Warning! This review contains spoilers for Andor season 2, episodes 1-3.

Star Wars’ best TV show returns with the first three episodes of Andor season 2’s story does the same.

The first three episodes of Andor season 2 pick up a year after the events of the uprising on Ferrix. Cassian is deep undercover on another mission for Luthen while Mon Mothma and other of Rogue One character Director Krennic, attempting to take control of the planet of Ghorman. As far as introductory arcs go, Andor season 2’s first three episodes provide everything audiences could want from the show, with slick action set pieces, beautiful cinematography, excellent acting, and top-notch writing.

Andor Season 2 Catches Us Up With Its Characters & Teases Exciting Continuations

The Characters Of Andor Continue To Be A Selling Point

For the most part, Andor season 2’s first three episodes rely mostly on its characters to sell a smaller-scale story. As the introductory arc of a season, I can forgive the episodes for not telling a massive tale of galaxy-altering rebellion. Instead, it focuses primarily on Cassian returning to Luthen after a mission gone wrong, Mon Mothma’s navigation of her daughter’s wedding and threats from an ally, and the new life of Bix, Wilmon, and Brasso after Andor season 1’s finale.

The story does a good job of establishing Cassian’s leadership...

Cassian’s story was somewhat annoying to me. Sadly, the new band of rebels he encountered made me roll my eyes whenever they were onscreen. However, the story does a good job of establishing Cassian’s leadership in contrast, as well as solidifying why an organized Star Wars is so important. Mon’s storyline is more interesting, thanks to the nuanced exploration of how she feels after pushing this wedding upon her daughter, the beautiful views of Chandrilla, and the threatening presence of once-ally Tay Volko who demands compensation for his rebellious efforts.

The catch-up with these characters is certainly interesting and sets up bigger storylines for the remaining three arcs. The storyline on Mina-Rau involving Bix, Brasso, and Wilmon is perhaps the most exciting. The cat-and-mouse game they play with the Imperials is tense, leading to genuinely disturbing scenes in which the Imperials try to flaunt their power, specifically over Bix. The storyline adds a new layer of evil to the Empire, which has never been showcased in Star Wars before, setting up Bix’s future glimpsed in Andor season 2’s trailers.

The performances across the board are excellent in these moments, especially from Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. Diego Luna does not get as much to do as I would have liked, but he is just as suave and endearing as Cassian. Adria Arjona brings a lot to the role of Bix, who, after the trauma she endured in season 1 that continues in season 2, is by far my standout character of Andor season 2’s first three episodes.

Andor Season 2 Looks & Sounds Beautiful

The Production Budget Is Clear To See

If reports are to be believed, Andor season 2 cost Disney almost $300 million to produce. Although this is a staggering budget, it is clear that not a dollar has been wasted. Cassian’s mission in the first episode is beautifully shot and features a big CGI set-piece. The scenes of the prototype TIE Avenger crashing around an Imperial hangar, smashing through a gate, and flying through a treacherous canyon all look phenomenal and inject some classic Star Wars action into an otherwise very different show set in a galaxy far, far away.

Then there is the sheer beauty on display via the show's locations. Every shot is dripping with beautiful scenery regardless of the planet, though Chandrilla is a particular standout. All of this allows Andor to further stand apart from Disney’s other Star Wars TV shows, with a lot of on-location shooting proving to be the right move to showcase true scenery over the projected vistas of the volume. Finally, Nicholas Britell and Brandon Roberts do not miss a beat with Andor’s excellent musical score.

Andor Season 2’s Maturity Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

Much Like It Was In Season 1

Perhaps what made the first season of Andor so impressive for me was how it took the Star Wars galaxy and created a compelling, mature story that tackled themes the franchise usually does not. While I have liked most of Disney’s Star Wars productions, I cannot deny that they often do not stick with me as expert TV productions that stand among the greats of Breaking Bad or early Game of Thrones. Andor season 1 did, and season 2 continues to emulate this with its mature storytelling.

The way Andor explores the concepts of fascism and rebellion is so nuanced compared with the good-guy-bad-guy dynamic of most Star Wars movies. Finding myself rooting for Dedra and Syril, two Imperial agents, to impress their higher-ups and have a successful meeting with the latter’s mother was surprising (yet expected) thanks to every character being someone we can invest in. This all comes after a scene where Dedra outlines her plan to subjugate an entire planet that could wipe out hundreds of thousands of people, proving just how comfortable Andor is in making audiences uncomfortable with the gray areas of morality.

This maturity sets Andor so far apart from other Star Wars shows, and I cannot sing its praises enough for it…

That being said, the show never once loses sight of who is right and wrong, much like Breaking Bad never did. Walter White was never someone whose actions were morally right, but the writing made us root for him nonetheless. Andor is similar in its handling of characters like Dedra, but the Imperials remain purely evil.

The following paragraph contains mention of sexual assault.

This was highlighted via Bix’s storyline, which included the first mention of the word “rape” in Star Wars’ history. This alone proves how mature Andor is in its exploration of what people in power can do to the oppressed. Not only did this development make Bix an incredibly sympathetic character who I want to have a happy ending, but it instantly made me question why I even considered rooting for Imperials like Dedra and Syril when they are capable of such horrors. This maturity sets Andor so far apart from other Star Wars shows, and I cannot sing its praises enough for it.

Andor Season 2’s Opening Is Not Perfect, But It Sets Up An Excellent Season

Some Storylines Do Not Quite Land

All that said, season 2’s opening episodes are not a complete home run. They are a great introduction and set up a lot more to come from its main characters, but episode 2 specifically drags its feet a bit. I found Cassian’s storyline with the rebels — on what looks to be Yavin IV before the Rebellion settles there — to be tiresome, tedious, and outright annoying. This may have been the point, given Cassian’s annoyance too, so it can be argued whether this plot point worked or not.

Beyond that, though, Andor season 2’s first episodes had little for me to outright dislike. With this arc being more introductory and slightly slower as a result, I cannot help but be excited for the nine episodes and what excitement they could hold. Overall, Andor season 2 gets off to a great start, continuing everything I love about the show and setting up a season that promises to be just as good, if not better, than its already-magnificent predecessor.

Andor season 2 episodes air every Tuesdays at 9pm ET on Disney+.