Star Wars: Andor S2 Ep1 Reaction Edited
Added 2025-07-31 19:00:06 +0000 UTCThis was such a terrific start! 🤩 It's so cool to see how much one year has changed everyone, and I'm quite astonished at how this episode set up 4 separate plot lines all at once and got me invested in all of them!
Comments
Season 2 is already of to such a fantastic start with this episode! Andor feels so amazing now with how much experience he must have gotten from Luthen and it’s an absolute joy to watch him work like this! The ship was an insane mess with its weird controls so it’s truly a testament to Cass that he was sort of able to figure it out and actually get away with it. But now he’s stuck with these idiots and has to figure out how to get out of this with his mission screwed up. I do agree with this! While I’m definitely not the biggest fan of this brigade, I am looking forward to what they could teach Cass. Seeing they’re awful command structure, they way they don’t prioritize in emergences like this, and how in general their own infighting will probably cause their downfall. Plus it’s a great contrast from the situation at the start of season 1, both have Andor in a mess he has to get out of but this time, he didn’t cause it and hopefully it will show how much he’s grown as I really want this to be easy for him. Yeah it’s episode 3 where I’m caught up on her age now, but I could not agree more, the costume design has been so tremendous as captures this elegance and luxury of Chandrilla perfectly. It’s amazing how much effort and detail have been put into it all as you can just imagine the expense of designing all of this but it pays off so well, seeing all these fancy clothes compared to the stuff Andor or the brigade wears shows a great contrast in the classes and helps create a divide while also showing that they are still all suffering with the effects of the Empire (at least with Mon). That entire scene at the start was just brilliant as she puts up the act and takes it down constantly, while editing I think it looked like one shot which blows my mind even more that the camera was following her that entire time and she held it all perfectly. Tay is definitely concerning; he should now that this is already stressful enough to Mon so what could be so important that he has to add something else on top of everything she’s dealing with. And then Luthen also turns up which of course is only going to stress her out even more! Ah so this was just the official status and not some colloquial way of Kleya mentioning that Vel and Cinta had broken up. Glad to know but it still seems bad how distant the two have become and how little information we have on their relationship, Vel didn’t exactly take well to the cover so it makes me think there are some troubles there. Krennic being back is so amazing!! As you said Ben Mendeksohn was terrific in Rogue One so him getting more screen time is so amazing! And he completely dominated the meeting, hearing his speech about the confidentiality of it all was so good and stressed so well at how he’s clearly talking about the Death Star but it’s also so telling how close we’re getting to it; this would have to mean construction is nearly complete and now they just need to power it up. The casual manner of the meeting was so terrifying, they’re talking about basically destroying an entire people so coldly which goes to show they clearly value the mineral more than all those lives. I do think it’s a good representation of Imperial High Command, since as we know a load of them were there to witness the first test of the Death Star with Tarkin so I’m pretty certain they’d all act this like in other board meetings while discussing more horrors. The propaganda angle is also alarming, it went to show how much control they have and that there is stuff already in play, they’ve already sullied the image of Ghorman and it contrasts so well with the presentation Krennic plays; it’s just some really cheery fabric spinners yet already they’ve been able to twist that perception. I can see this, it’s the perfect way around it for her, not only did his actions escalate the situation but also put a superior officer (herself) in danger, so it’d be very easy to place all the blame on him. Plus it makes me appreciate the time jump, we can clearly imagine her trying to climb back up all this time as we’ve seen her do it before but we can gather how much effort and work she’d have to have put in to save her own career. I absolutely adore the little house the Ferrix group have gotten, it feels so cozy and lift in and the Maarva portrait is just the cherry on top! It’s so nice to see that they’ve all found joy there where Brazzo and Wil have found relationships, but also very sad that Bix is still haunted by the Doctor, hopefully she can find away to free herself from that. Also love these details with just getting to see everyone living their lives and the fact that Andor would have been to this planet with everything that’s been said, and that the ship the left in was in his meeting spot.
Ben Spiller
2025-08-01 19:41:25 +0000 UTCSo happy to finally get to season 2, after season 1 there is no doubt in my mind that this won’t be amazing but to think that it might actually be better is just insane! It’s so awesome to see Krennic back! He was such a good villain so just getting more scenes with Ben is amazing! And I can’t believe this is actually the weakest arc as it was just phenomenal! This whole board meeting was so terrifying and a great example of what the Empire is, a few high-ranking people, having a brainstorming session about how to destroy an entire people to get their minerals, while talking about it so casually. It’s so horrifying to see how these guys have no value for life and actually value the Kalkite more! 😂 😂 This wedding is horrifying 😫 They said it flat out and Leida is still going ahead with it and it’s so sad to watch but it’s stressing me out so much how on board everyone is but Mon!
Ben Spiller
2025-08-01 19:12:32 +0000 UTCAnd after another skipped wait we are here in season 2. We see Cassian being a rather experienced rebel operative by now and no wonder, he's been doing missions for Luthen for a year, that's plenty of experience. His competence is especially clear in contrast to the Maya Pei Brigade. Unfortunately there was a wrench in the plan: the ship had unique controls they hadn't anticipated, forcing Cassian to learn under pressure and miss the check-in he was supposed to do after handing the ship over to Porko (not that it was gonna happen anyway as Porko was dead). Then we get a textbook example of the importance of command structure. The Maya Pey Brigade had a singular leader without a chain of command below her. Now she's gone and they are fighting amongst themselves. Many people greatly dislike everything to do with them but I think they serve an important purpose in the show: Display the consequences of unclear command structure and the importance of uniting the rebellion. Cassian's mission could have been completed without much issue, despite the rocky take off, but instead he's held up by other rebels. Now Chandrila, the wedding has started. I know you said in an earlier comment that you go off about Leida's age in a later video but a reminder just in case: Leida is 14 here. Now, the costume design has been unbelievable in Andor throughout the series but the wedding scenes bring it to the foreground more than before. This is the only series I can think of where I've found the costume design to be so incredible that I pay attention and appreciate it in practically every scene. Mon dropping and starting the act at a moments notice will never not be impressive to me, regarding both the character and the actress. Tay is clearly troubled which in turn troubles Mon who already has a full plate of troubles with an elaborate wedding and an arranged marriage to deal with. No wonder she doesn't exactly appreciate Luthen showing up either. Now regarding Vel being single: That's her official status. She's at the wedding as Mon Mothma's, (by Chandrilan customs) way too old to be single, cousin. Perrin even teased her about it in season 1. To the public, Cinta and her aren't a thing, Cinta probably doesn't even exist. Kleya is just setting the scene of what them chatting at the party looks like to others and why it's not a risk. Now to Krennic's meeting. Glorious, loved every moment of it. Ben Mendelsohn returns as Director Krennic to own every scene he's in. I'm so glad he got more screentime as I loved the character in Rogue One. The secrecy of the meeting gives us more insight of what lengths the Empire goes to, to build the Death Star and keep it's construction a secret. "No notes, no records, none of you were here." and better yet, even this "tightest of closed circles" doesn't get to know the truth. Krennic sells it to them as an energy program to transform the galactic economy. Even Yularen, the head of ISB and Tarkin, Palpatine's right hand man (or left, depending on how pleased with Vader he is at the moment) must be kept out of the loop unless Palpatine tells them himself. The casual manner in which the people in the room suggest plagues and natural disasters while picking up cakes and drinks is incredibly dark and might be a good representation of the imperial high command. Then again, it seems likely that Krennic specifically picked people he knew to be cold enough to participate in such a project so our sample is biased. Of course the majority of the high command is probably like that regardless as that's the kind of personality Palpatine promotes. Now, as for their plans, the propaganda is happening, it has already been happening for a while. Krennic had already held meetings with the propaganda guys and they spell out examples of the propaganda they have already subjected Ghorman to. His "we get the picture" was likely just to stop them from "selling" the plan which was already approved and in action. That said, like Dedra pointed out, propaganda will only get you so far. They need more and she has a plan for that. As for Dedra's career, I imagine she kept her rank and position by throwing the prefect under the bus. He did, after all, blatantly disobey her orders by giving the command to fire and was in charge of containing the masses. She likely did receive some reprimand and went back to having to constantly prove herself like she did in the beginning of season 1, but she hasn't gone up the ladder. She's at the meeting at Krennic's request because he, like Partagaz, sees potential in her, not because she's risen in ranks. Then a bit about the Ferrix group's setup at Mina-Rau, loved the Maarva painting and the general design of the place. Brasso and Wilmon have both found locals to form relationships with and Bix is still suffering from the doctor's torture. I'd say Cassian has definitely been back to them between missions throughout the year as they knew the exact day to expect him (which he missed since the mission went awry) and we also see Vel living her life between missions. Also the ship they left Ferrix in was in the jungle where Cassian was supposed to meet Porko, suggesting he has been using it as his ship for getting to missions.
DenFoze
2025-08-01 05:15:30 +0000 UTCWe made it to season 2!! You are about to experience peak Star Wars and peak television in general!! BBY 4 is the weakest arc for season 2, and it's still great. I love that Krennic is back. Ben Mendelsohn is awesome! The Ghorman stuff he was talking about is both fascinating and terrifying. A room full of Imperials casually brainstorming how to destroy Ghorman and weaponize galactic opinion? Yeah, that was not on my bingo card. When Leida said "He is a child" and you said "you both are, yes..that's the point here" I laughed out loud hahaha.
Elvis C
2025-08-01 02:11:28 +0000 UTC
