Andor (TV Series) The Axe Forgets (2022) User Reviews

Another Enjoyable Episode

[MamadNobari97 · 8/10 · 5 October 2022]

I already know so many people are gonna call this episode a filler and a waste of time or an unnecessary one, but this is what I love about this show, it takes its sweet time to establish characters and build up to the main event.

They are doing a great job of characterizing at least half of the group and establishing their characters as more than just a "guy/gal number #4 wanting revenge", they all have their backstories and you can feel they are actual characters.

This show is more about showing the details of the plan and the process of the planning than the plan itself. It might be boring to some who just want to see blaster shootings and lightsaber fights, but I think it's a great change of pace from the usual Disney Star Wars stuff.

It is especially refreshing after watching so many MCU and SW Disney Plus shows only having 6 episodes where half of the time nothing of importance happens and then they rush everything in the last episode.

The way they approach the planning rather than just jumping to action without build-up reminds me of Better Call Saul and how they also cared about building up and showing the details and practices of the planning which is one of the reasons that the show was a masterpiece. Of course, this show isn't comparable to masterpieces like Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad, but the slow-burn approach to storytelling is similar to that.

Like I said, this episode might not seem necessary to some, but it gives us a more great characterization of the group and is slowly making us care about them and the dynamics of the group changes rapidly as we go on. It's been only 2 episodes and these characters feel more real than any new character we saw (or even the old ones we knew) in Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett.

The cinematography and the visuals of this show continue to impress and everything feels professional and high production and the direction is great too.

All in all, I really enjoyed this episode and I don't care if it's a slow burn or it doesn't have explosions every 5 minutes, because I actually enjoy these characters and this way of storytelling because the characters actually feel real, whereas give me 2 hours of action and lightsaber fighting in Kenobi and I'd be bored out of my mind because I don't care about any character or the writing.

Character development takes center stage

[poseyfan · 8/10 · 6 October 2022]

Another slow burn episode. Lots of character development, but not much plot development. And for me, I am still really enjoying it. I am absolutely loving the interpersonal conversations. This show has been such a breath of fresh air for Star Wars.

You can argue that the story is too slow and it could have been told in 3 episodes up to this point, but I'm really invested. I will say though that I was expecting the dinner party and the job to be shown in this episode, but now I have to wait another week. But alas. They should have released the episodes on a daily basis, or all at once.

Overall, I'm excited for more. And we got space Captain Crunch!

8.5/10.

The Story Telling

[movieturtle2013 · 8/10 · 5 October 2022]

After this episode I truly believe that Andor is one of the best story tellings in the entire Star Wars universe (only movies and shows; not games and books).

The writing relies heavily on show don't tell. The stakes feel real. In just one episode the show managed to make me care about a group of entirely new characters, made me interested in where they came from and what their motivations are.

This show diverts entirely from the Star Wars we know and focuses on the little people. We get to see the workings of the empire and not just have them as a luring evil that functions mostly in the background or appears when our heroes need a bit of resistance. They are people doing their jobs and believing in what they do. They, just like the rebells, are driven and have their motivations. We rarely get to see that side of the empire and it is so fascinating to see it.

Andor is (and probably will remain as) one of my favorite story from the Star Wars universe. The story telling is masterful and I cannot wait for more.

My gosh this show is good

[vandykeu · 9/10 · 5 October 2022]

I'm a longtime SW fan, but my absolute favorite story was the Rogue Squadron series, because of how it protrayed 'everypeople' (rather than Jedi) on both sides.

Andor is pulling that off in a way nothing has before, and it is doing it in a way that would fit in among some of the best dramas on TV. This episode is all about building tension, and I swear it would fit in something like The Wire, or maybe Generation Kill. I don't choose that last by accident, as Susanna White also directed some of GK. You can feel the similarities here, and it is amazing to have that in a Star Wars story.

To me, this episode has three amazing scenes: 1) Mon Mothma's breakfast scene, demonstrating the tension she has in her family. That she is devoting herself to something other than them results in clear resentment and misunderstanding from both her husband and her daughter. They don't share her values, and you can see how this hurts her. She wants to make a difference, but they want to live the good rich life.

2) The scene where Andor reveals his motives. It is great from a character development standpoint, and also from a perspective of teamwork and leadership. He is coming clean. They accuse him of being afraid and he owns it, but who wouldn't be afraid of the mission? People are going to get hurt and probably die, and it is a huge risk. Fear is natural. The acting by everyone in this scene is just tremendous, and the writing is the best Star Wars has ever had.

3) Luthen listening on his radio for news. Again, this is building the tension. There is a classic WW2 film, "Sink the Bismark" that largely portrays the British Admiralty, and in it, they show how it feels to be waiting for the news of the battle. Luthen shows that same feeling. He knows the news is going to be a terrible disruption, even if it is good. The dialogue is minimal, but the tension is palpable.

This is just so freaking good. I've always wanted a 10-episode Rogue Squadron series done in the style of a Band of Brothers/The Pacific. I don't think this is as good as that idea, but it is very, very close. I know George Lucas always said Star Wars was a kid's story, but I think that attitude has held it back from delving into the deeper questions that would motivate such a story to take place. It's brilliant to see an attempt. I cannot wait to see more!

Don't be in a hurry

[danfloyd-72504 · 9/10 · 7 October 2022]

This show carries its pace for a reason. There's a great story being told here, and they intend you to savor it. I can't say enough good things about this show.

The tone and feel are what they should be. The Empire is too complacent and uncaring, and people aim to make them pay. It's truly the beginning of a cause, and you can feel it in the characters. Nobody is doing anything on a whim.

Character development takes center stage, but also an important build for what's coming. I want to see the main mission carried out successfully, but also don't want to miss the wonder of what's going to be happening at the same time. So far, the show promises that great things are coming, and the quality of every scene makes you believe that they'll deliver.

A well-written slow burn

[gdwilding · 7/10 · 6 October 2022]

The writers of Andor continue their winning streak of delving deeper into dynamics at play amongst the band of rebels.

While shows like the Mando or BoBF would have filled this episode with some kind of wacky side quest distraction, Andor takes the time to build suspense and flesh out characters for the mid season climax to come.

Episode 5 may not be the flashiest or most intense episode yet but its interesting enough to keep the momentum. With the reveal Star Wars universe has cereal with blue milk, Andor is shaping up into a series that will be fondly remembered by fans of Star Wars and breakfast alike.

Building up for the big one....

[lloydrb-1 · 9/10 · 10 October 2022]

The series seems to be operating in 3 episode arcs. This episode is the second of it's arc and is all about people and the 7 p's of mission planning (Proper Prior Preparation Prevents P*** Poor Performance). Cassian is embedded with his team and is briefed on the plan. He makes some suggestions which the team begrugingly accept and establishes his credentials. He also admits his true motivation after a confrontation, money, which the team also seem to accept.

The Empire officers and enlisted personnel come across as professionals just doing their job. The intelligence officer who takes pills so she can work harder and later but is also mindful of her subordinate's time.

Never has a TIE-Fighter sounded so terrifying or looked so ominous.

Another reviewer mentioned they loved the Rogue Squadron series as it was all about the "working stiffs" of the Star Wars universe and that this series reminded them of that. I totally agree, I really enjoyed that series too and I find that this has been fantastic so far.

Great show. Small gripe: I'm frustrated by the episodic pacing.

[AmplifiedLife · 5 October 2022]

Solid show. Great episode. Fascinating characters and locations etc. The ONLY thing I'm not enjoying is the well crafted tension & suspense, being relieved prematurely, due to the weekly distribution schedule. If you haven't seen the show yet, and can avoid spoilers, I'd recommend this show be binged. Or watched in increments of your preference.

At the end of the last episode, it felt as though it was building to "something" all episode. Something big. And what I mean by that is, for me, the energy of the episode evoked a feeling... that something significant was coming, and coming very soon. But then it ended rather abruptly, and although I enjoyed it, I was also slightly disappointed.

So ok, I figured, it'll happen next week (this episode). But then, when this episode began I thought, again... that "something big", whatever that is, is now definitely happening soon, and probably near the end of this episode. Hopefully. They recreated the same suspenseful vibes, etc. But again, nothing "big". Yet.

The episode was exceptional, but I'm still not "in to" the episodic release schedule of certain shows. It works fine for some. But I'm not enjoying it for Andor. I think in the future, I may stop watching week to week, and just wait for the season to end before binging. Granted, it's only a personal preference, but I felt compelled to say it... for the record.

The Axe Forgets

[lassegalsgaard · 7/10 · 7 October 2022]

In order to start a rebellion, someone needs to say the things that everybody is thinking about but doesn't have the guts to say. There'll never be any change happening if no one is able to speak up. It feels like the show is adding up a bunch of characters who all feel the same things about the Empire, and are right on the brink of actually standing up and saying something. But it could be futile, especially against such a huge power like that. This episode had a lot of incredible development for the characters and the overall plot, although it wasn't the strongest.

All of these characters are somehow sacrificing their own personal benefits for the greater good of rebellion. Mon Mothma is having trouble in her marriage. Luthen Rael is putting his entire freedom on the line as the architect behind this heist. And the members of the heist are going into real danger with no idea if they're actually going to survive. The only one who doesn't have that route into it is Cassian. He's purely in it for his own interest, but throughout this episode, those layers are slowly peeled down as he starts to listen to the passion, especially from one of his team members. It came across as really inspiring, mostly due to the amazing dialogue and overall writing by Dan Gilroy. All of that added up to a very solid hour of "Andor," although it did feel like this episode was primarily there to set up the stage for the next episode, which is fine as long as it's done with some kind of overall development, which this was in some ways. It gives the characters a board to stand on and adds a lot to the moral objectives of the show, but it doesn't feel obligated to give us a bunch of further development on the Imperial side of things. And all of that is okay, because it does feel like the next episode is going to have a lot in it that we needed the setup for, so I can't be too annoyed by the episode's strange pace and structure.

"The Axe Forgets" is a great episode in terms of character development, especially Andor who is slowly figuring out what his place is in this. However, a lot of the Imperial aspects of the episode came across as a little undercooked, which is understandable since it'll probably be explored better in the next few episodes.

There is always the calm before the storm, and for Dan Gilroy that means developing the characters that we're going to see becoming major targets during next week's episode. The exact thing that "Rogue One" failed to properly do is what's all over this episode: character development. Utilize the extra time that there is to properly give these characters some depth so that it will hit harder when they're offed in the next episode (which I'm sure some of them will be). What should be of importance to them, though, is to expand the narrative a little, which they did expertly with the previous episode. Mon Mothma and Luthen are relegated to the backseat in this episode, and that gives time to focus on Cassian's teammates; however, instead of focusing on Syril Karn and his mommy issues, maybe give some more moments to Mothma and her family issues which are much more interesting. A scene from the gala event would have been perfect here. But instead of talking about what isn't there, it's important to properly analyze what is there, and the somber tone is everywhere. I like this. This feels like war. The music beautifully underscores the final moments with Luthen and Marki that's filled with somber dialogue that paints a grueling picture of the difficult years to come that will be filled with fighting and a lot of loss. But it also sets the stage for the remainder of the show and should make everyone excited for the weeks that we have left.

"The Axe Forgets" doesn't stand as strong as the previous episode, but it finally starts to realize that the future is not gonna be all bright. There is a hard fight ahead, and with the different aspects gearing up for the birth of the rebellion this next week, the show sets sight to a strong future.

The Calm before the storm

[Ash_3600 · 10/10 · 7 October 2022]

Kleya: It'll all be over this time tomorrow

Luthen: Or it'll just be starting.

This episode does a phenomenal job laying out the stakes and building to what will be the first major operation of the rebellion. All is resting on this mission going well, and we spend the time learning who took place in this first strike.

Is there action? No, but there also doesn't need to be any.

If Andor and the 6 others succeed, the rebellion; which at this point Solely consists of just a handful of individuals, will gain the money they desperately need, and have the eyes of the empire and the galaxy cast upon them.

If they fail; the rebellion ends before it even begins.

While the resistance prepares; the empire searches. An imperial Officer believes she's discovered a pattern in seemingly random, small scale thefts. Is this a spark that needs to be snuffed out before the fire ignites?

Every scene builds the stakes and fleshes out the villains, And sets the stage for next week's epic conclusion to this three episode arc.

I wait with anticipation.

Slow, slow burn

[Sir Gerry · 6/10 · 5 October 2022]

Filler episode, surely indicated by the suits at Disney that the show has to go for at least for 12 episodes, weekly, so they keep subscribers paying. Nothing of consequence happens in this one, heck we even see a mom humiliate his adult son, sooo Star Wars. A fan-editor could make a single great episode just by editing 4 & 5. More of the same distrust among rebels, more of the moping Corporate Officer, more of senator Pelosi, sorry, Mon Mothma's family issues, more interoffice politics on the Empire but very little action if none at all. My guess is they are saving all the good stuff for the last 3 o 4 episodes, let's wait and see.

Good

[dj-wookie · 10/10 · 6 October 2022]

This episode is still a little too slow paced (for the fans who are more into action driven episodes), but the quality of this series and the one of this episode remains the best i ever saw, i like the way they are shaping the characters, i like the directing, acting, i like the music and you don't have to be a genious to realise the next episode will have plenty of action. For the fans (just like me) who want some heavy sci-fi, this series is absolutely a great one, but for the sake of the other fans, i hope the next season will have more action, but only as long as this series will have the same quality,because it will be a shame to ruin one of the greatest sci-fi series i ever saw in my life.

This show does not lose a bit of its quality

[moritzherz · 7/10 · 9 November 2022]

After the last episode introduced the new characters and plot lines, this episode continues them well and builds up for the next finale.

In the last episode we saw Syril, the officer who was hunting Andor on Ferrix losing his job and now being at his mother's home on Coruscant.

Meanwhile the ISB is working to continue investigations especially one female agent.

On Aldhani Andor has some problems with another crew member and he says out loud to the rest of the crew that he is only in for the money. They also prepare the last things needed for the heist.

I'm really looking forward for next weeks episode which surely gives us the next amazing finale.

Would have been good on the bonus features of the DVD

[patcor-06020 · 4/10 · 6 October 2022]

It's like watching deleted scenes for a TV show. Once again, another episode of Andor pretends it's clever by being slow when it's just slow to fill and pad out their twelve-episode contract.

How on earth did this get twelve episodes when Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett, and OBI-WAN GOD DAMN KENOBI! Get less than ten episodes a season. What is going on at Disney Plus and, more specifically, Lucasfilm?

At the most, this should be six episodes, pushing it. Let's be honest most people couldn't name a single character in this show, excluding Andor, and even then, they may get confused and think the show is about the planet Endor which would have more commercial appeal and have more of a story to work with.

I'm done with this show and have given it more than a fair shake. It started to move somewhat in Episode 3 before stopping at a screeching halt in Episode 4.

The Axe Forgets, but I won't

[Trey_Trebuchet · 8/10 · 18 November 2022]

I had initially gone in to this short summary feeling a decent 7, but having watched the episode following this one, it's at least an 8, meaning I "liked it".

It is a pretty important episode. I had thought this and Ep.4 perhaps could have just been a single episode leading up to the next one, but I'm not so sure now. The conversations and set-up in this episode earned all of the screen time. Don't skip this one!

I do really appreciate seeing the different perspectives of it just the Empire, but the rebels as well. Not all of the rebels are against the empire for the same reasons, and not everyone in the empire is a total sleaze-bag.

It's also really well acted and paced. Every episode has ended much sooner than I expected, so I must be really in to it.

Good episode. Not one of the best in this series, but important nonetheless.

The Perfect Calm Before the Storm.

[frankiesilver-91836 · 9/10 · 28 October 2022]

This episode is a perfect calm before the storm. We watch as Cassian gets implemented into the rebel group, and everyone in the group is characterized so well.

Nemik is a stand-out character. Despite his young age, his firm belief that the empire has brainwashed and oppressed everyone shows his knowledge and awareness of his surroundings. He's extremely admirable, though I have a strong feeling he will die in the next episode.

I like how Gorn is an imperial who learned to respect the people of Aldhani, as well as how snarky and mysterious Skeen is. His background is really dark and tragic.

The only character I think isn't characterized super well is Cinta. Her performance comes off a bit lifeless, but I'm sure there will be an opportunity for that to change as the series goes on.

I like how Cassian struggles to trust this group and the group struggles to trust him. It makes Cassian the perfect vessel for the audience to be introduced to this hodge-podge of a group. The hostility between them comes off naturally and showcases the stress they're all under.

We also catch up more with Syril here, who seems to be starting his own personal rebellion out of anger over his defeat on Ferrix. It's nice to see the parallels between both him and Cassian adapting to new environments.

Once again, this is a great episode. No surprise at this point!

Another somewhat slow episode

[laroseparadis · 7/10 · 31 March 2023]

I enjoyed this episode, but it did feel like just another in-between episode. Although, I do understand that not every episode of every TV show can be action-packed with twists and turns. So, that's why I still rated it higher. I still liked it, just not as much as episodes 3 and 4.

With that being said, though, I think it sets up the next few episodes very well. I am very excited to see the rebels infiltrate the garrison and I'm wondering what will go down, since we still have 7 episodes to go from here.

You can kind of see each character at a crossroads here. Cassian is getting ready to engage in this very dangerous espionage mission. Mon Mothma's home life is not ideal at all and it's weighing on her. Dedra wants so badly to prove herself and wants to do whatever it takes to show that she is capable. Syril is wondering how to move on and catch Cassian, while still reeling from a military operation gone very wrong.

Like I said before, I completely understand that this is a filler episode and I think this will help make the next few episodes that much better. However, still somewhat slow and not the most entertaining. I'm still hooked, though!

Heavy character focus, but it all works for me

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 6 October 2022]

Cassian and the crew have some trust issues in the build up to the mission.

This is a solid episode that creates some decent tension and build up to what hopefully will be some intriguing drama.

The plot doesn't move very far but the scenes are quite engaging as characters are fleshed out. Some may find it boring, but I think it is effective world-building and nothing to me feels like needless time filling. The next episode needs to be eventful and develop the plot significantly though, unless the writers have any worthwhile deviations up their sleeves.

All actors do a fine job once again with strong dialogue and the production values are top drawer. I particularly liked the music, which is very 'Bladerunner' and maximises the tension.

On my second watch of the first season (with episodes back to back) I enjoyed it much more knowing what is to come. I felt the tension in certain scenes much more. I also noticed some great visuals such as the seamless transitions between soldiers marching and discussions of soldiering.

slow set up

[nerrdrage · 7/10 · 16 November 2023]

Now I see why people were complaining this series is slow. This episode really could have been edited down and folded into the others.

Do we need to know they made a little model of the dam in order to plan their activities? That could have been a 5 second glimpse of the dam to confirm "yes they are planning this thoroughly." The scene with the tie fighter was inconsequential. The Empire didn't learn anything or attack to stop the plot.

Ditto for the imperial spy and his backstory motivation. Ditto for Mon Mothma and her family troubles.

But the texture and detail of the series is still engrossing so filler here is better than a lot of actual plotline and forward movement in other series. And I get the sense the filler portion is now at an end as of the next episode.

Amazing

[forsbergharald · 10/10 · 6 October 2022]

I love this show. Its almost hard to believe I'm watching something in this genre that isn't insulting my intelligence. It takes it time to build the story, and gives room for characters to grown organically. Like the mother that sounds like she smoked 2 packs a day for a life time, they didn't have to, but they made her so intriguing. Stellan is a legend as well, and the fact that a show can bring in such a big name speaks volume.

Jesus christ Disney if you're listening, MORE OF THIS. Mandalorian and Boba was like watching a modern day Xena Warrior princes.. horrible.. But this... feels historic.

"The Axe Forgets"

[allmoviesfan · 7/10 · 11 December 2023]

I love this show! The early Empire era and the rise of the Rebel Alliance has always fascinated me, and Andor is going both great justice at the moment.

Another slow burn, but the episode builds up to big things. Andor (or Clem, as he is known) has to convince his new colleagues that he isn't a threat to their Aldhani operation...and not all of them are big fans of his. (They are building up to their big attack on the Imperial garrison. I assume it will come in the next episode?)

Switching to the planet-world of Coruscant (love the visuals, especially the night time ones), Mon Mothma gets plenty of screen time and I'm all for it. 'Rogue One' and now 'Andor' have built out the character of the soft-talking robed woman we first saw on our screens during the briefing for the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi.

Character development ahead of blaster shootouts in Andor so far, and I am here for that.

My Favorite Episode yet

[agentsofsword · 10/10 · 6 October 2022]

Andor continues to be amazingly written, interesting characters, story driven and amazing cinematography.

This episode is my favorite because of everything that happened I was hooked the entire time. This is starwars' game changer a very mature and refreshing addition to the franchise. The music is so perfect i got chills all over my body they are doing amazing and the show is not action packed because it's actually taking it's time to build an amazing story and building it up with these episodes for the action to start in the next ep.

Andor and the guy who's obsessed with him are such interesting characters.

This was shot earth right? Cause it has no Aliens. It has sheeps though,

[suvechhabose · 5/10 · 9 October 2022]

You want in? Yes . Do you know whats happening? No , but technically yes. M writing a book, can you adjust this ? Can you grab that ?A MILITARY GRADE pistol? The axe ? Bad guy talks about his uncle!? Bad guy's mother is even more silly. Mon mothma 's daughter is very important of an aspect for this show & her husband. Adria Arjona's character & her story was left to dust . We don't know her whereabouts.

Random people in mountain valley are talking about something nobody knows . They each have their own respective name & history which connects no dots to Star wars lore. Both canon & legend.

But yeah Disney fanboys are hitting 8 , 9 Because of cInEmAtOgRaPhY & depth . They're talking about some Random war & Empire's authority.

What is this ? A podcast? Show the terror of Empire otherwise these ARE ALL PATHETIC. Even Mandalorian is showing violence, what is this random conversation? Who gives a hit about what happened to Andor in the past if you don't have the guts to SHOW THE BRUTALITY OF IT?

& ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO MOCKED GEORGE FOR PUTTING economy in Prequels;

I bet you These political conversation about some long lost war with no hint ever in star wars lore , 'MUST BE VERY ENTERTAINING' .

Jesus!

15 minutes in & am yawning like a 8 yr old.

Starwars for grownups

[phil-385-337999 · 8/10 · 6 October 2022]

The Catalyst book then Rogue One have been my favourite Starwars stories. This show taps into that same sense of character driven insight that is behind the larger events of the universe. It's so refreshing to have something with a more depth to it than boba or mando (I love those too just in a different way). Can't wait to see where it all leads.

This episode while still a slow burn really builds the anticipation for the coming events. The characters are all solid and well directed. All decent actors too.

The visual of the Tie Fighter swooping down was awesome too. Really get a feeling of the power the contain.

I like this series more and more

[ciobi-51179 · 10/10 · 6 October 2022]

This is the first tv series in the whole history which cannot be reviewed on the social media, because in this episode, for example, the whole story is just made from conversations between the characters and about cool landscapes, but what is even weird is the fact the fans of this show and even the critics seem to enjoy this thing while the others seem to be really bored, but this is not the kind of story which will make you to fall at sleep, like Dune or like the first season of The Expanse (i do hope nobody will get mad about my honest thoughts) , it is in fact a very cool kind of slow paced story with very realistic characters and you can tell everything is very carefully introduced, even the last sound of music or even the smallest emotion of the smallest character. If you like Dune or Equilibrium and even Matrix you will like this episode for sure.