‘Andor’ Recap: Season 1, Episode 4 “Aldhani”
In the fourth episode of Andor, Luthen manages to convince Cassian to participate in his first mission working with the Rebel Alliance. However, when he meets the crew and learns the true extent of what they’re about to try to pull off, Cassian begins to wonder if he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Meanwhile, Syril Karn suffers the consequences of his rash decisions made on Ferrix, and we meet the Imperial Security Bureau.
Luthen’s offer
On Luthen’s ship, he tells Cassian that he seemingly has two choices: he can either drop him off somewhere to run, or he can come join him and help with something important. Or … well … he can try to kill him and take the ship. As Cassian bandages his arm, he inquires what Luthen means by “important,” and he tells him that it involves stealing something of real value from the Empire. Cassian would rather take the drop-off option, but Luthen carries on. He’s offering him everything that he wants — to put a real stick in the eye of the Empire and get paid for it.
Cassian comes to realize that Luthen likely works with the Alliance or another similar outlet (they’re all the same to him). But Cassian doesn’t believe in the cause after all that he’s seen and been through; he’d rather live. Not yet put off, Luthen continues to try and convince him to put his skills to use — he didn’t come to Ferrix and risk his life to obtain the unit, he did it to get Cassian. The mission he wants him to participate in will take five days, and if he survives and delivers, he’ll give him 200,000 credits. What’s the target? The quarterly payroll for an entire Imperial sector.
The Imperial Security Bureau
During an Imperial Security Bureau meeting, they discuss the corporate security incident on Ferrix (and also make note that Cassian’s stolen Imperial Starpath unit was discovered at the scene). The Imperial Security Bureau reprimands and punishes Syril Karn and his colleagues, including the Chief Inspector — even though he wasn’t even there to sanction the wild goose chase. Moving forward, the Morlana system is now under Imperial authority (congrats). Syril packs his bags and returns home with his tail tucked between his legs.
After the meeting, supervisor Dedra Meero begins to look further into the Starpath unit that was retrieved from the site. This should now give her jurisdiction over the incident. When another member of the bureau refuses to turn over the files from the incident, she goes to speak with him personally, but he won’t budge — Ferrix is his sector. The two of them bring the issue to their superior, and Dedra pleads for him to understand that she strongly believes what occurred may be related to the Rebellion. He dismisses her suspicions.
Cassian joins the mission
Having agreed to the mission, Luthen drops Cassian off on a planet to meet with the team’s leader. Though Vel is initially hostile about the idea of taking “Clem” on, Luthen manages to convince her that Cassian is a valuable asset. Cassian and Vel make their way back to camp, and she warns him that the others can’t know about Luthen. He’s baffled to learn that they’re actually robbing the Imperial armory at the Aldhani garrison — suddenly the mission has become much more dangerous, especially considering there are only seven of them now (counting Cassian).
When they get to the camp, most of the crew is hesitant about the introduction of an outsider so late in the game. Val makes up an excuse as to why she’s brought “Clem” in now and leaves no room for argument. Later, when the team walks Cassian through the plans for the heist with a small-scale model that they’ve built to illustrate the armory, he’s initially put off by how improbable it all seems. However, they’ve carefully planned this entire mission around a celestial event — which only occurs once every three years — that will provide the much-needed distraction that they’ll use to escape … in three days. Cassian’s in.
A meeting with Mon Mothma
As his ship approaches Coruscant, Luthen slips on a disguise and gets into character for the role he’s about to play as a shopkeeper. Senator Mon Mothma arrives at the shop under the ruse that she’s in search of a birthday gift for her husband. With her escort distracted, Luthen takes her into the back. Mon Mothma has been funneling money to the Rebel Alliance, but there are too many spies now, and moving it around has been more difficult. She tells him that she found someone that she thinks can help; she wants to bring them into the circle.
Episode 4 of Andor is now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Episode 5 will premiere on Wednesday, October 5. Stay tuned for all of our coverage on the series, including episodic recaps and more.