When Lucasfilm announced that they would be releasing a show to Disney+ about Cassian Andor, a character whose fate we already knew after 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” fans were skeptical about the new series, “Andor”. 

Then in 2022, season one came to Disney+ and proved skeptics wrong, scoring a 96% critics score and 87% audience score, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The series’s complex characters and attention to detail was a fresh and welcome surprise.

After waiting three years, season two finally released.

As a fan of the first season, I came into season two with high hopes. 

Over four weeks starting April 22, three episodes were released per week. These can be looked at as ‘arcs’, as every three episodes the show jumps one year into the future.

The production and scale of this series are on par with mainstream sci-fi and action movies. Every shot is carefully crafted and purposeful. 

Season two keeps this true and ups the ante. The real-life sets sit the audience right into the Star Wars galaxy. 

Unfortunately, season two makes the weaker aspects of season one greater. Specifically, the slow-burn style of the show is very prominent, especially in the first six episodes. 

Despite occasional action following the show’s titular character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), much of the season’s first six episodes serve as set up for important moments later on.

Overall, while technically sound, I thought the first six episodes could have been trimmed down to three. Each episode felt as though there was little progress made with each individual plot line because there were so many going on at the same time.

While  each of the first two arcs in episodes three and six ended with highs, they failed to reach the excitement felt with season one’s big moments.

Episode seven is when it all became worth it. Episode seven was the start of the third arc, which was set one year before the events of “Star Wars: A New Hope”. 

This stretch of three episodes puts into perspective why so much time was devoted to certain plotlines and characters. The payoff especially in episodes eight and nine was enormous.

My favorite episode by far is episode eight, “Who Are You?”. This is where “Andor” is at its best. We stay on the planet of Ghorman the entire episode. It balances being an epic climax of tension that has been building on the planet throughout the season, while feeling very personal for main characters like Cassion Andor, Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). Where each character ends up by the end of this episode makes for a satisfying viewing experience. 

We finally see Dedra Meero, who is always cold and calculating, break at the realization that she is responsible for the deaths of so many innocent lives. Similar to Dedra, Syril realizes that his role throughout the season is not what he thought. He wanders the chaotic streets of Ghorman until everything comes to a head when he sees Cassian Andor. Andor, the man who set Syril on his journey throughout the season as well as his ultimate downfall. For Cassian, this arc is the final nail in the coffin for him to realize that he must join the rebellion. 

Episode nine, “Welcome to the Rebellion” keeps the previous episodes’ high stakes and tension, this time on Courasount. The show’s ability to keep us on the edge of our seats with mundane things like a senate meeting and walking through a hallway is quite impressive. 

Episode ten takes a different approach, focusing specifically on three main characters and one plotline. It specifically shows the audience the backstories of two characters we have been with throughout the series. I feel this should have been shown to us earlier in the series, maybe even in season one.

The last two episodes give Cassian one last exciting mission to complete before jumping right into “Rogue One”. 

Overall, the series was made with a clear plan and goal in mind and it shows. Each character’s path throughout the series and where they end up is done really well. And of course, “Andor” leaves us with one more thoughtful and heart-wrenching shot, revealing Cassian had a child during the events of “Rogue One”. The scene is bittersweet as we know Cassian will never get to see his child, but we know the child and its mother are living peacefully.

To me, “Rogue One” and now “Andor” add so much to the original trilogy of Star Wars movies. 

Even in its duller moments, “Andor” is still better than most other Star Wars series. 

On top of that, I think the show can be enjoyed by not only Star Wars fans but also those who are unfamiliar with the series. The drama and visuals can draw anyone in!