Summary (TL;DR)
After escaping Ferrix, Luthen offers Cassian a chance to join the rebels for a high-risk mission. Cassian agrees to the mission, in which he must steal the quarterly payroll for an Imperial sector. Meanwhile, Syril Karn is fired from the Imperial Security Bureau and forced to move back home. Senator Mon Mothma meets with Luthen to discuss bringing in an outsider to help funnel money for the Rebel Alliance.
Luthen’s Offer
After successfully escaping Ferrix, Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) presents Cassian (Diego Luna) with two options:
1. Join the rebels and assist Luthen in an important mission.
2. Have Luthen drop him off at a location to hide from authorities.
Cassian starts to realize Luthen’s affiliation with the rebellion, but he remains skeptical about the cause due to his experiences. Living whatever life you can under the regime feels like a safer choice to him.
Undeterred, Luthen reveals that his real purpose in Ferrix wasn’t to buy the unit — he wanted to recruit Cassian for a high-risk mission that will span five days. If Cassian delivers and survives the mission, Luthen promises to pay him 200,000 credits. The critical task? Stealing the quarterly payroll for an entire Imperial sector.
New Imperial Order
On Coruscant, the galaxy’s capital, we’re introduced to the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). Though appearing as an intelligence and law enforcement agency, the ISB’s true purpose is to keep citizens under Emperor Palpatine’s control and eliminate rebel threats. “We are health care providers,” Major Partagaz (Anton Lesser) explains. “We treat sickness. We identify symptoms. We locate germs whether they arise from within or have come from outside. The longer we wait to identify a disorder, the harder it is to treat the disease.”
Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin (Ben Bailey Smith) reprimands Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) for his disastrous raid on Ferrix and dismisses both Syril and Chief Inspector Hyne (Rupert Vansittart), despite the latter’s lack of involvement in the fiasco. As a consequence of Syril’s actions, the Morlana system now falls under permanent Imperial authority — something Hyne had wanted to avoid. Having lost everything, Syril returns home, where his mother first slaps him and then embraces him.
The ISB recovers the stolen Starpath unit that Cassian was trying to sell, and the unit’s origin from Steerguard falls under Supervisor Dedra Meero’s (Denise Gough) jurisdiction. Convinced that the stolen unit is linked to the growing rebellion, Dedra seeks all reports related to the Ferrix incident. However, Blevin refuses to comply, claiming Ferrix as his sector. The matter is brought before their supervisor, Major Partagaz, who denies Dedra’s request, citing insufficient evidence.
Joining the Rebels
Having agreed to join the mission, Luthen drops Cassian off on the planet Aldhani, where he adopts the alias “Clem” in honor of his late adoptive father, who was executed by the Imperials. As a down payment, Luthen gives him a Kuati Signet, a necklace with a kyber crystal symbolizing the uprising against the Rakatan invaders. Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), the heist’s leader, initially resents the addition of “Clem” three days before the operation. Luthen makes it clear that Vel has no choice but to accept Cassian/Clem, or the mission will be called off. Failure is not an option.
Vel introduces Cassian to her small group of rebels, with Imperial Lieutenant Gorn (Sule Rimi) acting as their contact. The plan involves infiltrating the heavily guarded Aldhani garrison, breaking into a vault to seize the payroll, and escaping in a freighter. Cassian starts to doubt the team’s ability, consisting of only seven members, including himself. However, the rebels remain confident, relying on a celestial event that occurs once every three years to serve as cover for their escape. Everything should proceed according to plan… assuming Cassian can catch up in time.
Double Lives
Luthen travels to Coruscant, disguised as an antique shop owner. Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) visits his shop under the pretense of seeking a birthday gift for her husband. Luthen doesn’t trust her new driver, so he takes the Senator to the back of the store to speak privately. Mon confesses to funneling money to the Rebel Alliance, but the Empire is onto her. With too many spies monitoring her, Mon seeks to bring in help from outside their tight inner circle. Not thrilled with Mon’s decision, Luthen has only this to say: “It’s a daring choice, but I trust you’ll have the courage to turn back if it becomes overwhelming,” he quips as he returns to his shop owner persona.
Episode 5 of Andor will premiere exclusively on Disney+.
