By Roy Mathur, on 2025-05-11, at 23:25:42 to 01:35:57 BST, for Captain Roy's Rusty Rocket Radio Show
Friday's Metro article on page 7: "All a bit shady? GBP57m on 'dim the Sun' trials to curb global warming". Yes, the crazy plot of Highlander II has come to pass.
Episodes 7, 8, and 9 the finale*, concern the sad end of space Switzerland, when the Ghormans play into the hands of the Imperials' plan to foment a rebellion as an excuse to strip mine their planet. The stories of major characters, including Cassian, Syril, and Bix, are concluded.
Compartmentalisation isn't just a feature of the Rebels independent cells, but also the Empire. The Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) boss doesn't know the real reason for sacking Ghorman and a stressed Dedra questions the plans. It's a clever way to run a huge Empire by a tiny group of elite Siths.
Security is a joke overlooking the plaza. Why does Cassian's glass fronted hotel room look straight into Dedra's office, and if he can see them, why can't they see him? More dramatic licence.
We see the ruthlessness of the Empire instigating a riot, using a sniper to shoot it's own grunt, then sacrificing further inexperienced troopers as cannon fodder.
I thought the ISB was setting Dedra up as the scapegoat for the Ghorman massacre, and perhaps a spectacular death, but instead she grieves, when Syril leaves her for manipulated him.
I also expected a interesting and unpleasant end for Syril, but a lucky shot to the head by an old man is an ignoble, forgettable death that I suppose makes sense for such an ignoble, forgettable man. I found it particularly poignant that Cassian has no idea who this man who has stalked him across the Galaxy is as they fight.
Mon Montha's sudden realisation of the cost in blood of rebellion, when Andor shoots people during her rescue, is wonderfully played by Genevieve O'Reilly. It's a shocking aspect of war that civilians like me rarely encounter and take for granted as something we see from a distance or fictionalised.
Luthen and that Alliance bloke on Yavin grooming Cassian for leadership puzzles me. He is a great operative, the perfect spy, but he has never displayed charisma or reassurance of any kind. He is also so unlucky that many of his family, friends, and colleagues die, and he dies in Rogue One, that I would not give much for my chances for survival if he was my boss.
We now have an origin story for the Rebel droid K-2SO. An Alliance engineer unconvincingly addresses why reprogramming doesn't always take. Stop writing passive aggressive bollocks at your audience if you don't understand something.
Is the Force healer on Yavin the first time we've seen the Force in Andor? Cassian treats her like a charlatan, though from Bix's dreams, even without the Force, mysticism is a large part of the Andor universe.
Why is there so much old tech like CRTs in Star Wars? My guess is that the galactic civilisation is so old and vast that old tech doesn't get upgraded or replaced unless it breaks. Look at cars. I used to live in Alberta, where deregulation ruled. Unless a car fell to bits while driving, you could drive want you wanted. Which was why I drove an ancient Chrysler Grand Caravan, bought for 800 dollars, until it fell to bits. The reason I personally switched from CRT to LCD was that CRTs were literally burning my eyes out.
The smooth, rounded light coloured design of the Senate corridors reminded me of 80s sci-fi art, though I can't put my finger of which artists I'm reminded of. It's very Old Republic, with flowing lines, like Padme's lovely silver ship, the Naboo Royal Starship; a modified J-type 327 Nubian starship (Wookieepedia). The striking outside scenes were filmed at the City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia.
In conclusion, I enjoyed how the individual character arcs were tied up**, though we never had an explanation for Luthven's lightsaber ship. Pah!
Fifteenth Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa, companion Belinda Chandra: Varada Sethu, writer: Inua Ellams (lauded Nigerian writer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature), director: Makalla McPherson (Waterloo Road, EastEnders), episode 5 of season 15 of New Who or season 2 on iPlayer and Disney+ (story 317), 1 x c.45 min, released Sat 2025-05-10 08:00 iPlayer or BBC1 19:10, and watched by me at c.19:30 over pie and mash and red cabbage and apples, after my monthly state visit to London.
The Doctor visits his barber friend Omo in Lagos, but joins him and his customers, kidnapped by a vengeful Anansi, angry at being used by the gods, to power his ship with their stories. The Doctor talks him down and Anansi becomes the new barber, whilst Omo retires. Anansi's daughter, Abena, forgives the Doctor for abandoning her as the Fugitive Doctor, and all return home.
The vindicator conceit as a reason for travel continues to annoy and Belinda flip-flops about wanting to go home.
The Doctor later also flip-flips from overjoyed to wrathful in a heartbeat and then back again over his barber's betrayal.
The Doctor talks about being treated differently in a black body, which is why he likes a holiday somewhere where he doesn't stand out. I've talked about something similar that happens when I go back to Mauritius, but everyone still knows I'm not a local. The thing is, the Doctor's only been black for ten minutes, though he's a time traveller, so who knows?
It is great to see the very Doctorly Fugitive Doctor (Jo Martin) again, with a small part letting down yet another potential companion.
Anita Dobson is credited as Mrs Flood, but I didn't see her, or perhaps I was lucky enough to have missed her. (She is seen in a flashback, source: tardis.wiki).
The cast doesn't look hot, though this is partly filmed in Lagos.
A story in which the writer talks about the power of story can come off as a writer smugly patting themselves on the back. It does, slightly.
This intimate theatrical psychodrama doesn't pay off because the simple story is overly complicated and muddled by the talky script. This is endemic of New Who, not just this story, with much dialogue spoken fast, perhaps in the hope that the audience won't notice glaring logic lapses. New Who needs to employ proper SFFH writers.
Settling on Anansi is too on easy as the divine trickster has been overused by many writers. Before the reveal, I thought the monster of the week was the Master of the Land of Fiction from The Mind Robber (pod 132).
The dialogue is drowned out. In particular, The Barber's, guest star Ariyon Bakare, lines are too quiet. It's the bloody sound mix again. Fire someone.
I love weird ships and Anansi's ship is a fantastic giant robot spider powered by story.
The brain tree engine is a wonderfully organic and interesting looking variation of a TARDIS console; actually better.
The hair clippers with a carved wood faceplate is excellent. I have Wahl barbershop pro clippers and that faceplate would be a great addition.
Not as good as last week, but better than the rest of season 2, with a great animated opening story and nice local colour in the sets, props, outfits, and, of course, hair.
*No, it isn't and **No, they weren't. There are three more episodes! 2025-05-13 01:44:11