Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) was always living on borrowed time, but that’s also been a large part of his appeal. The character is a relatively new addition to the Star Wars galaxy, a footnote in the struggle between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Rogue One tied him to the most crucial battle in Rebel history and turned his martyrdom into legend. It also allowed his story to continue in Andor, but the prequel series shares the same misfortunes as its namesake. According to Tony Gilroy — the writer-director who steered Rogue One through its infamous reshoots and created Andor — the series was originally conceived as a five-season affair. But given the time commitment that would have demanded of Gilroy, and the growing divide between the 20-something Cassian and 45-year-old Luna, Gilroy opted to truncate five seasons into two. That choice has given the final chapter of Cassian’s story a lot to live up to. Andor Season 2 is tracing the four years leading up to Rogue One, bridging the gap between the skittish, self-serving smuggler we left in Season 1 and the rebel spy who’s more than willing to sacrifice his life for the cause. It’s an unenviable task, especially with so many other characters fighting for space, but that doesn’t stop Andor from sticking to its guns. Season 2 is just as unhurried as its predecessor, determined to tell its story at its own pace. That instinct gave Season 1 its subversive charm — but for Season 2, maintaining that under a time crunch is much easier said than done. |
