Eric Geller

Eric Geller @ericgeller

* Shoutout to the editors for a cut from Dedra looking out a window, lit by Ferrix daylight, to Luthen facing same direction as he prepares to exit his ship, a dark silhouette framed by the same daylight. Two masterminds, hunter and hunted, both willing to do whatever it takes. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Final thoughts: * Someone on Reddit said Disney should release Nemik’s full manifesto as a podcast, and hell yes, I would love that. * Shoutout to Nicholas Britell for just mind-blowing music in this ep (& season). The music for Nemik's monologue is particularly spectacular. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

One might wonder: Why, prior to PORD, would the Empire ever release prisoners who'd helped build the Death Star? Wouldn’t they fear ex-cons leaking sensitive construction info? Cassian may have already given us the answer: The Empire can't imagine rebels posing a real threat. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

@wtime90 Yes! It's the most watchable-without-context Star Wars anything. It's really just a TV show set in the Star Wars universe, not a Star Wars TV show. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

It's hardly a novel observation, but I have to note the tragic irony of the fact that Cassian helped build the weapon of his own destruction. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

The final shot of this final scene eerily parallels the composition of Andor's title sequence. But the camera only briefly lingers on the full shape of the battle station before abruptly cutting to darkness, a jarring cut that only enhances your mounting sense of dread. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

When you finally see the Death Star in all its glory, it’s presented as this haunting, terrifying *thing*, almost alive in its malevolence. We’ve seen the Death Star so many times over the years that it’s hard to present it in a new and scarier light, but this scene nails it. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

The composition of this brief scene is absolutely chilling: the endless scream of TIE fighters, dramatic music, and the moment of realization as the recognizable form of the widget is slotted into a structure that is at first unfamiliar and then quickly becomes obvious. Damn. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

That's right, Cassian and friends were building the Death Star, baby! Or at least one widget on it. Presumably other prisoners, on other levels or in other facilities, were building the rest. While not a huge surprise, it's a beautiful way of linking this show to Rogue One. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Well, surely by now — 70 tweets in — we've talked about every scene in the finale, right? We've certainly talked about every scene that I saw before turning off my TV the first time I watched it. Thank god for Twitter alerting me to the existence of the post-credits scene. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Partagaz understands that Dedra is onto something by hunting for Axis, but until she can show him results in that hunt, he doesn’t want her second-guessing other operations. It’s a reminder that he’s her boss, not her friend, and his patience for her critiques is not unlimited. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Dedra thinks Partagaz will take her side, but he's enmeshed in politics. This op was more important as retaliation for Aldhani than as part of unraveling a bigger puzzle. Partagaz is under immense political pressure on him to show results. Wiping out a whole cell will do nicely. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I like seeing how Dedra’s fellow ISB officers regard her. They’re just happy to have killed a bunch of rebels, so they find her frustration with the lack of prisoners annoying. They can’t see the bigger picture like she can, so they don’t understand the need to piece it together. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

The fact that we learn so little about the actual Kreegyr op only makes it more disturbing. We know the trap was successful and the cell's been eradicated, but the lack of details about exactly what went down invites us to use our imaginations to fill in the terrible blanks. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Back to the ISB. As Blevin talks to Kloris, you can hear applause from another room. When Lagret tells Blevin that he’s missing the Anto Kreegyr operation, you realize that the ISB officers are cheering for the successful ambush of Kreegyr’s doomed cell. It’s a chilling moment. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Leida appears pleased to be carrying on the totally normal, healthy Chandrilan tradition of arranged child marriages. Perrin, to his credit, is clearly concealing strong distaste. Mon, meanwhile, looks sad and resigned. She hates this — but she knows it's necessary ... for now. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Mon may also be trying to connect Davo Sculdun to Perrin’s supposed gambling debts, hoping that, if Perrin goes down, Davo will go down too, and she'll have an excuse to break off Leida's arranged marriage. If so, we simply have to stan the incredible deviousness. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Despite hedging her bets by framing Perrin, Mon still goes through with the arranged marriage of Leida to Davo’s son. She’s learning from Luthen that you always need to have a backup plan. The gambling thing might not fool the Empire forever, so Mon needs Davo’s help too. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Lest we think Blevin only noted Perrin's debts as an embarrassment, he specifically says they might explain Mon's “odd banking moves,” showing that her plan appears to have worked. She's fooling the Empire — or at least Blevin. Will a more astute investigator catch her later? — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Blevin hinting that the ISB might use Perrin’s gambling debts to publicly embarrass Mon not only adds another layer of ruthlessness to the show's portrayal of the ISB, but it also nods at the sordid history of real-world intel agencies doing this with their political opponents. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Blevin's later convo w/ Kloris wonderfully illustrates exactly how much Mon annoys the Empire. She’s “of great interest” to the ISB — but you get the sense that the Empire doesn’t yet see her as a major threat. Her strategy of presenting herself as a mere annoyance is working. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Mon’s nervousness at the beginning and end of the scene shows that she’s not entirely comfortable w/ what she’s doing, which is a great detail to add. She recognizes the necessity of this betrayal, but it still doesn’t come naturally to her. Will we see that, too, change in S2? — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

There will be some who say that Perrin doesn't deserve this — that, sure, he's a jerk, but he's not a monster. Well, (a) celebrating the Empire does make you a monster, and (b) the greater good demands it regardless. Only now has Mon reached the point of realizing (b). — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Putting Perrin in the ISB's crosshairs for something bad that he *didn't* actually do (this time) is easily the coldest thing Mon’s done yet, and it shows a dramatic evolution in her willingness to get her hands dirty for the cause. Can't say enough about how much I love this. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Needless to say, Mon displays astonishing ruthlessness and shrewdness by feeding the ISB, through her driver-spy Kloris, a false cover story for her banking moves. By tainting her husband’s name with false gambling allegations, she’s protecting her finances from scrutiny. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Fifty tweets in, having thoroughly covered events on Ferrix, this thread can now turn to our elegant Machiavellian dissident queen, Mon Mothma. Boy oh boy does the finale take her desperate scheming to an amazing new level. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Speaking of Cinta, I was surprised and thrilled to see her kill Corv just when you think he’s cornered her in a climactic spy-vs.-spy showdown. She takes advantage of being underestimated to ruthlessly tie up a loose end. Does this open up a position on Dedra’s staff for Syril? — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

You can see the hurt in Vel’s eyes, but Cinta barely notices her disappointment. Only when Vel tells Cinta to turn around does Cinta seem to realize that Vel is frustrated. Poignant illustration of how the obsessive work of rebellion takes a toll on people’s personal lives. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I’m glad we finally got more Cinta/Vel scenes; their relationship felt pretty underdeveloped thus far. That initial scene is so sad. Cinta's completely focused on the mission, and the knowledge that she’s doing the right thing pains Vel, who wishes they could just be together. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

At the end of the episode, Mosk sits alone, sipping a drink. You have to wonder what he's thinking. He wanted to make a difference on behalf of the Empire, but once again, everything has gone wrong. Mosk’s posture and expression suggest a relatable weariness and disappointment. — PolitiTweet.org