This article contains spoilers for Andor episode 7.Andor has tended to keep the Easter eggs to a minimum, just one of the Star Wars Disney+ TV show's many unique traits. Still, they've become more common in recent episodes, tied to the developing Coruscant plots.
Andor episode 7 is technically called "Announcement," but there's a sense in which it would be better titled "The Morning After." The Aldhani heist has been a success, leaving the Empire reeling in shock at the challenge to its authority and might. Naturally, the Empire's response is to tighten its grip - but that is just what Luthen, orchestrator of the heist, wanted. Meanwhile, Cassian Andor tries to slip away into the shadows, but he soon learns there is nowhere in the galaxy free from the shadow of the Empire. Attentive viewers will spot a number of Easter eggs, subtle references, and smart call-outs showing how dark the galaxy will become. Here is every Easter egg in Andor episode 7.
Andor Episode 7 Is Inspired By Leia's Speech In A New Hope
Andor episode 7 seems inspired by Princess Leia's warning to Tarkin in the first Star Wars movie. "The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin," she told him, "the more star systems will slip through your fingers." The image of a clenched fist is actually evoked in the opening scenes, ensuring audiences can note the parallel. Later in the episode, Luthen reveals the Imperial overreaction is exactly what he wanted because it would force people to notice the Empire's tyranny.
Andor Episode 7 Introduces Colonel Yularen Of The ISB
The ominous speech is made by Colonel Wullf Yularen, one of the most important figures in ISB. A notable officer who fought on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Yularen became a key figure in the development of Imperial Intelligence, and a trusted adviser to Emperor Palpatine himself. Yularen will ultimately be assigned as a bridge officer on the first Death Star, and he is destined to die when Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star by shooting down its thermal exhaust port.
The Imperial Surveillance State Is Heightened
The Imperial surveillance state is essentially put on red alert in the aftermath of the Aldhani heist. Palpatine understood more than anyone else that knowledge is power, and he'd deliberately created a system where it was very easy to monitor the movements of both groups and individuals. According to Alexander Freed's novel Victory's Price, the Emperor had a massive area of Coruscant's undercity - running from the Imperial Palace all the way to the Verity District some miles away - transformed into a massive data storage and processing computer, allowing him to monitor the state of the galaxy. For Palpatine, this computer helped him assess the state of corruption in the galaxy; to the ISB, it would have been the Empire's greatest superweapon, facilitating their swift responses.
Stormtroopers Finally Appear In Andor Episode 7
Stormtroopers have been curiously absent from Andor until episode 7, a deliberate way of emphasizing the show's themes. Now, in the wake of the Aldhani heist, Imperial Stormtroopers suddenly begin to crop up everywhere. They're most visible on Coruscant, but it doesn't take long for them to appear in the Morlana Sector as well. The galaxy really is in a state of high alert thanks to Cassian Andor and the rebels.
The Birth Of The Rebel Alliance Explained
Andor episode 7 finally reveals how the Rebel Alliance cells operated so effectively, given how closely the Empire was monitoring the galaxy. ISB had divided the galaxy into sectors, with each sector watched by an assigned case-worker; staff did not consult, meaning patterns of activity across sectors were not noticed. The Rebel Alliance effectively took advantage of the Star Wars galaxy map, stealing resources in one sector and using them in another. They had found a way to turn the Empire's surveillance state against itself, aware nobody was looking at the bigger picture.
Only Three Other People Know About Mon Mothma's Role In The Rebel Alliance
Mon Mothma needs access to her family finances, but she's now being far too closely watched; she recruits an old friend, Tay Kolma, to help her provide funding for the Rebel Alliance. During the conversation, she reveals only three people in the galaxy know what she's doing. Luthen and his aide number among them, and it's likely the third person is Senator Bail Organa. Mon Mothma and Bail Organa have worked together since the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, although both keep their secrets - Mon Mothma has no idea who Bail's adopted daughter Leia really is.
The Empire framed Mon Mothma as a champion of "separatists," a smart move in of propaganda. The Separatists were blamed for the Clone Wars, so branding all opposition to the Empire as separatist movements naturally meant people feared them. Mon Mothma is seen as an irritant in that she champions separatist causes, most notably a developing incident on the planet Ghorman.
Andor Episode 7's Flashback Features Clone Troopers
More of Cassian Andor's backstory is revealed in Andor episode 7, which features a surprising Easter egg from the Clone Wars. Cassian recalls the day the Empire came to Ferrix. This appears to have been shortly after the Republic transformed into the Empire, because the flashback doesn't feature Imperial Stormtroopers; instead, these are clone troopers, and the lack of reluctance with which they fire on civilians suggests their inhibitor chips have only recently been triggered. Andor's timeline is rather odd, because earlier flashbacks had shown him explore a crashed Republic ship when he was just a child, with dialogue implying that too was set during the Clone Wars. It's possible Cassian's own memories are confused.
Andor Episode 7 Mentions The Planet Ord Mantell
ISB mention their activities at Ord Mantell, a Mid Rim planet that serves as capital of the Bright Jewel Oversector. The planet became known for its underworld, with a major Black Sun cell based there during the Clone Wars, and the rogue Clone Force 99 conducted a mission there in destruction of the Death Star.
Shoretroopers, Probe Droids, & Security Droids On Niamos
Cassian Andor takes a vacation to the resort planet Niamos, but he underestimates the brutality of the Empire's regime and is arrested for simply walking down the wrong street. The scene features an Imperial Shoretrooper, and there are both probe droids and security droids. The presence of droids is particularly interesting, because the galaxy still feared droids after the Clone Wars; it's a particularly disturbing way for the Empire to demonstrate its supremacy, and to tell citizens they should fear its power. The details of Andor episode 7 reinforce the main arc in a very impressive way.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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