When the trailer for Andor Season 2 trailer got here out final month, it was a wild expertise, as a result of whereas the tune alternative (Steve Earle’s “The Revolution Begins Now”) didn’t shrink back from the truth that this could be a season of tv about rebel… The Disney+ Star Wars collection regarded enjoyable. There was our pal Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) smirking in fancy garments! Folks in spaceships blowing issues up! Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) twirling and twirling!
Giving Andor a way of enjoyable was a fairly outstanding accomplishment by the Disney+ PR group, on condition that when the primary season premiered within the fall of 2022, creator Tony Gilroy provided some fairly loud warnings about complacency within the face of rising evil — warnings that solely amplify in quantity throughout Season 2. There are definitely some fulfilling moments scattered throughout these 12 episodes, because of scenes that spotlight the heat and humanity of the characters concerned, this battle for the soul of the galaxy has by no means felt extra fast or (depressingly sufficient) related.
Season 1 of Andor tracked Cassian’s evolution right into a revolutionary able to die to convey down the Empire, a path he continues to stroll in Season 2, occurring missions whereas hiding out from Imperial forces. Cassian’s simply certainly one of many arrows within the quiver of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), who continues orchestrating rebel efforts whereas enjoying the general public position of frivolous artwork supplier, as Cassian’s traumatized companion Bix (Adria Arjona) recovers from the psychic accidents endured throughout her “interrogation” in Season 1.
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In the meantime, Imperial officers Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) proceed transferring up within the ranks because the oft-mentioned-but-never-seen Emperor Palpatine makes his plans to take further management over the galaxy, his will carried out by Ben Mendelsohn, reprising his position of Orson Krennic from Rogue One. (And bless him, Krennic made certain to pack his capes.)
The forged stays top-tier, enjoying like an ensemble for a lot of the season, with Diego Luna and Stellan Skarsgård serving as the true highlights. And Season 2, it’s a reduction to report, doesn’t proceed Season 1’s most annoying development — ending many episodes with moments that felt like anti-climaxes. As a substitute, there are some actual cliffhangers right here, or at the least ultimate scenes that convey with them slightly weight within the custom of nice episodic storytelling.
As well as, Season 2 additionally continues the Season 1 strategy of telling longer tales throughout three-episode blocks. This time, although, the writers add an additional degree of construction that’s downright electrifying: Every three-episode block represents one yr within the countdown to BBY 0, beginning with BBY 4. For these whose brains aren’t cluttered with Star Wars ephemera, BBY means “earlier than the Battle of Yavin,” AKA “the scene on the finish of A New Hope the place Luke Skywalker blew up the Loss of life Star actual good.”
BBY/ABY (“after the Battle of Yavin”) capabilities like BC/AD within the Star Wars universe, the cleanest date system out there on this franchise, and it may be an awfully essential one, given what number of completely different Star Wars tales are instructed throughout completely different time intervals: The Mandalorian begins within the yr 9 ABY, for instance, whereas final yr’s The Acolyte is about in BBY 132.
But for Andor viewers (particularly those that keep in mind what occurs in Rogue One), the date system as a substitute capabilities as a really grim countdown. Luke Skywalker would by no means have been in a position to blow up the Loss of life Star actual good with out the occasions depicted in Rogue One, and the occasions depicted in Rogue One are the place this collection has been heading this entire time. (There is not going to be an Andor Season 3.)
What’s actually fascinating is that whereas Andor stays much more politically related than earlier than, the methods through which it chooses to depict a society dropping the combat towards fascism take some surprising turns. No have to “each side” the Emperor’s plans for conquest when characters say issues like “entry to secure limitless energy will rework the galactic financial system and solidify Imperial authority” like they’re posting on Reality Social.