Did you stay up late like me to watch the final three episodes of "Andor" season 2? I get if you didn't — like my colleague Malcolm McMillan, I wasn't a fan of Andor's release schedule — but I did get to see all the pieces finally put in place for "Star Wars: Rogue One."
In some ways, the writers of "Andor" were sort of painted into a corner, as we already know what happens to some of the main characters. But "Andor's" ending is more "Breaking Bad" than it is "How I Met Your Mother."
Of course, "Andor," has to explain why we don't see some of the main characters in "Rogue One." Spoiler alert: it usually doesn't mean anything good.
Diego Luna's Cassian Andor isn't anywhere to be seen in Episode 10; rather, it's a look at Luthen Rael's (Stellan Skarsgard) backstory and how he became a revolutionary. It also reveals how he adopted a young Kleya and schooled her in the ways of rebellion.
This is the last real bit of character building in the series, as most of what happens from here on out is a lot of action — necessary perhaps, but it's not what made this series so great.
Episode 10 also starts the real endgame, as Luthen is able to finally piece together the Empire's seemingly disparate activities — strip-mining Ghorman and Kyber crystals from Jedha — and unmasking the "energy independence" plan as the cover story for the Death Star.
Luthen gets this intel from ISB spy Lonni Jung (Robert Emms), but instead of spiriting Jung (and his family) away to a safehouse, Luthen simply kills him. It's the sort of cold calculus he's employed throughout the series, and a lesson Cassian Andor will carry with him into "Rogue One."
After passing the info to Kleya, Luthen goes back to the antique shop to destroy all evidence of their activities. No sooner does he do that than he's paid a visit by Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), who's finally unmasked him as a rebel. Not one to go quietly, Luthen stabs himself with one of his antique knives. But he doesn't finish the job and is rushed off to the hospital — Dedra needs him alive to interrogate him, after all.
Kleya's even more pragmatic than Luthen, and knows that he has to be killed before the Imperials can nurse him back to health. In a sequence that's nearly as good as any "Bourne" movie, she sneaks into the hospital where he's being kept, blows up stuff to cause a distraction, shoots a bunch of Stormtroopers and breaks into Luthen's room, where she takes him off life support.
Kleya herself then needs rescuing from Coruscant, so Andor, along with K-2SO and pal Melshi, hop in their U-Wing to make the extraction. We get another pretty great action setpiece, which sees K-2SO come to the rescue for the first time, tossing aside Imperial soldiers with ease while dispensing quips highlighting its sardonic personality.
Back on Yavin, we also see the messiness of the rebellion. Even though we're less than a year out from the destruction of the Death Star, there's a lot of squabbling between Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Saw Gerrera and Andor. Organa and others aren't convinced of the intel about the Empire's super weapon, while Mothma yells at Gerrera that his overly aggressive actions are messing with the greater strategy.
It's the same argument that was leveled at Luthen earlier in the series; everyone has their own ideas of just how best to accomplish their goals.
As for the Imperials?
Dedra gets thrown in the brig and interrogated by Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn lays it on a bit thick, but whatevs), where it's revealed that not only did she rifle through some documents she wasn't supposed to have seen, but that those files were also seen by Lonni, who had stolen her security codes.
Dedra's also overstepped her bounds by raiding Luthen's shop, and, because it went so badly, she's also on the hook for that. She tries to redeem herself by giving some advice on how to capture Kleya, but it's too little, too late. She ends up in an Imperial prison, in the same garb we saw Cassian wearing in the first season, where he was making parts for the Death Star.
Her commanding officer, Major Partagaz (Anton Lesser) also sees the writing on the wall. In a conversation with one of his colleagues, he tacitly acknowledges the futility of trying to crush the rebellion. After two of his officers are killed — and Dedra in jail — he's ordered to explain himself to the Emperor. Instead, he turns his blaster on himself.
The final scenes of Andor seem to take place just days before "Rogue One." Cassian jets off again with K-2SO to look for a contact named Tivik, who will confirm Luthen's intel on the Death Star. Meanwhile, Krennic can be seen looking out on the nearly complete battle station.
The last image, though, is of Bix cradling a baby — likely Cassian's — among the fields of wheat and looking up at the sky.
It's a beautifully staged shot, and also an echo of the final scene of "Revenge of the Sith," where Aunt Beru holds baby Luke Skywalker and gazes at the twin suns of Tatooine. As both mothers smile, it conveys a message of hope. After all, that's what rebellions are built on.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
