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Andor's surprise twist is Star Wars at its most heartbreaking

"I'll get back as soon as I can..."

By David Opie

16 Nov 2022

Disney+

Andor episode 11 major spoilers follow.

Andor is unlike anything else Star Wars has ever done. That should be painfully obvious by now, eleven episodes in, but it bears repeating because everything this show has achieved so far is galaxies beyond the rest of Disney's slate. Truly. And episode eleven, titled 'Daughter of Ferrix', might be the best example of that yet.

Cassian barely appears this week, which itself is pretty bold for a franchise that usually obsesses over its central characters. But it's Andor who ends up making the most impact still, precisely because he is absent for so many of this episode's key moments, including one that changes everything.

Light years away from Luthen's swirly laser antics in space, news of Maarva's sudden death hits right in the gut, just a few minutes in. The reveal comes out of nowhere, and we don't even get to see Maarva's last moments. But that's the point.

Death isn't always grand or operatic, no matter what other Star Wars projects would have you believe. Sometimes people just die, stricken with disease or old age in bed. But that doesn't make these deaths any less meaningful or important.

Maarva's death matters, and not just because she's Cassian's foster mother. Maarva had a life. She was connected to others as part of a wider community, and the immediate aftermath of her death makes that register in ways genre TV so rarely grapples with.

With Maarva gone, it's left to Brasso to prepare for the funeral. At this point, Cassian's whereabouts are still unknown, so Jezzie and other Daughters of Ferrix also step up to help, coming together in a time of crisis. But what really makes the news hit home isn't what any of these people say or do. It's the reaction of Marva's droid, B2EMO, that hurts the most.

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"I want M-M-Maarva," cries the robot. But Maarva's gone, and it's not until you hear Bee's voice crack that you really feel this properly in your gut. Without Cassian, the emotional weight of this scene hinges on Dave Chapman's voice performance, which brings a tangible sadness to Bee's robotic voice, plus a tinge of fear as well.

Scared for the future and in desperate need of comfort, Bee refuses to leave Maarva's side, even in death. But he's also afraid of waiting alone, so he asks Brasso to stay with him overnight.

The hesitation you can hear in Bee's voice when he asks, and the tentative hope that comes through before Brasso answers, is even more devastating precisely because it comes from the mouthpiece of a droid.

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Star Wars has toyed with this notion of droids having emotions before, even earlier on in Bee's Andor arc, but never like this. Maarva's life touched B2EMO deeply, even though he's an artificial being, and seeing the love that's been fostered there makes her death feel even more profound.

Everyone is impacted though, clearly, which is why it's poignant to learn how Maarva's body will be treated following the funeral. On Ferrix, residents have their remains cremated, packed into bricks, and then placed in a wall so they physically become the building blocks this community is based on. It's the perfect send-off for Maarva, someone who clearly had a powerful impact on those around her.

But it's not until the very end of the episode that we see how truly devastating this impact can be.

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After surviving that horrific THX 1138-inspired prison, Cassian is finally free, so the first thing he does is what anyone would do who's suffered so much: call his mum.

Xanwan intercepts the call but Andor is too excited to hear the sorrow in his voice.

"I need to get a message to Maarva Andor," says Cassian. "Tell Maarva 'I'm okay'. Tell her 'I'm thinking about her. She’d be proud of me.' And I'll get back as soon as I can."

But Maarva will never be proud of all the new things that Cassian has done. She'll never know that he was one of the rebels on Aldhani, just like she'll never know that he helped free thousands of men from that f**ked-up prison. And she's never going to know that he'll go on to change the course of history with one last, defiant act of heroism (as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

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Andor remains unaware of all that until Xanwan interrupts his message to say the words that no one ever wants to hear.

Grief crashes into him then, flooding his mind like the waves that crash onto the beach close by. Cassian is bereft, his entire body consumed with shock and pain. Of all the horrors he's faced throughout his life, this is the one that threatens to overwhelm him completely.

But Andor doesn't let it show, not entirely. We can see the pain flash across his features as his body tenses up, wracked with grief, but he doesn't break. Not on the outside. Instead, Cassian holds it all in as he returns to Melshi. "Yep, everything's okay," he lies, desperate to focus instead on what's next for them both.

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Melshi wants to split up, thinking that will give them a better chance of getting the word out on what the Empire's really up to in those prisons. Plus, it will make it harder for them to be captured again too. Andor agrees, and gives Melshi a hug before they bid farewell to each other.

It's only then, when Cassian is finally alone with his thoughts, that the reality of his mother's death takes hold. There's no melodramatic fist shaking though, no wailing to the clouds above. Instead, Andor sits with the news, staring out at the sea and the horizon beyond.

In a story full of bigger personalities, Cassian can sometimes fade a bit into the background of his own show. But that's only because the character is so guarded, content to observe before acting. So even now, upon receiving the worst news of his life, Andor still holds himself in.

Disney+

But thanks to Diego Luna's extremely nuanced, award-worthy performance, Cassian's heartbreak remains tangible nonetheless, barely contained beneath the surface.

It's a moment unlike any other in Star Wars history, which is fitting, because this entire show is unlike anything else that's ever been produced in the history of this franchise. And while we know already how this story will end, expect to see plenty more surprises in next week's finale when a grief-stricken Cassian finally returns to Ferrix with the Empire at his heels.

Andor streams on Disney+, with new episodes every Wednesday.