Andor’s Sophomore Season Serves Not Only as a Triumph but Sets a New Precedent for Star Wars as a Whole! -

By Luis Zonenberg

After taking a trip to the quaint town of Derry, I felt the need to continue driving until I found myself back in a galaxy far, far away. The latest season of the hit Star Wars series, Andor, was an absolute highlight from last year and one I have been looking forward to discussing for quite some time. It is no secret that the Star Wars franchise has been struggling to regain momentum for the last few years; fans have tossed most of their releases aside into the Sarlacc Pit. Andor proved to be a huge exception though and the show’s final season only cemented it!

The second and final season follows a unique structure in which there are four story arcs, each about three episodes long. Each progressing story arc takes place one year after the other, moving all the way up to when the film Rogue One takes place. This approach is very reminiscent of the way The Clone Wars series was structured and really helps in not only amplifying the tension but the intrigue as well for audiences new and old. This is quite the departure from the first season, but it’s one I felt was not only necessary but greatly improved the pacing and the overall tone of the show.

The first story arc covers Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) posing as an Imperial test pilot in hopes of stealing a new experimental starfighter, the TIE Avenger! He narrowly escapes with the fighter and lands on a jungle moon (later revealed to be Yavin IV), where he has been instructed to hand the ship off to another pilot. Things soon go awry when he is ambushed by members of a guerrilla rebel cell, ultimately being caught in a crossfire as the rebels begin to bicker and turn on each other.

Meanwhile, on the agricultural planet Mina-Rau, Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) continues to grapple with the trauma of the torture she endured from the Empire back on Ferrix. She works in the undocumented employ of a local farmer along with fellow Ferrix survivors Brasso (Joplin Sibtain) and Wilmon Pak (Muhannad Bhaier). When Imperial Star Destroyers enter the planet’s atmosphere, they know an inspection is on the way and try to contact Cassian before they get caught.

The first story arc does a great job of balancing the separate storylines while keeping true to the tone of the show and the greater Star Wars universe. They also do a great job of foreshadowing a later story arc, with everyone scheming and forming plans to outwit the other in any way necessary. At times, it felt a tad dragged out and inconsistent with its humor, but thankfully, the final episode in the arc amped up the action and drama in an explosive finale that wrapped things up rather well. It was a wonderful way to kickstart the season while setting the stage for what’s to come in future episodes.

The second story arc focuses on the planet Ghorman, where political unrest is growing as the Empire exploits them for their mining materials. Amidst this, Imperial officer Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) infiltrates a rebel group called the Ghorman Front, who wish to expose the Empire’s true intentions. Karn paints himself as a sympathizer, hoping to uncover their plans as he reports their actions to his supervisor, Dedra Meero (Denise Gough).

Meanwhile, Cassian and Bix have relocated to a safe house on Coruscant as he tries to help her cope with the trauma of her past. They try to return to some form of normalcy when they are approached once more by rebel spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). Concerned with the growing unrest on Ghorman, Rael instructs Cassian to investigate the Ghorman Front and determine if they could be of help to the Rebel Alliance. With growing tension between the two rebels and a plan forming in the Ghorman Front, the stage is set for a disaster of epic proportions.

This particular story arc is mostly spent moving the chess pieces and setting the stage for the next story arc. There are some noteworthy moments, like Cassian helping Bix confront her attacker and Rael working with his assistant, Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau), to infiltrate an Imperial Senator’s house party. I feel a good chunk of this story could have been reduced to two episodes to keep the pacing more efficient while still devoting enough time to the characters and their respective arcs. This is more of a nitpick, though, since it furthers the intrigue from the previous story while planting the seeds to blossom for the next story.

The third story arc shows that the unrest on Ghorman has only grown worse, with the Ghorman Front organizing a massive protest to be held outside in the Palmo Plaza. After talking things over with Bix, Cassian returns to Ghorman with his friend, Wilmon, in hopes of infiltrating the protest to assassinate Meero and end the turmoil for good! Things get out of hand fast when the Empire sets up a barricade and corners the protesters, with Karn attempting to move through the crowd to get back to Meero.

A group of riot police officers is sent out to control the crowd, but it is soon revealed that they are guinea pigs to be sacrificed to get them to attack the crowd. This culminates in a massive bloodbath with Ghormans firing on the Imperial officers, which prompts Meero to send out the KX security droids that massacre the Ghorman population. This massacre sparked controversy in the Senate on Coruscant, prompting Senator Mon Mothma to speak out against the Empire in an emergency hearing.

This story arc features some of the best TV episodes in recent memory, with the payoff on Ghorman in particular being an absolute series highlight! From the incredible writing to the superb performances from the cast, this is a powerful story that properly expands the Star Wars universe in a mature but thoughtful way. The action was downright brutal, and the KX droids felt downright terrifying at some points. I was in awe by the end of the eighth episode, and the ninth only cemented the power of this story.

The last story arc focuses on rebel spy Lonni Jung (Robert Emms) reporting to Luthen Rael about the Empire’s secret energy project. He discovers that the Ghorman Massacre was used for the Empire to mine a mineral from the planet to fuel a secret weapon known as the Death Star! Fearing the Empire is hot on his tracks, Rael quietly disposes of Jung and works with Kleya to destroy all of his equipment at the Antique Store.

After Luthen gets cornered by Dedra Meero and some ISB officers, he sacrifices himself so Kleya can escape to the safe house and send out a signal to Cassian for help. Cassian intercepts the signal while playing a game of cards with the reprogrammed K2-SO (Alan Tudyk), and the two quickly take off to retrieve her. They narrowly escape the clutches of the ISB officers, dropping Kleya off at the rebel base on Yavin IV before being instructed to meet a rebel spy on Kafrene in hopes of retrieving some data on the Death Star.

The last story serves as a wonderful epilogue to the Ghorman Massacre, showing the separate Rebel factions finally united as the events lead directly into Rogue One. The first episode in particular serves as a great bottle episode, revealing the long-lasting relationship between Kleya and Luthen as the Empire pursues them. The last two, though, ensure that the series ends on a high note! From the musical score to the expert direction from Alonso Ruizpalacios, it beautifully captures the hard work and sacrifice everyone has made for the cause while showing why they needed to do so.

The first two stories are great at greasing the wheels for the long drive ahead, sometimes to a fault. This approach ultimately would not have worked if the payoff wasn’t as good as it is. The last two stories feel like the culmination of what the series has been building up to, delivering a taught and worthwhile finale that should satisfy any Star Wars fan. Beautifully igniting the fire of rebellion, Andor’s final season sets a new standard for what the franchise should strive for in the years to come!

All episodes of Andor are now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: ★★★★ ½ of five