Episode Review: Andor 2x1 - "One Year Later"

Welcome back to the blog readers. As you may know already, Andor (2022-25) is being hailed as not just the best Star Wars show ever, but one of the best shows of the decaade right now. I was more lukewarm on the first season compared to everybody else, but the strong character work and Emmy-worthy episode "One Way Out" (2022) gave me a reason to be excited at this second season. Would this premiere episode, titled "One Year Later," written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Ariel Kleiman, be stronger than what we got last time around? Stick around to find out.

NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.

DISCLAIMER: The release schedule of this season sees each three-episode arc releasing all in one week, but I will not be reviewing all three episodes at one time or in one week. I will continue to watch the episodes once a week for my own sanity, so DO NOT spoil me when the season is inevitably over and I am only halfway through the season.

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Like I mentioned before, I do believe that the first season of Andor was not as amazing as everyone was hyping it up to be. Don't get me wrong, I liked what I saw. I would give it a 7/10 if I did ratings. And I always planned on watching this season to see how the story wraps up and we are led into Rogue One (2016). And maybe I needed to watch all three episodes together, but I thought this episode left a lot on the table. While seeing these characters back on screen doing productive things was nice, it just felt a bit empty to me.

Personally, there is not one performer who really stood out to me in this episode as being a standout. So in lieu of that, I will talk about how great it was to see Ben Mendelsohn back as Director Orson Krennic. He was a major player in Rogue One and I love him as Talos in the MCU. But seeing him get to play bad again was such a treat. The braggadocious asshole that is Krennic was one of my favorite parts of that film, and I really hope we get to see more of him, and maybe we can even some more "choking on his ambitions."

Now I want to mention the story of this episode, and I will be talking about each individual plot that happens. I am going to start with the mini-plot that involves Cassian Andor's close friend Bix Calleen. Not much happens for her in this episode, but she is still feeling the effects from being kidnapped and tortured by the ISB last season. This is exemplified by a nightmare that she has in which her parents have to wake her up. On their planet, she is trying to adapt to a new life until an Imperial craft shows up in orbit and her father reveals the Empire is here to conduct an audit of the planet.

Next up involves the plotline involving Mon Mothma and Luthen Rael on her homeworld and her estate, in which her now 14-year old daughter is set to marry the 15-year old son of Davo Sculdun. The ceremony is going off without a hitch until Luthen arrives and begins to mingle with the guests. Mon is clearly as uncomfortable with this wedding as she was in the first season, while Luthen is looking to get an update on Cassian Andor, who is on a mission. His aide tells him it is impossible to get in touch with him at this location as he worries, since Cassian was supposed to check in.

Next up is ISB agent Dedra, who has kind of been through the ringer over the course of last season. This season, she is seeing herself at an Imperial think tank (I guess that is the best way I can describe what is going on here) led by Director Orson Krennic. He makes them watch a 1950s-styled PSA video about silk made on the planet Ghorman. But his interest in the planet does not lie within the spider-made silk. Underneath the planet is a rare mineral that the Empire wants called kalkite. Krennic claims this material will help to reshape the Empire. After discussing the best way to do this, Krennic talks to Dedra trying to gauge her opinion; she tells him it is a lot to take in. Defection coming soon?

And now finally, the mission that Cassian is on? Steal a sate-of-the-art Imperial TIE fighter that is under construction and escape an Imperial testing facility with it in one piece. He befriends one of the maintenance workers who is selling the Empire out, and he gives her a head start. After not being able to figure out the ship, he triggers the alarm and has to fight his way out of the facility. After being chased by two starfighters, he is able to take them out and land on an unknown jungle planet. He is promptly kidnapped by bandits who believe he truly is an Imperial test pilot. He is looking for someone to drop the ship off to, but the bandits do not buy it. Eventually, after all of the fighting they do amongst each other, their fighting turns violent as they start shooting each other, leading Cassian to have to escape with some of the bandits.

Andor starts off with a bit of promise but is as of now devoid of any life or substance. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.