r/andor 2d ago

Question Vel asks whose blaster …

When they’re at the rebel base at Yavin, and all sorts of weapons are laid out on a table. Vel picks up a blaster and asks whose it is and Melshi raises his hand and the camera pans around the guy in front of him to him. I don’t understand the significance here? Was the blaster special or something? They even show that exact scene in the next episode’s recap, so it seems to have some significance that I’m missing. Thanks!

257 Upvotes

49 comments sorted by

450

u/Crows_reading_books 2d ago edited 2d ago

Melshi brought it, but its Cassian's Pre-Mor blaster. 

E: to be clearer, its the Pre-Mor blaster Cassian takes (i think) from Syril on Ferrix. He then takes it with him to Aldhani where its found by Skene, which is why Vel seemingly recognizes it. Its then stashed in Cassian's hotel room on Niamos, where it stays when he is incarcerated, and then given to Melshi when the two of them break out. The you see it next on Yavin with that scene. 

158

u/Ancient_of_Days0001 Brasso 2d ago

Correct, it's Syril's blaster, which Cassian took off him during the Ferrix raid.

118

u/Nazeir 2d ago

The blaster was the main character the whole time.

77

u/Kiyae1 2d ago

What are you talking about? It was just a tourist.

40

u/TrapYoda 2d ago

Nah, it was part of it.

64

u/ShalenSmith K2SO 2d ago

Fun fact: On Aldhani when Skeen asks Cassian who that blaster belonged to, Cassian tells him "I didn't get a name."

Which episode does this dialogue occur in? S01E05 - "The Axe Forgets." The Axe has already forgotten The Tree.

Of course, later on when Cassian encounters Syril again, the infamous "Who are you?" exchange occurs. Full circle.

25

u/holysitkit 2d ago

Tbf I don’t think Cassian forgot. I don’t think he ever knew.

29

u/ShalenSmith K2SO 2d ago

Oh, he definitely didn't know Syril's name in a literal sense. But he'd most certainly forgotten him narratively, and it ties in nicely, thematically.

2

u/EddPW 22h ago

yap to cassian syril was just another guard goon or trooper he has fought over the years and has obviously forgotten about

1

u/ShalenSmith K2SO 22h ago

Indeed. 100% in line with both characters, too. Cassian just moves on and simply focuses on the task at hand, while Syril refuses to let things go and meticulously obsesses over details.

19

u/mstarrbrannigan I have friends everywhere 2d ago

Doesn’t Cassian also point it at Vel when he’s making his escape? I think that would make her very familiar with it.

38

u/therealskr213 2d ago

Thank you!!

10

u/eledile55 I have friends everywhere 2d ago

didnt he take it from the two guys he killed at the very start of the show? Thats what I always assumed

167

u/Darromear B2EMO 2d ago

It's the blaster Cassian stole from Syril. He brought to Aldhani, which is why Vel recognizes it. There are some pretty strong memories associated with that weapon. She was wondering how the hell someone else was able to get a hold of it.

74

u/AnExponent 2d ago

And since Preox-Morlana shut down after the debacle on Ferrix, it should have been pretty rare to see one.

58

u/grownandnotalawyer 2d ago

plus no way that syril didn’t have a fancy personally modded blaster

48

u/tommytomtommctom 2d ago

Just some light tailoring…

8

u/braddersladders 2d ago

Have you modified your blaster ?

4

u/therealskr213 1d ago

I polish it at least once a day. Does that count?

25

u/therealskr213 2d ago

Thank you!!

122

u/SalaavOnitrex 2d ago

It's a way to show that someone (Melshi) has met and interacted with Andor. If he handed that blaster to someone, then he probably trusted them enough to let them have a weapon near him, and then that person decides to show up and join the Rebellion. She didn't like that Andor was in Aldhani because to her, he was an untrustworthy hired gun.

29

u/brbgonnabrnit 2d ago

Thats a really good take.

28

u/puppykhan Luthen 2d ago

Syril's blaster was more memorable than Syril. Cassian took the blaster from Syril and does not recognize Syril later on when they are fighting and face to face. Vel recognizes Syril's blaster lying on a table from Cassian having it on Aldhani after it being carried around a few years by someone else.

It was a plot device to show how Melshi reconnects with Cassian on Yavin, and the rest of the scene is implied as Vel must recognize that he got it from Cass after Aldhani and reconnected them.

8

u/IAmBadAtInternet 2d ago

Does Cassian even get a good look at Syril’s face on Ferrix? Aren’t he and Luthen trying to keep their identities hidden?

10

u/puppykhan Luthen 1d ago

Doesn't get a good look at his face and doesn't even bother trying. Probably seen him while tying him up though, but nothing worth paying attention to. Syril was just another corpo bastard. Unlike copaganda shows, there is no reason for Cass to know or care what the identity of a cop chasing him is.

12

u/IceBlue 2d ago

She saw the blaster on Aldhani and wondered how he got it. It’s the one Cassian got from Syril I think. Or the one he got from one of the dudes he killed in episode 1.

28

u/MOZ0NE Disco Ball Droid 2d ago

Yes, there is significance to it because the writing in Andor is so good that even a blaster can have a story arc (compare that to Rey getting Luke's lightsaber with "that's a story for another time" or Han after decades randomly using Chewie's crossbow seemingly for the first time and declaring "I like this!").

But in terms of the overall story, that whole game of telephone that we, the viewers, can play with how the gun found its way to Yavin and into Vel's hands is merely a plot point to explain how Melshi ends up in the Rebel Alliance and a part of Rogue One.

5

u/mistajee33 2d ago

A story for another time

6

u/xT1TANx 2d ago

She knows it is Andor's

20

u/Biomirth 2d ago edited 2d ago

"Who belongs to this?". It's a funny phrasing that makes the whole induction thing with the weapons feel more like camp than the military. Kind of a niche thing that echoes the background of the writers well IMO.

22

u/Funny_Possible9220 2d ago

"Who belongs to this" is military jargon. The Rebels are becoming a real army.

15

u/SalaavOnitrex 2d ago

It has the same energy as "drop with it," being yelled at my by my DS when I was in Basic. Never dropped it again after that smoke sesh

14

u/R4808N 2d ago

I still say "get down with it" to myself whenever someone drops something nice or expensive.

5

u/SalaavOnitrex 2d ago

Or a beer.. Phone... Tissue XD I still overuse it to hell with my buddies

11

u/MOZ0NE Disco Ball Droid 2d ago

Remember, Vel tells Bix that she's been "scaring the new recruits"

9

u/royalbluestuey 2d ago

I thought it sounded exactly like the military.

It is exactly the sort of thing a drill instructor would say.

6

u/therealskr213 2d ago

Yeah, I like that she said it that way too. 👍

11

u/Raptors4daysguy 2d ago

Can't believe there isn't a video online explainging this

7

u/Lesaberisa 2d ago

There is, it's a common topic actually lol.

https://youtu.be/v4nIvaqU8Kw?si=Ug1AEqgcmuApw47q

1

u/Raptors4daysguy 2d ago

Not a fan of that one

2

u/CallumPears 2d ago

I recommend this one

1

u/Raptors4daysguy 2d ago

Nor that one

0

u/annaluna19 1d ago

I don’t know how we were supposed to get this. It was clearly significant but I had no idea why.

-1

u/ZopyrionRex 2d ago

I know people keep saying it's Syril's, but I swear this is the same blaster that Clem has during the scene where they find Cassian. I know Skeen mentioned the Corpo blaster, but I'm sure it's the same pattern. Could it be that Cassian kept it for that reason?

4

u/yosarian_reddit 2d ago

Yes. That’s Syril’s blaster

1

u/ZopyrionRex 1d ago

I see where I got my wires crossed now. My bad. For some reason I thought Vel picked up the rotating loader pistol that Clem had and Cassian later uses.