Andor reinvented the Star Wars tractor beam scene in the coolest way

As Andor‘s excellent first season is nearing its finale after the amazing Prison trilogy of episodes, there is still much for the show to accomplish. The situation on Ferrix continues to escalate. Cassian and Melshi try to find some semblance of security. And as the Rebel Alliance nears formation, the Empire tightens its grip on the galaxy and the people who live in it.

But in Episode 11, Daughter of Ferrix, one thing stood out: a new twist on a classic Star Wars move.

[Ed. note: Spoilers follow for Andor episode 11.]

Let’s get down to business: Luthen’s ship fucking destroyed an Imperial cruiser!!!

To set the mood: While returning from a secret meeting with rebel leader Saw Gerrera, Luthen is stopped by a Space Highway Patrol – a Cantwell-class Arrestor Cruiser. (Fun fact: This ship design was originally planned A new hope but was seen first solo.) The Imperial ship challenges Luthen on his identity and why he is out here, warning him that there has been “partisan activity” in this sector.

After Luthen’s hastily concocted Alderaan ID is accepted (in a nice little sort of impromptu Star Wars problem-solving since he keeps bogging down while fiddling with parts of his ship), he’s still asked to accept her boarding. And that’s when things really pop.

In Star Wars and other sci-fi media, you’ve seen plenty of spaceships get stuck in tractor beams — you might have seen some warp. But I bet you’ve never seen a small fondor haulcraft that just fires a bunch of projectiles that look like space needles, completely destroys the tractor beam, and flies away. The scenery reminded us of the notorious Itano Circus Macros Plus. If we are reminded of that, it can only be good.

It was a great moment for a show that’s found most of its thrills in the more grounded moments, giving us a sneak peek at the space battles the franchise is known for. And it’s made even better by the shocked expressions on the faces of the Imperial officers and soldiers aboard the Arrestor Cruiser as this tiny ship defeated their much larger one.

Image: Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Image: Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.

It’s a tense scene, and one of the first times Luthen has been in danger Andor. It’s also representative of what makes Skarsgard’s portrayal of the character so compelling – how he can flip the switch from charmer to menace on the fly. He first attempts to convince her that he is an Alderaan merchant, while at the same time preparing for an escape should he need it. Although he successfully convinces her, he still needs the escape route and catches the arrestor cruiser completely by surprise in a moment of pure sci-fi genius. “Small ship caught by bigger ship” is a well-known situation in the genre (and in Star Wars), however Andor still managed to surprise us by pulling out a novel and exciting solution for the underdog. and it looked cool as hell – after destroying the tractor beam, Luthen shoots down a few TIE fighters and then destroys a few more with red lasers that shoot out the side of his form (similar to Darth Maul’s lightsaber). a tugboat).

Image: Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Luther’s role in Andor as a resistance figure was largely a delegator and manipulator. In this scene, his cleverness is applied directly to the Empire itself, giving us a whole new dimension to his character and how he got to where he is, both as a character in the Rebellion and on Coruscant. It is typical of what is being done Andor so special: meaningful character beats that effectively build the mythos of the Star Wars universe and the making of the Rebellion while also being just plain fun to watch.