TV Review: Andor Season 2

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It's hard to believe I was once one of those people who thought "Do we really need an Andor series?" when it was first announced. I hate my words after the first season, now even more after the second and final season. Andor is one of the best things Star Wars has ever put out. Now that it has come to an end, here is what I liked and disliked about season 2. Don't worry, I didn't dislike much.

LIKES

* Showing how every day people fight fascism. Star Wars has always been good vs evil but it's often framed through the Jedi fighting the Empire. Andor is a series that rarely even mentions the Force, and there's no Jedi to be found. Everyone is a regular person trying to fight oppression. I love how Andor was able to showcase this. 

* The Ghorman Massacre was just as awful as I expected, but mirroring them after the French during WWII was pretty genius on the creators' parts. Ghorman is something that's been mentioned in other Star Wars shows, particularly Star Wars Rebels, where we actually see the main crew watch Mon Motha's speech. Seeing it play out the way it did was heartbreaking and the follow up for Motha to defect and call out Palpatine was very suspenseful, even though we know she makes it out. 

* K2S0 finally makes an appearance! And B2EMO gets a happy ending. 

* Speaking of endings, this was always going to be tricky because the show has to lead directly into the events of Rogue One, which we know doesn't end well for Cassian. But What they showed with Bix really warmed my heart. I think it was the most pleasant ending they could've hoped for.

* Dedra and Cyril's story was fascinating. One thing I mentioned about loving when I reviewed the last season was them showing these lower level Empire workers doing their mundane ISB jobs. I think what they accomplished with Dedra and Cyril was great TV. 

* The cast. All 10's, no 0's. Loved them all. Plus it was nice to see heavyweights like Ben Mendelsohn and Forest Whitaker back for a few scenes.

* Favorite lines: "I have friends everywhere" and "who are you?" (Seriously, I can't believe they almost cut that line. It fit SO well)

DISLIKES

* The time skips. Andor season 2 spans several years, and I think the show does suffer slightly from that quick of a pace. Because of this, we don't really get the emotional aftermath of some pretty big decisions. Still, the showrunners were smart to release the show 3 episodes at a time each week. If they had done one a week, it would've been painful waiting for the next episode. 

* Bix's world wide misery tour. Even though Bix DOES get a happy (ish) ending, I was kind of bothered just how much they put her through this season. She was already tortured in season 1, then spends most of this season reeling from that experience, to almost being raped by an ISB agent. It just felt like a LOT to put on her. I'm glad they didn't kill her off, and I suppose showing the weight that wars like this can have on people unfairly subjected to brutality is "real" but it was making me uncomfortable. 

Did you finish up Andor? What were your thoughts? Are you sad its over too?



Comments

  1. thevoid99May 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM

    Right now, this is my favorite Star Wars show ever. The 2nd season really upped everything. The third block of episodes I think are the best in not just everything leading up to the Ghorman massacre but also the aftermath. The cast in this show FUCKING killed it. Every single one. My favorite performance in the show is Anton Lesser as Partagaz.

    Of all of the people in the Imperial Empire, he's the one I end up respecting the most. Upon re-watching Rogue One, I realized that a lot of the people in the Empire are imbeciles craving for power and glory. They want to be remembered and be lavished with so many things. Partagaz is different as he knows the role he is playing and wants to maintain some control. He also knows that ambition is futile and it would lead to chaos. His last scene in the show I think is some of the best acting as here we see this figure who had been the head of the ISB realizing it's going to be dissolved and he is finished. Yet, he spends his last moments listening to Nimek's manifesto and gaining some perspective of what is happening. It is in that moment he knew the Empire will lose and he might find himself in the middle of a dick measuring contest between Tarkin and Krennic. He made the right decision in the end. He is a rare villain that I respect and I feel we need more of. Someone who is rational.

    Elizabeth Dulau is Kleya is the real discovery as she definitely became a MVP of the series in that final block. I love her character and I'm glad she survived although I also like the fact that we don't know what will happen to her but that's kind of a good thing because it is a new beginning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 29, 2025 at 8:53 AM

      Yes! I agree with all of this. It was interesting to see all these people in the ISB that aren't "big bads" like Vader or The Emperor. I'm glad Kleya survived too. She was a great surprise this season. I wish we had more of Andor, they really knocked it out of the park with this show.

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