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Forbes
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Andor' Season 2, Episodes 1-3 Recap And Review: Mommy Issues
Andor A daring theft of imperial property. A lavish wedding cut through with intrigue. Imperial domestic life and all its trials and tribulations. The first three episodes of Andor Season 2 are dark, oddly hilarious at times, and a bit all over the place. Spoilers ahead. I knew going in that the first three-episode arc of Andor's second season would be somewhat divisive, for a number of reasons. The season starts with a bang, but then takes its time, moving between a handful of largely disconnected stories as the season's over-arching plot begins to materialize. It's a bit slow, and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is shoved aside for much of it, but it's still gripping, intelligent television with so much to unpack I won't possibly have room in just one post. There's also a scene of attempted sexual assault that was bound to be controversial, so be aware of that if you haven't seen the episodes yet. My biggest problem with this chapter, however, is something I haven't really seen discussed much in the fandom or amongst critics: The use of video footage, and not merely for coms. This is something I don't recall seeing in Star Wars, and it felt a bit off. When Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) is hosting his top secret meeting in a Bond villain-esque retreat at the Maltheen Divide, he shows the Imperial attendees a promotional video for the planet Ghorman, in which we learn that the planet is known for its alien spider-silk, which is woven into some of the galaxy's most prized and pricey apparel. It's weird because typically in Star Wars, these sorts of things are done with holograms. A later talk show of some sort plays in Coruscant. This may be a weird quibble, but it irked me a little (but only a little). That aside, I actually really enjoyed these three episodes, even if hardcore Disney Star Wars detractors disagree. Sure, these are slower than the rest of the season, but so were the first three episodes of Season 1. It may not seem like much happened, but this is the establishing arc, setting up the dominoes before we can knock them all down. As I pointed out previously, have a little patience. A good payoff requires a good setup. The year is BBY 4, four years before Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star and the rebels score their first major victory against Emperor Palpatine. There are four separate stories that take place across four different planets: The idyllic farming planet of Mina-Rau; the jungles of future rebel moon base, Yavin 4; the luxurious mansions of Chandrila; and the urban megalopolis of galactic capital city Coruscant. Bix On Mina-Rau, we find Bix (Adria Arjona), Brasso (Joplin Sibtain), Wil (Muhannad Bhaier) and the adorable droid, B2EMO living as undocumented workers, hiding from the Empire. Andor was here previously, but he's gone off to steal a high-tech Imperial ship that uses some kind of new energy technology. I couldn't help but think of the dreadful Netflix Star Wars ripoff, Rebel Moon, when we first touch down on Mina-Rau. That Zack Snyder film also had a farming planet, but the difference in quality is quite stunning. Mina-Rau, with its floating silos and sweeping fields, just feels much more lived-in and realistic than Snyder's hokey Veldt. But I digress. This storyline is by far the most controversial. Here, Bix is struggling to overcome the trauma of her horrific torture on Ferrix at the hands of the Imperial torture-master, Ghorst. She has night terrors and her suffering is only momentarily abated. When an Imperial ship appears above the fields of Mina-Rau, the refugees know something bad is coming. That something comes in the form of Imperial inspectors. They're moving from station to station, checking documents and rounding up anyone who seems out of place. Brasso and some of the locals try to come up with a plan to keep one step ahead of the inspectors, but things go badly when young Wil, smitten with a local girl, disappears and Brasso has to go find him. Andor While he's away, an Imperial lieutenant, who had his eye on Bix earlier, shows up while she's alone. The following scene is quite harrowing, especially for a Star Wars series. The lieutenant had previously made his intentions known to Bix, inviting her to dinner and making not-so-subtle suggestions about what he'd like to do with her. Unconcerned with her mentions of a husband, soon to be returning, the lieutenant returns and tries to force himself on Bix. Sexual assault is certainly shocking in a Star Wars context, but the parallels here to Nazis are as strong as they've ever been in this franchise, right down to the vehicles they drive. The Nazis were known for a lot of atrocities, and rape was certainly one of them. Bix is tough, however, and she fights back. It's a pretty desperate fight, with Brasso off on his speeder and Andor still not back after his misadventures on Yavin 4. But Bix manages to grab a hammer and gets a hard shot to the rapist's dome. The Imperial officer outside calls for backup when he hears blaster fire, and despite Bix pleading with him that his commanding officer just tried to rape her, he moves to take her out. Wil shows up at this point, just in the nick of time. Brasso, meanwhile, makes a run for it after he's caught by Stormtroopers, and it's about this time that Andor shows up in his sleek Imperial ship, blasting Imperial troops as he descends. But it's too late for Brasso. He's taken out as he speeds back toward Bix. Andor finds his body, but the three of them have to leave in a hurry. They aren't able to retrieve Brasso's body or poor B2EMO, who was waiting all this time for Andor to return. Poor Bee. Poor Brasso. This is a thrilling, nail-biting sequence. And yes, it pretty much all occurs in the third episode of the season, but there's too much to cover if I tried to recap everything in all three episodes. Andor I will admit that Andor himself gets the weakest arc in this chapter, but this is an ensemble show now, not just the story of Andor joining the rebellion. After his daring theft of an experimental Imperial ship, he heads to a jungled planet we later learn is Yavin 4, future home of the Rebel Alliance. He's supposed to meet another pilot who will take the ship to the next destination. Instead, he finds a group of incompetent, squabbling rebel fighters who take him prisoner. They've killed the other pilot, taking him for an Imperial agent. One thing leads to another, and the rebels turn on one another. The arrival of an alien rhino-like monster during a confrontation between factions gives Andor the break he needs to escape, racing through the jungle and into the Imperial ship, which none of these other rebels could figure out how to fly. The best part of this whole sequence was the extended game of Star Wars rock, paper, scissors, which was pretty hilarious. But mostly, this did feel a little bit drawn out, even though it only occupied the end of Episode 1 and all of Episode 2. Still, it's a good reminder that the Rebel Alliance is still fractured, disorganized and amateur compared to the Empire they have to eventually go up against. In the third episode, Andor makes contact with Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) who tells him not to go back to Mira-Rau. Of course, this raises all sorts of red flags for Cassian, and he does exactly that, and not a moment too soon. He arrives in time to save Bix and Wil, but not Brasso. And if Bix hadn't been such a fighter, he'd have been too late to save her from even more trauma, and perhaps worse. Dedra and Syril Perhaps the most surprising twist in these first three episodes comes in Episode 2, when we discover that Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) are now an item. She had little patience for him in Season 1, but after he saves her life on Ferrix, scorn has turned into something bordering on affection. They now cohabitate in Dedra's stark white flat in one of Coruscant's swankier districts, far above the cramped apartment of his mother, Eedy, played with oppressive, nagging glee by Kathryn Hunter when she pays the happy couple a visit. We also learn that Dedra was raised in an Imperial 'Kinder-block' so she's basically been in the system her entire life (which I suspect extends beyond Imperial rule, so said Kinder-block must have its origins in Republic times). The dinner is wildly awkward but delightfully so, and poor Syril is so overwhelmed by his overbearing mother that he excuses himself so that he can flop miserably on the bed: Syril While Syril is away, Dedra lays down the law, telling Eedy that if she wants to have any sort of relationship with her son, she'll stop with the constant negativity. Dedra tells her she'll guarantee he visits twice a month, as well as some other perks, but only if Eedy does exactly what she says. The entire segment is hilarious. Dedra, of course, is up to no good. We first meet her at the Maltheen Divide with Director Krennic, Major Partagaz (Anton Lesser) and a bevy of other spies, ISB officials, generals and propagandists. Ghorman, we learn, has raw materials that the Empire needs for the Emperor's new energy program. The pesky spiders and weavers and merchants are in the way and barring a better option, will have to be forcibly relocated. Eedy Krennic is worried about the optics. The Empire is still in its pre-Alderan phase. They have no Death Star yet. As powerful as they are, they want to avoid giving any nascent rebellion any kind of advantage. So the matter is delicate and secret. Dedra suggests that alongside the propaganda smears, casting the Ghormans into doubt in the public eye, they should foment rebellion themselves. They need the right rebels to do the wrong thing to justify an imperial crackdown. Krennic likes the plan, and Dedra is removed (unwillingly) from her investigation into Axis and placed in charge of the whole thing. Luthen Rael and Mon Mothma Finally, on Chandrila, wedding bells are ringing. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) and her husband Perrin (Alastair Mackenzie) are marrying off their daughter, Leida (Bronte Carmichael) to the son of the powerful Chandrillan Oligarch Davo Sculdun (Richard Dillane, brother of Stannis Baratheon actor Stephen, who is the father of Fear The Walking Dead's Frank Dillane). The wedding is a wild affair, and I was genuinely fascinated by the care that went into portraying it all on-screen. They really went all out with the customs and rituals, the costumes and sets. It's quite something. The wedding is not all sunshine and roses, however. Mon Mothma is already guilty at having arranged it in the first place. Though her daughter is all about Chandrillan traditionalism, Mon Mothma and her cousin Vel (Faye Marsay) are not. On top of the guilty feelings, Mothma's old friend Tay (Ben Miles) who has been such a great help with her shady finances, shows up and tells her that he's separated from his wife and his financial situation is in dire shape. While he's helped her with her efforts, the results of rebel activity and Imperial crackdowns have been bad for business. Take the lyrics of 'Forgot About Dre' and just insert Tay instead of Dre and you basically get Tay's motivation here. He wants compensation for his troubles . . . or else. 'All these rebels act like they forgot about Tay.' Mon Mothma tells Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) but insists that when she meets with him in Coruscant they can 'find a number' and come to a deal that makes everyone happy. Luthen has other plans. The last we see of Tay is as he flies away from the wedding, his driver none other than Cinta (Varada Sethu) one of Luthen's most fearsome agents. We don't see her actually kill him, but it's pretty obvious that is what's coming. Luthen and Mothma's scenes are among the best in this arc. Mon Mothma is still the moderate idealist. She doesn't want to hurt anybody. 'How nice for you,' Luthen tells her when she expresses her misgivings. He's ruthless, cunning, shrewd and utilitarian. If someone needs killing, Luthen won't hesitate. If an agent needs to be burned, he'll burn them. Everything he does is in service to the cause. Tay and Mon Mothma Everything comes together in the end. Cinta driving Tay off to his death. Mon Mothma, heeding her daughter's scornful advice--"I wish you were drunk!"--dancing at the wedding, losing herself in the music, numbing her guilt, Andor and his friends blasting off to safety. It's quite a thrilling conclusion. And from here, we jump into hyperspace and move a year into the future. The next three episodes will take place in BBY 3. All told, while there were certainly some slower bits, and the rebels on Yavin 4 were a little goofy at times, I still loved this opening arc of Andor Season 2. I love that this show isn't afraid to take its time. Some have complained that there's too much talking or that it's too exposition-heavy, but I just fundamentally disagree. This is a spy thriller that's much more John Le Carre than James Bond. You should expect a lot more talking and a more deliberate pace, punctuated now and then with intense action and violence. I also disagree that having the threat of sexual assault was a bridge too far. Director Krennic The Empire is an allegory for Nazi Germany. While it's fine to humanize some of the Imperial bureaucrats and agents, like Dedra and Syril, we shouldn't flinch from its uglier elements. And even in today's world, undocumented farm workers are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, facing this kind of terror in their day-to-day lives. I think the writers did a good job including this without making it overly graphic or overly preachy. It's a horrific moment, but we should be horrified by the atrocities carried out by totalitarian regimes. More horrors are coming. Andor isn't 'Star Wars for kids' after all. This is a show made for adults who grew up with Star Wars and want something that's serious and challenging and powerful. We still want lightsabers and Jedi duels and all that fun stuff, but it's okay to have both. It's a big galaxy, after all. You can read my spoiler-free Season 2 review right here. I also made a video review, which you can watch below: What did you think? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Andor' Season 2 Premiere Recap: Rebel Rebel
Episodes 1-3: 'BBY 4' Want to escape from the real world by watching a 'Star Wars' TV show? Can I interest you in Season 2 of 'Andor,' which begins this week with stories about refugees being evicted from a safe haven, resistance fighters tearing each other apart, and the obscenely powerful plotting to destroy a whole planet? Maybe a touch too real? I get it. But let me add that the first three episodes of the season, the show's last, are remarkably entertaining and thoughtful television. It's provocative stuff, but satisfyingly stirring. This series is about how a revolution takes hold, in fits and starts, with a lot of disagreement about how to proceed. Season 2's first set of episodes also shows how even in times of radical change, people have to keep living their lives. In Season 1, the show's creator, Tony Gilroy, divided his saga into multiepisode arcs, each presented in a slightly different style. Gilroy and Disney+ are retaining that structure for Season 2 and leaning further into the 'movie of the week' concept by releasing three episodes at a time. But the first thing fans may notice about the opening three episodes (of 12 total) is how they jump around between locations and genres, to tell essentially four different stories, all set over the course of a few days one year after Season 1 ended. The date is 'BBY 4,' four years before the Battle of Yavin, the big space-fight in the original 'Star Wars' that ends with the Death Star exploding. Reminder: That triumphant rebel attack was made possible by the events of the film 'Rogue One,' for which 'Andor' is a prequel. (Rampant franchise expansion can make for confusing timelines.) The series's namesake, the mercenary-turned-rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), bounces between two of these stories. The new season gets off to a strong start in its opening sequence, in which Cassian steals an imperial fighter ship, posing as a test pilot. After a lot of dramatic buildup to him getting into the pilot's seat, Cassian pushes the wrong button and goes rocketing backward instead of forward. He then accidentally engages the ship's blasters, shooting laser bolts indiscriminately around the hangar. It's a funny bit of slapstick, but also exciting, filled with the fine design and special effects 'Star Wars' is known for. From there, Cassian stumbles into one of this arc's four story lines — a kind of black comedy vignette about the messiness and madness of war. After escaping the imperial freighter, Cassian tries to rendezvous with one of his rebel contacts on a wild way-station planet. There, he is cornered by a band of bickering refugees, who also claim to be rebels against the empire but do not believe Cassian is their ally. (To be fair, he is wearing an imperial uniform at the time.) The first two episodes follow Cassian as he tries to get free of these hapless would-be warriors, who eventually descend into a tiny but deadly civil war. While he is incommunicado, the rebels tracking his mission become very anxious. They include: Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), who is on the Outer Rim farming planet Mina-Rau, living as a refugee laborer alongside other agents of the resistance; and Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard), who is attending a wedding on the aristocratic planet Chandrila, hosted by the rebel sympathizer Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), who is the mother of the bride. These two story lines — on Mina-Rau and Chandrila — vary wildly in tone. Bix, already dealing with post-traumatic stress from being tortured by the Imperial Security Bureau last season, finds her bucolic farm life is not that safe, after the Empire suddenly descends for an 'audit.' (At least that is what the officers claim they are doing.) The Empire shuts down all travel and communication on the planet, creating tension between the rebel refugees and their hosts. It does not help that one of Biz's compatriots, Wilmon (Muhannad Bhaier), is having a secret romance with a farmer's daughter. Meanwhile, on Chandrila, Mon entertains some of the wealthiest families in the galaxy while fretting over the future of her daughter's marriage, which was arranged to help settle debts incurred from her support of the rebel cause. The scenes on this planet emphasize pomp and pageantry as well as the finer points of diplomacy. The chief source of tension here — beyond the wedding itself — emerges when one of Mon's oldest friends, the newly divorced and suddenly cash-poor Tay Kolma (Ben Miles), pulls her aside and says she owes him a favor for all the financial support he has given her in the past. When Luthen hears about this, he worries that Tay — who knows too much and has self-control issues — could take down the very useful Mon. These episodes' final story line primarily plants the seeds for the season's larger plot, while also providing some comic relief. At an off-the-books meeting in the Maltheen Divide, several of the Empire's most powerful and secretive officers have been gathered by Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), the man who 'Star Wars' fans will know as the director of the Death Star project. Orson announces the Empire's intention to plunder the mineral resources of Ghorman, a mostly peaceful and prosperous planet that supplies much of the galaxy's fabrics and fashions thanks to its native population of fiber-spinning spiders. The primary plan is wage a propaganda war against Ghorman, painting the planet as a hotbed of terrorists. The more covert plan is to nurture a group of Ghor rebels, whose actions might be destructive in a predictable and exploitable way. The big meeting itself is often very funny, beginning with the kitschy Ghorman tourist film Orson shows before stating his case. The story line then spins off into a strange and amusing domestic dramedy, as Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), the woman behind the I.S.B.'s 'let's co-opt a Ghor rebellion' scheme, returns to the Coruscant apartment she shares with Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), a fussy imperial bureaucrat who would do anything for the emperor. One of this arc's big set pieces is a dinner party Dedra and Syril host for his annoying mother, Eedy (Kathryn Hunter), a would-be socialite. In fact, although these episodes are meant to be watched as one, like a feature film, they still play as very expensive, visually stunning TV episodes. Each has enough moments of high drama, thrilling action and weird humor to sustain a week's worth of fan conversation, were 'Andor' releasing them one at a time. The Ghorman promotional film in Episode 1, a moment when Bix is cornered by a flirty imperial officer in Episode 2, the painfully awkward Karn family dinner in Episode 3 … these are the smaller pieces of storytelling that television excels at, keeping audiences engaged as the plot gradually falls into place. The resolution to the action on Mina-Rau provides the most movie-like payoff this week. As the Empire begins to root out the refugees with the natives' help, Bix and Wilmon and company try to stay out of sight, on a planet where the vast fields of grain make it hard to hide from low-flying starships. Fortunately for the rebels, Cassian is able to escape from the warring band of ragtag soldiers and fly to the rescue, evading the planet's imperial blockade in his stolen fighter. The Chandrila scenes provide much of the non-action spectacle in these episodes, with wedding rituals that involve lots of flowers and rhythmic drumming. Mon's husband, Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie), has another highlight when he delivers a heartfelt speech about being mindful of life's moments of gaiety amid all of the galaxy's many opportunities for anxiety. He insists he sees this joy and hope in the bride and groom — two people who are being forced into marriage as part of a business deal. It is no coincidence that Episode 3 ends on a shot of Mon furiously dancing, as though trying to extract some pleasure out of something that is, ultimately, terrible. For me though, the most moving moment comes early, when Cassian is preparing to steal the fighter with the help of an insider at the Empire's test facility. The woman, Niya (Rachelle Diedericks), knows she may have signed her death warrant — or at the least cost herself a job. When she asks if Cassian believes her sacrifice is worth something, he says, 'This makes it worth it. This, right now. Being with you, being here at the moment you step into the circle.' Cassian may never wrap his head around the rebellion as a galaxy-wide phenomenon. For him, it is still about connecting with people on a one-to-one level, sharing the understanding that the only way to live freely is to fight, side-by-side. One Way Out
