Ever Been to Ghorman?
| "Ever Been to Ghorman?" | |
|---|---|
| Andor episode | |
Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), now in charge of the Bureau of Standards' field office in Ghorman, walks the streets of the capital city Palmo on his way to work. | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Ariel Kleiman |
| Written by | Beau Willimon |
| Featured music | Nicholas Britell |
| Cinematography by | Christophe Nuyens |
| Editing by | Matthew Cannings |
| Original release date | April 29, 2025 |
| Running time | 54 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Ever Been to Ghorman?" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American science fiction political spy thriller drama television series Andor. It is the sixteenth episode of the series overall; it was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Ariel Kleiman.
Set in BBY 3[a], a year after the previous episode, the episode marks the return of Forest Whitaker as anarchist rebel leader Saw Gerrera, who previously appeared in the season 1 episode "Daughter of Ferrix", and is one of two episodes[b] in the season with original music composed by Nicholas Britell, who stepped away from Andor following its first season due to scheduling conflicts. "Ever Been to Ghorman?" also introduces the planet Ghorman, which was referred to many times since the first season of the series, but hitherto never seen. Ghorman goes onto serve a central role in subsequent episodes of the season.
The episode primarily features three storylines: Cassian and Bix's attempt to adjust to a Coruscant safehouse operated by Luthen; Syril's dealings with the local Ghorman rebellion as a spy for Dedra, and Wilmon's mission with Saw Gerrera's Partisans on behalf of Luthen. Other storylines include Mon Mothma's attempts to rally votes in order to kill the Public Order Resentencing Directive[c], and Lonni Jung gathering intelligence on the ISB's secret operations on Ghorman.
"Ever Been to Ghorman?" was released on Disney+ on April 29, 2025 as part of a three-episode block also including "I Have Friends Everywhere" and "What a Festive Evening", and received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Plot
One year after the incident on Mina-Rau, Cassian and Bix have become active operators for Luthen and hide out on Coruscant; Bix is still beset by nightmares. On Ghorman, the Empire begins to construct an armory. Syril, with Dedra and Partagaz's backing, takes up a position in Palmo, the Ghorman capital, and infiltrates the Ghorman Front, the local rebel group, by feigning sympathy to their cause. Upon learning from Jung that Dedra is secretly stationed on the planet, Luthen sends Cassian to assess the rebels. Wilmon is tasked with teaching Saw Gerrera's lieutenant Pluti how to configure a machine that extracts rhydonium, a fuel source for the Empire's starships that they plan to steal. Mothma unsuccessfully attempts to rally support to kill the renewal of a bill giving broad powers to the ISB.
Production
Writing
The episode was written by Beau Willimon, in his fourth writing credit for the show, and directed by Ariel Kleiman, after he directed the previous three episodes of the series.[1][2][3] The episodes of Andor's second season, like those of its first, are split up into blocks, or story arcs, of three episodes; however, unlike in season one, each arc begins with a time skip of one year from the previous episode.[4] Series showrunner Tony Gilroy decided to structure the season this way after concluding that the original five-season plan for the show was unfeasible, and needing some way to bridge the four years between season 1 and Rogue One (2016) in a single season. As proof of concept, he wrote the first and last episodes of each would-be arc, and eventually decided on this structure for the season.[5]
Casting
In "Ever Been to Ghorman?", marking his first appearance on the second season of Andor, Forest Whitaker reprises his role as Saw Gerrera from previous Star Wars media, including Rogue One.[6]
Music
The original score for "Ever Been to Ghorman?" was composed by Nicholas Britell, the composer for the show's first season.[7] Replacement composer Brandon Roberts composed the episode's title theme.
The soundtrack for the episode was released alongside that of the other two episodes in its block on May 2, 2025 via Walt Disney Records as part of the second of four volumes of the second season's original score.[8]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Andor (Main Title Theme) – Episode 4[d]" | 0:40 |
| 2. | "The Ghorman Waltz" | 2:46 |
| 3. | "Our Man in Palmo" | 1:28 |
| 4. | "Safe House Dinner" | 2:03 |
| 5. | "Mon-Tage" | 2:28 |
| 6. | "Palmo Town Hall" | 3:18 |
| 7. | "Saw Gerrera" | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 17:42 | |
Release
"Ever Been to Ghorman?" was released on Disney+ on April 29, 2025 as part of a three-episode block, alongside "I Have Friends Everywhere" and "What a Festive Evening".[6]
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 100% approval rating, based on 5 reviews.[9]
William Hughes of The A.V. Club gave a positive review, writing "More than a necessary launching point for the next big action set piece, this is a lovely portrait of life in the Empire."[6] Mike Redmond of Pajiba also gave a positive review, summarizing that "Don't get me wrong, it's brilliant. Each episode is the richly detailed experience that fans of Andor have come to expect, but that's the problem. This arc demands a weekly release schedule".[10]
Notes
- ^ 3 years before the Battle of Yavin, i.e the events of Rogue One (2016)
- ^ "Ever Been to Ghorman?" and "I Have Friends Everywhere"
- ^ Imperial legislation introduced in "Announcement" in response to the rebel attack on Aldhani carried out in "The Eye" that expanded prison sentences and inadvertently led to Cassian's imprisonment in season 1
- ^ Composed by Brandon Roberts
References
- ^ Lovitt, Maggie (April 8, 2023). "Tony Gilroy on the Race to Finish His Final 'Andor' Season 2 Script". Collider. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "Andor (2021–2024)". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ Lovitt, Maggie (November 3, 2022). "'Andor's Season 2 Directors Revealed by Series Creator Tony Gilroy [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ Travis, Ben (May 4, 2023). "Andor Season 2's Final Three Episodes Cover The Three Days Before Rogue One – Exclusive". Empire. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ Hadadi, Roxana (May 16, 2025). ""Before Anyone Else Defines It, I'm Going to Define It": Tony Gilroy on 'Andor', 'Rogue One', the Star Wars Universe". Vulture. Vox Media, LLC. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c Hughes, William (April 29, 2025). "Andor slows back down for a glimpse of life in the Empire". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ "Brandon Roberts Scoring Disney+'s 'Andor' Season 2". Film Music Reporter. April 11, 2025. Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "'Andor' Season 2 – Vol. 2 (Episodes 4-6) Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. May 1, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "Ever Been to Ghorman?". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Redmond, Mike (May 2, 2025). "'Andor' Season 2 Recap: Space Drugs the Movie". Pajiba. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
External links
- "Ever Been to Ghorman?" at IMDb
- "Ever Been to Ghorman?" at StarWars.com
- "Ever Been to Ghorman?" on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki