Andor is Star Wars at its Finest: TV Review

Tony Gilroy, the creator of Andor and screenwriter of Rogue One, revealed that Bob Iger and Kathleen Kennedy took a gamble in greenlighting the second season of Andor. I’m genuinely grateful they did—because Andor, alongside Rogue One, stands as the pinnacle of Star Wars storytelling in the Disney era. Initially conceived as a prequel to Rogue One, Andor centers on intelligence officer Cassian Andor and boldly introduces espionage into the sci-fi fantasy universe.

With Tony Gilroy returning from Rogue One, the series is grounded in a way that delivers emotionally gripping and resonant storytelling. Season two of the show covers the four years leading up to the events of Rogue One. Each year is divided into a block of three episodes, mirroring the release schedule of the series. Each block of the episodes are written like a movie and focuses on significant events taking place in that particular year. However, the writers have put considerable thought into filling in the time jumps with meaningful backstories, often conveyed through dialogue.

Diego Luna is consistently impressive in his portrayal of Cassian Andor. Denise Gough is exceptional as Dedra Meero, her performance makes you genuinely despise the character, in the best way possible. Stellan Skarsgård and Elizabeth Dulau also deliver compelling performances in their respective roles. It’s always a pleasure to see Ben Mendelsohn in an antagonist role, especially one I originally fell in love with. Despite his limited screen time, his presence is absolutely commanding.

While ILM’s work with StageCraft technology is undoubtedly impressive, the decision to film at least partially on real locations, just like in Season One—has elevated the visual experience. I was initially worried about how the writers would bridge the gap between the Andor finale and Rogue One; however, it was taken care of nicely. Another thing that helped was the decision not to bring in too many legacy characters just to appease fans, instead sticking to those necessary for the story they wanted to tell. That being said, it’s not without its issues, but the storytelling and performances of the actors have managed to overshadow most of them.

Finally, I can say that Andor and Rogue One combined are the best of Star Wars in recent years. Andor Season 2 will premiere on JioHotstar in India at 6:30 AM IST on April 23, 2025, and on Disney+ around the world. It’s scheduled to drop in three-episode blocks weekly until May 14, 2025.

Rating: 4/5