Andor 2

TV Series, 2025, PG-15, 12 episodes 40min

The perfect opportunity, sickly and lousy weather, for binging Andor season 1 as preparation for season 2, for which I had remained patient to have all episodes available. I can only confirm the positive feedback I’ve already noticed everywhere – you don’t need Jedi and laser sword duels for breathtaking Star Wars stories. Top rating!

Andor 2, just like the first season a combo of SF, spy thriller and political thriller, begins with tough action, but later returns to the slow-burner approach, hypnotizes with slowly unfolding dramas and tragedies. The plot repeatedly jumps forth in time, also as an indication that being a rebel is often lacking glamour and involves banalities, years of perseverance and steeling nerves. There are also (humorous) insights into various households and family dynamics… In addition to Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, truly strong women – especially Mon Mothma, Luthen’s assistant Kleya and Andor’s partner Bix – have to prove themselves on completely different battlefields. Fan-service cameos are sparse and mainly as support for the storyline – as it should be.

And I have to repeat what I wrote about the first Andor season back then: Congratulations to the entire Andor team, especially series creator Tony Gilroy. Everything is just right, from the camera work to the sets and costumes to the cast – it feels so real and has you nail biting immediately – even during a rewatch (e.g. episode 10 or Luthen’s speech – goosebumps, every time). You feel excited – even though the outcome is already well-known in the Star Wars movie history …
There are no mythical heroes/heroines, in the grey area the victims become perpetrators, all the characters are flawed, but you will still be rooting for them… because they really do sacrifice everything for the rebellion, for the hope of a better world that they themselves will never experience. Perhaps this is the kind of heroism that we can all understand and therefore identify with.

And what I mentioned back then, the connection to reality … In season 2, a lot of things already seem too real: an insane emperor, supported by filthy rich ignoramuses and career-obsessed power mongers who mass murder without blinking and destroy entire ecosystems for a little profit, a corrupt administration that makes random people disappear and without due process in obscure institutions – doesn’t that sound like the daily evening news from the USA?

It might be very useful to follow the Andor series, actually, because it comes with the instruction material for rebellion against terrorist regimes, including a manifesto – thus a must-watch for this purpose alone!

What’s more, after season 2 you have a reason to watch Rogue One again right afterwards. Actually, this movie hasn’t lost any of its appeal over the years, on the contrary. After the Andor series, many things now make more sense – and it’s a shame that we won’t be getting any more adventures with the Rogue team (a la ‘Mission Impossible’ crew of the Rebel Alliance).
Or maybe we will, the Andor 2 ending offers a certain possibility …

Directors
Toby Haynes – 6 episodes • 2022
Ariel Kleiman – 6 episodes • 2025
Benjamin Caron – 3 episodes • 2022
Susanna White – 3 episodes • 2022
Janus Metz – 3 episodes • 2025
Alonso Ruizpalacios – 3 episodes • 2025

Writers
Series creator Tony Gilroy & writer of 8 episodes • 2022–2025
Dan Gilroy – 6 episodes • 2022–2025
Beau Willimon – 6 episodes • 2022–2025
Tom Bissell – 3 episodes • 2025
Stephen Schiff – 1 episode • 2022

Cast
Diego Luna – Cassian Andor
Denise Gough – Dedra Meero
Stellan Skarsgård – Luthen Rael
Kyle Soller – Syril Karn
Genevieve O’Reilly – Mon Mothma
Adria Arjona – Bix Caleen
Elizabeth Dulau – Kleya Marki
Anton Lesser – Major Partagaz
Muhannad Ben Amor – Wilmon
Faye Marsay – Vel Sartha
etc