
Starting the last batch of episodes for Andor Season 2 without any Cassian Andor (Diego Luna, Milk) is a risky move for a show named after the main character. However, the show’s creator Tony Gilroy made it impossible not to be invested in the fate of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård, Thor) and Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau). Their final arc gives weight to the sacrifices made in the shadows of the Rebellion and what awaits Cassian.
It’s so easy to watch an entire episode dedicated to Luthen where it would be interesting to see a mini-series based on him that’ll uncover how exactly he built his connections in the Empire. The flashbacks of Luthen and Kleya simply scream for yet another spin-off to perform a deeper dive into a character. Luthen’s closing arc in episode 10 puts in motion Cassian’s journey in Rogue One and the want of more of Luthen.
Andor has the perfect balance in the force when it comes to leading Cassian into his beginning of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to everyone else who’s building him up for it. The way the show ties into Rogue One is narrative precision. It’s especially satisfying to finally see how the Rebellion first learns about the Death Star. Why is Cassian on the path toward the planet destroyer and why did it mean so much to him? These questions get answered in the last two episodes seamlessly.
That slow, creeping dread of the realization of what the Empire is building begins to hit just as hard as it did in Rogue One and the original films. That’s especially true because all the fans watching not only know the intel about the Death Star is true, but they also know what the future holds for Cassian. Rogue One ends in hope with mainly destruction, while Andor ends in some destruction with hope being the shining star.
Episode 11 truly reveals just how much time has passed. Besides the opening credits in episode 10 saying it’s 1 BBY, Cassian’s trust in Kleya, correlating to trust in Luthen, is a dead giveaway for character growth and development. It’s clearly no longer 5 BBY or even 3 BBY, with how quick Cassian is to rescue and trust. The Cassian in episodes 10 through 12 is the closest to the version of him in Rogue One viewers we’ll ever see — someone who cares about the Rebellion a little more than himself.
One of the other biggest payoffs is seeing Cassian and K-2SO interact in the rebellion more. Bringing Alan Tudyk back to voice the reprogrammed KX-series security droid is a fantastic decision to have deeper ties into Rogue One. It gives even more context to their dynamic in Rogue One, making that eventual ending sting even more.
Speaking of bringing people back, Disney did a phenomenal job weaving in characters from Rogue One. The return of the full Rebellion Council (with just as much arguing here as there is in Rogue One) is a standout because it gives depth to several underused characters from the film. It’s rewarding to see their conservative, yet hopeful fleshed out and their stakes raised.
And that ending — it couldn’t have been better. The final scenes led seamlessly into Cassian’s first moment in Rogue One. After finishing the series, it’s wise to watch Rogue One to spot every correlation. Every character’s arc is wrapped up with intention, weight, and respect. There’s no doubt that Andor will go down as one of the darker and best-crafted pieces of Star Wars storytelling ever made.