After a long hiatus, the best Star Wars story since the original trilogy returns in Andor Season 2 with a deeply engrossing, dark, and incredibly written Part One.
Andor Season 2 Part 1 Overview
These first three episodes excel in portraying the rebellion’s disorganization and the overwhelming presence of the Empire, while maintaining an authentic feel.
Cassian seems the most stranded from the Empire plot. However, it is his story that highlights the rebellion’s shortcomings. Diego Luna does a great job of showing Cassian’s growth. He starts on a mission to capture a Tie Fighter, but the heist goes south.
Meanwhile, Bix, Brasso and B2EMO are hiding out on an agricultural planet. They’re working as undocumented workers for a local farmer as they wait for Cassian to return. Adria Arjona delivers a harrowing performance as Bix. Arjona is given far more to do as Bix in these three episodes than in all of season one.
On Chandrila, Mon Mothma is at her daughter’s arranged wedding ceremony. Luthen, Kleya, Vel and Tay Kolma are in attendance. Kolma is experiencing personal and financial setbacks that could make him vulnerable to the rebellion’s success.
On the Empire side, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) makes his series debut by planning the occupation of Gorman with Dedra Meero and Major Partagaz. Dedra has reservations about being assigned the Gorman project. Meanwhile, she also has the unfortunate duty of meeting Syril’s mother, Eady.
Overall, the only issue I initially had with the first three episodes of Andor Season 2 was Cassian being stranded on a mission with unfamiliar characters, which continues a pattern from last season. However, the 3rd episode is just one scene after another of payoffs.
These three episodes, written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Ariel Kleiman, are an excellent return to the best Star Wars series.
Andor is streaming on Disney Plus.
Coming Home to Yourself
The 1st episode of Season 2 opens with Cassian on a mission to steal a Tie Fighter. To steal the fighter, he meets with an informant.
Cassian gets to play the role of Luthen in a way. The informant is nervous about turning against the Empire. Cassian delivers another incredible speech from the pen of Gilroy, through the voice of Luna. She wants to know whether her death will be worth it. Cassian’s response shows his growth as a leader.
“This makes it worth it. This. Right now. Being with you, being here at the moment you step into a circle. Look at me. You made this decision long ago. The Empire cannot win. You’ll never feel right unless you are doing what you can to stop them. You are coming home to yourself. You’ve become more than your fear. Let that protect you.”
The heist doesn’t go smoothly. The Tie Fighter is different than the one Cassian trained on, which adds tension to the great chase sequences. Cassian ends up crashing on Yavin.
He becomes a prisoner to another faction of the rebels. They’re disorganized and feuding with another group of insurgents. Cassion maintains his composure throughout and slowly finds pressure points to exploit as he plots his escape.
Chandrila Wedding in Andor Season 2
On Chadrila, Mon Mothma is attempting to proceed with her daughter’s wedding. However, Kolma begins oversharing his troubles, which puts Mothma in an uncomfortable position. He starts suggesting they meet in private.
Mothma shares this development with Luthen. To his credit, Luthen doesn’t suggest killing Kolma. First, he wants to try to find if there’s a price that will keep Kolma quiet. Unfortunately, Kolma’s behavior worsens, forcing Luthen to make a deadly decision with a sly approach. Mothma claims ignorance of his meaning, to which Luthen replies, “How nice for you.”
The wedding sequences are stunning. Genevieve O’Reilly continues to deliver outstanding work as Mon Mothma. O’Reilly has mastered the ability of only allow the mask she shows the world to fall just a little. Stellan Skarsgård‘s ability to work the room as Luthen is also incredible.
Widespread Oppression
The oppression of the Empire is evident in two storylines throughout these three episodes.
The boardroom scene where Krennic, Dedra, Partagaz, and others are is vile. Krennic is casually talking about finding a way to mine Gorman to the point where the planet will be uninhabitable. A pair of PR stooges offers a plan to stir up Empire sympathies. Then, Krennic consults with Dedra privately. She wants to incentivize the wrong rebel group on the planet, which will send a bad sign to the Gormans. This will enable the Empire to be seen as saviors.
The most personal evidence of the Empire’s oppression involves Bix. In Episode 2, an Imperial Officer talks to Bix. He began asking questions about her missing husband, which hints at sexual aggression. He returns in Episode 3 and attempts to rape Bix. The sequence is hard to watch, but Bix kills him. The officer’s partner arrives. Bix explains what happened, but he couldn’t care less. She kills him, too.
Andor Season 2 Part 1 Final Thoughts
The combination of action with stakes, fantastic performances and Gilroy’s brilliant writing continues to make Andor the best Star Wars has to offer. If the series can bring Cassian back towards the center of the conflict, which is likely, then this is a nearly perfect show.
Andor Season 2 Part 1
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Outstanding - 9/109/10
