Daughter of Ferrix

Last updated

"Daughter of Ferrix"
Andor episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 11
Directed by Benjamin Caron
Written by Tony Gilroy
Featured music Nicholas Britell
Cinematography byDamián García
Editing by Yan Miles
Original release dateNovember 16, 2022 (2022-11-16)
Running time43 minutes
Episode chronology
 Previous
"One Way Out"
Next 
"Rix Road"

"Daughter of Ferrix" is the eleventh episode of the American streaming television series Andor , based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Benjamin Caron.

Contents

The episode stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, who reprises his role from the Star Wars spinoff film, Rogue One (2016). Toby Haynes was hired in September 2020 after a production delay due the COVID-19 pandemic, and Gilroy joined the series as showrunner in early 2019, replacing Stephen Schiff. Both executive produce alongside Luna and Kathleen Kennedy.

"Daughter of Ferrix" was released on Disney+ on November 16, 2022.

Plot

Cassian Andor and fellow prisoner Ruescott Melshi manage to evade capture by holding onto the side of a cliff for several hours. When the patrols eventually leave, they explore the desolate planet eventually coming across a ship. They attempt to steal it from a pair of Narkinian fishers, but are caught in a trap. Andor and Melshi manage to prove they are prisoners, causing the fishers to decide to free them due to the Empire's destruction of their planets wildlife in order to supply the prisons.

Maarva Andor passes away, and Brasso attempts to comfort a grieving B2EM0. Brasso carries her body away, observed by a crowd including disguised rebel Cinta Kaz and disguised imperial Corv. Corv informs Dedra Meero, who attempts to condense her funeral procession in two days by ordering they demand permits for each attender. Corv also reveals Ferrix's tradition of turning the deceased ashes into a brick to then help build their community. Sergeant Mosk contacts Syril Karn, revealing this, and Karn decides to attend the funeral to catch Andor. A traumatized and imprisoned Bix Caleen is taken back into torture to see if she knew Anto Kreegyr.

Vel Sartha visits Luthen Rael's antiques shop, confronting his assistant Kleya Marki. Marki is angry at Vel for breaking protocol, but agrees to tell Rael of Maarva's death. Vel returns to the house of her cousin Mon Mothma and sees Mothma's daughter, Leida, partaking in an old courtship ritual in retaliation to her mother's objection against the Empire. Mothma confides in Vel about the Empire closing in on her missing money, grappling with the inevitability of her capture.

Rael goes to Segra Meelo and discovers Saw Gerrera has changed his mind and now wishes to join Kreegyr on his mission. Rael admits that Kreegyr will die on his mission, which is why he can no longer allow Gerrera to join him. Gerrera's paranoia quickly takes over as he demands which one of his team is secretly a spy for Rael. He eventually calms down, and reluctantly agrees to sacrifice Kreegyr.

Rael contacts Marki and begins to fly back to Coruscant when he is confronted by an Imperial Ship which demands registration. Rael tricks the ship into activating its tractor beam, using it to destroy the front of the ship before destroying the TIE fighters with lasers.

On Niamos, Andor retrieves his belongings and contacts his friend Xanwan on Ferrix, discovering his adoptive mothers death. He decides to return to Ferrix, whilst Melshi leaves to spread the word of rebellion. They part ways, hoping to meet again.

Production

Development

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February 2018 that there were several Star Wars series in development, [1] and that November one was revealed as a prequel to the film Rogue One (2016). The series was described as a spy thriller show focused on the character Cassian Andor, with Diego Luna reprising his role from the film. [2] Jared Bush originally developed the series, writing a pilot script and series bible for the project. [3] By the end of November, Stephen Schiff was serving as showrunner and executive producer of the series. [3] Tony Gilroy, who was credited as a co-writer on Rogue One and oversaw extensive reshoots for the film, [4] joined the series by early 2019 when he discussed the first story details with Luna. [5] Gilroy's involvement was revealed that October, when he was set to write the first episode, direct multiple episodes, and work alongside Schiff; [4] Gilroy had officially replaced Schiff as showrunner by April 2020. [6] Six weeks of pre-production for the series had taken place in the United Kingdom by then, but this was halted and production on the series delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [7] [8] Pre-production had begun again by September ahead of a planned filming start the next month. At that time, Gilroy, who is based in New York, chose not to travel to the UK for production on the series due to the pandemic, and was therefore unable to direct the series' first episode. Instead, the UK-based Toby Haynes, who was already "high on the list" of potential directors for the series, was hired to direct the first three episodes. Gilroy would remain executive producer and showrunner. [9] In December 2020, Luna was revealed to be executive producing the series. [10]

The eleventh episode, titled "Daughter of Ferrix", was written by Tony Gilroy. [11]

Writing

Following the Narkina 5 prison arc, the final two episodes contained a connected story arc. [12] When writing the scene in which Ruescott Melshi and Andor depart, Gilroy had decided that Melshi would not be coming with Andor to Ferrix, and also knew that Melshi would be motivated to be the "heroic version of that, which is, people have to know what he just went through", noting that all the characters had been "radicalized" following their incarceration on Narkina 5. He knew that while writing the scene, his first impulse was that the two characters could not be together. [13] Gilroy was also satisfied that director Benjamin Caron had made the scene "feel like the end of Rogue One " (2016). [14]

Casting

The episode stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, [2] [15] Kyle Soller as Syril Karn, Adria Arjona as Bix Caleen, Joplin Sibtain as Brasso, James McArdle as Timm Karlo, and Rupert Vansittart as Chief Hyne. [15]

Filming

Filming began in London, England, at the end of November 2020, [16] [17] with the production based at Pinewood Studios. [18] [19] The series was filmed under the working title Pilgrim, [18] and was the first live-action Star Wars series to not make use of the StageCraft digital background technology. [20] Filming locations included Black Park in Buckinghamshire, England for the flashback scenes, as well as at Middle Peak Quarry in Derbyshire, England. [21]

Music

Nicholas Britell composed the musical score for the episode. [22] [23] The episode's soundtrack was released in December 2022 as part of the third volume for the series. [24]

Andor: Episode 11 (Original Soundtrack)
No.TitleLength
1."Andor (Main Title Theme) – Episode 11"0:43
2."Tell Me They’re Leaving/Bee"1:27
3."The Daughters of Ferrix"1:43
4."Dewi and Freedi Pamular"0:54
5."Full Fondor"1:27
6."Your Mother Is Dead"3:42
Total length:9:56

Release

"Daughter of Ferrix" was released on Disney+ on November 16, 2022. [25]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 94% approval rating, based on 17 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Treating fans to a terrific dogfight while also breaking their hearts with a stern reminder about the cost of rebellion, Andor continues to impress." [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mon Mothma</span> Star Wars character

Mon Mothma is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, primarily portrayed by Genevieve O'Reilly. Introduced as the leader of the Rebel Alliance in Return of the Jedi (1983), in which she is played by Caroline Blakiston, Mon has become a prominent character in subsequent prequel media, including the anthology film Rogue One (2016), the live-action television series Andor (2022–present), and the animated series The Clone Wars (2010) and Star Wars Rebels (2017). The character also appeared in the 2023 live-action television series Ahsoka, again portrayed by O'Reilly, her first time playing the character in sequel media set after Return of the Jedi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diego Luna</span> Mexican actor (born 1979)

Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander is a Mexican actor, director, and producer. He is known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Disney+ series Andor, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Gilroy</span> American filmmaker (born 1956)

Anthony Joseph Gilroy is an American filmmaker. He wrote the screenplays for the original Bourne trilogy (2002–2007) and wrote and directed the fourth film of the franchise, The Bourne Legacy (2012). He also wrote and directed Michael Clayton (2007) and Duplicity (2009), earning nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the former.

Duncan Pow is a Scottish actor. He is known in the United Kingdom for television roles in the Sky 1 series Dream Team, and the BBC One series Holby City. He is known internationally for his role as Ruescott Melshi in the Star Wars film Rogue One and the Disney+ prequel series Andor.

<i>Rogue One</i> 2016 film by Gareth Edwards

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series, and an immediate prequel to Star Wars (1977). The main cast consists of Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker. Set a week before Star Wars, the plot follows a group of rebels who band together to steal plans of the Death Star, the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire. It details the Rebel Alliance's first effective victory against the Empire, first referenced in Star Wars' opening crawl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassian Andor</span> Character in the Star Wars franchise

Cassian Jeron Andor, born Kassa, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, primarily portrayed by actor Diego Luna. Introduced in the feature film Rogue One (2016) as a co-lead, he is the protagonist of the ongoing prequel television series Andor (2022–present).

<i>Andor</i> (TV series) American television series

Andor, also known as Star Wars: Andor, is an American science fiction television series created by Tony Gilroy for the streaming service Disney+. It is the fourth live-action series in the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to the spin-off film Rogue One (2016), which in turn is a prequel to the original Star Wars film (1977). The series follows thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor during the five years that lead to the events of the two films.

"Kassa" is the first episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Toby Haynes.

"Aldhani" is the fourth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Susanna White.

<i>Andor</i> (soundtrack) 2022 soundtrack album by Nicholas Britell

Andor (Original Score) is the score album composed by Nicholas Britell for the Disney+ science-fiction action-adventure television series Andor, the fourth live-action television series in the Star Wars franchise. The score (which was recorded over the course of two years) is notable for its prominent use of electronic instruments in much of the show's duration, in contrast to the orchestral scores in previous entries into the Star Wars franchise. The soundtrack was released in three volumes, including four episodes each to cover all twelve episodes of the first season. Volume 1 was released on October 21, with Volume 2 on November 4, and Volume 3 on December 9. The main title themes from the first three episodes were released as singles, coinciding its premiere on September 21. The score received critical acclaim with praise towards Britell's musical approach.

"That Would Be Me" is the second episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Toby Haynes.

"Reckoning" is the third episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Toby Haynes.

"The Axe Forgets" is the fifth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Susanna White.

"The Eye" is the sixth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Susanna White.

"Announcement" is the seventh episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Stephen Schiff and directed by Benjamin Caron.

"Narkina 5" is the eighth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Toby Haynes.

"Nobody's Listening!" is the ninth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Toby Haynes.

"One Way Out" is the tenth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Toby Haynes.

"Rix Road" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the first season of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Benjamin Caron.

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