REVIEW: Andor – Season 2, Episode 4, “Ever Been to Ghorman?”

“The mission is dinner; I think we can handle it.”

Television Reviews

***SPOILERS***

“Ever Been to Ghorman?” finds Bix and Cassian one year after the events of the previous arc, restless and traumatized, hiding in a safe house on Coruscant. Meanwhile, Syril works in a Bureau of Standards field office on Ghorman. Bix still suffers from nightmares and even hallucinations from what she has experienced. Cassian tries to keep her safe even though they’re agents for the Rebellion who are rarely safe. Syril contacts Dedra, who gave him this job via the ISB. He excitedly reports that the Ghorman Front has invited him to a meeting, just as they had hoped. At ISB headquarters, Lonni ingratiates himself to Partagaz, Heert, and Lagret by observing that the Empire is arresting more people than they can process. Mon Mothma lobbies for votes to kill the PORD from season 1, and even Ghorman’s senator refuses to help. Lonni meets with Luthen and informs him of Dedra’s position over Ghorman. Syril attends the meeting, where he witnesses impassioned speeches and meets Elector Carro Rylanz, the Front’s leader. He tells Syril about the Ghorman massacre carried out by Grand Moff Tarkin 16 years ago, and that the new Imperial Annex building is rising over the memorial site. Rylanz essentially invites Syril to join their movement. Andor responds to a summons from Luthen, who gives him a job on Ghorman, but he can’t take Bix. On D’Qar, Wilmon meets with Saw Gerrera and his men to teach them how to use a fuel mining machine. However, Saw doesn’t allow Wilmon to leave when he’s supposed to, taking him captive. Andor decides to take the new mission and shares an intimate goodbye with Bix. Once he has gone, she appears to take some type of drug. 

Before I really get into it, I enjoyed the “previously on” segment before “Ever Been to Ghorman?” Andor reminds me of Avatar in that you can’t skip the “previously on” unless you have the show memorized. Usually, I would find this a strange thing to even comment on, let alone praise. But it’s extremely well-edited and almost feels like its own little story, particularly with how the Andor theme swells over the footage of Cassian and later Mon Mothma. This was a strangely satisfying way to start the episode, and it excited me for what was to come. Also, the dialogue in Andor is always good, but I lost track of all the great lines in this episode. “Don’t become too much of an individual, Syril,” from his overbearing mother, was a good one right out of the gate. I loved him saying, “I have spiders to count,” before abruptly hanging up on her. This was a great comeback to everything Eedy said to Syril, and it was just hilarious. Season 2 of Andor is just as dark as the first, but it’s much funnier. I’m surprised how much humor there has been this season so far, and how well it works with the show’s tone. Heert snapping at Dedra, “Has it ever crossed your mind that Partagaz put me on Axis because I don’t seek glory?” caught me off guard, and it seems unwarranted. But I can’t say it’s out of character; Heert is a brown-noser, only interested in colleagues who can help his career. I also liked Bix telling Cassian she isn’t Maarva or his sister, trying to get him to stop obsessing over protecting her. Mon Mothma’s plea, “If we do not stand together, we will be crushed,” was chilling. Carro Rylanz replies to Syril, saying, “I’m here as myself,” with “What a refreshing position.” I could go on and on, but I’m just amazed at how strong the writing is in “Ever Been to Ghorman?” that it stands out among this show’s already excellent writing.

Bix’s mental health spiral continues to be disturbing and freaky. I can’t imagine waking up to the imagined face of the man who tortured you. It gets even more twisted in “Ever Been to Ghorman?” as he’s taunting a dead soldier whom Cassian killed to protect Bix’s identity, something she isn’t comfortable with. This is a running theme in the episode where Cassian understands the cost of war, but Bix still values the lives of Imperial soldiers. She wants to buy towels and decorate the safe house. I think she longs for the simplicity of the life she had on Ferrix and is struggling to mourn that and accept her new life with all its violence and moral ambiguity. I don’t understand her repeatedly stating that she can handle herself, only to take drugs(?) as soon as Cassian leaves. I was initially afraid she was ending her life, but I don’t think they’d do that right now. Bix’s story isn’t over yet; it can’t be. 

I loved everything with Syril and the Ghormans. I was initially really confused, as he’s very convincing; I was legitimately questioning whether or not Syril had indeed flipped and become something of a Rebel sympathizer. Something about his scenes with the Ghorman Front made me think he will eventually flip for real, like his chemistry with Rylanz’s daughter. Will he betray Dedra and the Empire? I lean towards no, but it’s interesting to think about. After all, we have three more years to go in the show’s time; anything could happen. I love the scene where Syril leaves a string on his apartment door to check later if anyone has broken into his apartment. I’m sure this isn’t uncommon for spies or paranoid people, but it made me think of Dr. No because James Bond does this with a hair in the movie. 

Watching Mon Mothma lose the fight against the Public Order Resentencing Directive is sad. If you remember, this was huge in season 1, leading to Cassian’s arrest and stay in Narkina 5. It basically means the Empire can arrest anyone for any reason and punish them however they see fit. Even Mon’s friend Dasi Oran, Ghorman’s senator, won’t speak out. He’s more worried about placating the Emperor, which will probably lead to his planet’s destruction. I love the look of Ghorman and the whole atmosphere on this planet. The language and politics are clearly inspired by France, specifically during the German occupation in WWII. 

“Ever Been to Ghorman?” is delightful. The writing is tight, brisk, and shockingly funny at times. But there’s some really disturbing material here, too, like Bix’s trauma and what I think will happen in Ghorman. Heck, the Ghorman Front thinks Syril will help them, and he has no such intentions. It’s been a great season so far, and I look forward to more.

***

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