In a galaxy and in history far far away
Several things accumulating during a busy week, mainly:
1.) Andor season 1 finale: Hm. Somehow, it felt like Cassian's arc was satisfyingly wrapped up (well, in a first season kind of way), while everyone else was left sort of hanging? I mean: we see Mon Mothma introduce her daughter to the thuggish banker's son, but she has already indicated last episode she'll do that. (Otoh, we also see her basically set up her husband to take the fall for the disappearing money, which is new, admittedly,) Vel and Cinda briefly reunite but nothing happens between them that moves beyond the "I could disguise as a rich girl" scene from several episodes ago? Dedra, who will almost certainly be blamed for the uprising and lack of "Axis" capture, doesn't get much to do but be nearly trampled and saved by Syril Karn, which for the main imperial character we've been following through the season is weirdly passive?
Otoh: Cassian saving Bix felt like a perfect balancing counterpoint to Luthen sacrificing what's his name and his people in order to protect his source. Because yes, sometimes both choices suck, but if you keep sacrificing the individual for a greater good, then at some point whose good is it? And aren't you losing sight as to whom you're doing this for? So Cassian not attending his mother's funeral and the uprising that goes with it but using it to save Bix, the individual who has been tortured and thrown to the dogs, felt, like I said, as a needed counterbalance. Meanwhile, as his arc has been from going from survivor of evil who thinks he can escape by keeping to himself and finding save hiding holes to someone ready to commit to changing the galaxy not least because there is no safety in such a system, ending the episode with him confronting Luthen, revealing he's figured out Luthen is here to kill him as a loose end and going "either do it, or accept me into the rebellion" as a counter proposal was perfect - for Casssian Andor's storyline, and as he's the main character, I guess I'm more satisfied by the finale then not.
Oh, and also: it was good to see Maarva again and give her the rebel-rousing speech, postumously. Fiona Shaw has been great in what was really a short part, and I hope we will see her in flashbacks in the second season.
2.) I also finished all the episodes of the History of the Germans podcast released so far. (It's reached the near midpoint of the 13th century so far.) And can only repeat my reccomendation. It's history narrated entertainingly and comprehensively, yet without any dumbing down or patronizing, and I enjoyed both the episodes about eras I knew little or nothing about (early Ottonians, for example) and those I knew a lot about (Hohenstaufen). While using the various kings and Emperors as narrative red threads, the author also covers a lot more aspects of the eras - the completely changing role of the papacy, for example, going from its nadir (the Popes were only puppets of essentually two Roman noble families, often in their early 20s or even teenagers, and had zilch authority outside of Rome, with the Emperors installing bishops and abbots - this era is also known as the "pornocracy", I kid you not) to the Innocent III "All monarchs including the Emperors are my lowly servants" theocratic power height. The podcast is also good at paying due tribute to various female power players (as for example, but by no means exclusively, Empresses Adelheid and Theophanu whom I've written about before) and pointing out that while nineteenth century historians defined the various noble familiies jockeying for power through their patriarchs, several of them at the time defined themselves through their most powerful female ancestor instead. And there's just lots and losts of intrigue, backstabbing, scheming, and dysfunctional families.
1.) Andor season 1 finale: Hm. Somehow, it felt like Cassian's arc was satisfyingly wrapped up (well, in a first season kind of way), while everyone else was left sort of hanging? I mean: we see Mon Mothma introduce her daughter to the thuggish banker's son, but she has already indicated last episode she'll do that. (Otoh, we also see her basically set up her husband to take the fall for the disappearing money, which is new, admittedly,) Vel and Cinda briefly reunite but nothing happens between them that moves beyond the "I could disguise as a rich girl" scene from several episodes ago? Dedra, who will almost certainly be blamed for the uprising and lack of "Axis" capture, doesn't get much to do but be nearly trampled and saved by Syril Karn, which for the main imperial character we've been following through the season is weirdly passive?
Otoh: Cassian saving Bix felt like a perfect balancing counterpoint to Luthen sacrificing what's his name and his people in order to protect his source. Because yes, sometimes both choices suck, but if you keep sacrificing the individual for a greater good, then at some point whose good is it? And aren't you losing sight as to whom you're doing this for? So Cassian not attending his mother's funeral and the uprising that goes with it but using it to save Bix, the individual who has been tortured and thrown to the dogs, felt, like I said, as a needed counterbalance. Meanwhile, as his arc has been from going from survivor of evil who thinks he can escape by keeping to himself and finding save hiding holes to someone ready to commit to changing the galaxy not least because there is no safety in such a system, ending the episode with him confronting Luthen, revealing he's figured out Luthen is here to kill him as a loose end and going "either do it, or accept me into the rebellion" as a counter proposal was perfect - for Casssian Andor's storyline, and as he's the main character, I guess I'm more satisfied by the finale then not.
Oh, and also: it was good to see Maarva again and give her the rebel-rousing speech, postumously. Fiona Shaw has been great in what was really a short part, and I hope we will see her in flashbacks in the second season.
2.) I also finished all the episodes of the History of the Germans podcast released so far. (It's reached the near midpoint of the 13th century so far.) And can only repeat my reccomendation. It's history narrated entertainingly and comprehensively, yet without any dumbing down or patronizing, and I enjoyed both the episodes about eras I knew little or nothing about (early Ottonians, for example) and those I knew a lot about (Hohenstaufen). While using the various kings and Emperors as narrative red threads, the author also covers a lot more aspects of the eras - the completely changing role of the papacy, for example, going from its nadir (the Popes were only puppets of essentually two Roman noble families, often in their early 20s or even teenagers, and had zilch authority outside of Rome, with the Emperors installing bishops and abbots - this era is also known as the "pornocracy", I kid you not) to the Innocent III "All monarchs including the Emperors are my lowly servants" theocratic power height. The podcast is also good at paying due tribute to various female power players (as for example, but by no means exclusively, Empresses Adelheid and Theophanu whom I've written about before) and pointing out that while nineteenth century historians defined the various noble familiies jockeying for power through their patriarchs, several of them at the time defined themselves through their most powerful female ancestor instead. And there's just lots and losts of intrigue, backstabbing, scheming, and dysfunctional families.