So this week's episode of #TheMandalorian was fine. Not great. The Grogu Order 66 flashback was the best part. Thrilled to see Ahmed Best take the spotlight like that. He deserves the world. (Also nice to see Naboo security forces doing their part ... perhaps Jar Jar sent them?)
As for the stuff at the Mando covert, it was fairly boring. Especially the rescue sequence. I felt like I was supposed to care about that kid and I just ... didn't. Felt like a waste of time. Could have established Bo-Katan's team spirit more economically.
Also, I remain amazed that these elite warriors haven't either set up better perimeter security or relocated. Creature attacks are clearly a recurring problem for them. What are they thinking?
The scene about taking off the helmets to eat was funny, though. Felt a little bit like a poke at the fans who still don't get how the rule works. Reddit has been full of questions about its applicability to various...situations.
I did enjoy seeing Grogu start his Mandalorian training. I wonder if we'll see more of that and get glimpses into how he integrates Jedi training into it. But I doubt they're going to make him a warrior any time soon. Doesn't fit his role on the show.
I like that Bo-Katan seems to be getting used to life at the covert. I didn't expect her to open up to the Armorer about seeing the mythosaur. If word of that spreads, will she gain prestige? Would she want that?
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
"We've received sustained, generous, bipartisan investment from Congress and invaluable new authorities," Easterly says.
She describes how CISA is using its funding to improve its visibility into threats, implement cyber incident reporting rules, and more.
Easterly says CISA has expanded its team by 560 people in two years -- hiring more than double the number of new employees in the last two years than it did in the preceding two years.
One thing that's bothered me about the backlash to the Andor lovefest is the argument "It's wrong to say that Andor made other shows look bad, b/c not every show needs to be like Andor."
People saying that don't seem to get what Andor did right.
Star Wars is a big universe w/ room for all kinds of stories, but it wasn’t Andor’s grounded focus & mature tone that made other productions look bad; it was its superior execution of qualities that every production needs to nail: writing, directing, casting, & production design.
He talks about how the U.S. can weaken Huawei's grip on the 5G market by offering subsidies and promoting interoperable standards like Open RAN.
On Open RAN, Fick says "you want to break apart the black box" of proprietary tech, and given that incumbent vendors have "the goose that's laying the golden eggs," the USG should help open standards overcome their opposition through regulatory and other obstacles in its control.
On financing, Fick admits the US will never match China's state subsidies for Huawei/ZTE equipment — which helped make this gear attractive to developing countries — but he says "there are mechanisms we could deploy," e.g. DFC and Ex-Im, to cut costs for Western alternatives.
After #Andor’s breathtaking season 1 finale, I’m calling it: This show is the best Star Wars content ever made.
Cassian finds his path with inspiration from Maarva & Nemik, Mon takes a huge step in Luthen's direction, and Ferrix reaches its breaking point.
All hail Tony Gilroy.
One of the best sequences in the ep and all of SW is Nemik’s manifesto monologue — on the inevitability of rebellion and the fragility of tyranny — playing over a montage of Bix, Luthen, and Cassian, all three of whom are rebelling in their own ways.
It's astonishingly powerful.
Nemik’s monologue is absolutely beautiful and perfectly captures the current state of the Rebellion. As Imperial oppression gets worse, more people are driven to rise up, until eventually something pushes things past the breaking point.
If you didn’t get chills or cry watching this week’s episode of #Andor, I don’t know what’s wrong with you.
Cassian rises to meet the moment, Mon Mothma confronts a horrible choice, and Stellan Skarsgård and Andy Serkis earn their Emmy nominations.
Unparalleled storytelling.
The opening scene shows Cassian's come a long way from the meek fish out of water who first arrived on Narkina 5.
He sees the prisoners' power, the guards' fear, and the resulting opportunity. We’re seeing him turning insights about the Empire into motivation & logic for action.
“Power doesn’t panic” is such a great line, and I love these consistent reminders that, while Cassian is far from a Rebel leader at this point, he already has an excellent grasp of the way the Empire operates — and the weaknesses inherent in its approach.
Just gonna lay down this marker for #Andor season 2: I predict that Mon pushes Luthen out when all the unsavory foundational work is done and it's time to start building an inspiring public face.