Sequels which outshine, outperform, and surpass their predecessors are dime a dozen. But when they do, they become important milestones in fandom and pop culture. They redefine an era. They set new benchmarks. Think of The Dark Knight, Back to The Future II, The Empire Strikes Back and The Godfather II.

When Andor was first released, we admit, we were one of the skeptics who questioned the logic of releasing a show centered around a character we barely knew and was only introduced at the start of a standalone-ish Star Wars movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Having said that, our skepticism was laced with slight optimism with it being helmed by Tony Gilroy, still basking from his work in the acclaimed Jason Bourne franchise.

Then again, more established filmakers have seen their Star Wars project crashed and burned like Sebulba’s podracer – we are talking about you, J. J. Abrams and Rian Johnson.

To everyone’s surprise, Andor delivered. And it delivered big.

We loved the first season of Andor  which easily share a space alongside Rogue One in the pantheon of outstanding, modern Star Wars content. However, our skepticism returned ahead of the second season of Andor. Will Gilroy be able to recapture lightning in the bottle for the third time? Will Andor 2 be Gilroy’s equivalent to Coppola’s best Godfather movie?

Thankfully, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’. Here’s why.

Second Wind

Comprising of 12 episodes altogether, Andor Season 2, like the first season, will be broken into four separate arcs. Each of these arcs will take place four, three, two and one year before the Battle of Yavin, as shown in The Return of the Jedi. To better manage the viewing experience for their fans, Disney will be releasing these arcs in batches of three episodes for viewers to binge on. A handy timestamp, for example, ‘BBY 3’ is added at the start of each arc’s opening episode for clarity.

The first three episodes of Andor Season 2 take place a year following the conclusion of the previous season and open with a ‘BBY 4’. Now a trusted rebel operative under Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), titular character Andor, played by the brilliant Diego Luna is mid-mission, knee deep embedded within the compounds of a Galactic Empire test facility. Star Wars fans would have a field day spotting Easter Eggs and references throughout Andor 2 – a low-hanging fruit for YouTube channels plying their trade in producing videos pointing these out no doubt.

A never seen before variation, possibly a prototype of a TIE-Interceptor is the highlight of the first action sequence as only within the first 15 minutes, Andor 2 outshines the entirety of its first season in the aerial combat category. And it isn’t the only category which Andor 2 upgraded on. The cinematography, action pieces, set design, sound and writing were on a whole new level throughout.

Andor 2 picks up from where it left, amps up and delivers more with optimal use of dialogue. Through masterful writing and delivery, it managed to convey emotion, inner conflict and determination in a single scene, much more than all of the Prequel Trilogy was ever able to. It is evident that Disney poured a ton of money into the production of Andor 2. The world is easily the most believable, lived-in environment we’ve ever witnessed in a Star Wars show. Grit and grime are interspersed with luxury and lavishness in the universe as we get more screen time with Coruscant, Chandrila and the planet that’s been teased since Season 1, Ghorman.

Major players in the formation of the resistance also receive equal and deserving airtime as we keep up with the likes of Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) and Luthen whose stories were interwoven perfectly with each other without skipping a beat.

Surviving characters from Andor’s home in Ferrix also served pivotal roles in supporting his cause, motivation and beliefs as the show progresses. New factors – confusion and disenchantment – were also thrown into the mix as people fighting on the same side do not necessarily share the same ideology nor trust which is pivotal against the might of the enemy. Just because they are on the ‘same side’, it doesn’t mean they are all shooting in the same direction.

While the writing and storytelling of Andor is near perfect, the titular character is far from it. That is what makes Andor such an enthralling show to watch. Compared to modern Star Wars content, characters in Andor – good or bad – portray and exhibit realistic and logical human conflicts. They make poor decisions under believable circumstances and just like in real life, people fail more than they succeed. No one jumps into a space ship and is suddenly a brilliant pilot.

Evil Among Us

The oppression by the Galactic Empire was mostly said in passing or shown sparingly in Star Wars content pre-Andor. This was remedied, as Andor’s first season fleshed this out realistically and comprehensively. It has since been ramped up for its second season. The noose and boot heels of the Galactic Empire are now at its worst as they are shown to tighten around the necks of the people in more ways than one, leading our protagonists to their tipping point.

However, the show’s bold move in equally showing the war from the perspective of the bad guys – Major Partagaz, Dedra Meero and Syril Karn – makes it even more compelling insight into the banality of evil. Rather than trying to convince viewers that what these fascists are doing is ‘right’, we were instead shown how “normal” these people are, and that their motivations to support the Galactic Empire aren’t necessarily due to their hate for the opposite side. Instead, to them, it’s the ‘morally right’ thing to do, making it even more chilling.

Through this lens, we are also shown a world where oppression isn’t merely a struggle between opposing ends; it also moves vertically, involving a suffocating authority by power of overwhelming scale. The inner politics within the ranks of the Galactic Empire are explored further this season, as we follow Dedra’s unrelenting pursuit of Luthen whilst also navigating through the bureaucracy imposed by the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB).

We also appreciate that more time is given to show the inner works of the Galactic Empire and answers for the age-old question; how the hell did Emperor Palpatine managed to keep the Death Star project a secret until the events in Rogue One. And yes, several fan favourites (or not) from Rogue One makes a return in Andor Season 2; now with significantly much more deserved screen time.

Lighting the Spark of Rebellion

The conclusion of the first arc – or the first three episodes – of Andor Season 2 sets up what is to come for the remainder of the season. They also touches upon sacrifice one is willing to take in going against the Empire as well as dealing with loss and past trauma. It shows how real people react, interact, suffer and cope in the face of an impending doom.

The masterful writing also expertly introduces conflict on all levels of war; from the frontlines, to the subterfuge to the politicians, without skipping a beat. Some viewers may not enjoy sections which focuses on Mon Mothma, for example, but these are essential parts which add layers of complexity and depth to an already brilliant character. Star Wars is more than just clashing lightsabers and duelling starfighters. The real fight is internal, and nothing exemplifies it more than Andor.

Upon completing all twelve episodes, we can confidently say that each arc is self-contained and worth bingeing in threes and treated independent of one another. Of course ,some viewers would want to marathon all twelve episodes in sequence once all episodes are available but we feel Andor Season 2 is best consumed in these medium-sized bites.

Either as standalone episodes or when grouped as a trilogy of episodes, episodes 1-3 of Andor Season 2 delivers the finest television content this year so far and in Star Wars since … well, where season one left off. This is Star Wars at its pinnacle best.

And yeah. That banger of a track closing Episode 3 is top-notch. Hitting the clubs soon, surely.

Final Score: 100/100

The first three episodes of Andor Season 2 drops 9am on the 23rd of April for Malaysian / Singapore viewers or 6pm Pacific, 22nd April. 

Early screeners of Andor Season 2 was provided by Disney+