- Also known as Star Wars: Andor and Andor: A Star Wars Story
- Created by Tony Gilroy
- September 21, 2022 to present
- Based on Star Wars created by George Lucas
- Disney+
Main Cast
- Cassian Andor-Diego Luna
- Luthen Rael-Stellan Skarsgård
- Mon Mothma-Genevieve O’Reilly
- Bix Caleen-Adria Arjona
- Syril Karn-Kyle Soller
- Dedra Meero-Denise Gough
- Vel Sartha-Faye Marsay
- Cinta Kaz-Varada Sethu
- Kleya Marki-Elizabeth Dulau
- Orson Krennic-Ben Mendelsohn
Guest Cast
- Brasso-Joplin Sibtain
- Eedy Karn-Kathryn Hunter
- Perrin Fertha-Alastair Mackenzie
- Major Partagaz-Anton Lesser
- Tay Kolma-Ben Miles
- Davo Sculdun-Richard Dillane
- B2EMO-voice of Dave Chapman
- Saw Gerrera-Forest Whitaker
- Lonni Jung-Robert Emms
- Bail Organa-Benjamin Bratt
- Wilmon Paak-Muhannad Bhaier
- K-2SO-Alan Tudyk (voice and motion-capture)
The former thief continues his journey.
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I was beginning to have my doubts about Andor. My major concern was with the crowding out of the title character for the storylines of others. He’s back as the focus here and much more important as they trim the fat so to speak.
Check out my thoughts on the three most recent episodes of Andor now!
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Messenger
- Directed by Janus Metz
- Written by Dan Gilroy
- May 6, 2025
The Rebels have begun coordinating military operations from Yavin IV where Cassian and Bix now live when Wilmon learns that Dedra is stationed on Ghorman.
The Ghorman propaganda campaign has been relatively successful to sway public opinion but it isn’t moving fast enough for the Empire. Dedra (Denise Gough) seems to be having some doubts about the whole thing though I’m not exactly sure why. Is it because of what she is hiding from Syril (Kyle Soller) or a level of sympathy for the Ghor. Once again the time jump doesn’t explain anything. Or it could be that so many stories were being juggled I missed something.
For a show based in a universe with space wizards Messenger intelligently dives in the use of television for the real-world parallels Andor is going for in this iteration of Star Wars. The news media is all in pushing the Imperial line. Nice touch there but it makes it feel a little bit like The Hunger Games. I’m not sure how you would get across the propaganda aspects they are trying to get across.
Am I supposed to chuckle at the Gorman who are basically Space French? I get the allegory or parallels that they’re going for, but I just have to chuckle because whatever language they are speaking-real or fake-sounds a lot like French. It is very on the nose in the way that a current Star Trek series might be. All that is missing are baguettes.
Messenger is largely about Cassian (Diego Luna) on a revenge mission to kill Dedra who is now openly with Syril again after trying to pretend they’re broken up. This episode is approximately three storylines: the revenge mission, Mon Mothma, and Syril/Dedra. Mothma is little more than fluff with some political maneuvering while the other two are actually connecting. Unlike What a Festive Evening it’s not weighed down by too many things going on. But it doesn’t feel like much is happening even though things are coming to a head. I’m not calling this bad, but it’s not as serious or dangerous feeling as it perhaps you should be though it is dramatically satisfying.
The most serious issue is that I needed to look up a few characters because of the previous multiple storylines. I completely forgot about Wilmon (Muhannad Bhaier) who gets the ball rolling on the plot. Andor has quite an expansive cast and you forget some of them after they don’t appear in a few episodes.
An okay episode with a streamlined narrative but it doesn’t feel as if it ended on a cliffhanger even though it did.
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Who Are You?
- Directed by Janus Metz
- Written by Dan Gilroy
- May 6, 2025
The Ghorman people protest in the square.
Who Are You? has a very chaotic feel. It’s dark and dangerous. There are no major developments here. Rather it is a culmination of multiple episodes worth of story. Several narratives collide while also providing the title for the episode.
Dedra (Denise Gough) and Syril’s (Kyle Soller) relationship fractures and falls support. Syril for his part ends this as a completely different character than as he started. I just wish they had communicated the pressures or the events that led to the Syril we get here in contrast to the Syril the series started out with. There are hints and allusions to it such as him realizing Dedra has not been completely truthful with what they’re doing, but it’s not as overt as I think it could’ve or should’ve been. The same goes for Dedra’s chafing at the situation.
And who can forget Andor (Diego Luna) trying to assassinate Dedra? It felt like there were a half dozen moments where Andor could’ve taken a shot to kill her and he didn’t with the one perfect moment that he waited for being undone by coincidence and plot convenience. What came after worked dramatically but don’t give so many points where your character could’ve taken the shot and then doesn’t for some reason.
Syril’s final disposition, which comes in this episode, was rather abrupt. It wasn’t dramatic or grandiose or anything. It just kind of, well, was. And it left Cassian with so many questions that occurred right after the guy tried to beat the crap out of him. That these questions may or can never be answered is realistic and the antithesis of Star Wars.
I previously likened the Ghor to the French, but some clothing reminds me of Russian revolution clothing. Seriously. They look like they stepped out of the early part of Dr. Zhivago. With the Empire occasionally standing in for ICE I am guessing they were trying to say a certain something.
It’s a nice look at how governments can use terror to enforce their will and when they feel the need steamroll over the people. It’s also rather shocking. Who Are You? is traumatic and violent. More importantly it tells an allegorical story in a science-fiction starting.
I was beginning to have my doubts about Andor but this quieted them down for a little bit.
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Welcome to the Rebellion
- Directed by Janus Metz
- Written by Dan Gilroy
- May 6, 2025
After the Ghorman massacre the Empire frames it as an insurrection forcing Mon Mothma to openly condemn the Emperor and escape to Yavin IV.
Welcome to the Rebellion is heavy on a depressing tone for obvious reasons with a level of uncertainty. This is all about the fallout-both political and personal-from the Ghorman massacre. More importantly it continues to make the Empire a serious threat.
One thing during this episode that bothers me is there are moments when the Empire is conveniently incompetent. On the one hand they have successfully executed a campaign that will allow them to mine Ghorman unchallenged. On the other Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is able to slip into the Imperial Senate pretending to be a news service that in this episode and the previous one nobody in the Star Wars universe has ever heard of. Very Star Wars but an ill fit for a more serious show.
Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt) actually matters in this episode more or less. I don’t think you could’ve effectively set the political stage without him. Really thought he was just going to be for some nostalgia. His presence is significant to the events of the episode and the storyline would not have worked with a random new character.
What is up with Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) and Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau)? She is almost the boss here with Luthen deferring to her here and there during the episode. She even has the after action discussion with Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and others while Luthen is conveniently off camera. She’s the assistant at the shop and in Luthen’s spy activities!
It’s a very well-directed piece of Star Wars with its allusions to how the real world works like the useful idiots of the senate make it great drama. This is it a tough watch and I mean that as a compliment. It’s emotionally wrenching. I even felt a little bit when it came to the whole Cassian/Bix (Adria Arjona) story and I never cared about the character or the relationship. Did I mention her before now? No. That’s how good this episode was from the acting to the effects to the story.
This ends by building stronger connections to Rogue One. We get the first few moments of K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) being K-2SO. A bit of an upbeat moment in an otherwise soul crushing episode.
Welcome to the Rebellion is perhaps among the best so far.
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While these time jumps allow the story of Andor to quickly advance, everything they build up or build towards is setback because of them. People that were previously separated are in the same location or those that were together are now apart. It was great to see Yavin IV in all its glory though.
Despite that these three episodes have been some of the most gut wrenching and impactful episodes of any Star Wars show. It’s two years of plot and development coming to a head. There are nice nods here and there and connecting threads to Rogue One are beginning.
I wasn’t entirely pleased, but I was mostly pleased and can’t wait for the final three.
Warren Watched A Movie 