May the Fourth season kicks off a little early with the premiere of Andor Season 2 on Disney+ this week. After a prolonged wait for the back half of the series, the prologue to a prologue now arrives with all the intensity fans hoped for—and at the perfect time for its tone to resonate.
Andor’s first season proved to be a slow burn that built into one of the most thrilling conclusions the franchise has ever seen. However, before it reached that tipping point, it admittedly left some viewers wondering why Rogue One needed a prequel in the first place. Season 2 takes time to lay down a framework as well, but does so with more haste and skill, benefiting from standing on the first season’s shoulders, and reaches even greater heights.
(Quick note: Rest assured, while this review discusses the 12-episode second season as a whole, there will be no spoilers.)
When we rejoin the titular hero in Andor Season 2, Cassian (Diego Luna) is more assured and comfortable in his place within the fledgling Rebellion. Just as importantly, the rest of the ensemble has grown in the off-season, allowing the show to invest in character arcs that enhance not only Cassian’s story, or Rogue One, but the entire era of Star Wars storytelling.
“Andor wisely continues to buck that trend, further establishing itself as the most grounded corner of the universe.”
Cassian is carrying out assignments for Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), often with the support of his childhood-friend-turned-romantic-partner Bix (Adria Arjona) and other survivors of the insurrection on Ferrix in Season 1. Meanwhile, Luthen continues to manipulate the political world and build the Rebellion through Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly). The only person who seems to have found peace since the first season is disgraced former Imperial Security Bureau officer Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), who appears content in his new bureaucratic role—yet remains involved in galactic affairs through a new ally, Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough).
Through these main players, we see the march ever closer toward the inevitable full-blown war between the Empire and the Rebels that anyone who has seen Rogue One or A New Hope knows is coming. Yet at no point in Season 2 did it feel like Andor was ham-fistedly nudging us toward either of those films. It’s certainly building new layers around those existing stories—the Empire once again needs a certain material from a certain planet for reasons classified even to its top officers—but it remains focused on telling a self-sufficient tale worth its own telling.
Overall, the pacing in Andor Season 2 has improved considerably. A smattering of time skips helps in this regard, covering the years between the end of Season 1 and the start of Rogue One. Episodes are being released three times a week, with each batch advancing the story by one year. As creator Tony Gilroy noted at Star Wars Celebration last weekend, each trio can be seen as a film in its own right.
After the first couple of episodes, the show gains momentum, building toward more epic moments of intrigue and actual rebellion. Star Wars was built upon the idea of resistance against an evil empire, but the franchise has long failed to truly show the human side of this conflict, at least in live-action.
“At no point in Season 2 did I feel like Andor was hamfistedly nudging us toward either Rogue One or A New Hope.”
Andor wisely continues to buck that trend, further establishing itself as the most grounded corner of the universe. The Jedi and the Force sit this one out—aside from a couple of rote mentions—and instead we see the impact of the Empire’s schemes on everyday people. Even more than the film that inspired it, the show leans away from lightsabers and puts its weight behind the actions of regular galactic citizens. Here, an impassioned speech achieves the same narrative force as an intricately choreographed laser sword duel. (This season also includes the best use of the Galactic Senate since Yoda and Palpatine turned their audience chamber into a weapon in Revenge of the Sith.)
This impact is driven home by both strong writing and impassioned performances. Luna, Skarsgård and O’Reilly continue to shine at the forefront—and if there isn’t an Emmy win for one of them, it would be a crime. However, the entire ensemble brought their A-game, and minor character issues I had, such as Syril’s insufferable desire to prove himself, have been curtailed as part of satisfying character arcs. From the first shots, the intensity and the stakes are high, and any brief moments of levity taper off as the intrigue deepens.
It wouldn’t be Star Wars without a cameo or two, and Andor obliges the trend. Ben Mendelsohn as Director Krennic and Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera are used tactfully to align the show with Rogue One in a non-pandering way, while at least one other legacy character makes a notable return. Fan service is thankfully avoided, and each of these characters sends ripples through the narrative with an appropriate amount of screen time.
And naturally, Alan Tudyk returns in due time as K-2SO, Cassian’s faithfully reprogrammed droid. After a long wait for the painfully straight-talking droid to appear in the series at all, Tudyk unfortunately doesn’t get the amount of screen time I would have liked, but every moment he does get is immaculate.
Ultimately, Andor Season 2 ties a neat bow on the story of its beloved rogue protagonist and builds the perfect on-ramp to Rogue One. The moment the season ended, I was compelled to start the film, and immediately began noticing new details about the Rebellion and Cassian’s behaviour. Both the movie and the streaming series come full circle thematically, and it’s a shame we won’t get more from this particular corner of the galaxy far, far away.
