Andor Season 2 Is Finally Here: Why Is It Only at 79% on RT & Is It Better Than Season 1?
The best Star Wars series is finally back.
Andor debuted in 2022, amid growing doubts about the credibility of Lucasfilm and its flagship Star Wars franchise. The series is both a spin-off and a prequel to 2015's Rogue One.
The show, about the confrontation between the Rebels and the Empire, remains the biggest surprise in the saga's recent history: its boldness and rejection of nostalgia are equally admirable.
Andor's second season will be his last, with Disney+ releasing three episodes per week.
What Will Andor Season 2 Be About?
Cassian Andor's fate is sealed: he dies at the end of Rogue One, having done everything he could for the greater good. The spin-off follows his rise to become a key figure in the Resistance and a vital ally to his mentor, Luthen.
After his mother's death, Andor goes in search of his ex-girlfriend, Bix, and gets stuck in an uncharted forest with many other rebels who mistakenly think he is a traitor.
Meanwhile, the galaxy is more than restless: the Empire, led by the cruel Orson Krennic, plans to exterminate the inhabitants of the planet Ghorman in order to gain access to the minerals.
Andor Season 2 Started Off Rather Chaotic
Despite experienced showrunner Tony Gilroy and a total budget of $645 million, Andor's return has been somewhat chaotic. In the first three episodes, Cassian's storyline as a key figure in the Resistance moves almost imperceptibly.
The operation to free first himself and then Bix is interesting, but lacks the former excitement and suspense that Andor is certainly capable of.
Critics who have managed to review the entire season agree with the complaints about the first episodes, but promise an exciting continuation in the coming weeks.
Mon Mothma Is the Best Character of the Season So Far
Early in the season, palace intrigue and secondary characters prove to be far more exciting than the action. Gilroy and his team of directors focus on Senator Mon Mothma, who is secretly funding the resistance through her powerful husband.
To divert suspicion, the woman is forced to marry off her daughter for the sake of convenience – which triggers a process of re-traumatization in her, as Mon Mothma herself was once a hostage to marriage.
Genevieve O'Reilly brilliantly conveys the character's inner pain, risks, and dissatisfaction, and at the end of the third episode, she literally breaks into an ecstatic dance at her daughter's wedding, as if throwing off all adversity in an unsuccessful attempt to find freedom.
Season 2 Explores the Same Topics as Season 1
Despite its brief moments of comedy, Andor remains a dark, timely exploration of unfreedom, totalitarianism, and the inevitable death of both the protesters and their persecutors.
The show increasingly emphasizes the disorganization and disunity of the rebels, while the stormtroopers and other imperial evils appear as a united front.