What a beautiful, sad and unexpected episode. Well, not entirely unexpected, but this is not how I pictured things would play out.
I think Luthen knew his end would be like this, not with a bang or a whimper, but a quiet goodbye. No fanfare, no remembrances, not even a proper farewell to the person he was closest with. His last moments were a cat and mouse game with his mortal enemy, and it was fitting. Luthen’s grand schemes and compartmentalized games meant that in the end, he was the final weakness in his organization.
Of course he couldn’t risk being taken alive, so his suicide was both tragic and understandable. They set it up too, although in the moment I wasn’t sure why he picked up that dagger. At first I thought he was going to attack Dedra, but no, that’s not Luthen. The man who can sacrifice fifty men for the cause would have qualms about ending his own life for that cause as well. It was almost a muted gasp of surprise and shock on my part when it happened, followed by a resigned sigh of grief and acceptance. There was no other way for him.
Except, oh boy except, Lonni finally came through for the Rebellion. He didn’t just give details about the ISB, he found the motherlode. Kyber, Erso, Jedha, Ghorman, Scarif and Krennic. Those people, places and things mean everything, because they are the key to the Emperor’s ultimate plan: a super weapon capable of destroying a planet. Of course I’m talking about the Death Star.
But poor Lonni, he may have joined the ISB and worked his way up into that room, but he had been a valuable asset for years and Luthen just killed him mercilessly to guard this secret. I wish I hadn’t seen that death coming, but Lonni always felt like he was going to draw the short straw.
The Death Star is a terrifying concept to try and wrap your head around. We’re used to the idea because we watched a plucky band of rebels destroy it. (Well, really, one farm boy with a connection to a mystical force.) Yet to a group of people trying desperately to rid the galaxy of a fascist and authoritarian regime, it would be like hearing the Empire had been secretly working on creating a bomb capable of destroying an entire country in a second. Just increase the scale of that idea by a thousand. It is shudder inducing if you really think about it.
Anyway, after Lonni’s death and Luthen’s capture, the rest of the episode deals with the consequences of that event. For an episode with essentially two main characters, it ultimately falls on Elizabeth Dulau (Kleya) to do the heavy lifting. She is an action spy in this episode, all while grieving the man who was ostensibly her adoptive father. Yet, as we find out, their relationship was far more complex than I realized. Hell, Luthen and Kleya aren’t even their real names. He was a soldier who was fed up with war; while not specified, it was likely during the Clone War. During a mission where he couldn’t stand it any longer, he stumbled upon a girl who was hiding from the conflict.
We don’t learn much about Kleya, which I suppose is fitting. We do see that she is incredibly smart, capable and within a day Luthen had found his perfect companion and apprentice. That scene in the market where she turns the bartering around from eight to eighteen was very cool to watch. It was just a handful of scenes set in the past, but they were formative. They showcased the formation of her resolve, and what it meant to be a rebel, with explosive consequences.
The flashbacks fill in some important gaps, and give us at least an outline of Kleya and why she feels like an extension of Luthen. Why she can argue with him to the point where she feels like the boss. It is because their relationship isn’t one of boss and employee, it is familial, and that explains so much without really explaining anything about either of them. That’s beautiful writing.
The flashback scene in the cafe where they blow up a bridge isn’t specified, but I’m almost positive that it was Naboo. The show keeps making sly connections between Luthen or Kleya to Padme Amidala. I don’t know if that is because Elizabeth Dulau looks so much like Carrie Fisher and they are just being cheeky, or if they are hinting that Kleya is connected to the Skywalker family in some way. Either way, it is fascinating.
I wanted Kleya to get off Coruscant, but she had to sort out loose ends, which meant dealing with Luthen. While tense and serious, the entire sequence where she stormed the hospital felt like a Star Wars version of James Bond, complete with explosive diversions and terrifying blaster efficiency. Kleya’s the kind of spy entire franchises are built around, and if she survives this season, maybe they should do a spin off around her. I’d watch it.
In the end it was all about the mission, and she completed it without hesitation. Of course she was sparing Luthen from endless torture and probably a very painful execution or life in prison on a world like Narkina 5. Now she is the only one with information about the Death Star. How much do you wanna bet that’s how Cassian re-enters the picture? I guess Cassian was right about the fact that Luthen should have left years ago, although Luthen was also right because he needed to stay near Lonni.
What struck me is the clear parallels between Kleya and Cassian. Both were orphans left behind. Both were found while in a star ship. Both of them were cultivated for their skills by Luthen. But where it differs is that while Kleya was trained, Cassian was loved. Where Kleya focused in on the Empire as a child, Cassian learned to clean parts with his adoptive father. I don't think it would ever occur to Kleya to get out and settle down; the fight is her entire life. But it does explain why Luthen was drawn to Cassian in the first place. He recognized some of his protégé in him.
Bits:
The opening music sounded Terminator-like. Kleya really did feel like the Terminator at times. How many people did she just mercilessly kill? Half a dozen, including that incredible shot to that Stormtrooper’s head.
The action picks up again One Year Later, in BBY 1.
The episode begins and ends with a beep, which signaled Lonni’s endgame and Luthen’s death.
I love that Dedra was arrested for overstepping again, but Heert screwed up this time. She was right, she had captured Axis and because she wasn’t there, they lost him. Because how much do you wanna bet if she had seen that explosion she would’ve ordered the troops to stay put?
The image of Kleya alone in that safehouse hit hard, not just her grief on display but the fact that the space looked so run down. Just two years earlier, it was home to Cassian and Bix. It felt like a visual example of the decay of Imperial rule.
Kleya and Luthen’s small exchange in the shop where they shared a small smile was telling, as if they were waiting to die.
I thought the camera work in this episode was stunning, especially all those lovely vistas on Coruscant and the reflection on the ISB headquarters building. This show really makes this world feel alive in ways that enrich the entire franchise.
Quotes:
Luthen: “I think we used up all the perfect.”
Luthen: “I lie, get used to it.”
Luthen: “Freedom scares you.”
Dedra: “Freedom? You don’t want freedom. You want chaos. Chaos for everyone but you. Ruin the galaxy and then run back to your ridiculous wig and little workshop.”
Luthen: “You’re finished. And you’re too late. The Rebellion isn’t here any more. It’s flown away. It’s everywhere now. There’s a whole galaxy waiting out there waiting to disgust you.”
Another fabulous episode carried by two of the best characters in Star Wars.
4 out of 4 Deaths and Explosions
Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.
An exceptional episode. I thought Luthen was despicable in many ways and what he did to Lonni was awful, but I also didn't want him to suffer and I actually cried. And Elizabeth Dulau was just amazing. I also give a lot of credit to the actress who played her as a child.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to find out what happened to Dedra. (I haven't seen the next two episodes yet.)