By Roy Mathur, on 2025-05-15, at 00:24:34 to 01:03:25 BST, for Captain Roy's Rusty Rocket Radio Show
Last time, I mistook episodes 7, 8, and 9 as the finale, which is odd because the story arcs of all the major characters seemed concluded. In this extra pod, I will dissect the actual final episodes. Except for that clanger, I mostly stand by what I said in pod 580. Sorry about the cock up.
In 10, 11, and 12, Dedra catches Luthen, who attempts suicide, survives and is killed by Kleya before he is tortured for information. Kleya is rescued by Cassian, taken to Yavin, where Cassian tries to convince command of a secret weapon the Empire is building. Partagaz commits suicide before his arrest for failure and Dedra is jailed. Bix is seen holding Cassian's child.
As far as the off-Yavin Rebel cells go, Mon can't reason with Saw, who has gone mad from paranoia, become a liability, yet remains a valuable Alliance asset. Seeing Kleya's violent hospital scenes is especially grim. She creates a terrorist spectacular causing multiple civilian casualties to divert the ISB's attention. Then she kills Luthen, her father-figure seen in tender scenes in the present day and flashbacks from the time he rescued her. His sacrifice reminds me of Rene's from BBC1's Secret Army. What happens to hardened revolutionaries with bleak lives, like Saw, Luthen, and Kleya, once the Rebels win? Are they inevitably fated for tragedy? Should they be judged? Can they adapt to peacetime? We've seen this a million times in our own history.
Dedra's ingrained fanatical fascism in her dialogue with Luthen is hard to watch. It makes me think how so many people in the West are increasingly drawn to authoritarianism, fascism, and extremism, and how difficult it is to change their minds. That she ends up in an Imperial prison cell like Cassian's is small recompense.
In Director Krennecs' scenes, we learn that Major Partagaz, the space Gestapo (ISB) boss, knew about the Death Star all along. That surprised me and contradicts what I thought and said in the last pod. His end is the typical officer left alone by colleagues to take the honourable way out. NB "Partagas" is a brand of expensive Cuban cigars.
Now fanservice. There seems many more non-human species prevalent. There's the elderly lady in hospital used as a prop by Kleya, other residents of the building containing the safehouse, soldiers on Yavin and, of course, Admiral Ackabar. We see the more familiar shorter, mousier Mon Montha hairdo from Star Wars. K-2SO has a good innings, rescuing Cassian and his team, during the ISB communications blackout. I cheered his sardonic wit and casual violence, preparing us for his delightful behaviour in Rogue One.
I preferred the tied up arcs, though unfinished ending of 9. It made a dynamic finale, like Blade Runner's director's cut. 10, 11, 12 over-explained, though I enjoyed the excitement. I also see Luthen and Kleya's dirtier side of the rebellion. After sacrificing others of their cell, Kleya committing a genuine atrocity as a decoy, we see them paying the ultimate and terrible price themselves. In such a heavy story, seeing Cassian's child is an unnecessary note of hope, but it does lighten the load. Star Wars, Rogue One, Andor, etc. are so topical, I hope they help us appreciate the fragility of democracy and peace. SFFH is supposed to make you think.