Although you might guess Andor Episode 11 would be a slow denouement from the previous episode’s climactic prison break conclusion, there’s some excitement still to be had in the penultimate installment of Andor‘s first season.

We find Cassian (Diego Luna) and Melshi (Duncan Pow) climbing a cliff after their escape. They get to the top and find two aliens fishing nearby and not too far from a quadjumper ship. Cassian and Melshi decide to try stealing it, but the two aliens send out sticky nets to capture the men. We learn the prison ruined the aliens’ water supply, and the aliens discuss turning the men over for a reward before deciding to fly them to Niamos and safety.

We learn that Maarva (Fiona Shaw) has died. The ISB reviews this information, and Dedra (Denise Gough) instructs the Imperials on Ferrix to give a permit for a small funeral to see what happens.

Meanwhile, Vel (Faye Marsay) visits Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) at Luthen’s (Stellan Skarsgård) antiquities shop and demands to speak with Luthen. Kleya insists Vel is breaking protocol by speaking too transparently, and Vel fires back saying she gave Aldhani to Luthen: what has Kleya given him lately? In a retort that mirrors Luthen’s speech from Episode 10, Kleya says it’s not about what she’s done lately, but what she’s done always. Vel informs her that Maarva is dead, and Kleya promises to let Luthen know.

Brasso (Joplin Sibtain) comes to take the droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman) back to his house, but B2EMO wants him to stay at Maarva’s house instead. He relents: “One night.”

In the Imperial holding cell, Bix (Adria Arjona) tries to cope with the torture she’s been through. She’s taken in for more questioning, this time about Anto Kreegyr and whether or not he’s Axis (their codename for Luthen; they still lack information on his true identity). Bix struggles to answer, and cries instead of speaking.

At Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) house, Vel watches her cousin’s daughter, Leida (Bronte Carmichael), practice traditional Chandrilan customs. Vel expresses her dismay at the thought of Mon accepting marriage proposals for her daughter, leading Mon to explain her money troubles.

At his mother’s house, Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) receives a message from Sergeant Mosk (Alex Ferns), one of his old coworkers from Morlana One. Mosk reveals to him that Maarva is dead, cluing Syril in to the real possibility that Cassian might sneak onto Ferrix for the funeral. Later, Syril steals credits from his mother to travel there.

But Cassian’s not there yet. The aliens pulled through – Cassian is on Niamos, finding his own stash-box of credits.

Luthen comes back to discuss advancements with Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). Saw agrees to help Anto Kreegyr, but Luthen’s there to share the news that the Imperials know about the plan. Luthen still doesn’t want to call it off because it’ll inform the ISB of a spy, but he also doesn’t want Saw and his men dead unnecessarily. Saw is at a loss, speculating that Luthen might be ISB himself for such a cruel choice. If he was, Luthen asks, why wouldn’t he just send Saw off to die with Kreegyr? Saw understands, and agrees to let the attack happen. Later, as he leaves in his ship, Luthen speaks with Kleya in code, talking about Cassian and their need to find him.

Unfortunately for him, Luthen’s pulled over by an Imperial ship, the officers demanding he identify himself because there’s been “partisan activity in the area.” They then try to use the tractor beam on him. Luthen uses some fancy tech to send projectiles out of his ship and into the disc of the tractor beam, destroying it. When the Imperials send out TIEs to chase him down, Luthen easily disposes of them, at one point engaging lightsaber-looking lasers out of the sides of his ship to slice through the TIEs. It’s an awesome moment.

On Ferrix, a man receives a transmission from Cassian, who asks him to share a message with Maarva, not knowing she’s passed. Back on Niamos, Cassian digests the news of Maarva’s death in silence. He joins Melshi by the ocean, and together they discuss what to do now that they’re free. Melshi insists that people need to know about what’s happened at the prison. In a moment that mirrors his death scene in Rogue One, Cassian watches the sun set over the sea.

Although Andor Episode 11 wasn’t the season’s strongest, it does well segueing from the intense Episode 10 to set up the Season 1 finale. The stakes are high for Cassian as he plans to travel back to Ferrix for the funeral. With the ISB hot on his trail, what will he do?

Rating: 8/10