The following contains spoilers for Andor Season 1, Episode 7, "Announcement," now streaming on Disney+.
Seven episodes into Andor and fans have certainly gotten a seedy representation of the Rebellion's origin story before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Luthen's cutting a sinister figure, hoping the death of innocents after the Aldhani heist will spur more Rebels to join the cause. Plus, Mon Mothma is working in the shadows, eager to procure financing by less bloody means, although her partners see violence as the key to insurrection.
Interestingly, the show has given key insight into the flawed Empire as well, how it has manipulated poor people across the galaxy, and how some agents such as Dedra Meero had clues regarding the blossoming resistance. Notably, one person many thought would be a key asset is, unfortunately, slogging along in a story influenced by Psycho. This is none other than Syril Karn, whose aspect of the overall story feels like a total waste thus far.
Andor's Syril Karn Is Truly Boring
Syril starts off on Ferrix in the first episode, but after trying to pursue justice for two murdered officers, he ends up banished back to Coruscant. His mom, Eedy, pulls family strings and gets him into the Bureau of Standards, eager to dictate his life. What's obvious is they have an emotionally abusive relationship, filled with jealousy, resentment and control.
It has that Psycho flair to it, akin to Norman Bates' mother, Norma, sinking her teeth into her son, which is why he became so deranged down the line. The problem is, after so many episodes, seeing Syril just pushing keys at his new job, scouring through data, feels like a slow burn that should have had some payoff already. Instead, all the other characters, from Dedra at the Imperial Security Bureau to Vel's crew pulling the Aldhani heist to Cassian's inner circle, all have sub-arcs with a sense of urgency. Syril's story, however, feels like it could have been compressed and told in just a few minutes.
Andor's Syril Feels Like a Bad Interlude
Admittedly, Syril's future is up in the air, with many thinking he may defect to the Rebels due to how the Empire berated his professionalism. Or it could be that, like Dedra, he uncovers criminal activities pointing to the Rebels, which earns him proper respect. The point is, Dedra's arc has already come full circle, leaving her currently pursuing more clues for her superiors.
If that's the case, Syril's journey would be redundant, although the series could be pushing him as Dedra's future partner. If he does turn out to be a defector, however, the fact that fans have seen Gorn and Taramyn betraying the Empire already, it'd be repetitive. Thus, unless the show has something original and fresh for Syril planned, this molasses-like evolution of his character in a series of monotonous interludes feels cumbersome, like a forced character portrait for someone who has no real bearing on the narrative. Ultimately, it's tense and intriguing watching him mentally struggle with his puppet master of a mother, but other than that, Syril just isn't moving the needle on a professional level, despite initially being positioned to be Cassian's true nemesis.
New episodes of Andor stream on Wednesdays on Disney+.