This article contains spoilers for Andor episodes 1-3.The dramatic Star Wars film. This is a period known as the Dark Times, when the Empire's power seemed absolute and the various rebel factions were only just beginning to coordinate. The Rebel spy Cassian Andor is destined to be a key player in this movement.
Andor episodes 1-3 serve as an extended introduction to Cassian Andor's story. They're set in the Preox-Morlani Corporate Zone, a sector of space allowed a degree of independence by the Empire that is essentially run by a galactic company rather than by a government. Cassian Andor has been living there for some years, keeping his head down, but unfortunately his attempts to find another refugee from his homeworld go badly wrong after he kills two Corporate Security officers who try to shake him up. There's a strong sense of inevitability to the first three episodes of the Disney+ TV series, because it's clear the planet Ferrix is going to get too hot for Andor - even if he doesn't realize it.
By the end of Andor episode 3, Cassian Andor has become a reluctant recruit to the Rebel Alliance. Though he does not know it, he is being pulled along by the current of history, and has begun a journey that will lead him to the Death Star. Unfortunately, he's also sure to have wound up on the Empire's Most Wanted list right from the start of his career - meaning the pressure will always be on this for this particular Rebel spy. Here is the Andor episode 3 ending explained, in detail.
Cassian Andor Is Forced To Work For The Rebel Alliance
There's a sense in which Cassian Andor is a darker version of Han Solo. Like Han, he doesn't wind up with the Rebel Alliance by choice; rather, by the end of Andor episode 3 it's clear the Rebel Alliance is the only way for Andor to escape Ferrix. The mysterious Rebel agent named Luther has approached Andor with an unspecified mission, and Cassian agrees to participate in exchange for a ride and some credits. Cassian Andor is the very opposite of a committed idealist, with a commitment only to his own self-interest.
Luther, a Rebel leader with ties to Mon Mothma according to Andor trailers, is something of a mystery. He's clearly experienced in the field, using the escape from Ferrix to teach Cassian some basic survival skills as they go on the run from Corporate Security. His actual rank in the Rebel Alliance is unknown, but he possesses considerable resources and has enough independence to make his own judgment call on whether to bring Cassian Andor into play or not. It's likely Luther is separate from the cell structure that maintained the Rebel Alliance, one of the overseers whose very existence was a closely guarded secret because they knew too many names and the entire Alliance would be at risk if they were identified. Andor does not know it, but he's already drawing the attention of the Rebel Alliance's leadership.
Cassian Andor's True Origin Is Finally Revealed
Meanwhile, flashbacks in Andor episode 3 reveal Cassian's backstory, back at the tail end of the Clone Wars. Cassian was a native of the planet Kenari, one of a group who investigated a Republic ship that crashed upon their world. Their exploration went wrong when they killed a Republic officer who had survived the crash, and scavengers who arrived to loot the ship took Cassian before he became one of the victims of an act of reprisal when a Republic frigate arrived to clean up the mess. This backstory is essential to understanding Cassian's reluctance to the Rebel Alliance, which is dedicated to restoring the Republic; his suffering began under the Republic, not under the Empire, and he has no reason to dream of restoring the former galactic government.
This backstory adds yet more darkness to the Palpatine initiated Order 66.
Corporate Security's Mission To Ferrix Goes Spectacularly Wrong
Cassian Andor's departure is an explosive one, however, largely because of an ambitious deputy in CorSec. He unwisely leads an attempt to capture Cassian after the deaths of two of his officers, and he underestimates the hostility of Ferrix as an environment. The escalation was inevitable, of course, simply because CorSec arrived too late to prevent Cassian meeting up with Luther, a high-level Republic officer who could not afford to be captured. Andor episode 3 sees several more CorSec agents killed, a major incident that will inevitably draw the Empire's attention. The Corporate Zone's independence was an uneasy one, granted only as long as they kept trouble to a minimum, so the events on Ferrix could have major implications.
The Imperial Starpath Unit Is Left Behind On Ferrix
Andor episodes 1-3 features a MacGuffin, a so-called Imperial Starpath unit. This is one step removed from Star Wars: The Last Jedi's hyperspace tracking, in that a functional Imperial Starpath unit would allow the Rebel Alliance to know where the Empire has sent their ships in nine parsecs. It's likely the movements are monitored by beacons the Empire scattered across the galaxy, with every Imperial ship transmitting a unique identifier to the nearest beacon as it es by. This would be a tremendously valuable asset to the Rebel Alliance, allowing them to watch for any evidence one of their cells had been discovered and potentially giving them a chance to extract operatives before they were caught.
Unfortunately, although Cassian and Luther escape Ferrix, they are forced to leave the Imperial Starpath unit behind. The retrieval of a major piece of Imperial technology on Ferrix will undoubtedly draw the direct attention of the Empire, escalating this incident into a security breach. Trailers have suggested the Imperial Security Bureau will be drawn into the story somehow, and the loss of the Imperial Starpath unit in Andor episode 3 sets that up nicely.
Cassian Andor Leaves Tragedy In His Wake On Ferrix
Cassian Andor may have left Ferrix, but the Andor episode 3 ending suggests the planet will continue to have a role in the series as it continues. Andor has left tragedy in his wake; Timm, the man who identified him to CorSec, is shot dead before the eyes of his lover Bix. It's a reminder of how little a life is worth in the Dark Times, a minor event compared to the evil of the Death Star, but it may mean Cassian doesn't have as many friends left on Ferrix as he thinks. Andor episode 3 really does end with the future Rebel's life in chaos.
New episodes of Andor release on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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