Andor Season Two Review – Coffee With Kenobi

For many Star Wars fans, today will be a day long remembered: tonight, season two of Andor drops on Disney+. Season one of Andor was a boon for the creators: a hit show that is both a critical darling and a fan sensation within the franchise. It took the science fiction of Star Wars and transformed it from an action-packed event into a dour, intense, and emotional rollercoaster heaped with verisimilitude. To put it another way, season one of Andor emphasized the “war” in Star Wars.

As a result, season two of Andor has been highly anticipated. It’s fascinating to me; casual fans of the franchise took to the series because of its gritty nature and mature content. There has been a lot of pressure to deliver, and I’m delighted to say that Tony Gilroy and the creative team at Lucasfilm have brought the series to another level of brilliance. The cast is so dialed in that I had to keep reminding myself I was not watching a historical documentary. Andor season two is more than a story: this is an elite art form.

(L-R) Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) and Supervisor Deedra Meero (Denise Gough) in Lucasfilm’s ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

As announced previously, the release schedule is designed to maximize a binge mentality. There are twelve episodes in season two, with three episodes released each Tuesday:

Episodes 1-3 on April 22nd

Episodes 4-6 on April 29th

Episodes 7-9 on May 6th

Episodes 10-12 on May 13th

Each three-episode drop is an individual arc, totaling four arcs for season two (Star Wars math). I am assuming this is the rationale for the rapid release schedule. For some, this will be satisfying (if you don’t mind staying up late to watch all three each week at once). I would have preferred that only one episode be released a week. Imagine a twelve-week buzz over this extraordinary narrative. Andor season two absolutely deserves that. It’s the only misstep for the season.

Each week, the stakes and adrenaline level up significantly. I will not say which one here, but one episode in the middle of the series is a repeated emotional sucker punch that you might need time to recover from. It’s an extraordinary accomplishment in the history of Star Wars narrative. With no hyperbole of any kind, I put my hands on my head and had to take a few deep breaths. That does not happen without an exemplary vision: Tony Gilroy’s involvement may be one of the best things to happen to Star Wars.

(L-R) Perrin Fertha (Allistair Mackenzie), Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) in Lucasfilm’s ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Andor season two does not let up … ever. As I mentioned, each arc ramps up, but even with galactic-wide implications, this is also a deeply personal story where the emotional beats and narrative moments are earned. That might be what I like most about season two: it’s not dependent on nostalgia to pack an emotional wallop. Season two is not good because it’s Star Wars; it’s good because it’s executed, performed, and told by elite craftsmen and the top of their respective art forms. Similar to a good Shakespeare production, Andor season two stands out because it is the material, script, and performances that make it affecting, not the setting.

That’s not to say it isn’t a beautiful addition to the Star Wars saga. It’s fantastic. The Imperial era is the most interesting to me, and what season two does is force the audience to think about both Rogue One and the original Star Wars much more seriously. Genevieve O’Reilly is a scene stealer, with a delicate blend of pathos, nuance, and humanity. Of course, Diego Luna is a marvelous concoction of vulnerability, stubbornness, and grit. The whole cast is exceptional, but the show doesn’t work without these two because they are the heart of the series. A special shout-out to the tremendous Elizabeth Dulau as Kleya; no spoilers, but you’ll know when you see it.

I appreciated season two of Andor much more than season one. I liked the first season, but it took me a while to get into it because it’s much more grown-up in its ambition and themes. I was more prepared for a tonal paradigm shift for season two and am delighted that it is magnificent, but for different reasons than most Star Wars projects. Initially, I wasn’t ready for Star Wars to grow up, but Andor has a lot to say and makes every moment count to that end. If I had to rank the four arcs, the third arc is the best, followed by the second, the fourth, and finally, the first.

On the podcast, I’ll be discussing one episode a week, and I look forward to exploring them all on Coffee With Kenobi.

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