Star Wars: Andor Season 2
The first season of Andor was a sleeper hit. I admit, I didn’t have very high expectations from it. But by the time the season had ended, I was hooked. It ranked right up there with Rogue One in terms of quality (something that is sorely lacking from most Star Wars releases these days). So, as you might expect, I was extremely excited for the second season. Well, the second season is now complete and I have lots of thoughts to share.
For me, the first season of Andor started off a bit slow, but eventually picked up. Season 2 does not have this problem. From the very first episode, I found myself immediately invested in the action on the screen. As expected, the character of Cassian Andor is the star of the show. But there’s more going on here than just his own personal story. The real focus of this series is the story behind the Rebel Alliance. When the last season began, the Alliance was really nothing more than a loose band of guerilla fighters. The main story arc in this season shows the events that brings these various rebels cells together. There’s a big focus on the public perception of the Empire and how it has soured over time. This is something that I personally find very fascinating.
When I made my post for the first season of this show, I spent a lot of time summarizing the events that played out over the twelve-episode season. This time around, I want to avoid providing too much detail. I feel like the plot for this season is exceptionally better and I’d hate to spoil it for anyone. But, rest assured, many of your favorite characters from the first season are back, and there’s plenty of attention given to all of them and all the loose ends are tied up perfectly. One thing I will say, is there’s a very large spotlight on the character of Mon Mothma this time around. The show does a fantastic job of portraying the events that turned her from being just cautiously suspicious of the Empire to becoming public enemy number one.
A number of familiar faces from Rogue One return for this season – Krennic being the most obvious. But he’s not the only one. This season also “introduces” the character of K-2SO, Andor’s pet Security Droid. This leads me to my only real complaint about the show; continuity problems.
This season sees the retcon of two specific bits of Star Wars lore. First of all, Mon Mothma’s sedition speech. This event was originally portrayed in the show Rebels. In Rebels, Mothma gives an entirely different speech. Afterwards, she is evacuated to the rebel base on Dantooine. In Andor, however, it is made clear that she is swept off to the base on Yavin instead. This may seem like a minor difference. However, for a fanbase a rabid as Star Wars, this is a pretty serious error.
Second, we have the origins of the K-2SO. In the show, Andor takes possession of K-2SO after smashing into it with a speeder on the planet of Ghorman. This event completely conflicts with the story told in the Cassian and K-2SO comic book. Again, most people wouldn’t even notice. But for the hardcore fans, this difference doesn’t fly under the radar. When Disney took possession of the Star Wars franchise, they promised to create a unified canon. All official films, shows, books and comics would share a single canon continuity. With the release of Andor, it is now obvious that Disney is willing to toss away bits of canon however they see fit. Personally, I actually prefer the events portrayed in this season of the show. But I still think it’s a bad idea to start turning away from other canon stories. It cheapens the franchise and tests the trust of fans.
Despite this minor controversy, I think this second season of Andor is a fitting end to the series and the perfect set up to Rogue One. I was saddened to see that the character of Bail Organa was portrayed by a different actor in this season. Im still not exactly sure why they couldn’t secure Jimmy Smits again. But at least the actor they chose does favor Smits quite a bit and he also manages to carry the role quite well. I’m sure this just another thing that some fans are going to have a hard time digesting. But for me, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
There’s quite a bit more I could say about this season, but again, to do so would run the risk of ruining a lot of the show. So, I’d rather just leave it with this: If you’ve been on the fence, believe me when I tell you that this show is worth your time. It is mature, well written, well produced, and it’s some of the best Star Wars in the last few years.
Final thoughts: The perfect set up to Rogue One. Thanks to this show, we finally have the full story of the rise of the rebellion. This is top tier Star Wars.
Mature Content: YES – Language, violence, adult themes
Number of Episodes: 12
Score (1 out of 4): 4
