REVIEW: Andor – Season 1, Episode 6, “The Eye”

Television Reviews

*SPOILERS*

In “The Eye,” the mission is on as the Aldhani crew infiltrates the Alkenzi Imperial base. They take the Commandant and his family hostage, ordering him to take them to the payroll or die. Eventually, the men posted at Alkenzi notice that comms are down and investigate. When the Commandant realizes Gorn is a traitor, he threatens to have him hanged. The theft is a disaster, as the crew is outmanned and ill-prepared for what they encounter. Andor, Vel, Nemik, and Skeen make it onto the ship and head out, leaving the others behind. Nemik is wounded, and Andor pilots the ship to a doctor. Skeen proposes that he and Cassian split the money from the payroll and leave the others behind. This angers Cassian so much that he kills Skeen. Inside the doctor’s tent, Nemik dies. Andor takes his cut of the pay and Nemik’s manifesto and leaves Vel with the ship and payroll. 

“The Eye” looks spectacular, both the titular event and the episode’s action sequences. This midpoint at the end of the season’s second arc is my favorite episode so far for a few reasons, not the least of which is the electrifying action. The excitement runs exceptionally high once the jig is up and the Rebels arrest the Commandant. Speaking of the Commandant, Stanley Townsend does a fantastic job in this relatively minor role. Given that he appears to die near the end of this episode, I assume this was a one-off character, but he is both convincing and serves the story well. 

“The Eye” is also a thrill ride full of surprises and turns all the way through. I had my guesses about who would die going into this, and some were right, but I was way off base with others. I assumed Nemik, the youthful, wide-eyed idealist, would not make it out alive, and I was almost right. He makes it out of Alkenzi unharmed, only to be crushed under the crates of payroll aboard the ship. Skeen’s insistence on getting Nemik to a doctor didn’t surprise me, but his revelation to Andor did. I completely bought this guy’s story about his brother and revenge on the Empire! It explained his mistrust of someone like Cassian so well and made him understandable, if not sympathetic. But in “The Eye,” Skeen reveals that he never had a brother and is only out for the money. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Andor’s reaction to this information: he kills the guy! These two completely flip-flopped on me. I thought, if anything, Cassian would bail when things went sideways, and Skeen was loyal to Vel and Nemik. This is all done very well, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach never wavers in the role of Skeen. This is another character we won’t see again, making the intense performance even more noteworthy. It’s unclear if Cinta and Vel will be important or even seen again, and I’m not sure if Gorn died or not! Taramyn seems to be wounded worse than Gorn, who is shot in the shoulder. If tortured and interrogated, he could lead Dedra (or Syril?) to Cassian. At least to an extent, anyway; none of the Aldhani crew knew Andor’s real name. But Gorn’s limited knowledge could further encourage Syril’s hunt for the man who ruined his life. Speaking of Syril, we don’t see him in “The Eye!” I understand keeping the camera on the action; “The Eye” is the season’s midpoint and the culmination of a lot of buildup. But he’s been my favorite character thus far, so his absence is palpable. This is my one gripe with an otherwise excellent episode, but as I said, I can’t really fault it on a technical level. 

Although Syril is my favorite character, “The Eye” is a good demonstration of this ensemble cast’s strength. I don’t care for Cassian much; so far, I don’t find him very sympathetic. I’m more understanding of those opposed to him, such as Dedra and Syril. But other characters on the Rebel side, such as Luthen, Nemik, and Mon Mothma, are more likable. This factors into “The Eye” in particular because so much is at stake. If Nemik wasn’t such a realistic and sympathetic character, for example, his death after only three episodes wouldn’t have much impact. This is especially true because it’s immediately apparent that out of the group, he’s likely to die. Even one-off characters like Commandant Jayhold and the Aldhani tribe’s leader are so well-acted and written that they leave a strong impression. One of the things that differentiate Andor from other (lesser) Star Wars media is the respect paid to the characters. These people and their worlds are treated realistically, even if the setting is far removed from our own. 

Another thing I appreciated in “The Eye” was the juxtaposition of the joyous Aldhani celebration and the destruction below the Alkenzi base. Even the Imperials above ground marvel at the natural beauty of this astrological event as their comrades are gunned down below. This is another case of Andor muddying the waters, forcing us to question how good the rebels are and if some Imperials don’t deserve this treatment. The Commandant’s wife and son are tied up, threatened repeatedly, and ultimately lose a husband and father. How could such a kind, timid woman and a young child deserve any of this? The choices make sense, given what’s at stake, but you still have to wonder sometimes.

I want to mention just a couple more things here: Dr. Quadpaw and Luthen’s one and only scene in “The Eye.” I liked the design and name of the former; it feels very Star Wars in contrast to much of the show feeling like something else entirely. He also reminds me of the boiler man in Spirited Away. Stellan Skarsgard only features in one of the final scenes in the episode, but it’s a spectacular performance. One of his customers mentions Aldhani, sending him into a state of panic. When the man says there was a successful raid there, you see him transition through several emotions like euphoria and relief. Skarsgard has always been a great actor, but this is a particularly terrific scene. 

Overall, “The Eye” is excellent and a high point of the season so far.