If you thought the first season of Andor was a slow burn, "Sagrona Teema" just threw a bucket of cold water on any hopes of a quick, clean victory for the Rebellion. Honestly, it’s a miracle the Empire didn’t win right then and there. This episode is a masterclass in showing how messy, petty, and downright incompetent some of these early rebel cells actually were. We aren’t looking at the polished heroes of A New Hope yet. Far from it.
Tony Gilroy wrote this one, and he’s clearly not interested in making things easy for Cassian. Directed by Ariel Kleiman, the episode (which dropped as part of the initial three-episode premiere block on April 22, 2025) takes us deep into the weeds—literally.
The Jungle Moon of Buffoons
Basically, Cassian is stuck. He’s spent the better part of two episodes trapped on a jungle moon with the Maya Pei Brigade, and calling them a "brigade" feels like a massive overstatement. It’s more like a group of kids at a summer camp that’s gone horribly wrong. They’ve split into two factions under leaders named Gerdis and Bardi, and instead of figuring out how to survive, they’re pointing guns at each other over who gets to keep Cassian’s stolen TIE Avenger.
It’s painful to watch. Cassian is sitting there, wearing a stolen Imperial test pilot uniform, giving them basic survival advice like "hey, maybe collect some rainwater so you don't die of thirst?" and "perhaps set up a perimeter?" They barely listen. They’re too busy offering him spoiled meal bars to see if he'll get sick. It’s a stark contrast to the Cassian we know—the guy who’s already a veteran of the heist on Aldhani and the escape from Narkina 5. He looks like a tired babysitter watching kids play with matches.
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The peak of the absurdity? They decide to settle their leadership dispute with a game of space rock-paper-scissors. You can't make this up. While they’re focused on their little game, a massive, rhino-like alien creature bursts out of the treeline and makes a quick snack of Gerdis and Bardi. It’s brutal, it’s sudden, and frankly, it’s the only reason Cassian manages to escape. He uses the chaos to bolt for the TIE and gets off the planet.
And here’s the kicker: as the camera pulls back, we see the familiar geography. This "jungle moon" is Yavin IV. Yeah, the future home of the Rebel Alliance was currently occupied by people who couldn't agree on a leader without a playground game. The irony is thick enough to choke on.
The Ghost of Ferrix on Mina-Rau
While Cassian is dealing with prehistoric rhinos, Bix Caleen and the rest of the Ferrix refugees are trying to survive a much more mundane, but arguably more terrifying, threat. They’ve been hiding out on the agricultural planet of Mina-Rau for a year, working under fake visas and trying to blend in with the local harvest workers.
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But the Empire is everywhere. They aren't there for a firefight; they’re there for a "census audit." It sounds boring until you realize that for people like Bix, Brasso, and Wilmon Paak, an audit is a death sentence. The tension in these scenes is suffocating. There’s this one lieutenant named Krole who keeps cornering Bix, making these disgusting, suggestive advances under the guise of "checking her paperwork." It’s a different kind of evil than a Star Destroyer—it’s the small-scale, personal corruption of a man with a badge and no oversight.
Brasso eventually steps in to scare him off, but the damage is done. The group realizes their time on Mina-Rau is up. They’re trying to reach Cassian, but the Empire has already cut off the planet’s comms in preparation for the inspection. They’re isolated, and the trap is closing.
High Stakes and Bad Drinks on Chandrila
Back on Coruscant and Chandrila, the "civilized" side of the Rebellion is having a much fancier—but no less dangerous—meltdown. Mon Mothma is at her daughter Leida’s wedding, and it’s the worst party ever.
Perrin is being his usual self, getting drunk on "First Night" punch and complaining that Mon is having an affair with Tay Kolma. The tragedy is that we know she isn’t—she’s doing something much more dangerous—but Perrin’s petty jealousy is actually a threat to the entire operation.
The real problem, though, is Tay himself. He’s spiraling. Between bad investments ruined by rebel activity and his wife leaving him, he’s becoming a liability. He’s drinking too much and talking too loud. Luthen, ever the cold-blooded pragmatist, sees it immediately. While Mon is trying to find a way to pay Tay off or calm him down, Luthen is already looking at Tay like he’s a loose thread that needs to be cut.
There’s a chilling moment where Luthen hints to Mon that Tay might need to be "handled." Mon is still clinging to her idealism, but you can see the realization dawning on her: the Rebellion doesn’t just ask for your money; it asks for your soul.
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The ISB Plays the Long Game
Over at the Imperial Security Bureau, Dedra Meero is learning that winning isn't always what it looks like. Major Partagaz is forcing her onto the Ghorman project. She’s annoyed because she wants to keep hunting "Axis" (Luthen), but Partagaz tells her straight up: "Ghorman is a gift. Take it, and then win it."
It’s a reminder that the Empire is a bureaucracy first and a military second. Dedra is talented, but she’s also a cog in a machine that’s currently obsessed with the Ghorman system. We also get a glimpse of her home life with Syril Karn, who has somehow managed to fail-upwards into a senior role at the Bureau of Standards. Seeing them together is deeply unsettling—they’re the galaxy's most boring, yet most dangerous, power couple.
What You Should Do Next
- Watch for the Yavin IV Connection: Keep an eye on how the "buffoons" Cassian left behind eventually evolve (or get replaced) by the time we get to the Rogue One era. The contrast is the point.
- Track the Ghorman Mention: The "Ghorman project" isn't just throwaway dialogue. In Star Wars lore, the Ghorman Massacre is a pivotal moment that galvanizes the Rebellion. Pay attention to how Dedra handles it.
- Re-watch the Bix Scenes: Notice how Adria Arjona plays the trauma. Bix isn't just "sad"; she’s jumpy and hyper-vigilant. It shows that the torture from Season 1 didn't just end when the door opened.
- Check the Credits: Brandon Roberts took over the music for this season, and the shift in tone is subtle but effective. Listen to how the score changes when we move from the chaos of the jungle to the clinical coldness of the ISB.
This episode didn't have a big space battle, but it set the board for a much darker game. The Rebellion isn't a unified front yet; it's a collection of desperate people, incompetent amateurs, and cold-blooded killers all trying to survive the same boot.
The next step is simple: watch Episode 3 to see if Cassian can actually find a contact who isn't trying to eat him or play games for his life.