Andor Season 2, Episodes 4-6, “Ever Been to Ghorman?” “I Have Friends Everywhere,” and “What a Festive Evening” Spoilers Ahead
Andor Season 2 continues its streak of quality storytelling and heartbreaking ramifications of the Rebellion for Cassian and his allies. The fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes — “Ever Been to Ghorman?” “I Have Friends Everywhere,” and “What a Festive Evening” — highlight the growing presence of the Empire on Ghorman, the resistance growing, and the tension that threatens to suck the air out of every corner in the galaxy. The second season is officially halfway through, and the stakes have never felt higher.
Vel Will Carry Cinta’s Death Everywhere She Goes
Andor Season 2, Episodes 4-6 make it very clear that no character is safe. When you’re in this fight for the Rebellion, there’s a good chance you won’t make it out alive. You forfeit the chance at a normal life or relationship for the secrets you keep. Last week in the first three episodes, we lost Brasso; this week, we lost Cinta Kaz. One of the remaining few of the Aldhani crew, she and Vel reunite a year later on Ghorman after briefly seeing each other on Chandrila before she took care of Tay Kolma. For years, Cinta had been keeping her distance from Vel after getting into some trouble, yet the love she had for Vel never wavered. On what would end up being their last night together, Cinta apologizes to Vel for hurting her. From Luthen’s perspective, the two of them are worth more to him separately than they are working together. After Vel declares they should have a chat with Luthen after their job on Ghorman is done, the former lovers kiss and make up for lost time.
Unfortunately, fate is not on their side in Ghorman. One of the Ghorman resistance fighters kept a blaster on him after being instructed by Vel that only she and Cinta should be carrying blasters. In a scuffle with another Ghorman citizen, he accidentally shoots Cinta. Vel is forced to move away from Cinta’s body and make her escape with the other fighters. Faye Marsay communicates Vel’s heartbreak with tears in her eyes, and her barely concealed anger at the fighter who did this when she tells him that he’s going to take Cinta’s death with him everywhere he goes. In the same vein, Vel will take Cinta’s death everywhere she goes.
Kleya Is the MVP of the Rebellion
We’re officially halfway through the second season, and I’m ready to say that the Rebellion wouldn’t have lasted without Kleya Marki. Period. She is the glue that holds Luthen’s entire operation together. Kleya holds the lines of communication between Rebel allies across the galaxy. She is the one who has a plan before Luthen does, and nothing showcases this more than the events in Season 2, Episode 6, “What a Festive Evening.”
Thanks to listening devices she and Luthen placed in various antiques being sold, Kleya is first made aware that some of their sold pieces are indeed fake. This means there will be extra scrutiny over the antiques and, potentially, the bugs being discovered. Although Luthen is panicked about being caught, Kleya calmly tells him they need to prepare. The two of them go into the Imperial party on Coruscant and come out with their listening device retrieved. It’s all Kleya who gets the job done. She recruits Lonni to help cover for her as she covertly removes the device under the guise of harmless flirting while in the same room as Krennic. Even as the palpable tension rises as Krennic and his party move closer to Kleya and Lonni, even as Kleya struggles to remove the bug without making a scene, failure is not an option. She bleeds for the cause, as seen by her hands after she successfully retrieves it.
As far as duos in Star Wars, Luthen and Kleya are an underrated one. They work in tandem to keep their operation alive. Trust is a valuable commodity in their line of work, and if we were to guess who Luthen trusted the most, we’d look no further than Kleya. In Andor Season 1, Luthen told Lonni that he shared his dream with ghosts, and he burned his life for a sunrise that he knows he’ll never see. If his end is indeed near, I can’t think of a better person to keep his dream of freedom alive than Kleya.
Bix and Cassian Against the Galaxy
From the first episode of Season 2, it has been abundantly clear that Bix Caleen has PTSD. She has been haunted by the torture inflicted on her by Dedra and Dr. Gorst. With Cassian away on Ghoran, she’s left alone on Coruscant with no one to help her keep the nightmares at bay. That’s when she turns to self-soothing with drugs. The way Adria Arjona makes Bix look hollowed out and defeated is nothing short of heartbreaking. By the time Cassian returns in “What a Festive Evening,” Bix tries to put up a brave front that she’s doing ok. She’s grounded because Cassian is there. When Cassian discovers Luthen paid Bix a visit while he was gone, he risks blowing Luthen’s cover by confronting him at his shop. Cassian is willing to put the Rebellion on the line for Bix. More than that, Cassian is willing to go to war with Bix in order to torture and kill her former tormenter.
In the final scene of “What a Festive Evening,” Bix finds Dr. Gorst alone in his Imperial office, ties him up, and sticks his own torture headset over his ears. Bix makes sure that the last thing Dr. Gorst will hear is the same noises that have haunted her since she was last on Ferrix. The sound drops as Bix sets the headset on Gorst, and it adds a chilling layer to the scene. But she’s not alone. As partners in all things, Bix leaves the building where Cassian meets her, and for good measure, he blows up several floors.
One of the biggest surprises for me as a Star Wars fan is the way Andor Season 2 has made me embrace Cassian and Bix’s relationship. In Season 1, they definitely had a past, and Cassian had his share of one-night stands while on the run. Yet, in Season 2, Cassian and Bix made the decision to not only rekindle their former flame but to become each other’s safe haven. They are partners in every sense of the word. At the same time, Cassian and Bix are visibly frustrated when Luthen sends him off to Ghorman without her. They’re in the Rebellion together to win, but more than that, it’s them against the Empire. It’s something special, and I haven’t felt this way about a couple in Star Wars in a while.
Unfortunately for the audience, we know their story will come to an end. Cassian is destined for his story to end on the shores of Scarif. We’re officially halfway through the season, and somewhere between now and the finale, Cassian and Bix aren’t together. The ending is drawing near, and I’m not ready to say goodbye. For now, I’m going to enjoy the depth and care between Cassian and Bix as they fight to survive and bring the Empire to its knees.
Related Content: Andor Season 2, Episodes 7-9 Review
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