– Spoiler Review –
The nearly three-year wait is over and Andor, the first season of which was a critical darling and has only grown in admiration since, is back for its second and final season. Releasing in three-episode blocks per week, Andor’s second season premiere feels like a mini-movie, one of four we’ll get, picking up one year later and not missing a beat, bringing what feels both like a new tone and yet an evolution of what came before. All together, “Episode 1 – One Year Later” & “Episode 2 – Sagrona Teema” & “Episode 3 – Harvest” are a mesmerizing, intriguing, emotional start, and if the rest of the season will be much the same, I’m not sure I’ll be ready but I cannot wait!
I’m going to review each three-episode block together, starting off with some overall feelings, then breaking down each episode in additional detail, and won’t be shying away from spoilers, so you’ve been warned!
I had my initial reservations of the three episodes per year structure of this final season, but after what Tony Gilroy and team put together in season one, I suspected they’d be able to pull it off. Based off this first block of episodes, picking up one year later from the season one finale, I’d say we’re in good hands and this structure will work very, very well. Despite the year between seasons, and how clearly we missed developments, it never felt like we weren’t getting enough information to help fill in the gaps, as often the context of our characters’ new situations provided all we needed to catch us up, and this continued across all three of the episodes. At the same time, the episodes managed to keep us grounded in the here and now of this three-day period, while still setting up and establishing what’s yet to come, even if it’s a year later. It’s a lot of heavy lifting, and while certain sections like the squabbling rebels in the jungle might not seem worth the trouble, the season premiere block carries it all very well and feels like a promise from the creators they’ll keep carrying us through to the end in such a high-quality fashion. I’ll hold them to it and I can confidently say they’ll deliver.
Andor season one was concerned with taking Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) from a driftless con into a revolutionary and succeed spectacularly at the effort, thanks both to the trajectory of the season and Luna’s depth-filled acting. Luna’s acting is just as fantastic as it was in season one, but what’s the arc season two has in store for him? I’m beginning to see the inklings of what they are going for through these opening episodes. “One Year Later” reveals a Cassian who’s dashing and daring, helping the woman Niya (Rachelle Diedericks) get over her fears for assisting him and the Rebellion steal a prototype TIE Avenger, as he’s now committed to the fight, to the cause, Maarva’s inspirational final words likely rattling around in his head. When he’s caught up in the squabbles of a rebel cell known as the Maya Pei Brigade, he’s playing it as cool as a cucumber, only concerned with finishing his mission, not the blasters trained on him or potential monsters in the jungle, as if he’s in control the entire time. His absence causes great concern with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau), and his friends on their new home of Mina-Rau, Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Brasso (Joplin Sibtain), Wilmon (Muhannad Bhaier), B2EMO (Dave Chapman), and even those who are helping hide them away from the prying eyes of the Empire. Cassian is a dependable and considerable asset and a name everyone knows. By the time of Rogue One, he’s an operative we see who works among the shadows, killing his contacts if it protects him and the Rebellion, so how does he go from big show-y missions to alleyway meetings? When Cassian finally escapes Yavin IV, which was a great reveal, and rushes to his friends on Mina-Rau once he learns they are in trouble, while it’s a heroic effort and he seems unstoppable, how shattered and angry he looks after Brasso’s death (how could you do this, Gilroy!!), it looks like he’s already on his way from having fun escapades where women discuss how cute he is to taking darker, dirtier missions, anything to finally stop the Empire from hurting more of the people he cares about. But don’t worry, Cassian might be vital to the story and these characters, but other storylines, including Mon Mothma’s, all have similar weight to the events of this opening block of episodes.
The longer season one went on, the more apparent the prescient nature of its situations and story became against the then current political landscape, adding Andor to a long history of political commentary in the franchise. As series creator Tony Gilroy has said before, he didn’t write this with anything politically particular in mind, just pulling on his knowledge of history to develop the oppressive tactics of the Empire and the mindset needed for the revolutionaries to rise up against it. Andor’s second season doubles down on the political commentary and the fact it feels so prescient given the actions of the fascist Trump Administration, and other increasingly far-winged governments across the world, it’s chilling and frightening when you realize Gilroy wrote this and meant to have it released prior to all that’s happened. He’s a student of history and if he’s pulling from it yet it feels too close to home, history is repeating itself and we’re dealing with our own peril to ignore it, much like Maarva warned about being asleep in the face of oppression. Nothing brings this all home more than when the Imperials come to Mina-Rau, calling transplants like the Ferrix crew undocumented and rounding them up on this simple pretext alone, a clear, uncaring evil action which should feel like evil when watching, yet in the real world we are in, I’m living in an America eager to use a centuries old law to take immigrants away without evidence beyond guess work and tattoos. And I’m not even touching on what happened with Bix yet, though I will later. America has long had a terrible history of such actions, but the brazen way it’s being done now looks much like the Empire’s tactics here, and if you’re watching this show and yet support such actions by the Trump Administration, hopefully this science fiction story can wake you up to the reality of the side you’re on. In the Imperial meeting scene (specifically meant to reference the Wannsee Conference the Nazis held about their genocide plan) with Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), a scene with darkly humorous undertones to better highlight how harrowing and sinister these discussions are, the desire to gain resources no matter the costs, either by using propaganda to spin the destruction of a whole race of beings or plant false operatives, can feel like the world’s compliance in Isreal’s genocide of the Palestinian people, which continues to this day, and how Andor handles the Ghorman Massacre, an event we’ve known has been coming, will likely further be a chilling reminder of what’s happened and how easily it can be accepted. Andor will never be a substitute for direct political action or a real-life documentary on the actual abuses the world faces, like No Other Land, nor did I ever expect it to be, but how it uses the familiar iconic imagery and setting of Star Wars to present such commentary, alongside the sharp and thoughtful writing, it’s a mass market way to help inspire an awakening. I’ll be interested to see how prescient the rest of season two remains.
Episode 1 – One Year Later
The opening episode feels as dashing as Cassian does, whisking us up into how different, yet the same, things have become for many of our favorites. Bountiful humor permeates the episode, be it Cassian’s struggles to pilot the new TIE, Luthen still working on gaining information at a pre-wedding party, and Bix’s playful teasing of Wil about a local girl, while we get delight from seeing familiar faces in new context, many converging on Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) jaw-dropping estate on Chandrila for the big wedding season one teased. This tone will shift dramatically as this opening arc goes on, though silliness will find its way in regardless, but the shift from season one’s tone and smaller focus helps further the impression time has passed and things have changed.
“One Year Later” has the heaviest burden, revealing what’s new in our characters’ lives and setting up for what’s to come in the rest of the arc, yet the gradual establishment is both compelling and offers lots to peak our interests: The Empire has come to Mina-Rau, interrupting an idyllic lifestyle Bix, Brasso, Wil, and B2 are enjoying as migrant workers, but why they’ve arrived and what they’re going to do hangs over the rest of the episode and isn’t resolved here; We’re reminded of Bix’s lingering trauma from her torture last season, despite her physical recovery, which will come into play during a harrowing moment in “Harvest”; Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) and Mon’s friendship looks to have some hiccups on the way, as he suggests troubles have come for him as well, given his work for her, not like she has enough on her plate with the big three day wedding and how her own actions brought her to this moment; while the Empire is set on focusing Dedra’s (Denise Gough) future on something she seems surprised, intrigued, and maybe concerned to be a part of.
The entire meeting held by Krennic (so hyped to have him back!) with various minds of the Empire is such a chilling sequence, from the 50’s-esque newsreel of information on Ghorman, the propaganda duet’s smarmy confidence, and Krennic’s directness with Dedra, whose response might be the most alarming of the group. Everything at the Mothma Estate is laying some deep and complex groundwork for the hefty traditions to come, giving the actors involved plenty to chew on. And then there’s Cassian’s stumble into the bickering rebels in the jungle, which at this point felt like levity in the face of everything else and, while at a normal Star Wars level of silliness, was leaning towards distracting but hadn’t fallen that way before the episode ends.
Bonus Thoughts:
- The tracking, single-shot of Mon walking through her estate, greeting people and new arrivals, was a fun way to introduce the scale of the place and of her emotional subterfuge to all those around her, somehow sustaining a constant ping-pong of feelings with so many people, and was a master-class by the behind-the-scenes talent and the actors participating, especially O’Reilly.
- Becoming a bigger Kleya fan with every episode, but this was a fantastic reminder on why we all should’ve been earlier.
- Mon’s attendant Erskin Semaj (Pierro Niel-Mee) is a big deal, as he’s there alongside Mon Mothma’s big moment in Star Wars Rebels (O’Reilly provided the voice!), leaving the Imperial Senate over the Ghorman Massacre (which we’re building towards, of course) and rallying the various rebel cells together into the Alliance!
Episode 2 – Sagrona Teema
As the next steps to a traditional Chandrilan wedding continue, the repercussions of Mon’s actions begin to slip into the seams of her life, not quite ripping it open yet but making it easier, which is what comes in the third episode. The much-hated Perrin (Alastair Mackenzie), Mon’s arranged and estranged husband, might still be untrustworthy, but he shows how deep down, somewhere, he still cares about her, as he, in a very Perrin way, confronts her about Tay. Luthen has his own concerns about Tay, but he’s less supportive and more of a “I told you so” kind of guy, employing her to understand if this is something they can pay off to keep quiet or not. Tay’s reveal he’s feeling undervalued, her Rebel work souring his investments despite him helping her, is a gradual turn for the character that Miles plays well, as does O’Reilly in her increasingly upset response the more he goes on. Perrin’s toast further helps build his character up from this detestable season one place in fan’s minds, as his advice isn’t without its merits, yet he does remind Mon of what’s been lost between them as she throws herself into her work, both in the Senate and in the shadows. And while it’s the men in her life who believe they can help her or use her, it’s Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), her cousin, who has a more open conversation, doing less telling and offering ideas and looking into her well-being. Vel’s going through her own stuff, having not seen or been with her girlfriend Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) much in the past year, a rift highlighted a few times in season one. The sets are beautiful in these scenes, yet they are an artifice given the unravelling Mon is experiencing.
On Mina-Rau, the locals find out the Empire is conducting an audit, inspecting the identities of the workers of the grain fields. At the moment, it’s unclear which location they’ll approach next, keeping it random, with Kellen (Ryan Pope), a local store owner who took the Ferrix crew in, doing his best to keep track with the latest updates and if they’ll need to flee or not. While it’s not for the audit, the Imperials arrive at Kellen’s family store, with their leader, Lieutenant Krole (Alex Waldmann) wandering to check out the equipment…and Bix. It’s a tense scene, Bix doing her best not to let her anger or fear in, especially due to her remaining trauma, while it’s clear he’s already expecting something from her, his innocuous inquiries barely holding back the vileness of their intentions. Brasso arrives and breaks up the confrontation, but it’s clear Krole won’t forget her. Between Wil’s interest in Kellen’s daughter, Beela (Laura Marcus) and Brasso’s relationship with Talia (Claire Brown), adjustment to live on Mina-Rau hasn’t been difficult for everyone, and not having Cassian around for support leaves Bix vulnerable to some degree. She’s able to look after herself, but if Brasso can’t come to her aide again, will she be able to confront and overcome her trauma if necessary? With the Empire closing in and no word from Cassian, the once quiet life of Mina-Rau is looking less pleasant by the day.
The bickering rebel storyline hits its limits in “Sagrona Teema,” as while it’s funny and has some developments, it feels too on the nose and a little overdone. I appreciate the point of it, how in-fighting in the face of oppression will only let it fester further Thankfully, Cassian escapes and takes the Avenger when the jungle’s monsters attack while the two sides try to settle their differences with a in-universe spin on “rock, paper, scissors,” throwing everything into chaos. So just as this storyline was bordering on distracting, it’s over, though the big reveal the jungle planet they are on was Yavin IV, as I did find it weird there wasn’t a title card for it but didn’t expect this, made a downright pleasant surprise and a reminder of where we’re heading.
Bonus Thoughts:
- It’s interesting that Dedra does not want to work on the Ghorman project and I hope we’ll get into the why more as it picks up and comes to fruition. Otherwise, it was funny to see Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) haven risen to take his boss’ place, while the relationship development between Dedra and Syril feels uncomfortable yet fitting for this two, even in the brief scene we get here.
- Kleya might be as concerned as Luthen now, but she’s still the coolest customer in any room and she continues to grow as MVP.
Episode 3 – Harvest
The scene at Dedra’s and Syril’s place, where they have his mother, Eedy Karn (Kathryn Hunter), over for dinner is a nice palette cleanser as the tensions ratchet up on Chandrila and Mina-Rau. It’s delightfully absurd, with Eedy maybe written a little more overdone than she has in the past, but Hunter plays it well, while when Dedra puts Eedy in her place, I hated how much I wanted to root for the woman again. Syril is pathetic, laying on his bed (good meme potential!), and the make-up of their relationship, and Dedra’s sense and need for control, are laid bare.
As the Empire comes to audit our Ferrix crew’s location on Mina-Rau, it splits the group and leaves Bix alone and vulnerable, which is when creepy Lt. Krole returns to follow-up on his earlier unwanted advances. I agree there should’ve been a more explicit warning before this episode, as “Intense Violence” appears before all three so it doesn’t full encompass how intense it’ll get, especially since it’s extremely rare for Star Wars to show sexual assault, and a trigger warning would be a simple, but caring add. So to you, dear reader, TW for sexual assault, as we’re about to discuss what happens with Bix. Krole wasn’t subtle in “Sagrona Teema,” and he doesn’t waste much time when he corners Bix in their mobile home, forcing himself upon her. In their previous encounter, her friends were near, but now Bix is alone and, with the unsubtle reminder her dream in “One Year Later” provides, she’s physically looking better from her torture yet the trauma still lingers, making this assault even more harrowing, as we’re set up to wonder if she’ll even be able to fight back. It’s a brutal fight, Bix thrown around and groped, but she finds a nearby tool and fights back, eventually killing Krole. I discussed this scene with my wife afterwards and she made a good point that I feel like the dream sequence was trying to remind viewers: the last time we saw Bix in season one, she was broken, a little hopeful after Cassian saved her, but broken and barely able to help herself. She’s very uncomfortable and jumping between fight or flight the first time Krole appears and is again when he assaults her here, so her fighting back and eventually killing him, calling Krole’s assault what it is, rape, she’s overcome her trauma on her own and taking back control of herself and her body from the way the Empire has mentally and physically assaulted her. Abuses of power come in many different forms and the rape of prisoners and immigrants is well-documented, and to think this isn’t part of the Empire’s ways to oppress people, to which they turn a blind eye or claim they’re working on, would be missing the banality of evil already present among us. It’s nothing one ever wants to see, but with the current climate of documented and undocumented people rounded up in America without due process, it’s a stark reminder of the many ways the effort is pure evil, no matter the intentions, and I’m glad Andor was able to handle such an abuse in an impactful way.
By the time Cassian arrives in his Avenger, taking out Imperials with their own tools (much like Luthen’s speech about being condemned to use his enemy’s tools against them) in a visually impressive attack, life on Mina-Rau for the Ferrix crew is over. The way “Harvest” starts, we see how much this new life has provided for them after losing their home: Brasso is a hit amongst everyone, because he’s awesome and the best, and the relationship he’s fostered seems healthy; Wil seems happy to be among the others, with a relationship of his own growing; and it’s only Bix who’s not totally committed to the place, not as happy as they are, which I’m sure Cassian not being there adds to, but she still glad to be with friends. Kellen, the leader of their group, offers them a way out, documents to help them have a story for moving to a different section, but when the Imperial’s arrive earlier than expected, it throws everything into chaos. Wil must rush back to their mobile home on foot, having left his speeder by the shop the Imperials set up at, while Brasso, the wonderful being he is, takes a few hits to give Kellen a cover story. Cassian’s arrival throws further chaos into the mix, and while he saves them from the Imperials, not everyone makes it out alive, with my poor, wonderful, kind, great Brasso killed by the stormtroopers before Cassian was able to stop them. Brasso and {SPOILER} in The Last of Us in the same week?! Not cool! As I mentioned with Cassian’s arc earlier, their section ends with him simmering in anger as they rocket off Mina-Rau, his eyes betraying just how far he wants to go to take down the Empire.
The Niamos blazing club mix creates quite the dance floor at the wedding on Chandrila, but by the time Mon joins the fun, her world’s unraveled and the consequences of her actions have taken root. Before the wedding begins, Mon and Leida (Bronte Carmichael) gather for the start, with some time to talk, and the conversation between them is so brutal, with both O’Reilly and Carmichael bringing the heat. Mon tries to offer Leida an off-ramp for the marriage, though it comes off as more for herself than for Leida, as Mon’s now understanding the depth of her actions put her daughter in a position she likely swore herself she never allow to happen, but all of Mon’s distance from Leida, and Leida’s regression to the old traditions because of it, means her daughter actually wants this, and she delivers such news in a heart wrenching way. Mon recovers and snaps back, understanding now there’s no going back with what she’s brought for her daughter, the sacrifice is already done, and she assumes the role her daughter’s already claimed for her. And bringing in Tay, despite Luthen’s warning, also has its expected outcome, as while she claims she doesn’t understand Luthen is having him killed despite her upcoming meeting with Tay to smooth things out, he knows all too well she’s hiding from the truth, because it means it’s another thing her choices have wrought. Taking this all in breaks Mon to some degree, and after one shot turns into three (we’ve all been there, girl!), she gets lost in the dance, forgetting about what she’s done, to drown it out, before the song is over and she has to face it all once again. O’Reilly has some of her best material to date here and continues to blow it out of the park!
Bonus Thoughts:
- Love how it’s devote-to-the-cause Cinta who’s brought in to kill Tay, with Vel seeing her after so much lack of contact means I’m so very curious where we’re going to pick up with these two in a year.
- The weird and lovely statue of the Chandi Merle, new to canon, being from 25,000 years ago means the Rakatan invaders get mentioned for a second time on this show (the first being Luthen’s necklace), so one has to wonder if this is sly reference to the upcoming “Dawn of the Jedi” movie by James Mangold, recently reconfirmed as still in the works at Celebration Japan 2025, or just some wonderful lore advisors filling in the past a little.
Here are a few other things:
- The behind-the-scenes crews crammed every frame of these opening episodes with little and big details and I’m glad the official site is pulling back the curtain, with plenty of great articles digging into their hard work bringing sets and costumes to life! From the fact they grew the grain at a local farm, filmed the beautiful exterior Mothma Estate in Spain, took 6 months to put together Leida’s dress, to the 1970’s inspired fondue kitchen set for Dedra’s home, the love and care is incredible to explore. Here’s one about the costumes, then this one is about the Mina-Rau and Chandrila sets, and another runs down a full list of trivia and secrets from the three episodes!
- There’s also an 11-minute “Declassified” video about the first three episodes to check out!
- If you’re looking for Star Wars novel which has the same tone and vibe of Andor, from political commentary to political intrigue during the nascent days of the Empire, do not miss out on Alexander Freed’s thrilling Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear! It’s the first of a trilogy, with the next two entries out Spring 2026 and 2027, which focuses on Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera at specific times across the 19 years from the end of the Clone Wars to the destruction of the Death Star.
- And don’t forget about the comprehensive tome detailing the Empire’s reign and collapse, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, by Dr. Chris Kempshall, as it ties together years of canon to overview the actions the Emperor took to gain power and even hold it after his death.
- Lastly, I had no idea FX would be playing the opening premiere episode, so it was a pleasant surprise to catch part of it while my wife and I were at our ol’ Mos Eisley Cantina.
Andor’s season two premiere, comprised of “Episode 1 – One Year Later” & “Episode 2 – Sagrona Teema” & “Episode 3 – Harvest,” is a dazzling new direction for the series that retains and amplifies everything which made the first season so memorable, setting up many various threads to explore as we head towards the inevitable.
+ Mon Mothma’s slowly unraveling life and having to accept the consequences of her actions
+ Bix’s harrowing journey to take back herself from her trauma
+ An eye on Cassian’s arc to come
+ The meaningful and expansive politics of it all
+ Every part of the production feels dialed up to 25
– Squabbling rebels makes a good point, just don’t know if this was the best way to do it
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky and Instagram @mynockmanor.
ANDOR SERIES REVIEWS:
Season One: Premiere “Episodes 1-3” | Ep. 4 “Aldhani” | Ep. 5 “The Axe Forgets” | Ep. 6 “The Eye” | Ep. 7 “Announcement” | Ep. 8 “Narkina 5” | Ep. 9 “Nobody’s Listening!” | Ep. 10 “One Way Out” | Ep. 11 “Daughter of Ferrix” | Ep. 12 “Rix Road”