Roughly two and a half years after its first season aired, Star Wars Andor, the fiercely political series starring Diego Luna who reprises the role of Cassian Andor he first played in Rogue One, has returned for its second and final season. Overseen by Michael Clayton director Tony Gilroy, the show has an unusual release schedule this season: each Tuesday for the next few weeks, three new episodes will drop.
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This week’s premiere, which kicked off the season with its first three episodes, gave us loads to talk about, and left us excited to see where things are going to go from here.
Ethan Gach: Cassian Andor has never felt more relatable to me as when he got into the cockpit of that new prototype tie-fighter and couldn’t figure how to stop it from defaulting to inverted controls. Knowing he would hit “skip” at the start of every game’s tutorial as well feels like an important window into his character.
Carolyn Petit: That was a wild and fun moment, one that made me want to play TIE Fighter again! (I was pretty confused as to why Cassian hadn’t gotten training on how to fly the damn thing beforehand though, but this wound up being explained later.)
And what I love about that whole intro sequence is that I think it works as a kind of microcosm of what makes Andor such a compelling and brilliant show. It has “fun” moments that are uniquely Star Wars but they’re supported by storytelling that really foregrounds the political conflict that has always been present in the series.
Right before that scene with the TIE, Cassian speaks to an Imperial technician who has aided him at great personal risk to herself. She asks him a very reasonable question: “If I die tonight, was it worth it?” He gives her a beautiful answer, one that includes the words, “You’ll never feel right unless you’re doing what you can to stop them. You’re coming home to yourself.” It’s so true, I think. So many of us are struggling right now with the potential risk involved in standing up to the malevolent political forces in our own world, but at the same time, not doing something means losing ourselves because we’re not being true to our own moral core.
Andor knows that acting in solidarity is beautiful and that sometimes people have to make some terrible sacrifices. And it confronts us with all of this a few minutes before giving us the almost comical action of Cassian trying to come to grips with the damn ship and mowing down heaps of stormtroopers in the process!
Zack Zwiezen: It was a really strong start to the show that instantly reminded viewers of what Andor is really about, showed us how much he has grown in a year, and also allowed the series to include a fun Star Wars adventure of stealing a TIE Fighter and barely escaping. Perfect opening to a new season. Other writers and showrunners should take notes.
EG: That moment with the technician is one of the stronger scenes in the entire opening chapter (first three episodes) and an important element of humanity that sort of underlies the whole project and grounds it, which is that even the big bad galactic empire is full of people just waiting to be tipped over the edge into rebelling.
For every collaborator there’s someone ready to desert. The opening episodes really do a great job of teetering back and forth between hope and despair, not just because of the insurmountable odds but also because of the grim, dark, and even immoral sacrifices made to try and even them.
CP: That’s right. It doesn’t try to reduce or simplify things morally or in human terms, something Star Wars, a series that’s broadly about good vs. evil, “light” and “dark,” has arguably done at times in the past.
In fact Andor is all about acknowledging the complexities, the reality that solidarity doesn’t always mean working alongside people you’re in total ideological lockstep and perfect harmony with; sometimes it means working with people you have fierce disagreements with about some things, but you’re aligned on one key principle or goal and you let that be enough.
There sure are some awful people in the Empire, though; I continue to particularly loathe that smarmy bureaucrat Syril, for instance.
And I was surprised to see, in what I think is a first for Star Wars as a series, Andor touching on how the fascist oppression of groups of people and sexual violence against women historically go hand in hand, with that vile Imperial officer Krole attempting to rape Bix. It was chilling, but I think Andor’s serious handling of its subject matter earned it the right to go there.
As for those “immoral” sacrifices you mentioned, what can I say? I love Luthen, and his willingness to do whatever he feels protecting the Rebellion demands. Him telling Mon Mothma “How nice for you” after he basically tells her, in his coded way, that he’s gonna have to take a certain liability out of the picture and she acts like she doesn’t quite understand what he’s saying is such a great moment, only made better by her trying to lose herself in booze and music right afterwards as some part of her struggled with the painful realization that her commitment to this rebellion had moral demands that went beyond even what she’d previously imagined.
ZZ: I also loved the way Andor continues to show that the rebellion wasn’t some perfectly organized group of people all on the same page in the fight against the Empire.
Watching that ragtag group of rebels break into arguments and then get into a protracted stand-off was a perfect reminder that part of the problem you face when fighting giant organized fascist empires is that you tend to have a lot of diverse people and ideas trying to work together. And that can cause people who should be on the same side to turn on each other
I also think it is interesting that for a show named Andor, he’s not that big a part of the first three episodes.
CP: Yeah! In that sense, these first three episodes did feel a bit like set-up, putting Cassian himself to the side a bit so they could both focus on laying the groundwork for Mon Mothma’s arc (I continue to be so impressed by the complexity of Genevieve O’Reilly’s performance) and in order to plant the seeds for…something (ahem) to happen on Ghorman later on.
ZZ: Man, O’Reilly’s performance in this is so good. Who could have guessed that the actress George Lucas picked to play Mon Mothma—mainly because she looked so similar—for a few scenes that were mostly deleted from Revenge of the Sith would go on to be so incredible 20 years later.
Also, they should totally add that scene back into Revenge of the Sith. It’s a good scene and it would connect the movies to Andor in a fun way for people going back and re-watching them post-Andor.
CP: It was really cool (in a horrifying way) hearing those Imperial propaganda experts talk about the ways in which they manipulate galactic opinion about Ghormans by leaning into and perpetuating negative stereotypes, another thing that Andor takes right from the history books about how fascism works.
And I do think these three episodes successfully generated suspense around Cassian’s absence, with his friends (and, of course, poor B2EMO!) feeling the pressure rise as they awaited him. I do hope he gets to decisively shift into a more prominent and active role with the next three episodes though!
EG: Let’s talk about that wedding.
CP: NIAMOS!
ZZ: DJ DROIDBOT! I was impressed and enjoyed that opening “oner” shot that walked us through the people at the wedding and revealed Luthen at the end.
EG: Imagine having multiple principals on set to film at the same time!
ZZ: Imagine having a set that big!
CP: And talk about contrast. Superficially there’s the glitzy dancefloor, the wildly expensive statue, the performance of joy and celebration, but all the while there are such high-stakes political dimensions at play, and we really feel Mon Mothma working to stay focused on her political goals which are so much larger than herself, even as she’s dealing with the very real pain of a daughter who receives her coldly.
It’s grand and intimate all at once, balancing the human and the political dimensions very effectively which I think has long been a skill that sets Tony Gilroy apart.
EG: She’s trying to create a better future for her daughter who is very content to live her comfortable life under the Empire.
CP: Yes!
EG: Meanwhile she’s sold out her childhood friend for being in the midst of a late-life crisis.
I also liked the subtle look her husband gives her when she’s drunkenly dancing, like “Finally she’s doing what we all want her to do, just shut up and have fun.”
ZZ: Yes, that moment with her dancing and her husband watching stuck out to me. This is a side of Mothma we’ve never seen before. Even the actress said in a behind-the-scenes video that after doing that she learned more about Mothma. And I think we all did, too.
Now, for a part I didn’t like: The death of big man Brasso.
To be clear: I don’t mind the show killing characters. This is a rebellion against an evil empire. People are going to die. But I think it was just done really sloppily. I wasn’t even sure what happened. It was a rare moment in Andor where I felt like the direction just didn’t work. I was confused by the moment. Wait he’s dead? How? When? He was shot? I think? I don’t know… didn’t work for me.
CP: Agreed; as a character, Brasso deserved to go out better (or at least more clearly) than that.
ZZ: I get that the maybe the idea was, “Hey, look, heroes like Brasso can die just as randomly as nobodies.” Sure. Fine. That’s a good point. I get it. But yeah, what a confusing death for an awesome character.
EG: Brasso had worse luck dodging blaster fire than the Jedi mowed down by Order 66.
ZZ: Too soon, man. Too soon.
CP: Everything else about the situation Brasso, Bix and the gang endured there really resonated though.
I like that Andor is a show that, on one hand, we can write fun lists of Star Wars Easter eggs about, and on the other, keeps offering direct parallels to how actual oppressive and fascist governments work.
The language the Imperials used about them being not just “undocumented” but “illegal” had me wanting to scream “No one is illegal!” at the screen, and Gilroy and co. are absolutely not being shy about making those connections as explicit as possible; that fucker Krole says something like “The Councils need the help or there’s no harvest. The help is undocumented,” driving home how migrant workers that are absolutely vital to industries like agriculture are often targeted.
Meanwhile, one thing I thought was really fun: the informative video about those spiders on Ghorman. It had the feel of the kinds of government-produced educational videos I’d sometimes see in class in elementary school.
ZZ: I loved it! But also, I’m not sure why Krennic showed so much of it. Maybe he really likes spiders!?
Something I really appreciated about the meeting with Krennic and the other Empire members is how they aren’t all onboard, but others can sort of convince them to be worse. It’s subtle, but it shows how these decisions can happen. Even people who might think they are good, with enough power and in the wrong place, can agree to some horrible shit. And then they can say, “Well, it was a group decision.” Or blame it on the Empire and not themselves.
Okay, we’ve talked enough about themes and writing and direction etc etc. Can we talk about that Yavin-4 reveal?!
CP: Absolutely!
ZZ: I’ll admit it: I made a noise. Andor is a show that so rarely does that kind of stuff that I squealed a bit. I’m a Star Wars sicko. And I loved that reveal. I was so distracted by what was happening that I didn’t even notice the fact they didn’t reveal the planet’s name he landed on. And then I was like “Oh, you bastards!”
CP: I have to admit, it was pretty cool.
I’m not someone who gets excited about references for the sake of references but this felt earned somehow; it’s cool knowing that this seemingly random planet actually goes on to become a place of vital importance in the Rebellion’s future. It feels like one more thing that deepens Cassian’s legacy as a character whose experiences and actions echo on into the future, even if he doesn’t personally live to see how.
ZZ: Also, I guess the rebels are going to have to kill a lot of giant lizard pig aliens things? Maybe that’s a whole episode. Andor and the gang hunting hogs.
(Also, pushes up glasses, it’s not a planet. It’s a jungle moon. Come on)
CP: Hahaha my bad! I always appreciate the depth of your Star Wars wisdom.
EG: Deep cut to the main plot point of Return of the Jedi.
How are we felling about the three-episode drop structure? It sort of extends the arc of them a bit, and makes for weaker individual episodes, but a possibly more nuanced and impactful 150 minutes? I’m not fully sold on it but I might also be too caught up in the high highs of season 1 which really didn’t kick in until mid way through.
CP: I think it makes sense. Those first three episodes really felt like they had their own self-contained arc for me, and I expect the remaining three-episode drops will as well.
ZZ: I think it worked for me too. It basically is like a new Star Wars movie every week.
I also think it helps avoid a problem Andor had with some people in Season 1. That the show was too slow or took too long to get to big moments. Personally, I didn’t love the slower pace of the first two episodes of Andor season 1 but the third episode sold me on the show. So I think dropping them like this helps.
CP: It’s also the sort of thing that may make more sense in retrospect, as the arcs of each three-episode cluster become clearer, with each group being set in a different year, if I remember right, as they count down to uhh…help me out here Zack, BBY 0, is that right?
ZZ: Technically we are building to BBY1 as BBY0 is A New Hope. It’s weird. (And gets weirder when you realize that OBBY and 1ABY are sort of the same time period but not. Don’t think about this stuff.)
I’m glad you brought that up though, because I think this is the first time we’ve ever seen BBY show up in a show or movie. I wonder how many people were like “What?”
CP: I know! I was surprised to see them put something mostly only known to the die-hards up there.
ZZ: “3 Years Before Andor, the main character of this show, fucking dies” was Gilroy’s first choice, I’m told.
EG: Can they get Gilroy to remake Rogue One?
ZZ: We can’t wrap this up without talking about Syril and Meero!
EG: Oh right, that whole thing happened.
ZZ: I saw some people online suggesting they aren’t a couple, which seems wild to me. It’s very clear those two are having some really aggressive and yet bland sex.
EG: He lives with her right?
ZZ: I think that’s what the show was implying, yeah.
CP: Right, what do we think is going on there? Him saying “We could…pretend you’re not back” kind of threw me off. Clearly the dynamics of their relationship are…odd, but I suspect they are together in some sense.
EG: I’m curious to see where that whole thing goes. I care zero about his character, so I hope he is used more as a foil to bring interesting things out of her or force some unexpected developments.
“We could…pretend you’re not back” is what JD Vance’s couch used to say to him.
CP: I think Syril is fascinating because he’s so loathsome. Just a gross nepo loser who thinks he’s doing great and meaningful things while looking at spreadsheets. Truly a villain for the DOGE era.
ZZ: I think they are going to flip. He’ll learn about Ghorman and see it as a great thing. She seems hesitant. She might even flip on the Empire and him. Also, that moment where she smiles freaked me out.
EG: My favorite scene with her is after the meeting when she’s walking back on Coruscant with her boss and they show a clear split between the bureaucracy of the Empire and its autocrats.
Competent careerists who have to balance the ideology of the project and whims of their superiors with actually getting the results. Imagine if we come out of this whole thing with an attempted coup because it’s clear the Death Star is a really dumb idea.
“Push oppressed populaces to the brink to build giant weapon in space” is a reoccurring Icarus moment for fascists in the Star Wars universe.
ZZ: I’d love to see a storyline like that. It’s something the movies/shows haven’t really touched on. That the Empire was once the Republic and not all of those people are suddenly on board with worshiping a melted monster man wizard god and his creepy black-suited super soldier dude.
The comics have touched on how the Empire’s various bureaucrats and soldiers don’t really get Darth Vader. Maybe Vader even shows up in the show at some point. He would be the one the Emperor would send to quash a coup.
CP: I’ve been wondering if that would happen.
I feel like that could go one of two ways. It could be awesome because yes, he’s such a powerful figure, he looms so large in the Star Wars mythos and tactically it would make sense, as you say. At the same time, part of what’s made Andor so great is that it largely avoids the kind of recurring major players from other Star Wars stories. Still, if Gilroy and co. decided to go that way, I’ll be curious to see how they handle it!
Before we wrap it up, just one last thing: I want to shout out a very good piece by Aftermath’s Gita Jackson that ran in The New York Times a few days ago.
They make the important point that simply watching a show like Andor is not, in and of itself, activism or resistance, an important thing to remember in an era when many people do seem to view “consuming” the right media as some kind of meaningful act. Andor is ultimately still itself the product of a massive corporate empire. But I do think we can totally recognize that fact while also letting ourselves feel stirred and inspired by the craft and artistry of what Gilroy and all of his collaborators on this project are doing.
I think about how in season one, for instance, Cassian was incarcerated, sentenced for several years (actually it probably would have been forever) for no reason at all, sent to a brutal prison colony that offered, ultimately, just one way out. I think if even a few young people are struck by parallels like those, feel something stirring inside them, and learn to know an evil empire when they see one, well, that would be pretty damn cool.
ZZ: Andor fans, welcome to the resistance.
But yes, I’m so happy this show is back for so many reasons. It’s very good. It makes me feel things. It comes at a perfect time. And I get to talk to people I know about Star Wars for a few weeks without them going, “Bleh, Star Wars is so bad/boring/whatever now.” That’s nice. So yeah, I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s awesome that Andor is back.
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