Star Wars: Andor Season 1 Recap and Finale Review

Andor™ season 1 clocks in at an impressive 12 episodes. And the finale, entitled “Rix Road,” aired this Wednesday. It closes the first chapter on Cassian Andor’s™ tale while simultaneously flipping to the next page. After all, we’ve seen Rogue One™. We know how this Star Wars™ story ends.

But Cassian isn’t the only character we’re following in Andor — this series is about more than the origin of our favorite spy. Riddled with intrigue, drama, and sparks of rebellion, it’s a look at the previously unseen underbelly of a galaxy far, far away. Andor forces us to look at even more of the Empire’s ugliness, while reflecting very real-world struggles and systems. Additionally, each character has a rich history and a vital role to play.

So, where does everybody end up? How does Andor season 1 finish? Finally, what can we anticipate from Andor season 2? Read our recap and finale review below for answers to these questions and more.

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How Andor Ends

Andor episode 12 is truly one of the most emotionally distressing pieces of Star Wars content around. The entire episode is tense like a ticking bomb — symbolized beautifully by frequent cuts to a young teen slowly building an explosive device. However, it does end on a softer, hopeful note.

After saving Bix™ from captivity, Cassian bids farewell to his closest allies. He promises to find them again. Then, he ambushes art dealer/political conspirator Luthen Real™. One way or another, Cassian will ensure his friends are no longer bothered by Luthen’s plots.

Luthen initially set out to kill Cassian. Cassian says he’ll make it easy. But he also gives Luthen a choice: gun Cassian down or recruit him. Luthen puts down the blaster.

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How Did We Get There?

Honestly, Cassian’s had a rough go of things this season. The three-episode premiere saw him displaced from the planet he called home. Through flashbacks, we learned that he’s potentially the last living member of an extinct group native to Kenari™. He joined a Rebel group for money, only to participate in a heist that left a majority of the crew dead. Then, the guy who organized the whole thing tried to kill Cassian for knowing too much.

Cassian went to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Then, he broke out. In the meantime, his mother Maarva™ died. His old flame Bix was captured and tortured. Thus, by the finale, Cassian is ready to fight back with everything he’s got. He returns to Ferrix™ for Maarva’s funeral and an inspiring call to action. Finally, we meet the selfless man who led the Rogue squadron to victory on Scarif™.

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What’s Next?

Andor Season 2

The last few Andor scenes set up nicely for season 2 — which is confirmed to take place a year after the finale events. Mon Mothma™ agrees to arrange her daughter’s marriage in exchange for rebellion funds. Syril™ and Dedra™ are gearing up to cause a lot more trouble as partners. Cassian is once again on the run and cutting deals with Luthen, but he plans to eventually reunite with his Ferrix friends.

It’s safe to say the prison plot has been laid to rest. Although, we do hope to see Kino Loy™ again. It’s also unlikely we’ll spend much more time on Ferrix, especially in the wake of mass execution and escape. But we’ll follow the remainder of these various narrative threads closely. Plus, we’re hoping to get some answers about Cassian’s sister — a question that was asked and immediately dropped in Andor episode 1.

K-2SO

Despite that fun fake-out in episode 9, Cassian’s trusty droid friend K-2SO™ has yet to appear. As much as we love B2EMO™, it’s time for us to know how Cassian meets his bestie.

We already know from Rogue One that K-2SO is a reprogrammed security droid. But how do he and Cassian find each other? Does Cassian infiltrate an Imperial base just to steal a droid, or is it coincidence? We’re excited to see this meet-cute play out in season 2.

Rogue One

We hope you watched through the credits! In a rare Star Wars end credits scene, Andor finally confirms a long-held theory. The parts that Cassian™, Kino, Melshi™, and more made in prison are part of the Death Star™. It is poetic, if in a morbid way. Cassian helped build the weapon that ultimately kills him.

Of course, that’s the Rogue One ending. First we have to make it to the beginning. We have to see Cassian work for Mon Mothma. Cassian has to take on the codename Fulcrum™. He has to make a home on Yavin 4™, and go from a loose thread that Luthen wants to cut off to a valuable spy. While we don’t know if Andor will lead directly into Rogue One the way Rogue One goes right into A New Hope, we can at least hope for the two stories to connect in the longterm continuity.

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 Most Important Takeaways

 

In conclusion, Andor is magnificent. This show dives into the nature of the Rebellion in a way we’ve barely explored. Sure, Rebels™ scratched the surface of these struggles, but it never really presented the absolute horror of the galaxy’s situation. Within Andor, we focus on corrupt or struggling politicians, a despotic government, and a specific population of oppressed, fed-up civilians. The prison arc is undeniably the most excellent content in the series. Men are bullied and brutalized until they break free. And then that same sentiment sees additional payoff during the Ferrix riot.

Furthermore, Andor pushes real-world ideals further than most fantasy and sci-fi media dares. Whereas a lot of media relies on metaphor, Andor doesn’t tiptoe around political commentary. It remarks on prison and police brutality, as well as the struggles and difficult compromises people like Mon Mothma must make to further change. Without mincing a single word, Andor tells its audience to reject comfort and rise up against tyranny.

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