This episode was all about the nuts and bolts of spycraft and pre-war revolution. Lots of give and take and information and counter info and trying to figure out what the other side is doing. It makes for tense but subtle storytelling, entrusting the actors and writing with setting the mood rather than bombastic action.
Things pick up with Kleya, and thematically she is the one the story uses as a foundation point. She is listening to a bug in Davo Sculden’s office who has just discovered one of his precious art pieces is a forgery. Of course the bug they planted is on one of the pieces and he is about to have the entire collection recertified which means their bug would inevitably be discovered.
The possibility for discovery poses a potentially massive security risk and Luthen is up in arms over the prospect, especially because they haven’t gleaned any major information from the bug. Also, it was hard to hear from the recording, but I believe Davo had the dealer that sold him the piece killed; guess that’s the price for betraying a gangster. At least Luthen would never trade in forgeries if only to keep his cover intact.
It does sound like the next episode will involve Kleya and Luthen attending Davo’s party. I wonder if we’ll see Leida there without her mother for once. Either way it may be quite dangerous, especially if Davo finds out about the bug. The other important stuff with Luthen dealt with a visit he makes to Bix who is in rough shape. She is using drugs to sleep and is watching garbage television (which we knew was a thing but cool to see it confirmed), not cleaning up after herself and sleeping with a gun in her hand. I worried about her too, and I bet his answer will be to give her work to keep her distracted.
We start Cassian’s journey on Coruscant where he starts to listen to a cover story as he travels to Ghorman. It feels like a hard fit at first. He has to pretend to be someone named Varian Skye, a fashion designer who is traveling to Ghorman as a rite of passage for all designers. Yet when he arrives he disappears into the role, and has an absolutely lovely conversation with the bellhop who actually witnessed the Tarkin massacre.
It once again shows Cassian’s softer side from the first scene of the season with Niya. Is it just acting? It’s kind of hard to know for sure, but perhaps his relationship with Bix and his dedication to the Rebellion has allowed him to soften towards certain people. That isn’t the case with Carro and Enza, though. Cassian is outright antagonistic with them both during his interactions and practically tells them to give up their fight because they are amateurs who will get themselves killed.
While he isn’t wrong, I think he is going about this the wrong way. It is very true that he’s right about everything. They did screw up and trust the wrong source of information (Syril) and are being manipulated by the Empire (Dedra). Yet, Cassian needs to cultivate and encourage, not belittle and curtail their work. Perhaps I come from the coaching mentality, where positive reinforcement works better than negative. I just can’t quite believe he is going to succeed in helping them if he continues to be hostile.
Speaking of Syril, he does a great job of playing his part as the ISB comes and raids his office for bugs. His anger seems genuine and it clearly ingratiates him to his people as he shuts down for a visit to his mother on Coruscant. Perhaps it was a way to keep Syril and Cassian from meeting, but I thought it was an elegant way to show how circumstance and chance can make or blow any game of intrigue. If Syril had waited one more day to go on his trip, the Ghorman Front might have introduced their new Rebel operative to him. Can you only imagine how Syril would act? Would Cassian even recognize him?
Either way, Syril ends up going straight to Dedra and having an hour with her in the dark. I honestly don’t want to know what they did in that apartment, but he was clearly upset that they had so little time together. Plus she had him followed, and while it was obviously romantic banter, there was a subtext that trust was one of their relationship issues. I do wonder if they will take things back up when he is finished with his Ghorman assignment.
Syril is also being recognized directly by Partagaz, which is interesting. Is he an official ISB undercover operative? Or just a confidential informant that Dedra has cultivated? Will he join the ISB officially once his assignment is done? Or continue to work in the Bureau of Standards? So many questions I want to have answered, which is incredibly mundane and makes me realize that I have started to actually like Syril. Is it too much to hope that he eventually realizes his loyalties are corrupt and he turns into a triple agent? Unlikely, because he said to Dedra in confidence that it was the best day of his life.
The situation is clearly coming to a head soon, with the Empire orchestrating a win for the Ghorman Front, and Cassian about two guesses away from realizing that it is all an Imperial plot. Carro and Enza seem very determined to go ahead with their plans so I’m very curious where the action goes from here. Although I can imagine the entire Ghorman Front will die tragically, especially without Cassian’s help. It would fit with their almost French resistance vibe. Lets just hope Cassian is able to lead them through it, and their heist goes better than his last one at Aldhani.
The third part of the episode was almost entirely divorced from the action on Coruscant and Ghorman, as Wilmon continues to struggle with Saw Gerrera’s insanity. He is training Pluti with eight different variations to hard tap into a Rydonium line, which given its considerable combustibility makes sense that it is next to impossible to do. At first we like Pluti, as he tries to defend Wilmon and save him from Saw’s need to tie up loose ends. So when Saw comes to discuss Pluti’s readiness, it feels like a forgone conclusion that Wilmon was going to die. Turns out Pluti was an Imperial spy. Go figure, I didn’t see that coming.
On their actual mission I wasn’t sure exactly what Saw was talking about at first. He kept going on and on about Rhydo, and how exposure feels like an itch. How they had to work naked because clothes melted. How old men would drop and die on the spot. It was weird and insane and I couldn’t wrap my mind around it until I realized it was a recruitment speech. He was working on Wilmon, making him understand that the Rhydo was just a metaphor for the resistance and the explosive nature of rebellion that sparks into war.
Bits:
The opening music was very different, featuring what sounded like radio channel skipping. It was all distorted and bizarre, with the actual theme coming through in bits and pieces.
It’s fascinating to see that Cassian is working at the same level as Dedra, Syril and Luthen, but the Ghorman Front isn’t even close.
Elizabeth Dulau (Kleya) has been standing toe to toe with Stellan Skarsgård (Luthen) for the entire series so far, and usually steals the scene. She is very impressive and I had never seen her before this series.
Forest Whitaker is a legend, and that whole final whole speech was phenomenally delivered. But Saw is a wild card, his own thing, and his faction are radicals and extremists. They’re probably the closest thing we’ll see to a terrorist group in Star Wars.
Eedy was again absolutely impossible. Such a good actress. I mean she has made the character so horrible that you hear her voice and your skin crawls.
Quotes:
Luthen: “Ah, this old place. Not many safehouses have a view.”
Enza: “It’s hard to be patient when your world is falling apart.”
Carro: “They’re building an armory.”
Cassian: “In the center of town?”
Dedra: "We’re skeptically confident, Sir."
Partagaz: "Words to live by."
Carro: “Tell your friend I am not impressed.”
The dynamics of this episode are incredibly complicated and should’ve been hard to follow, but the pacing and editing and of course the writing are so on point that never once did I feel confused or overwhelmed. That is why this show is so good.
3.5 out of 4 Rebel Plots and Imperial Machinations
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.
The thing about this episode that stood out for me (other than Forest Whitaker's frightening insanity) was how professional and smooth Cassian has become. Not to mention that slick outfit and flippy hair. :) And his transformation has been so believable.
ReplyDeleteI'm also surprised by how interested I am in what's happening with Dedra and Syril. They have managed to make this villainous pair human. I want them to turn into rebels, but I'd also believe it if they stay the face of evil here.