Amongst Star Wars projects, “Andor” sets itself apart. Unlike the majority of Star Wars films and series, it makes do without any Jedi or Sith, and the force is almost never mentioned. “Andor” is a militaristic chess match unlike anything the galaxy far, far away has ever seen.
Rather than invoke the typical Star Wars grandeur, creator Tony Gilroy crafted his story in the shadows. Pulling its strength from a deep roster of rich, developed characters and perfectly intertwined stories, season two works as a masterful transition into the 2016 film "Rogue One."
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) has always rebelled against the Empire. Throughout season one, he was pulled into briefly working amongst the rebel network spearheaded by cold-hearted leader Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård). His involvement in fighting Imperials brought the conflict to his home planet of Ferrix, where the final message from his mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw) inspired the locals to finally take action.
In the aftermath of the Ferrix Riot in the finale of season one, Cassian gave Luthen a choice, “kill me, or take me in.” One year later, Cassian is one of the top spies in Luthen’s faction of the fledgling rebel alliance.
In a brand-new format, season two begins in the year 4 BBY (before the Battle of Yavin, where Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star), and jumps a year forward after every three episodes.
The first batch of three episodes sees protagonist Cassian captured and held in a dangerous forest — later revealed to be Yavin IV, the iconic location of the rebel base in 1977’s “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” — by a band of rebel misfits fleeing an attack that killed their leader.
Meanwhile, various other characters are put into tough situations of their own. Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) attempts to deal with Luthen’s security concerns while hosting her daughter’s wedding at her luxurious estate on Chandrila. Returning from “Rogue One,” Imperial director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) calls a top-secret meeting with trusted Imperial Security Bureau officials to discuss his plan to slander the planet Ghorman.
Piecing together all these moving parts is nothing new for Tony Gilroy, and it’s where “Andor” shines the most. Balancing Mon’s skepticism about her involvement with Luthen while juggling the sinister imperial plot is no small task. But as always, “Andor” is up for the challenge. With pinpoint accuracy and hard-hitting conversations, the show continuously elevates itself, always making the most of its characters.
The second and third arcs (set from 3-2 BBY) tell the story of Ghorman. Beginning with Luthen sending Cassian on a recon mission to assess the local resistance group, the
Ghorman Front. During this period, the famous rebel base that the Death Star will later target in Episode IV gets up and running on Yavin IV.
The turning point of the season came in episode eight, titled “Who Are You?,” in which the tension on Ghorman finally boils over as the Empire makes their move on the planet.
In this episode, the Empire intentionally reopens Palmo Plaza so that civilians flood into the area. Once everyone has gathered, the Empire stages a fight and begins firing on the Ghorman civilians, slaughtering as many as they can.
The Ghorman Massacre is arguably the most memorable moment of season two. The tragic event is as visually stunning as it is chilling. In addition to being an incredible achievement for the show’s creators, the episode is the culmination of Krennic’s plan, reminding viewers of the power and cruelty of the Empire.
Another chilling moment in this episode comes as Syril Karn (Kye Soller), who was thwarted by Cassian back in season one, is about to finally kill his nemesis. Before he can pull the trigger, Cassian asks Syril, “Who are you?” The realization that the man Syril has spent years agonizing over has no idea he exists breaks him, causing him to hesitate and be killed by Carro Rylanz (Richard Sammel), the Ghorman Front’s leader.
Before his death, the viewer sees Syril as he realizes that he had nothing left to fight for. When Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) finally revealed the planned massacre, Syril felt betrayed. He was betrayed again when Cassian’s ignorance of his existence invalidated his obsession. After dedicating his whole life being manipulated into doing the Empire’s bidding, a quick death was his only reward.
The final three episodes serve as a transition from “Andor” into “Rogue One,” Gilroy’s previous Star Wars project.
Luthen’s associate Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) is one of the standouts at the end of the season. After Dedra finally apprehends Luthen, Kleya is the one to deliver the crucial information about the Death Star to the rebel base.
Dulau’s emotional range was on full display in the final episodes of the season. In her first major role, she delivered a stellar performance as the hardheaded mastermind of Luthen’s intelligence operation. Dulau’s performance lifted Kleya from the rebel leaders’ sidekick to a fierce rebel operative who gets the job done when it matters most.
Among other things, episodes 10 through 12 provide viewers with bonus screen time for the fan favorite droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk). The series ends with Cassian suiting up in his “Rogue One” attire to go meet Tivik (Daniel Mays) on Kafrene, which is also his first scene in the 2016 movie.
The combination of episodes 10 through 12, “Rogue One” and “A New Hope” make up a six-and-a-half hour long continuous story that perfectly transitions from the modern era to the classic Star Wars of old.
Despite some minor timeline issues — most glaringly how Dedra and Kleya both managed to grow from small children to their present-day adult selves in just the 14 years between the rise of the empire and the beginning of season one — “Andor” has set a new bar for Star Wars.
With frighteningly topical subject matters and an incredible supporting cast, the show takes the franchise in a direction that nobody knew it could go. The deeply serious undertone and high stakes action make the show a must watch for anyone who enjoys a good spy thriller, and an all-time classic for Star Wars fans.
