Andor: Season 2 is Serious Star Wars for Adults

 

Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) escaping the Imperial Senate building on Coruscant.

"The distance between what is said, and what is known to be True has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of Truth is the ultimate victory of Evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever Monster screams the loudest." - Senator Mon Mothma speaking to the Imperial Senate in Andor: Season 2, Episode 9: Welcome to the Rebellion

"Look at us: unloved, hunted, cannon fodder. We'll all be dead before the Republic is back... and yet, here we are. Where are you, boy? You're here! You're not with Luthen. You're here! You're right here, and you're ready to fight! We're the (Rhydonium) kid. We're the fuel. We're the thing that explodes when there's too much friction in the air. Let it in, boy! That's freedom calling! Let it in! Let it run! Let it run wild!" - Onderonian Rebel Leader Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) speaking to Wilmon Paak (Muhannad Bhaier) in Andor: Season 2, Episode 5: I Have Friends Everywhere

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Star Wars Andor: Season 2 is Mature Storytelling that Fills in Backstory before the events of Rogue One

For people who don't closely follow Star Wars, the number of prequels, and the order of the entire storyline must get very confusing. Maybe Andor: Season 2 isn't for those people. For the hardcore Nerds who know their Ewoks from their Hutts, the show is great television.

In a nutshell: the second season tells the story of Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his friends. They are present at the birth of the Rebellion. These events lead directly into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is itself a prequel to A New Hope, which tells the story of the Rebellion's victory at the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Empire's first Death Star.

Season 2 is grown up viewing. Many of the main characters struggle with things like coping with past abuse through substances (Bix - Cassian's girlfriend). Or they are dealing with a high-wire act of balancing relationships while secretly building the Rebellion (Senator Mon Mothma).

Their storylines play out against one main narrative arc. That arc is the Imperial occupation, and eventual destruction of, the planet Ghorman. The Empire seeks to sow unrest, and eventually take complete control of Ghorman because Emperor Palpatine needs a rare mineral under the planet's surface for the construction of his Death Star.

Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and her boyfriend Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) play big roles in the Empire's efforts to stir up Rebellion in Ghorman so that an excuse exists for occupying the planet and taking its' resources. Dedra Meero's storyline is quite sad - she is eventually consumed and spat out by the system she dedicated her life to serving. As the season progresses we see her iron exterior begin to buckle and eventually collapse.

Cameo appearances from Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) are quite fun to watch. We know that in Rogue One we'll meet him again as the principal Antagonist, the father of the Death Star. Here he is ascendant, flexing his muscles. Mendelsohn steals every scene he's in.

My favourite storyline of Season 2 is Senator Mon Mothma's. During the four years leading up to the Battle of Yavin (when this Season takes place in the timeline) Mothma becomes increasingly frustrated by the Empire's actions on Ghorman. As a member of the Imperial Senate, she sees at a high level how the Empire's propaganda is used to bury the truth.

In Episode 9: Welcome to the Rebellion, Mon Mothma decides she's had enough. With help from friends she plans an Atomic Bomb of a speech to be delivered in the Senate chamber. Her speech, and evacuation from the Senate by Cassian Andor immediately following, are for me Season 2's best moments. Showrunner Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) did a great job with this part of the story.

The other really great episode of this Season is Episode 5: I Have Friends Everywhere. Saw Gerrera's speech to Wilmon Paak at the episode's end is the second best speech of this Season. It gives some real insight into Saw's character, and why some of the Rebellion's more mainstream leaders are wary of the Onderonian insurgent. 

The Verdict: Andor: Season 2 is great Star Wars for hardcore Nerds and people familiar with the universe and overarching narrative of the 12 (and counting) Star Wars movies. If that's not you, feel free to skip it - you won't be missing anything.