We’re halfway through the second and final season of Andor, and this week’s batch of episodes was intense.
For six episodes, the writers have been laying the groundwork as the Empire tightens its grip on Ghorman. Now, in episodes 7–9, we finally witness the Ghorman Massacre play out for the first time in Star Wars media. And it’s just as horrific as you’d expect…
Episode 7: Messenger
Set in 2 BBY, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) have settled on the growing Rebel base hidden in the jungles of Yavin 4. Wilmon Paak (Muhannad Bhaier) returns to inform Cassian that Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) wants to know when he’ll be ready to work.
But Cassian is getting tired of being Luthen’s lap dog and wants to focus on helping the Rebel Alliance expand.
“You act like Luthen’s the enemy,” Wilmon says.
“That would be easier,” Cassian replies.
Eventually, Wilmon reveals the real reason he came: Luthen wants Cassian to return to Ghorman and assassinate ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough). Wilmon insists this mission is bigger than revenge for his father’s death or Bix’s torture. Luthen wants Dedra gone to protect his identity and stop the atrocities happening on Ghorman.
Cassian reluctantly accepts the mission and heads to Ghorman with Wilmon; this time under the alias Ronni Google, a journalist working for the Mid-Rim Network.
Before leaving Yavin, Bix takes a stubborn Cassian to a Force-sensitive healer (Josie Walker) to treat a blaster wound on his back. Cassian doesn’t believe in the Force, and while the wound is healed, the experience leaves him shaken. After he leaves, the healer tells Bix she saw a glimpse of Cassian’s future—that he’s a “messenger” who “has a place he has to be.”
Episode 8: Who Are You?
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Ghor and their planet. Curfews are enforced, and the ISB has barricaded a monstrous building that’s starting to resemble a fortress. Captain Kaido (Jonjo O’Neill) has deployed young, inexperienced Imperial troops into the streets, and the Ghorman Front are fighting amongst themselves.
Everything is going according to Dedra’s plan: provoke the Ghormans without cracking down too hard, so people won’t fear the ISB. When the plaza in Palmo opens, locals decide to protest despite Carro Rylanz (Richard Sammel) warning that it’s a trap.
Meanwhile, Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Empire and what’s happening on Ghorman. He slowly realizes he’s not trapping outside agitators, he’s been used as a pawn by the ISB. Carro confronts him and reveals mining ships have been spotted all over the planet. Later, Syril encounters KX security droids at the ISB building.
These events push Syril to 1) slowly lose what’s left of his sanity and 2) demand answers from Dedra. He gets violent, choking her and threatening to throw her out a window if she lies. Dedra finally admits the ISB is mining something (called Kalcite) for the Empire’s energy program. And that she’s known about this for years but kept it from him. Disgusted, Syril walks out on Dedra and stares in horror at the damage he’s helped cause.
The Ghorman Massacre
As the Ghor protest the Imperial presence by singing in their native tongue, Captain Kaido has a sniper kill one of the cadets. The angle makes it look like the protesters fired the shot, giving the ISB an excuse to unleash hell. Stormtroopers pour in, and the KX droids decimate everyone in their path. The locals, despite being armed, are outmatched and outnumbered.
Cassian, caught in the chaos, struggles to get a clean shot at Dedra. Just as he lines one up, Syril tackles him into a nearby hotel. The fight is short—Syril’s inexperience and a well-timed grenade see to that. Syril grabs Cassian’s blaster but freezes when Cassian asks, “Who are you?” Realizing the man he’s been obsessed with doesn’t even know him, Syril hesitates just long enough for Carro to shoot him in the head.
Cassian and Wilmon are chased by a KX droid until rebel Samm crashes his vehicle into it with enough force to tear it apart. Cassian salvages the droid’s body and leaves Ghorman. Wilmon stays behind to be with his girlfriend and fellow rebel, Dreena (Ella Pellegrini).
Episode 9: Welcome to the Rebellion
In the days after the massacre, the Empire pins the blame on the Ghormans. They paint the Ghor as violent insurrectionists and the Imperials as “heroes” who were brutally murdered.
Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) is horrified and decides to speak out against Emperor Palpatine in the Senate. She asks fellow Senator Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt) to arrange her extraction to avoid arrest.
Later, Luthen shows up at the Senate to warn Mon that Bail’s team has been compromised. Mon brushes it off as more of Luthen’s paranoia—pointing to his decision to kill her childhood friend Tay Kolma as proof. When Luthen reveals that her servant, Erskin Semaj (Pierro Niel-Mee), has been working for him for years without telling her, it’s the last straw. Mon fires Erskin, feeling betrayed.
Meanwhile, Luthen’s agent Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) gives Cassian a new mission: get Mon off Coruscant. ISB Supervisor Lagret (Michael Jenn) is organizing her arrest with help from a double agent planted in Bail’s team.
During the Senate session, Bail invokes Article 17-252, allowing Mon to speak without interruption. She delivers a blistering speech that tears into Emperor Palpatine and his regime:
“The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us—when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands—we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest…
What took place yesterday… what happened on Ghorman was unprovoked genocide! And that truth has been exiled from this Chamber! And the monster screaming the loudest? The monster we’ve helped create? The monster who will come for all of us soon enough… is Emperor Palpatine!”
As she exits, Cassian reaches her and kills the double agent before she can make the arrest. With help from Erskin, Cassian and Mon escape and regroup at one of Luthen’s safehouses.
Cassian reunites with Wilmon and Dreena, who escaped Ghorman. Back on Yavin, he tells Bix he’s ready to quit the rebellion and live a quiet life with her.
But the next morning, Bix is gone. She leaves a video message explaining she believes the rebellion needs him—and she doesn’t want to be the reason he walks away. She promises that once the Empire is defeated, she’ll find him and they’ll be together again. But if you’ve watched Rogue One or have read spoilers, you know that will never happen because Cassian will be killed about a year later.
Don’t feel too bad for Cassian because he won’t be alone. Melshi (Duncan Pow), one of the prisoners from Narkina 5 has arrived at Yavin and rebel engineers have reprogrammed the KX security droid from Ghorman, now going by the name K-2SO (Alan Tudyk).
The final three episodes of Andor will premiere on Tuesday, May 13 at 9 p.m. EST on Disney+.
