The second season of Andor premieres tomorrow on Disney+ with the first three episodes with 3 new episodes every week up until its series finale on May 13. The season stars Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Denise Gough. The second season takes place as the horizon of war draws near and Cassian becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound.

The show’s creator Tony Gilroy made it explicitly clear from the get-go that the Star Wars spinoff for the prequel to Rogue One would only last two seasons – a decision that did worry me. The first season was fantastic and really set itself apart from anything Star Wars had ever done. So, when the opportunity arose to watch all 12 episodes of the second, and final, season of Andor, I split it up in groups of three as every 3 episodes has its own specific arc that ultimately ends to transition perfectly into Rogue One.

Even though I was not the biggest fan of Rogue One, I still enjoyed it, but I loved the first season of Andor. Knowing that every 3 episodes was going to skip in time did worry me, and I still feel like maybe that could have been handled differently. While I thoroughly enjoyed this season, I am more than surprised other critics have been calling this a perfect season where I did have some flaws with it. If you are a fan of the first season like me, go into this knowing this leans more into the drama than ever before. There’s a lot of dialogue and sometimes it can feel like a slow burn. That’s not a bad thing exactly, but I think it could challenge viewers’ expectations, especially with where it ends.

Gilroy understands what the fans want here. He keeps the same political thriller momentum going that’s still quite exciting and why he is one of the best working writers today. His decision to end this as early as it does should give influence to other writers on knowing when the end the show. I still believe this show could have last five seasons – one season covering a year up until Rogue One. Surprisingly though, the show finds a common through line with the sacrifices that are made and the developments that are formed within a span of four years. The last episode doesn’t quite feel like a series finale; however, the revelations made in the final minutes will make you look at Rogue One differently.

Diego Luna, who plays as the titular character is better than ever. He has so much love for the character that helps the audience connect with him. Stellan Skarsgård continues to have this humanity about him that makes him compelling. Genevieve O’Reilly, though, easily steals the show. I love her character arc, especially with the path that she is placed on in the first three episodes. There is a spectacular sequence involving some retro music I haven’t heard in Star Wars before that gives her ability to stand out.

Like the first season, I loved how the new story developed every three episodes. There is a natural arc with satisfying payoff’s with a few being some of the best material I have ever seen come from Star Wars. There is natural progression that leads up to every conclusive moment. The set up can sometimes feel like they are working towards something. There is no doubt that the payoff’s, satisfying, and sometimes emotional, will give something for all viewers.

The visuals that are put into this world continue to be immersive and impressive. I could tell towards the end where they didn’t stand up as well, but I believe that’s a byproduct of getting early screeners. I am sure they will be enhanced by the time they come out. I still found these new worlds truly exciting as it allowed me to dig deeper into what Star Wars is all about.

The entire season does a great job at exploring more of who these characters are. Due to Adria Arjona’s fame as of recent, I honestly forgot she was a part of the show since I haven’t seen the first season since it first debuted. She gives a terrific arc that explore more of where she came from and how she makes sense of it today, leading to an incredibly conclusion that makes me excited about the future of Star Wars. We also learn more about Stellan Skarsgaard’s that does reshape the way you look at him. I personally love the details given to the characters that help them feel more relatable in this fictional world.

Overall, even if a few flaws I found with the show, the second season of Andor is still great, continuing the trend of not just another great season of the show, but just great television so far this year. Fans will certainly be pleased with they say. The lore will also give them more context to go off of. While the show concludes on the right now, I genuinely hope we get more from Tony Gilroy in the near future.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)