Andor series two: a 'perfect' Star Wars show

With Disney+ pumping out so many "lifeless" spin-offs these days, "Star Wars" can be a "struggle", said Jonathan Dean in The Times. The "anomaly" was "Andor", an "innovative" political thriller that arrived on the streaming platform in 2022, and "like a lightsaber at the end of the tunnel, promised to return".

Season one followed thief-turned-rebel-spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he "forged the rebellion" against the Empire, five years before the events of the 2016 film, "Rogue One". The second instalment picks up a year after the first, with the "web of rebels spreading", while the Empire "clamps down" with more oppressive measures.

While the first season was a "kind of awakening", said Sophie Butcher in Empire, series two is more of a "clear-eyed look" at what it takes to challenge "corrupt, genocidal power". Despite viewers knowing how Cassian's story will end, the second instalment of "Andor" remains "urgent, compelling, excellent television".

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Tying the show back to "Rogue One" is an "immense" task, but showrunner Tony Gilroy and his team pull it off. Among the "stand-out" episodes is the massacre of peaceful protesters on the planet Ghorman; the "horrifying" scenes are likely to "induce gasps". But the show's real success hinges on its ability to "soar as a top-tier political thriller" – even when you peel back the "jargon and the droids".

"The series gets off to a bafflingly terrible start," said Chris Bennion in The Telegraph. Episodes one to three are so "lacklustre and slow", it starts to feel like Gilroy has been "watching too much of the other spin-offs". Hold out until episode four, however, and you'll be "well rewarded". After a shaky start, the series unfurls into a "propulsive exploration" of the price ordinary people will pay for their freedom.

More "gritty and grown-up" than any of the other spin-offs, the final five episodes "hit the same highs" as "Rogue One", ensuring "Andor" enriches the wider narrative without feeling like an "add-on", said Paul Bradshaw in NME. This feels like the franchise's new "high-water mark".

With its "riveting" performances, unparalleled costumes and nerve-jangling action scenes, it's a series that will leave you "breathless", said Erik Kain in Forbes. In all, "Andor" is a "perfect" 'Star Wars' show" and a "masterclass" in creating a prequel. "I can't wait to watch it all over again."

"Beautifully made" and "genuinely moving", added Butcher in Empire, Gilroy's second season of "Andor" is a triumph. "This is 'Star Wars' – and small-screen storytelling in general – at its best."