiped out, further decreasing their influence. 

[MsNewsradio]

3 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Was confused by about what happened to Gorn.  He wasn't with them at the end, so did he get killed in the blaster fight too?  Don't see why he would stick around since he would no doubt be executed as a traitor to the Empire.

4 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Why do we think Cassian shot Skeen?

Psychologically/thematically, Cassian was killing off his mercenary self. But, practically, why do it? Skeen said he couldn’t pilot the ship. Was Cassian afraid Skeen would eventually find a pilot?

I am almost certain Gorn got shot almost immediately on screen as the battle in the vault started. Went down very quickly.

Cassian shooting Skeen, practically, made a lot of sense to me. Skeen made it clear that splitting the credits in half would make him "forget" Cassian's face. He doesn't have a real name, but he does have Cassian's description and other details, and could have easily ratted Cassian and Vel out if he thought it would save his own skin. 

[paigow]

36 minutes ago, MsNewsradio said:

I am almost certain Gorn got shot almost immediately on screen as the battle in the vault started. Went down very quickly.

Cassian shooting Skeen, practically, made a lot of sense to me. 

Yes. Gorn was yelling at the guy to stand down... When the General had his heart attack, Gorn got shot.

Skeen was a traitor that needed to die. Vel was a corroborating witness that needed to get home ASAP. 

[Ohiopirate02]

I'm of the opinion that Gorn was ready to die.  The robbery was a way for him to wipe his slate clean before death and as a bonus stick it to the empire.  He was doing what the chief hoped he would do, and the chief did figure it out.  I noticed the chief knew more of the in-universe universal language than the Imperials thought.

[Athena5217]

12 hours ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

Very well done. 

Is Cinta just going to put a coat back on and try to mesh with the pilgrims? Or was hers always a one-way ride? Same for Gorn?

As others noted, Gorn got shot when he was standing next to Mr. “My Sash Shrunk” Empire Guy so I think he intended to escape with the rest but died. I can’t figure out how Cinta is supposed to escape, but I think she has a plan base on Val saying, “Promise me you will be okay.” I can’t imagine saying that to someone on a suicide mission.

This episode was amazing. Very unlike others Star Wars, but it still worked as part of that universe. The spectacle of The Eye was like the other Star Wars (excluding the Holiday Special) because the special effects always impress me.

The complexity of all the characters has me hooked. I even want to know more about Luthien’s assistant. Why does she dislike the Empire? How much does she know about his work? Does she actually like antiquities or is it all just a cover?

[Cthulhudrew]

Haven't finished watching yet, but one thing that really sticks out to me about this episode: no unnecessary background sound. No music playing except when/where appropriate; no ambient noise piping up to distract. Just natural, open space, and crisp, clean dialogue.

It may be just a directorial choice fitting to the setting (one of the most calming, blissful moments I recall was an early winter morning standing atop Mesa Verde in Colorado before anyone else was even up there. No birds, no autos, no people: clear, refreshing silence in open nature). I'd have to go back to see if any other episodes were like this.

In any event: I love it. It reminds me a lot of some BBC productions that I've enjoyed. Truly amazing sound-editing to match the incredible cinematography. This is definitely the best of the Star Wars shows, IMO.

14 hours ago, dwmarch said:

The Senate chamber being mostly empty was a nice touch, as if all the other Senators were like "oh, this grumbling-ass wench again".

I also wonder just how much of it is due to people feeling like the Senate is increasingly irrelevant under the Empire. I also thought it was a great touch; another element of the realism and worldbuilding this show has that few other Star Wars shows have had: it feels very lived-in.

10 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Why do we think Cassian shot Skeen?

I'm more curious to know who would win in a "shoot first" contest, Cassian or Han?

[paigow]

Karn: Cassian Andor! The Empire is looking for you.

Andor: You!!??? I have 40 Million credits...

Karn: Give it to me and I might forget that I found you

2 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

I'm more curious to know who would win in a "shoot first" contest, Cassian or Han?

Andor: Not with me [Unhooks Blaster] But I can get it [Draws & shoots Karn in the head]

[Shanna Marie]

I'm going to have to rewatch this one to catch any details because I got so tense that I couldn't just sit and watch. I ended up pacing the living room. Now that I know what happens, I may be able to watch it more intently.

When the ship doors shut and they were starting to take off, I thought maybe they'd played with our trope expectations and Nemik was going to survive, in spite of all the "marked for death" signs (the number of times Cassian said he'd be okay pretty much sealed his fate), and then he got killed in a totally different way as they were escaping. So cruel.

The local people had a kind of Sami vibe, with the style of their clothing, the sound of their music, and the atmospheric phenomenon that was like the aurora on steroids.

[Ilovepie]

17 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm of the opinion that Gorn was ready to die.  The robbery was a way for him to wipe his slate clean before death and as a bonus stick it to the empire. 

Totally agree, especially after the conversation with the General when he said "you will hang for this" and Gorn said "I've worked for you for six years - I deserve worse".

I was sad Nemik died. I thought it was telegraphed pretty obviously since the manifesto, but when he made it onto the ship I thought "oh! I was wrong!", then he got crushed and I was like "no, I was right!", then they found him alive and took him to a doctor and I was like "it's star wars - they can make him half robot - he'll live!", then the sheet over him, "nope, dead". Boo.......

I had no idea Skeen was a traitor - did not see that coming. And there was a moment I thought Cassian might agree. I was relieved when he took out his gun and shot him, but it put him in a bad position with Vel. Can't wait to see where this goes.

This episode was so awesome! Best episode. I know a lot of people are down on these D+ shows, but for me there have been some incredible episodes and this is one of them.

[wanderingstar]

1 hour ago, Shanna Marie said:

The local people had a kind of Sami vibe, with the style of their clothing, the sound of their music, and the atmospheric phenomenon that was like the aurora on steroids.

So glad I'm not the only one who made this connection. I thought the same thing as soon as I saw the Dhanis walking up from the Lowlands.

[tennisgurl]

That was certainly a great payoff to the last few episodes, this show really is excellent. I admit that when it comes to Star Wars I am pretty easy to please, but this really is one of the best things the franchise has done in quite awhile. Its very much a Star Wars story but it feels very unique, it feels so lived in and down to earth, with more emphasis on building suspense, character growth, and world building than big action scenes or references to earlier movies. I know I've gone on about it before, but Diego Luna really is so great in this show, he says so much with just his body language. Cassian always seems like he's searching every room for an exit, looking at every person to size them up, and he always looks like he's constantly on the verge of going fight or flight at any second. 

You can really see how hard things were for the rebels in their early stages, as much as the cell practiced for this heist, they just didn't have enough training to know what to do when things started happening that they couldn't prepare for. Even after only a few episodes, I really got attached to them enough to feel sad about losing almost the whole cell, especially poor sweet Nemik, and I felt betrayed when Skeen showed his true colors. They made it extra cruel when they killed Nemik, all signs seemed to point to his tragic demise, then it seemed like he got away, then that the doctor could fix him, but then he just died anyway on the table, they kept waving that hope in front of us and then snatching it away. Hopefully it would make him at least feel a bit better that he was right to leave his manifesto to Cassian, who really will one day dedicate himself to the rebel cause and die striking a huge blow that will eventually lead to the Empires defeat. 

Someone online pointed out that Nemik telling Cassian to climb as he dies is a call back to his robot buddy dying a similar way in Rouge One. My heart...

I really like getting to explore more about life under the Empire, the people being actively oppressed by them, people sympathetic to them, people just living their lives, and the people actually working for them. The people working for the Empire themselves really run the gambit, you have people like the asshole Commander who only wants a promotion but you also have his innocent family and the working grunts who are just normal people working a job, it makes the Empire feel like a real place where real people live. The brief scene with Mon Mothma in the Senate especially gave us a real look into the current political situation. She's trying to do some good, but the Senate is losing power and the people still around aren't all that invested, seemingly annoyed with her for trying to even bring these issues up, they presumably have heard a lot of speeches from her about ways to try and help people struggling within the Empire but they don't care at this point. The Empire is in a very complacent place now, they feel like they won and that this is the status quo now and it will be forever, no wonder they're all so shocked at a real win for the new rebellion.

The effects looked incredible, The Eye was like an Aurora Borealis up to an eleven. Then when Cassian was flying through it, so lovely, it looked like a movie. 

[wanderingstar]

Rewatched this again last night, and I realized that I really, really loved the Aldhani people singing and celebrating The Eye. I loved seeing them taking joy in The Eye and their ritual, even in the midst of imperial oppression.  

[Ohiopirate02]

15 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Rewatched this again last night, and I realized that I really, really loved the Aldhani people singing and celebrating The Eye. I loved seeing them taking joy in The Eye and their ritual, even in the midst of imperial oppression.  

I spent most of the episode waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to the Aldhani people and their celebration.  I caught the General saying to their visitor that this was going to be the last year the Aldhanis would be allowed to come to the Eye for their celebration and I thought the worst.  Every time it cut back to them I was expecting the Imperials to open fire on them.  

[Msample]

34 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I spent most of the episode waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to the Aldhani people and their celebration.  I caught the General saying to their visitor that this was going to be the last year the Aldhanis would be allowed to come to the Eye for their celebration and I thought the worst.  Every time it cut back to them I was expecting the Imperials to open fire on them.  

The sense that I got was that the Imperials were going to expand the base at the damn and take down the Stonehenge thingie .

[Shanna Marie]

21 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

The people working for the Empire themselves really run the gambit, you have people like the asshole Commander who only wants a promotion but you also have his innocent family and the working grunts who are just normal people working a job, it makes the Empire feel like a real place where real people live.

As we see more and more about the Imperial hierarchy and bureaucracy in this series, the "dancing in the streets" bits added to the end of Return of the Jedi for the special edition seem less and less likely. With the levels and extent of the Imperial infrastructure, the Empire wouldn't have ended just because the Emperor died. Like on this world, maybe a few of the grunts would have been willing to quit, but if their bosses just wanted to keep on with the way things were, life probably wouldn't have changed much. The Emperor was driving the big picture, but there were a lot of officers and bureaucrats who wouldn't give up power easily. That whole Inspector group probably won't stop work when the Emperor dies. They'd investigate what happened while someone else took over leadership. And I really doubt the people of Coruscant would be dancing in the streets because most of the people living there would have been heavily involved with the Empire and not happy, and those people would have been in control of the people below them, whether or not there's an Emperor.

It was also interesting that the "good guys" in this episode killed a "bad guy" for trying to protect a child -- and that child didn't want to be there and sounded like he wasn't thrilled with the Empire. In fact, I was wondering if the wife and kid would end up siding with and helping the rebels, since they sounded like they weren't at all happy. While the very big picture is quite black and white -- there's no way in which the Empire is a force for good -- at the individual level there are a lot of shades of gray.

[Ilovepie]

22 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I admit that when it comes to Star Wars I am pretty easy to please, but this really is one of the best things the franchise has done in quite awhile.

Thank you for saying this - I feel like Star Wars fans are hard to please and very critical, and most of the time I love all of it. I sometimes feel like I'm the only one. It makes it even sweeter when one of the shows lives up to the hype!

[Shanna Marie]

On 10/13/2022 at 2:24 PM, tennisgurl said:

I admit that when it comes to Star Wars I am pretty easy to please, but this really is one of the best things the franchise has done in quite awhile.

I'm right there with you. Every time I watch an episode of this series, I think of how my 10-11 year old self's mind would be blown to be getting a Star Wars TV series that's as good as the movie. Back then, there was just the one movie, and you could only see it at theaters, if it was even showing. Just about all Star Wars content was versions of that one movie -- the novelization, the comic book adaptation, etc. the only new stuff was a non-canon sequel novel and the Holiday Special. This series would have been beyond my wildest dreams.

Seeing the security bureau staff kick into gear at the end made me think that it might be fun to have a series that follows them through the events of the first three movies. There would be the follow-up to the big security breach in Rogue One, then the investigation into the destruction of the Death Star. Vader had to learn about Luke somehow. Then later an investigation into what happened to Vader and the Emperor and the second Death Star.

[MissL]

On 10/14/2022 at 12:26 PM, Shanna Marie said:

As we see more and more about the Imperial hierarchy and bureaucracy in this series, the "dancing in the streets" bits added to the end of Return of the Jedi for the special edition seem less and less likely. With the levels and extent of the Imperial infrastructure, the Empire wouldn't have ended just because the Emperor died. Like on this world, maybe a few of the grunts would have been willing to quit, but if their bosses just wanted to keep on with the way things were, life probably wouldn't have changed much. The Emperor was driving the big picture, but there were a lot of officers and bureaucrats who wouldn't give up power easily. That whole Inspector group probably won't stop work when the Emperor dies. They'd investigate what happened while someone else took over leadership. And I really doubt the people of Coruscant would be dancing in the streets because most of the people living there would have been heavily involved with the Empire and not happy, and those people would have been in control of the people below them, whether or not there's an Emperor.

I THINK we can talk about this here but that’s exactly what some of the official post original Star Wars books portrayed if I remember correctly. That while the empire lost some power and direction without the emperor some generals (I think Thrawn?) stepped into the vacuum left by him and the rebels needed to continue to fight.  I could see a general celebration happening and then a crackdown.  Also I never really understood who they were fighting in the new movie sequels but I got the impression it was some leftover empire structure still functioning. 
 

I sometimes no longer feel like a real Star Wars fan because I’ve never watched the cartoon clone wars and I don’t understand all these additions who show up in the mandalorian or other Star Wars shows (and my nephews get frustrated when I don’t get excited and stare blankly at them when they are like “but it’s so and so from clone wars!) so I really appreciate this show builds characters on its own and it’s ok that the original Star Wars and rogue one (and obviously a couple of books I read over 20 years ago) is enough to enjoy this universe. 

[Jeddah]

On 10/12/2022 at 3:20 PM, Penman61 said:

Was I alone in reading Luthen’s ecstatic smile as possibly diabolical? I should think a true rebel leader would be grimly excited but mostly relieved.

So I’m still worried Luthen might be playing us all…

I’ll be sad if Luthen turns out to be a bad guy. I sort of felt like the show made a point of showing him putting his wig and jewelry on when he returned to Coruscant to show us that who he is there isn’t his real self. The real Luthen is the one who recruited Cassian. I may be reading way too much into that. I just like his character, and I want him to be on the right side. When I rewatched it though, I can see how it could be seen as an unhinged, diabolical laugh. I guess that’s what makes Stellan Skarsgaard so good. Even his laugh has many layers.

[andromeda331]

Such a great episode! That theft was crazy! I'm not surprised it didn't go the way they expected. That feels realistic especially with so many troops. I do hate that most of them were killed but I'm glad they got away with the money. 

[Raja]

On 10/12/2022 at 7:22 AM, dwmarch said:

That shot of the TIE Fighters in the hanger was amazing. The pilots drop into them like firefighters!

It reminded me of Space: Above and Beyond, with the cockpit/escape capsule based on a F-111 were dropped into the Hammerhead fighter fuselage before they "catapulted out of their spacecraft carrier.

On 10/12/2022 at 8:32 AM, angora said:

This show keeps getting better and better, and I already loved it from episode 1.

Considering that we only met these rebels a few episodes ago, I was thoroughly invested in all of them during the heist. Poor Nemik getting fatally injured in the getaway, but it was lovely that he was still able to direct Cassian as they made their escape. It killed me to realize Skeen fought with Vel to bring Nemik to the doctor mainly so he'd have an opportunity to convince Cassian to split with the money.

The Eye was simply *spectacular.* So gorgeous. I loved seeing the faces of the pilgrims as it began in earnest, and watching Cassian fly through it was amazing.

The series has shown us so much more about what it was like for people living under the Empire, but we're learning a lot about the people *within* the Empire too. I like seeing the zealous leader (Anton Lesser's creepy "we are healthcare providers" officer) and patronizing bigotry from the head honcho at Aldhani--both terrible, of course, but it has a lot more dimension than just "evil people doing evil things."

And then you throw in the Imperial soldiers who are just there for the job, especially the ones who are annoyed about being stationed on Aldhani. Lol, I thought the rebels pretending to be soldiers were almost *too* competent in comparison to those guys--if they really wanted to blend in, they should've been complaining and making excuses!

I can't say enough about how beautifully Diego Luna inhabits Cassian. That wary stance, the way his gaze never misses a trick, you can really tell that he's someone who's been looking over his shoulder his whole life, constantly on the lookout for someone to push him around. So different from the Cassian of Rogue One, even as you can see the hints of the man he's going to become. I was disappointed that he wants to run away again, but I get it. You could see the other rebels' remarks getting to him--Nemik noting that he has his beliefs while Cassian has "nothing," Skeen insisting that they're exactly alike--and I think, deep down, he's starting to realize that those things aren't true, but he's not ready to face it yet. He's been in survival mode for so long, he doesn't quite know how to do anything else.

In the first episode with the Pre-Mor corpo, and here again with Skeen, I appreciate that you really see the devastation in his face when he chooses to kill someone. He's been hardened by life, but he's not *hard.* It means something to him when he chooses to someone's life, and he feels the cost of it.

It caught me that the 3rd Squad ignored Andor's advice as the half left handed squad all had their weapons pointed at each other during the escort. That aside that was among the best raid episode hours that I can remember. It was a more serious Kelly's Heroes.  And given their "amateur's" status I was surprised at the two "SEALs"

[NDW5332]

On 10/12/2022 at 12:55 PM, Jeddah said:

My closed captioning said the doctor was Quadpaw. Real creative naming there, writers.

This is also the same universe that had characters named Yak Face and Hammerhead.  Solo had a background lobster-looking character named Therm Scissorpunch. The Mandalorian gave us Frog Lady and had an ant looking character named Dr. Mandible.

Quadpaw fits in nicely!

[Kel Varnsen]

On 10/12/2022 at 10:33 PM, Athena5217 said:

I can’t figure out how Cinta is supposed to escape, but I think she has a plan base on Val saying, “Promise me you will be okay.” I can’t imagine saying that to someone on a suicide mission.

I was wondering about her. It seemed that when the people from the Tie Fighter base radioed and asked if everything was ok, she could have responded yes, and then maybe they wouldn't have launched the fighters. Was this something she did on purpose or did she freak out because it wasn't planned?

Also when the local people threw the fur that the empire gave them on the fire, was that part of the ceremony, or was that their way of saying fuck you to the empire and their stupid stereotypes their people?

The eye was really cool and I liked how they used it to get away from the fighters. The whole thing at the end with the security people talking about their retaliation plans was interesting but did not sound good. But that kind of thing must have gone on all the time in those days of the empire.

[Frost]

I was hoping the crew would explode the remaining credits.  I don't think they even got away with half.  That's still good for funding the Rebellion, but it leaves a lot in Imperial hands.

[andromeda331]

On 11/21/2022 at 10:40 AM, Frost said:

I was hoping the crew would explode the remaining credits.  I don't think they even got away with half.  That's still good for funding the Rebellion, but it leaves a lot in Imperial hands.

So do I. That would have been great.

[Camera One]

This was a tense one, as expected.  As others have said, it was natural that things don't go as planned.  I didn't think they would have to rely on the guards there to load the ship with credits.  They could easily have been much more reticent.  

Maybe their communication should have been a little more cryptic or more mundane so even if their communications were overheard, it wouldn't immediately signal alarm bells.

The way the battle was cut was a little confusing.  I too didn't catch Gorn being shot.   I also thought Nemik wasn't able to get onto the ship, for some reason, but he did turn out to be on the ship.

Though it was predictable, I too was sad to see half the rebels go down.  Basically, all the guys in this one.  I would have liked to have more episodes with Nemik, in particular.  Yes, the deaths showed the stakes, but shows that get you attached to characters only to kill them off wear me down with time.

Skeen changing sides was a shock.  I can see how he could be dangerous to the cause if Cassian kept him alive.  Will Vel believe Cassian that Skeen turned?  She did push him to take Nemik's manifesto, which suggested she didn't totally see him as the enemy.

In some ways, the plot is more interesting if Cassian is off on his own again for a bit.  Though I would also have wanted to see what would have happened with the team if the heist had gone off perfectly.  

[Shanna Marie]

Last night, I rewatched this whole arc back-to-back, and it really works well as a movie. I noticed a neat little bit of foreshadowing in the first episode of the arc that echoed how it turned out -- when Luthen and Cassian were escaping Ferrix in the first episode of the arc, Luthen warned Cassian to hang on to something. Then Cassian didn't, and when Luthen accelerated, Cassian got slammed into the back wall. And then that's what happened to Nemik when Cassian accelerated as they escaped from the heist. I think Cassian even shouted for them to hang on.

I also noticed the little detail that every time someone gives Cassian something to drink, he sniffs it before drinking.

Cinta bears a slight resemblance to the girl who was the leader of young Kassa's tribe. She basically has the same hair, and up to the heist she wore is in a similar way. I think she also has a similar bearing and mannerisms. Skeen noticed Cassian staring at her and commented that she was already sharing a blanket, but I wonder if Cassian was being reminded of the leader of his tribe.

The shot of the Dhanis and the Imperials all watching the Eye together in awe is so beautiful and also sad. They were able to share a very human moment together in appreciating something of great beauty, but it's very likely that the Imperials will be able to forget sharing that with them and go right back to oppressing them. It was like the Christmas Truce incident in WWI, where seeing each other as humans and celebrating together didn't stop them from going back to trying to kill each other.