Andor Season 2 Part 3 Review – Essential TV

Here’s my Andor Season 2 Part 3 review and what a piece of drama, I’ll start by saying this is one of the best bits of TV I’ve seen this year. So far, Andor S2 is above Severance S2, Wheel of Time S3 and Daredevil: Born Again as the best TV show I’ve reviewed this year. First off… this is a SPOILER FREE review, so not plot specifics, deaths or major events discussed, beyond vaguely.

As per usual with Season 2, we have a 1 year skip between the events of Part 2 and Part 3. Sometimes, initially it can feel jarring to pick a story back up a year later. For example this story begins with Cass and Bix living on the Rebel base of Yavin IV, which was just an empty jungle back in Part 1. The Rebel Alliance has grown and is being structured into a proper military force now. Yet that initial jarring feel quickly evaporates due to clever writing. Therefore, we as the audience begin to feel how events have unfolded for our characters and how the situation has changed in the past year.

A New Rebellion

The evolution of this Rebellion is a major factor in this story. The Rebellion is changing from being a clandestine spy/revolutionary organisation into a structured military force. This evolution presents a foundational background for how our characters arcs are progressing. There’s a feeling that Cass himself is happier following a rigid military chain of command than working for Luthen. Yet, at the same time, we see Cass struggle to conform to the Rebellion’s new structure and head off on a mission without approval of the Yavin commanders.  

As for Mon’s story, well I think we all knew where it was going based on canon events covered in Rebels. Rebels saw Mon escape from Coruscant after delivering a speech in the Senate. We get to see these events play out from Mon’s point of view and…wow. This is an amazing piece of drama and whilst built up across Episodes 7 and 8, really becomes the focus in Episode 9.

This change in how the Rebellion operates is therefore fundamental to how Mon makes decisions for herself and the Rebellion’s future. Imagine the pressure and danger involved should Mon speak out about Emperor Palpatine. Yet, this HAS to be done, and from Luthen’s point of view, Mon must also be saved from any ramifications of her actions. The actual speech itself was not exact to what we saw in Rebels. However, that’s because Andor is written by superior writers. So whilst Mon’s speech loosely follows the same beats as the one we saw in Rebels, it’s simply just far superior in every way.

Ghorman

As for what else is going down this week, well we still have the Ghorman situation to resolve. Again, I think we all knew where this was going, but Episode 8 executes this event with such skill that it’s impact will stay with you. We are in a generation where some Star Wars fans actually like/identify with the Empire. Thinking they’re badass and cool, rather than scary and real. Andor shows us the other side of this organisation. The cruelty and disregard for life, the manipulation and control of the media coverage all show the Empire in a much more menacing light.

Without spoiling all I can say is, bravo. One of the most harrowing and yet brilliant episodes of TV I’ve seen in a long time, then add in how good the Mon focused episode was following and you’ve really got a stew going. I absolutely love some of the character arcs this week, Bix, Mon, Syrill and Dedra, and even Luthen who you feel is getting to the point where his role is redundant.

RELATED: Andor Season 2 Part 2 Review: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Just some wonderful writing, acting and cinematography. I mean, the whole package is beautiful, the music is excellent and tonally matches the tension we see played out on screen. This is chef’s kiss level TV, never mind Star Wars. I said Andor Season 1 was the best Star Wars content since Return of the Jedi. I’ll revise that statement, for me, so far with one Part left to air, Andor is the best Star Wars content written since The Empire Strikes Back.

If you’d like to hear Kyle, Shockey and myself discuss Season 2 Part 3 with spoilers, we will be recording the next episode of The Cantina Reviews later today. However, without getting into spoilers I’ll just leave with this.

GRADE: A+

Best three episodes of TV I’ve seen this year, staggeringly good, and the best Star Wars content you’ll ever see if you like mature drama. If I could give it a higher grade than A+ I would. I gave that for Part 2 also, but for me, if that’s the case Part 3 is A++. This is award level TV and I cannot praise it enough.

What did you think of Andor Season 2 Part 3, and what do you think of my review? Thoughts below .

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