Aahana Swrup
Disney+’s ‘Andor’ is an intense political thriller show that takes viewers to a galaxy far, far away, as it’s being crushed under the weight of imperialist rule. Yet, under the Empire’s thumb, hope survives in the cracks and crannies. Rebel hero in the making, Cassian Andor, remains at the center of the narrative as the invisible cog turning various pieces that eventually give way to the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Across the first two seasons, the show follows the pilot’s journey into joining Luthen Rael’s covert faction, running missions to strengthen their forces.
Meanwhile, Syril Karn and Dedra Meero, the administrative tools that keep the Empire going, launch their own investigation, perpetually on Cassian’s tail. Ultimately, season 2 comes to an end with Alliance more united than ever and on the edge of discovering information that could go on to save the galaxy. With the news that the show has come to an end with the second season finale, this remains the last notch in the beloved pilot’s adventures, at least for now.
Tony Gilroy Initially Imagined Andor With a Five-Season Run
When Tony Gilroy took on the project of creating ‘Andor,’ a prequel series to the 2016 film ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,’ he initially pitched it as a five-season-long affair. The idea was for each season to follow the pilot through one entire year until the storyline would catch up to the events of his mission to steal the Death Star plans. Therefore, in season 1, we accompany Cassian on a year-long adventure that begins with his search for his sister and concludes with his joining Luthen Rael’s cause for good. During this singular year, several other narrative progresses. Dedra establishes her authority in the ranks of the Empire while Mon Mothma continues to manipulate the strings from behind the scenes. However, season 2 takes somewhat of an abrupt departure from this expected format.
Instead of a single year, season 2 spans four years, with each triplet of episodes covering one compact year-long storyline. Thus, by the end, the story arrives at the opportune moment when Cassian and his trusty droid, K-2SO, fly out to Kafrene to meet with an informant. This instance directly feeds into the beginning of the pilot’s storyline in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Consequently, despite its original plans, the show achieved what it set out to do, covering the five years of Cassian’s life pre-Scarif. In its sophomore and final season, the show manages to tie up its most pressing narratives, reinforcing its themes of political dissent and hope in the face of impossible adversity. From here, the story of the Rebel Alliance can only lead into the Original Trilogy and the legendary Battle of Yavin.
Andor Concluded With Season 2 Due to Daunting Scale and Production Demands
Even though it was creator Tony Gilroy who pitched the five-season idea, the decision to conclude the show within two seasons was also the showrunner’s personal choice. Once the project went into production, it became evident that the series demanded a bigger scale than anyone had initially imagined. This meant, on average, a single season took two and a half years to produce. Consequently, if Gilroy had stuck with his original plan, it would have taken him and his team well over a decade to finish the story as they had originally imagined it.
Naturally, the incredibly taxing time frame presented a notable problem. Additionally, reports suggest there might have also been concerns surrounding the financial aspects of the show. Reportedly, the cost of production alone for ‘Andor’ reached around $645 million. Thus, the idea of future seasons for the series remained unnerving all around. Fortunately, Gilroy was able to come up with the ideal solution. Instead of trying to strongarm his way through a seemingly impossible project, he decided to arrange season 2 in a way that would span every important narrative beat in the matter of three episodes.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, lead actor Diego Luna spoke about his perspective on the decision to wrap up the show earlier. He said, “It’s the best that could happen, saying let’s have two seasons, let’s finish in a moment where we’re all loving what we are doing, when we’re in love with not just the material but the process. It hurts to say goodbye, but it’s better to say goodbye at this moment than when you can’t keep going.”
Read More: Shows Like Andor You Must See
You must be logged in to post a comment.