This blog accuses “Andor” of being the beautiful bore almost every week. And I still stand by that. In 9 hours, we’ve had only a couple of sequences that can hold an audience’s attention, in a specifically designed “Star Wars” experience meant to be something different.

But when Andor does occasionally wake up, it does payoff and that’s what happened with “One Way Out” this week.

In what I’ve also dubbed “Shawshank Star Wars” we saw Andor and his prisonmates stage what is one of the best breakout scenes we’ve had in years. The visuals presented, such as the inmates scaling the scaffolding to get at the guards, and that final plunge into the water is what I think producers wanted this show to be. It was gorgeous.

A big part of that is because of Andy Serkis who plays floor boss, Kino. His development from a negative grouch who watches his shift count, to prison rebellion leader was something special. Down to the “I can’t swim line” I’m not sure what other actors could have done more with a character we knew would eventually come around, but he still surprised me with how good he was.

Then we have to talk about thge Stellan Skarsgard performance in the final scene of the episode. When he gets some great dialog, his performance just ramps into the stratosphere, and that was true here. He’s been doing it for decades.

My big question is, how much longer till we get more this kind of excitement? The heist on Aldhani was great but that was weeks ago. This show is supposed to be a more nuanced spy saga.

But boy, does it do action right when it wants to. See you next week.

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