Season 2 - 12 episodes (2025)
Watch Andor on Disney Plus
Created by: Tony Gilroy
Starring: Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O'Reilly, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker
Rated: TV-14
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Plot
A prequel series to Star Wars Rogue One, Cassian Andor embarks on the path that is destined to turn him into a Rebel hero.
Verdict
It's a good season, but it feels truncated and rightly so. I like this show as much for what it could be as for what it does. Due to the shortened structure we lose so many potential character moments. This never gets boring as it moves so quickly, but it could also be so much more. Most of all I appreciate how this adds depth to the Star Wars universe and avoids falling into the usual cliches. It's a political thriller, and we see the pieces of how a totalitarian government manages to take over despite the fight citizens undertake. It's uncharacteristically deep for a Star Wars property. That's why it's so unfortunate that we didn't get the full five seasons initially planned.
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Review
Gilroy wrote Rogue One, and this series is the lead in to the movie before Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) stole the Death Star plans.
In season one an investigation begins afters Cassian kills two Imperial officers. He plans to sell Imperial technology to raise funds to leave the planet, putting him in contact with Rebel Alliance agent Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård). A heist with the rebels lands him on the radar of Imperial agent Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) as she pursues Cassian and the rebels while ranking up the government ladder. Cassian leaves the planet and acquires a cover identity but is later arrested and sent to a hard-labor prison which builds parts for the Death Star. We also see an oppressive government at work before Cassian leads an escape and is eventually recruited by Luthen.
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| Genevieve O'Reilly, Diego Luna play Mon Mothma, Cassian Andor |
Early reviews proclaimed this season's greatness, but it feels like a summary of what this show could have been. Gilroy originally planned this out for five seasons, but decided that he didn't want to spend that much time devoted to the show. Four seasons were truncated to one with season two serving as the final season. It's a good season, but it's rushed.
In the first episode we see how much Cassian has changed a year after season one. He's infiltrated an Imperial base and is stealing an experimental craft. His escape and rendezvous don't go to plan. Meanwhile Mon Mothma's (Genevieve O'Reilly) daughter is betrothed to a gangster as she tries to fight the government from within.
Episode four jumps yet another year into the future. This season moves quickly. It's a lot of political intrigue which is different from typical Star Wars. We're seeing the rise of the Imperial government en route to becoming a fascist regime. Various characters are aware of what's happening and try to fight it using their positions and powers.
The shortening of the series explains this season. It's so condensed I don't connect with it. With so many characters and so much happening I feel like a guide is required to keep it straight. Developing characters and taking more time would alleviate that. A show this good deserves more seasons. Part of the praise this receives is how different it is from typical Star Wars properties. Like The Mandalorian, this is an augment that picks a new genre. Like the first season, this makes the world feel big without requiring or resorting to light sabers, Jedis, and Siths.
The rebels must gain followers but doing that raises their profile and generates attention from the Imperials. Mon Mothma is trying to mount an underground rebellion. Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and her husband hope to infiltrate the rebels. With expanding ranks, that's easy enough to do. Meero advises Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) to allow the rebels to proceed, even score a few victories to make them bold. That will make them easier to take down. Krennic is leading the Imperials in taking whatever they want.
Episode seven is yet another one year jump. It's easy to see how a five season arc would have played out. It's the nuance of this show that's so engrossing in how it portrays the rebels and Imperials. It's government intrigue, and throughout I lamented the brevity.
The Imperial's plan is to make sure the rebels secure a weapons shipment. Once armed, the Imperials can rile up a protest to ensure it becomes violent. That allows them to portray it as an armed Rebel uprising that makes the Imperials look like victims that were defending themselves while eliminating a threat.
I like this season as much for what this show could have been if given a full season count as much as for what this season does. This show could have been so much more. K-2SO should have gotten more scenes, just to name one character. While we get a complete story, it's clearly a summary and these characters had much more depth. Despite the length it's a great season that deepens the lore.
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