Star Wars: Andor

[embee]

Kino Loy. I mean that was the central story arc of the episode. Kino Loy has represented the hard-nosed tough guy that ultimately believes that if you follow the Empire's rules and work within the system, that eventually it's going to work out - at the end of the program or the process or whatever, there will be a just world. And now that Andor has his respect, because Andor's team is the most productive on the floor, Andor has been working on him this whole episode trying to get him to see that he can't work with the Empire. And Kino Loy has literally been turning his back on Andor. But after the death of "the old guy" and learning that the Empire isn't ever going to let anyone out of the prison converts Kino Loy to Cassian's point of view, signified by the fact that Kino answers Cassian's question about how many guards work each floor. In other words, the room supervisors and other "trusted" prisoners (like the med-techs and other prisoners that work behind the scenes) will now be in on the escape attempt.

Well not exactly. Kino Loy had been there for a long time and had less than a year left. He doesn't "believe in the system" or in any kind of just world theory so much as he doesn't want Cassian to cause any trouble that would jeopardize his own place in a very cutthroat world. He was going along to get along. And if working his fellow prisoners to death gets him a step closer to his own freedom, he's okay with that.

That was the point.

He thought that playing his little part in the system would get him out. After all, he'd seen that before. Yes prisoners died but prisoners also got freed (so he thought). But with the purge on Level 2, he realized it was all a snow job and that, at this point, they could be purged at any time for any reason. Meaning that his only hope of getting out alive was to escape as soon as possible.

He's not doing it for justice. He's probably not even doing it for revenge. He's still saving his own skin because this is the only way out.

 

[embee]

Maybe it's just me, but the hardest/most difficult parts to watch have been the scenes with Syril's mother.

It's not just you. They are painful. That's not to say that they're bad. Every scene is amazing. But they cause emotional anguish.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I've been enjoying them. She reminds of me of Nancy Walker playing Ida, Rhoda Morgenstern's mother.

She reminds me of my own mom, so...

 

[Celebrim]

He thought that playing his little part in the system would get him out.

I'm struggling to understand how we disagree.

 

[embee]

I'm struggling to understand how we disagree.

For starters, I don't think Kino ever believed in any kind of just world. He only believed that he knew how the game was played and was more than willing to play that game to save his own skin. His entire motivation the entire time was "don't screw this up for me."

And he doesn't respect Andor. He didn't before and he still doesn't. He barely trusts Andor. Table 5's did its work for same reason as everyone else: 10% hope of prize and 90% fear of pain. Being 1st is great and do everything possible to not be last.

On top of that, Andor is an obstacle. He's a potential troublemaker which is the last thing Kino wants with the end of his sentence coming up.

But now, Andor is his only chance at getting out. That's not respect; that's need.

 

[Ryujin]

It's not just you. They are painful. That's not to say that they're bad. Every scene is amazing. But they cause emotional anguish.

Same. Maybe it's that my own mother passed recently. Maybe it's because I can sense what's coming.

 

[Celebrim]

For starters, I don't think Kino ever believed in any kind of just world.

You said it yourself. "He thought that playing his little part in the system would get him out." For Kino, and really for most people, that's what a just world looks like. Most people's just world is just the world that impacts them and if they play the game - whatever that game is - by the rules they'll get what they think they'll have earned. Not everyone is Thomas Acquinas or Karis Nemik.

And he doesn't respect Andor. He didn't before and he still doesn't. He barely trusts Andor.

I guess that's a matter of opinion, but I read this in the way his demeanor changes to Andor between the two episodes. Andor has become part of the team. It's the shared comradery of hardship. There are some serious parallels here to infantry platoons at war that I think are probably intentional (40 man, divided into 7 teams, each with a team leader). Andor last episode was a green recruit. Now he's part of the platoon, and even looking like NCO material and despite his rabble rousing, treated like that.

If any of these rooms gets out intact, that's going to be the makings of some seriously elite Rebel infantry. All they need is weapons training, and I would be very scared.

 

[pukunui]

If any of these rooms gets out intact, that's going to be the makings of some seriously elite Rebel infantry. All they need is weapons training, and I would be very scared.

Well, we know that Melshi does. Maybe some of the others do too.

 

[Hussar]

If any of these rooms gets out intact, that's going to be the makings of some seriously elite Rebel infantry. All they need is weapons training, and I would be very scared.

I was thinking the same thing. Here’s your Rebel army.

 

[trappedslider]

So, I just realized a very dark parallel "work will set you free".....