The following is a spoiler-free review of Andor Season 2.
When Andor was announced in November 2018, it was to a chorus of uncertainty. The news came prior to the overwhelmingly successful debut of The Mandalorian in 2019, and before any live action, short-form Star Wars content had even hit our screens. It had an interesting premise: a spy thriller set 5 years prior to the events of Rogue One and A New Hope that follows rebel Cassian Andor during the infancy of the Rebellion. Helmed by previous Bourne franchise and Rogue One writer Tony Gilroy, it would see Diego Luna return as the titular character to explore a crucial period in the galaxy that, at the time, hadn’t been majorly seen outside of the animated show Star Wars: Rebels. While it was a novel concept, the idea of a series following a character that had amassed half an hour of screen time settled upon a general air of disinterest. It had people asking: why would I care about that guy?
Few could have predicted just how well the show would land upon its release in September 2022, never mind guess that this unsuspecting tale of espionage would quite literally blow the lid off of the entire franchise. Not only were any nay-sayers proven wrong, but the possibilities of storytelling in this beloved galaxy far, far away were completely reframed. Andor was Star Wars like we’d never seen it before. No epic lightsaber duels or Jedi mind tricks featured in Cassian’s journey from his home of Ferrix and beyond. Instead, we were given a street-level, politically charged, character-driven tale of oppression, sacrifice and rebellion in a galaxy befallen by the relentless tyranny of the Empire. In Andor, good versus evil isn’t postered by big-name characters, but is instead carried by the ordinary people who fight to spark change, and those in glaring white rooms and boxy, monochrome uniforms who oppose them. As far as Star Wars projects go, Season 1 of Andor came the closest to rehashing the political allegories of George Lucas’ original Star Wars; this, among other things, is what made it so good. It’s the outright commitment to mirror this, but on a level that is darker, deeper and more brutal than its previous installment, that makes Season 2 even better.
The second and final season of Andor kicks off one year after the events of the Season 1 finale, where we last saw Cassian flee Ferrix to join the flourishing rebellion under leader Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). Season 2 opens with chaotic flourish, reuniting us with Cassian as he battles with the mechanics of a stolen Imperial TIE Fighter. This opening sequence not only showcases one of many impressive set pieces from production designer Luke Hull, but kicks the entire season into gear. Cassian encounters a fellow renegade, whose trembling demeanor suggests that she is struggling with her decision to cross Imperial lines. Cassian returns her sentiments with encouragement, heartening her. “You’re coming home to yourself”, he says, reminding us that he is no longer a solo agent merely fighting to survive; he’s part of something bigger, a growing force, and together, they have a job to do. He leaves her with a reminder: “I’ll see you along the road.”
The same gut-punching storytelling, only in a new format, and kicked up a notch
Along that road we find a roaring return of the greatness of Season 1, albeit wrapped up in a new format. This 12 episode season follows a slightly different release schedule to its previous season, arriving in weekly three-episode chapters that centre on a different arc. Creator Tony Gilroy and members of the cast have likened each trio to mini movies of sorts, each chronicling the 4 years of Cassian’s life leading up to the events of Rogue One. This format works for the most part, but the anticipation of time jumps every week naturally strips the storyline of some cohesiveness. This isn’t a fault per-say, as Gilroy and his writing team manage to handle the narrative exceptionally well within a structure that is quite atypical.
Season 2 undertakes themes that push boundaries that have been previously untouched by any Star Wars media. While Andor has always stood out for its very bleak take on this universe, and has been deservedly hailed for its refusal to shy away from the brutality of the Empire’s regime, Season 2 is a certain step-up. From its very first arc, the events that unfold are as brutal as they are real. Each dramatic swing is handled with exceptional delicacy by Gilroy’s storytelling, who takes the time to craft vibrant, lived-in environments for them to unfold in. We are introduced to industrial planet Ghorman, and become privy to its rich, European-esque culture through time spent down vividly imagined cafés and fashion houses that line hardy, cobblestoned streets. It is already confirmed within the canon that a massacre takes place here, and by the time that it happens, we feel so familiar with this planet, its people and everything that they have been through, that it makes their trampling by Imperial forces almost impossible to watch. Gilroy leaves no space for doubt or defence or questioning here: while we might have seen the Empire act on levels of cruelty that dwarf this one, his decision to position viewers quite literally within the terrors released upon the people of Ghorman leaves no doubt that this is the most unambiguously evil force that we have, and might ever see, the Empire impose.
The women of this galaxy continue to give their all
It’s the Ghorman massacre that serves as the impetus behind Mon Mothma’s public condemnation of Emperor Palpatine and her eventual commitment to the Rebellion on Yavin 4. Genevieve O’Reilly returns to give yet another incredible performance as the infamous Rebel leader. We see her continue to juggle her position as politician with her secret involvement in the resistance as she watches the arranged marriage of her daughter, Leida, to the son of Chandrilan banker Davo Sculdun. Genevieve O’Reilly, who has played Mon across several Star Wars installments dating back to Revenge of the Sith, gives a performance that has been, frankly, under appreciated for years. O’Reilly packs Mon Mothma full of emotion, tension and sadness, tenderly humanising this iconic matriarch in a way that only elevates her sacrifices.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, yet nonetheless dedicated to her cause, we find returning Imperial officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and her strange, companion of sorts Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). We become privy to some of Meero’s backstory in this season, which adds interesting depth to Gough’s expert portrayal of a woman teetering on the very thin edge between success and ambition-derived-madness. We also see the return of Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu), as well as Luthen’s mysterious shop assistant Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau).
Dulau’s Kleya will take viewers by considerable surprise this season. In Season 1, she maintained a typical side character position as Luthen’s pseudo-secretary, fronting his antique shop and occasionally doing his dirty work. But this new installment sees Kleya command a pivotal arc of her own in a turn and performance that is not only truly exceptional, but my favourite of the season. Dulau gives a performance of heartbreak and commitment that is incredibly memorable, embodying the true nature of the Rebellion. Her actions echo Luthen’s famous words from Season 1: what does she sacrifice? Everything.
Diego Luna delivers a Cassian Andor that is complex, devastating and simply exceptional
It can’t, and shouldn’t be understated how well Diego Luna handles his responsibility as Andor’s titular character. When we first meet Cassian in Season 1, he possesses a steely, devil-may-care attitude more reminiscent of Han Solo than that of a dedicated Rebel leader. But then he becomes a victim of the Empire’s brutality, loses his mother (Fiona Shaw’s incredible Maarva), and fights the Imperials in an uprising right at home on Ferrix. Luna’s portrayal of Cassian has always been stellar, with Season 1 earning him a host of acting nominations, but this time around, his transformation into the character that befalls the events of Rogue One is nothing short of spectacular. Luna embodies Cassian with a subtle sense of rage that very clearly drives everything he does. It simmers beautifully in the quieter moments, and bubbles over when the time is right. Luna gifts us with devastating flashes of that desolate boy on Kenari that had just lost everything to the Empire.
He shines with his scene partners, too, and nowhere does he do this better than with Cassian’s on-again off-again lover, Bix Caleen, played beautifully by Adria Arjona. While their romance in this season might throw a few doubts in the direction of fan favourites Cassian and Jyn (Felicity Jones) in Rogue One, becoming privy to the intimacy of their relationship adds devastating layers to the events we know are to come. Cassian and Bix are a team, but there is no sidestepping the heartbreaking reality that they won’t go down as one. These complexities add so much nuance to a narrative that has already been written. This is one of the greatest strengths of Season 2, and emphatically cements Andor as one of the most essential and successful prequels of all time.
A tale that will stand the test of time
Andor Season 2 is a definitive triumph. This tour de force in storytelling serves as not only a worthy origin story of the Rebellion, but a beautifully constructed depiction of the beginning of Cassian Andor’s end. In 2018, people wondered why they should care about a virtually nameless character like Cassian. But the shows success in 2022 solidified a demanding interest in stories just like these. Stories that consider the lives of every day people who suffer under tyranny; stories that consider the middle-man, and those without the glory and grandeur of the saga’s heroes; stories of those who fight to make the big, memorable, galaxy-altering moments possible.
While these stories just happen to take place in a fictional universe, the world that we live in, under control of the powers that be, have done little to stifle what is now a glaring truth. What was once a desire to hear tales of Rebellion and resistance in a galaxy far, far away has become an innate need for them to exist, both within Star Wars and without. I’m not suggesting that Star Wars‘ most beloved parts – its whimsy, its epic battle scenes, and lightsaber wielding Force users – be replaced by tales that more closely reflect the struggles of our real world. But this show emerging when it has feels like some sort of divine grace. Andor in its entirety is without a doubt Tony Gilroy’s masterpiece, and some of the best Star Wars we might ever get to see. It’s a gift.
★★★★★
The first 3 episodes of Andor Season 2 will be available to stream on April 23rd on Disney+.
