Review – Andor Season 2

When Andor Season 1 dropped, audiences were treated to a brand-new take on Star Wars: A grittier, more realistic portrayal of the war between the Rebellion and the Empire. For Andor Season 2, Tony Gilroy has dramatically increased the stakes while delving deeply into the psyche of his characters and fleshing out the Rebellion in a way Lucas and Spielberg never did.

Season 2 picks up some time after the first season (exactly how much time is debatable and will undoubtedly be a heated subject for the lore experts). Cassian is now working full-time for Luthen Rael, and the pair appears to have reached a tentative level of trust. Bix is trying to hide out from the Empire and is dealing with severe PTSD from her nightmarish experience of being tortured. An even bigger surprise finds Dedra Meero and Syril Karn in a relationship, making for one of the more surprising and intriguing parts of the series. Mon Mothma continues to balance her life as a politician and mother, while also striking back against the Empire, and Director Krennic has come onto the scene with a bold new plan for a devastating weapon.

Content Guide

Violence: Frequent; includes several bloody scenes and multiple deaths in brutal ways, including one particularly graphic massacre.

Language: Multiple uses of “d-“, “h-“, “a-,” and “s-” words.

Sexual Content: Several implied scenes, though nothing explicit is shown. In one extended scene, an Imperial officer attempts to assault a woman. There are several prolonged kissing scenes. Two openly gay minor characters are shown working through relationship issues.

Spiritual Content: Multiple references to the beliefs and practices of various cultures.

Positive Content: Themes of loyalty and doing what’s right, even when it’s difficult. A powerful speech is delivered about the importance of truth.

Negative Content: Brutality, deception, and corruption are major recurring themes.

Tragedy is the central theme of Season 2. Despite the best intentions and the most carefully laid plans, most of the characters face death and loss. Some are even trapped by their own schemes. Diego Luna does a spectacular job portraying Cassian Andor. Cassian is brave and honorable, but also lost and broken. In my opinion, it’s Stellan Skarsgård who truly shines, playing the ruthless rebel Luthen Rael. Luthen is cunning, manipulative, and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Yet, as the series progresses, we come to understand the deeper motivations behind his behavior.

Dedra Meero is given more of the spotlight, and this is where Gilroy takes one of his boldest narrative risks: Telling part of the story from the perspective of an Imperial officer. Dedra is committed to the Imperial cause and utterly dedicated to her mission. She genuinely believes in what she’s doing, and despite her harsh demeanor, she sincerely loves Syril Karn for who he is.

The plot is more intense than anything we’ve previously seen in the Star Wars universe. If anything, I respect Tony Gilroy’s strong effort to explore the inner lives of his characters. There’s more violence and mature content than we’re used to in Star Wars, but there’s also more emotion and real stakes. Themes of truth, deception, genocide, and corruption run throughout…heady stuff for a franchise once known mainly for lightsabers.

What makes Season 2 so genuinely impressive is the way Gilroy fleshes out the Rebellion. There’s nothing wrong with the original Star Wars trilogy. Everyone loves it as it is. Still, it never fully explained why the Rebellion existed. Rogue One offered a clearer view, but Andor Season 2 defines the Rebellion in depth. The true evil of the Empire is exposed in scene after scene, from genocide to a lecherous Imperial officer attempting to assault a woman. By the end of the show, viewers will fully understand what made the Empire so insidious that it warranted a full-scale Rebellion.

Part of what made Andor Season 1 so spectacular was the quality of the scriptwriting. I’ll personally never forget lines like Luthen Rael’s: “I give my life for a sunrise I’ll never see.” While we have to wait for it, there are similarly excellent lines in Season 2, including a truly epic speech delivered by Mon Mothma. One of the biggest differences this season, though, is how often the show relies on what’s shown rather than said. There’s a scene where an entire crowd is brutally massacred, and it was so wrought with emotion that it brought me to tears. Gilroy brilliantly orchestrates his scenes and weaves the plot so deftly that you genuinely feel the emotions of loss, anger, and the overwhelming odds our heroes face. My eyes welled up more than once, even at the death of a character I never thought I’d pity or sympathize with.

Let me also take a moment to tip my hat to Brandon Roberts for his exceptional score. It’s both epic and poetic. I can’t fully explain it, but Roberts composed the music so beautifully that it swells at just the right moments and transitions into a more meditative lull during quieter scenes. You’d have to hear it to truly understand, but his work elevated this already near-perfect show even further.

That said, I do have a few complaints. After the immense success of Season 1, Tony Gilroy once mentioned taking the series to four seasons. Sadly, we’ve learned Season 2 will be the final chapter, and some of the resulting cuts and revisions are noticeable. For instance, I read Andy Serkis announced fans hadn’t seen the last of his character, Kino Loy. I was looking forward to that, but his character never reappears or is even mentioned.

I’ll also admit the show gets off to a truly slow start. While I don’t mind deep character development, several scenes and conversations felt overly long and could (and arguably should) have been trimmed. Fortunately, once the plot gains momentum, it truly soars…but it does require some patience to get there.

(Mild spoiler alert!) At the beginning of Andor Season 1, the series kicks off with Cassian searching for his sister, which is a storyline that initially drives him toward rebellion. Yet, in Season 2, there’s no mention of her or her possible fate. It’s disappointing to have such a major plot thread left unresolved, hanging out in space with no closure.

Despite a slow beginning and a few lingering plot holes, Andor Season 2 still manages to outshine not only most television being made today, but even its own source material. It’s a show filled with characters worth caring about that are brilliantly written, expertly constructed, and passionately portrayed. Andor Season 2 is nothing short of a modern-day masterpiece.