[Review] Andor Season 2: Star Wars is Built on Rebellions
"Rebellions are built on hope." This line echoes throughout Andor and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Andor serves as a prequel to Rogue One, which itself is a prequel to Star Wars. Chronologically and in terms of plot development, the events of Star Wars are built upon Andor and Rogue One. Years after its initial 1977 release as simply Star Wars, the film was given the subtitle: A New Hope. If Star Wars speaks of "hope," Andor speaks of "rebellions," and the Star Wars saga is fundamentally built upon those very rebellions.
"There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this. Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they've already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try." This monologue from the first season's finale, a manifesto written by Karis Nemik (Alex Lawther), reappears in this season's finale and encapsulates the entire series' narrative.
Andor Season 2 takes place four years before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, with each three-episode arc spanning a year. The final three episodes occur shortly before Rogue One, directly triggering its events, which in turn directly lead to the plot of Star Wars and ultimately the collapse of the Empire. Given that we already know this outcome, is it still necessary to tell the preceding story? An excellent prequel can, on one hand, tell a complete and compelling standalone story, and on the other, add meaning to the original work, filling in character backstories and portraying them more three-dimensionally and humanely. Andor Season 2 recounts the four years leading up to the destruction of the Death Star in Star Wars, delving deeply into the Empire's brutality and the rise of revolutionary fires. It further develops characters from Rogue One and Star Wars like Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), and Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), enriching their portrayals and making their storylines in the films appear more complex and dramatic.
The title Star Wars might suggest a grand war, but it actually depicts a revolution. Darth Sidious/Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) purged the Jedi in the prequel trilogy and established the Empire, ruling the galaxy with an iron fist for over a decade. In the original Star Wars trilogy, the Rebellion rises and ultimately overthrows the Empire. This isn't a civil war; it's a revolution. Andor portrays the most crucial phase of this revolution—the rise of revolutionary fires in multiple locations, and the Empire's futile attempts to extinguish them. Andor Season 1 depicted the Empire's tightly controlled system, its suppression of civilians, and scattered acts of resistance. In Season 2, Andor formally joins Luthen's (Stellan Skarsgård) faction, witnessing the various factions within the revolutionary movement: some are disorganized, infighting, and fraught with discord; others are passionate but fall into the Empire's traps, seemingly like moths drawn to a flame.
After watching Season 1, I certainly loved the prison rebellion storyline and the powerful scene at Maarva's (Fiona Shaw) memorial. However, I felt Andor lacked character development, as the series seemed to spend more time on other characters. In Season 2, viewers follow Andor as he traverses different corners of the galaxy, witnessing the rise and fall of various revolutionary factions, and seeing how the people of Ghorman are exploited and massacred by the Empire. He is also fraught with internal struggle: seeing the Ghorman people walk into a trap, shouldn't they have been stopped in time? At this point, we hear another perspective from the revolutionary camp—Luthen believes that all of this is an essential part of the revolutionary process; people should not be stopped from fighting, and every front is equally important. Even if the Empire suppresses them, it will ignite an even stronger revolutionary fire. This is no longer the clear-cut good vs. evil, black-and-white Star Wars of old, but an exploration of the inevitable sacrifices within a revolution and how future generations can leverage these sacrifices to achieve a greater purpose. Luthen is never a righteous, principled, or life-affirming person; he understands the cost of revolution, and he has paid with his life. Stellan Skarsgård effortlessly portrays two characters in the show: a seemingly charming and confident merchant on the surface, and a calculating, ruthless, and resolute revolutionary leader behind the scenes. The contrast between the two reflects Luthen's sacrifice and Stellan Skarsgård's superb acting.
In Episode 10, we learn more about Luthen and Kleya's (Elizabeth Dulau) backstories. This storyline also provides a rare opportunity for Elizabeth Dulau to showcase her acting range and allows us to witness the impact of these events on Andor. Andor initially wasn't committed to the revolution, formally joining the cause at the end of last season. However, his experiences this season made him consider withdrawing, only for him to step up without hesitation at the very end of this season. His values and ideals have always differed from Luthen's, yet he respects Luthen and trusts his instincts. Therefore, even when questioned by the Rebellion, he defends the intelligence Luthen provides. He knows that this intelligence is not just ordinary news or information, but the result of countless sacrifices. These experiences may also be what led him to trust Jyn (Felicity Jones) and her father (Mads Mikkelsen) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and defy the orders of the Rebel leaders. So, Andor doesn't just add backstory to Andor's character; it delves deeper into his psychological transformation, thereby making his actions in the film more logical and his overall character arc more complete.
Beyond Andor himself, Senator Mon Mothma is another original Star Wars / Rogue One character meticulously detailed in this series. She appeared mid-way through last season, which primarily focused on her navigating politicians and financiers on Coruscant while secretly aiding the Rebellion. The first three episodes of this season continue this storyline, depicting her using her daughter's marriage to secure financial aid for the Rebellion. Mon herself is a victim of an arranged marriage, leading to profound emotional conflict as she desires both her daughter's happiness and the Rebellion's financial stability. Genevieve O'Reilly returns to play Mon Mothma, appearing as a very formidable leader, yet her conversations with her daughter are nuanced and moving. Later, during a dancing scene, without much dialogue, one can feel her helplessness and release, a deeply contradictory emotion. But her story doesn't end there; she plays an even more crucial role in Episode 9, delivering one of the most significant and powerful speeches in Star Wars to date. In the show, this speech targets the Empire's brutal massacre on Ghorman, accusing other senators of aiding the Empire in spreading false information and burying the truth. Isn't this precisely the situation we find ourselves in today's post-truth era? "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." This series is no longer just an ordinary Star Wars show; it's no longer just about a galaxy far, far away, but about the reality we are currently living in. This scene relies almost entirely on Genevieve O'Reilly's performance and dialogue, intercut with the Empire's attempts to stop the speech, making it one of the most unforgettable moments of the series.
While Andor primarily narrates the revolution through Cassian Andor's perspective, it dedicates significant attention to the Imperial bureaucracy. In the last season, we saw how the Empire controlled the galaxy and utilized its prison system for weapon manufacturing. This season, we delve even deeper into the Empire's brutality. This isn't merely the overt evil seen in the Sith of the Star Wars saga, but rather the atrocities committed by Imperial officials driven by their hunger for power and desire for more. Whether it's the attempted sexual assault in episode three, the covert instigation and false flag operations in the Ghorman storyline, or the subsequent massacre, all of it feels incredibly real. These are tactics we've seen repeatedly throughout history and in our own reality. In episode eight, we witness the long-planned Ghorman massacre not just from the perspective of the Ghorman people or the Rebels, but also through the eyes of Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), an Imperial bureaucrat. We see how he's manipulated and how he unwittingly contributes to countless deaths. He's just a small cog in the Imperial machine, much like the new recruits in that episode, who might believe they're simply performing their duties without fully realizing the harm their actions cause. This is a common tactic of authoritarian governments: they value only the outcome, never the small gears executing their orders.
Even higher-ranking officials like Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and her superior, Partagaz (Anton Lesser), if they make a mistake, are discarded like, as we often say in real life, a used condom. They fall from the core of power to a position worse than the average person. In one scene, when Dedra is interrogated by Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), Denise Gough shifts from her usual assertive and confident portrayal. Her eyes convey her fear and helplessness, making her performance incredibly impactful. Ben Mendelsohn's frenzied demeanor in this scene appears even more ironic because, at that moment, he holds immense power and can do as he pleases to Dedra. Yet, just a few days later, he too becomes a pawn. Partagaz's final scene has no dialogue; the camera coldly frames the door, gunshots are heard, and the reactions of his subordinates speak volumes, conveying everything needed with rich undertones.
As the latest installment in the Star Wars saga, this series' production quality surpasses previous entries. The special effects in the opening battle scene of this season are already dazzling, but the TIE ship itself feels incredibly realistic, clearly a meticulously built physical prop, demonstrating astonishing production values. Episodes 8 through 12 of this season are consistently brilliant, from the Ghorman massacre to Mon's speech and escape, to Luthen's fate and the transmission of crucial intelligence. Everything is filmed with immense tension and suspense, incorporating the best elements of political thrillers and spy dramas. More importantly, these episodes serve as a transition from Andor to Star Wars, gradually introducing subtle supernatural elements related to the Force, moving from a revolution purely centered on ordinary people. Andor repeatedly claims that he's just lucky to have escaped danger multiple times, but viewers familiar with Star Wars know that this series isn't about luck; it's about the Force. Amidst numerous events, it's as if a force is assisting the Rebellion, guiding Andor to obtain vital intelligence, leading to the subsequent events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars. This is partly the Force, and partly the screenwriter's skill in weaving different works together.
"May the Force be with you." This is one of the most iconic lines in the Star Wars series and a central theme, as protagonist Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) defeats the Emperor and the Empire through the Force. The Star Wars films spent most of their time talking about the Force and the Skywalker family. While Star Wars: The Last Jedi attempted to redefine the series, the ending of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker once again reinforced that the Skywalkers remain paramount. But Andor offers another perspective, showing us that under the guidance of the Force, it is the people who truly defeat the Empire, and in the process of revolution, they rely on hope and the yearning for freedom.
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Photo: Star Wars