‘Andor’ Season 2 Review: A Tale of Two Seasons

Rebellions are said to be built on hope. In actuality, they’re built on a degree of measured chaos, a heap of unmeasured chaos, and a Tatooine desert’s worth of luck. Ok, you could argue there was some hope involved! Of course, narrowing down the colossal effort it took to integrate several (sometimes rival) factions into one cohesive movement that would eventually fell the giant known as the Empire would be incredibly reductive… right? (Insert Anakin and Padme meme here.)

Unfortunately, this is the path that Andor Season 2 decides to embark upon; like the great Quentin Tarantino has imposed (upon himself) a 10-film limit to his repertoire, creator Tony Gilroy has shackled the franchise’s best project since Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi to a two-season run, limiting what is not just a great Star Wars show, but a great show, period, in the scope of its success.

‘Andor’ Season 2 Takes Place Over Several Time Jumps

By foregoing the original five-season plan and instead choosing to undergo several narrative time jumps that touch upon the most notable events of a given year, the series willingly brushes past numerous instances to flesh out important questions associated with the rebellion: Why did the rebellion choose to unify on Yavin? How did larger recruitment happen? These are but a few of the unspoilery questions that additional seasons could have easily answered with even one additional season rather than the proposed five.

Instead, the audience is thrown into the aforementioned narrative chaos, even when we know the rebellion won’t come to fruition for several years and a few more time jumps. It feels like the chaos is acting against itself; the gas pedal is pressed down too hard as we barrel towards the Battle of Scarif. The flip side of this is that the sheer expense of the show (a reported $645 million between two seasons) might not be justifiable for longer than two seasons, especially when the ROI on the Star Wars franchise has been less than desirable in recent years (one must only look toward the costly Disney+ series The Acolyte for proof of that).

Relationships and Emotional Stakes Are at the Heart of ‘Andor’

That means there’s a lot riding on this project, and while initial reviews cement my opinion as a firm outlier, I’m not convinced the general audience will buy into the time-jump philosophy as much as critics. Much of the season revolves around the tumultuous but ultimately loving relationship of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), the unpleasant relationship between Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), and the deteriorating psyches of Luthen Rael, aka Axis (Stellan Skarsgård), and his partner Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau).

We’re given a fascinating look into each of these scenarios, but again, with a limited window between each time jump, there’s only so much that can be explored without insinuating or rushing things. Some storylines are given the same length of time they would in a feature-length movie (apparently for the same budget!), so it never feels like the appropriate use of medium or format. Bix and Cassian’s romance is portrayed compellingly — especially through the sizzling chemistry between Luna and Arjona — but without the proper time to develop and flesh out their obstacles beyond momentary blips in time between jumps, there’s an air of shallowness that just can’t quite measure up to the upper echelons of iconic Star Wars relationships, like Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher).

Possibly the most unhinged couple in Star Wars canon, Dedra and Syril face uphill battles in their relationships with one another and simultaneously in their journeys with the Empire. Gough and Soller both improve upon their highlight performances of Season 1, managing to convince audiences to hate the Empire more than ever before, while firmly and damningly underpinning its exhaustive failures on the egos and power trips of its most senior officers.

Back in Coruscant, Andor Season 2 follows closely as both Luthen and Kleya give up the rest of their remaining sanity for the rebellion, with their vision narrowing solely on their mission of vengeance towards the Empire. Skarsgård is compelling as ever in what may be his best role to date, though I’m not sure anything will top his impassioned speech about giving everything to the rebellion in Season 1. Dulau, however, is given an increased workload and shines in every second. Luthen and Kleya are an exceptionally enthralling duo, and while we are given crucial information about their history, the depth of their connection easily leaves room for more exploration had the series continued past two seasons.

Lucasfilm Continues To Add Depth to ‘Rogue One’ Through ‘Andor’

Unfortunately, the time jumps can pull you out of the larger narrative being told while only serving to add chaos. This chaos isn’t a forced chaos, either — one that serves a purpose, like an effective war movie, for example. No, the only purpose of this chaos is to draw us closer to the death knell that the beginning of this series inevitably set off, imposed by Gilroy’s co-creation, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

And that’s where Andor Season 2 shines the brightest — in adding additional layers to one of the most beautiful and emotionally resonant stories in Star Wars canon. Rogue One is a story of profound sacrifice; of nameless soldiers giving everything on a whim for a minuscule chance to deal a massive blow to the evil Empire leeching off the galaxy. Diego Luna wasn’t exaggerating when he claimed Andor Season 2 would make audiences “see [Rogue One] differently,” and I co-sign his suggestion of immediately rewatching the film upon commencement of the season. I just can’t help but wonder how many more layers could be peeled back with at least one additional season.

Now, standing up to recent subpar outings like Ahsoka or The Mandalorian Season 3, Andor Season 2 is still in a galaxy far far away. But it has to be measured against Andor’s initial outing — a near-perfect season of television. When it’s firing on all cylinders (typically the finales of three-episode arcs), Season 2 manages to evoke the same level of emotional stakes and tense action as the acclaimed first season. However, the stitching that weaves the narrative together isn’t as tight when it starts to fully realize several plotlines from Season 1, and it’s in these episodes that you can’t help but wonder how the story would unfold if every mission or arc were given the same care or time to unfold as the Aldhani heist of Season 1.

One thing is certain: Tony Gilroy and Gabriel Luna have collaborated with a special group of talent to create a deeply moving project. I may be judging harshly while sitting on my soapbox begging for more content, but rest assured, the epic moments of Season 2 are well worth the price of admission, and they feel as captivating and passionate as Star Wars ever has.

Andor Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+. Follow Agents of Fandom on socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews.