Andor series has been finally released, and now fans will get to see more Star Wars content after the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi show. This new live-action Star Wars series takes a dark, unrelenting look at the Empire’s oppression and the determination of those who rise up and fight for freedom using any means necessary.
Andor is the first time fans actually get to see how harsh the Imperial reign really was, taking place five years prior to the events of 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Also, they get to follow Cassian Andor’s growth from a renegade revolutionary to a full-fledged Rebel spy.
The success of Rogue One, particularly the Darth Vader moment, has led to the release of Andor, in which Diego Luna will once again play the title character in a gritty spy drama set during the Imperial Era. With a three-episode premiere, the show got off to an amazing start, but you might be wondering: What is Andor’s Episode Schedule, or How Many Episodes Will There Be In Andor?
Andor Series Plot
Andor will tell both the origin stories of the Rebellion and the story of the title character, as well as the darker side of the Rebellion. In Rogue One movie, Cassian almost tries to kill Galen Erso and is willing to kill some other Rebel spy in order to keep him from disclosing data that is crucial to the Rebellion. This shows a difficult past and a pretty good chance of betrayals and death from Cassian’s perspective, so I would not assume any character in the series is safe.
The fact that the stormtroopers are not yet wearing their traditional armor and that we can see a sizable training room suggests that the Empire may still be using clones even though this first season is set pretty early in the post-Order 66 reality. We also get to see a lot of the inside of imperial buildings, which suggests that this series will be heavily focused on espionage and the stealing of top secret data.
This series will join the growing number of Star Wars stories without a Jedi as its main character because there is no mention of the Force or a lightsaber. We can’t rule out the idea of seeing live-action Inquisitors or perhaps Darth Vader, particularly given their appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Andor Series Cast
We have a few familiar faces filling some of the recurring roles. For the course of the series, Diego Luna has returned to the title role of Cassian Andor. Additionally, Forest Whitaker reprised his live-action role of the cultish Saw Gerrera, whose death was hinted at in Rogue One and who previously made appearances in Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Genevieve O’Reilly reprised her part as Senator Mon Mothma, who initially supported the rebellion and then became the head of the New Republic, from Rogue One and Star Wars: Rebels.
Anton Valensi, who plays Ben, and former Irregulars actor Alex Ferms who plays Sergeant Kostek, are two namesake characters who are brand-new to the Star Wars universe. Ben will show up in three episodes, compared to Kostek’s twelve-episode appearance. Stellan Skarsgard, a renowned actor, will take on the role of Luthen.
Andor Episode Schedule
Andor was released on Disney Plus on 21 September 2022, Wednesday, at 8 am BST. The first three episodes landed on the platform at the same time, and other remaining 9 episodes will be released weekly every Wednesday.
Here is the Andor Episode Schedule:
- Andor Episode 1: 21 September 2022 Episode Title – “Kassa”
- Andor Episode 2: 21 September 2022 Episode Title – “That Would Be Me”
- Andor Episode 3: 21 September 2022 Episode Title – “Reckoning”
- Andor Episode 4: 28 September 2022 Episode Title – “Aldhani
- Andor Episode 5: 5 October 2022
- Andor Episode 6: 12 October 2022
- Andor Episode 7: 19 October 2022
- Andor Episode 8: 26 October 2022
- Andor Episode 9: 2 November 2022
- Andor Episode 10: 9 November 2022
- Andor Episode 11: 16 November 2022
- Andor Episode 12: 23 November 2022
Andor Episode Recap
Now we are heading into the Andor Spoilers territory, so if you haven’t watched the first three episodes of Andor, you know what to do. Rogue One, A Star Wars Story was set up in the first three episodes of this new Star Wars series. Oh, you weren’t aware of that? So you do now. Anyhow, we’ll go over the overall premise of Andor, a few of the new characters involved, a recap of the first three episodes, some possible theories about what might happen to Mr. Andor in the future, as well as our general impressions of these first three episodes. Are lightsabers going to be used? Would you like lightsabers?
General Set Up To Andor
As I already noted, one of the primary characters in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is Cassian Andor, who is seen working for the resistance and being accused of stealing the DeathStar blueprints with his crew. They succeed in their mission, passing along the insurgents’ plans before going away.
The Andor series, which begins in the year BBY 5, brings us back to the beginning of the Cassian Andor character that we saw in Rogue One because their fate does not necessarily call for a sequel. Therefore, the big battle at the conclusion of A New Hope, the film that comes after Rogue One, takes place five years prior to the battle of Yavin. Hey, just checking to make sure we’re all on the same page. The galaxy is currently under imperial rule, but we can see that the Empire has practically given companies part of its legal authority.
The Pre-Mor corporate control agents in the show patrol the planets in the Morlani system. They basically act as corporate rent-a-cops who go through the motions and try to put things behind them if they’ll be too much trouble or paperwork, so the series is definitely taking the corrupted power aspect in an interesting direction.
In any case, the Cassian we see in Rogue One is much older, less experienced, technically skilled, but a little sloppy. He fits the description of a con man—he works numerous jobs, owes money to many people, and frequents seedy, seedy places. He has a mindset of sticking it to the Empire and robbing them like the rich, fat pigs they are because they are too conceited to even consider being crossed. There is definitely a foundation for what he eventually becomes in Rogue One.
Andor Character’s Storyline
Aside from Cassian, these first three episodes also introduce us to a few other people who could play a role in the next episodes of the show by either helping Cassian, pursuing him, or doing both at once.
So far, Syril Karn, a brand-new character, has had the most impact. Karn seems to be the corporate authority’s assistant inspector in the boy scout tradition. He is organized, follows procedures to the point, and appears to have changed his outfit himself. He wants to advance in the organization, yet there is an aura of innocence about him. When speaking with Sargeant Linus, he appears to support using a more active strategy to police the planets in the sector—exactly like the Empire, as we know it to be—but he is utterly cowardly when confronted with real fieldwork and the casualties that go along with it.
Bix Caleen, who appears to be an old friend of Cassian and may have been a love interest in the past, has a dubious presence. She has contacts who smuggle products in and out of the salvage yard where she works and occasionally takes credits off the top.
Cassian’s adoptive mother is Maarva Andor. Despite her problematic past of smuggling and stealing, she seems to be a compassionate mother. She is first seen in her youth looting a downed Galactic Republic cargo on the planet Kenari, where she first finds a young Cassian, or at the time, Kassa. B2EMO, usually known as B2 for short, is a ground mech used as a salvage helper. Despite being a droid, it cares for the Andor people and has a unique personality.
Last but not least is Luthen Rael, who ends up being the prospective buyer Cassian is attempting to sell the untraceable NS9 Starpath unit to. There is some mystery surrounding Luthen; can he be trusted? Is he an imperial agent? Although we are still unsure, it is clear that he has substantial financial resources because he has offered to buy Cassian’s starpath unit, but he also seems to recognize something deeper in the man. Offering Cassian a solution to his problem, but first, he has a request of him.
Ending Explained
These first three episodes, which describe how a young Cassian got to be where he is today and the trip that I assume sets him on a course to become what we see in Rogue One, actually play together like one big origin narrative movie. And both of these stories are told in the end. As Cassian meets with Luthen to discuss selling the Starpath unit, corporate authority agents are hard on his track. Luthen learns that Andor may be used for much more during this conversation and offers to take him from the planet in exchange for assistance.
Although Luthan is vague on the subject, the fact that Rogue One takes place five years later suggests that he is actually enlisting Cassian in the early stages of what we will soon know as the rebels. There are areas fermenting, even going back to what Sargenant Linus said. Meaning that opposition from tiny groups of people is being made. The town’s residents repeatedly pound on the metal to frighten off the corpos, while Cassian’s friend ties salvage directly to one of their Tac-Pods, bringing it crashing to the ground. This is seen on several times in episode 3.
We see the beginnings of a rebellion, and Luthen has undoubtedly recruited Cassian to help, but I have no idea if this is a Rogue One-style operation or not. They appeared to be moving toward the outer rim, where they may find safety.
Regarding Luthen himself, I would argue that he is a wealthy supporter or future politician in the same vein as Bale Organa, who also wanted to put an end to the imperial reign. Currently, I’d say it’s a long shot, but there is a niggling suspicion that he might be an imperial spy, and there may be a Mission Impossible face reveal gotcha moment.
As this season progresses, Karn’s experience with the destruction will likely push him even further toward becoming aggressive. As this story progresses, Cassian will undoubtedly struggle with him because of his character journey, which will see him move from an officer of the law to an imperial officer who is blinded and power-hungry.
The Flashback Timeline And Solid Theory
Regarding the flashback timeline, Maarva is seen saving a young Cassian from incoming Republic ships. This clarifies how he arrived to Ferrix, the reason the name was changed, the significance of Cassian’s natal planet, Kenari, and the motivation behind his sister hunt. She remained in the camp that day while Cassian went hunting, so they were separated. She might have been killed when Republic forces arrived at the crash scene, or she might believe Cassian died that day, for all we know.
But what a cruel twist of fate if, by the conclusion of this season, Cassian has already committed to becoming the rebel we saw in Rogue One, only to discover—after pulling off this Luthen heist—that his sister is still alive and working as a respected imperial officer. That would be a shocking cliffhanger for season 1.
Andor Series Review
I truly enjoy this Andor series overall. It actually has the atmosphere of a suspenseful, realistic, dirty criminal thriller. There are several characters in it, all of whom I think help forward the story while also getting their own backstories. Additionally, it adds more to the Star Wars universe than simply stating, “Hey, remember that thing or character.” Given that the musical soundtrack establishes the mood for the entire show, this seems fresh and genuinely brings Star Wars back to how I remember it being as a child.
Though the Mandalorian has certainly had its share of memorable moments, Andor is the first show to make me feel this way since perhaps Rogue One. And it’s even more realistic because real sets were used here rather than the enormous volume screens that were used for The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. True, I suppose. I’m interested to see where these 12 episodes go because it just seems like the character and everything else is genuinely there. Of course, I’d love to know what you think of the first three episodes of Andor and whether or not this is a worthwhile return to the Star Wars universe.
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