Andor review: it reminds us of what makes Star Wars "Star Wars"

After a long two-and-a-half year-long wait, Andor is back with its second and final season - and what a way to return.

Please beware of spoilers for Andor season 2, episodes 1 through 3 below. Continue reading at your own risk.

Andor season 2 three-episode premiere review

Andor is my personal favorite live-action Star Wars show (I absolutely adore Clone Wars), and these three episodes that open up the second season for us are proof that the franchise hasn't forgotten what makes Star Wars what it is today. Intense moments flawlessly combined with lighter ones, heavy and very unfortunately ill-timed relatable themes are explored, and we see the spiral begin to form for Mon Mothma, Cassian Andor, and Bix in three impactful episodes.

Sure, Star Wars may be about the lightsabers for most of the fandom, but these unforgettable moments with lesser known characters, these mind games and wartime terrors are also a major part of it. They go hand-in-hand with the flashy saber battles we're all obsessed with and appeal to our ethos and psyche to a deeper degree than the fun fighting we mainly see. Deeper themes of uniting against a major enemy, fear-mongering, and oppression are touched upon in Andor, and it's one of the only times the Empire is actually done right. The Empire is terrifying in this show, and not because of cool makeup or prosthetics - they want to genocide an entire planet so they can take natural resources to coat a canon, for fuck's sake. I mean, first of all, I'm sure the writers didn't imagine things would be going the way they are now in this country, and secondly, that's just pure evil.

So evil that even the Imperial officers invited to take part in this need an entire presentation to try and convince them to play along. Come on, now. Mina-Rau being on lock-down and illegals being plucked from the planet? With communications and travel blocked to and from Mina-Rau? What does this all remind you of? It's just plain evil.

Though, something that had me cheering was Bix kicking the Imperial officer's sorry ass in the third episode, "Harvest", after he makes an attempt to subdue and rape her, after she continuously turned him down.

"I said, NO." - Bix, Andor, "Harvest"

After she beautifully whoops his ass and kills him, another Imperial goon tries to coax her out, only for her to scream back at him,

"He tried to rape me!" - Bix, Andor, "Harvest"

Yes, show him what he gets! That was such a badass moment, turning an incredibly vulnerable and traumatizing event into pure feminine rage fuel. it reminded me a lot of that episode of the first season of The Last of Us where a creepy dude tries to rape Ellie, only for her to kick his ass and kill him as well. The way the Imperial officer screamed as Bix whacked away at him with that tool was so satisfying.

I am absolutely invested in the show and I cannot wait to see what's in store for us in this second and final season. So, instead of trying to form articles over my notes, enjoy my minimally edited notes on each episode of this three-episode premiere. I had to take some stuff out, sorry - you don't need all the unhinged thoughts.

If I didn't make it clear before, there be spoilers below.

Andor season 2, episode 1 - "One Year Later"

• Incredibly fun first sequence that started with a strong and powerful dialogue and ended in my side hurting from giggling at Cassian failing at flying the Interceptor.

• Krennic is too real at the moment. "No notes, no records"

• Suppression of Ghorman is basically preparing for genocide so they can take over the planet and steal the resources. People are clearly uncomfortable listening to horrible actions being justified, being talked into brushing things aside as little things that need to be done for the Empire to succeed and grow more powerful. OUCH. It's too relatable.

• "Why not a plague? Or a natural disaster?" The way they consider ways to tiptoe around this "inevitable" genocide so the Empire can line their canons with stuff.

• Alan Tudyk is adorable in this.

• Imperial Supply Census in Mina-Rau. Our friends were worried about checking visas.

• Disney put the most fun thing ever right next to really relatable and painful moments and I can't. "You need Ghorman rebels doing the wrong thing."

• Mothma's husband is a weirdo.

• Mothma's guy friend talks about business going sour, being recently separated from his wife due to gossip apparently.

• Mothma's daughter was crying about her fiancee not wanting to hold her hand and pushing her away every time she tried to. Sad :(

• The M Brigade people started shooting each other.

Andor season 2, episode 2 - "Sagrona Teema"

• MY GOD THE INTRO SONG. Something DARK is gonna happen.

• I am willing to bed Dedra will flip to the Rebellion at the end of this. She is not ok with Ghorman plan. But the Game of Thrones dude-guy (Anton Lesser's Major Partagaz) is telling her to go for it.

• Mina-Rau has been shut down for Imperial inspection. Bix gets hit on by an Imperial officer who basically threatens her if she doesn't go on a date with him. She's pretty sure they're going to come check for visas. She and her friend don't have one and they're fugitives from the previous year.

• Mothma's husband was watching Luthen talking to the lady from the shop. Mothma's friend Tay was super drunk the night before, her husband is jealous and asked if he was her lover.

• Dedra and Syril are together!

• OH SHIT. The deals that went sour for Tay were because of the supplies and funding Mon has been giving to the Rebellion. I guess their friendship is over and things are awkward. And Luthen kinda watched it from afar.

• Sagrona Teema, everyone.

• Perrin is a little extra. A few people aren't very keen on his speech. But he wishes for his daughter to feel joy and not be sad all the time. Sagrona teema solom!

• Sagrona!

• This turf war is a bit ridiculous. These people suck. Poor Cassian. One of the dudes reminds me of Starlord and it makes me want to cry. They attempt a peaceful stand-down, putting everything down and they do. Weird-ass rock paper scissors game? I can't take these people seriously. Aaaaaand gigantic monster appears and starts to attack and eat them all while Cassian runs away. These people are so dumb.

Andor season 2, episode 3 - "Harvest"

• Calmer intro music, inspiring. prepare for epicness kind of intro music. Shit is definitely hitting the fan on this one.

• The troubles with this new TIE-Interceptor are hilarious and real.

• Kellen is super sweet and is trying to smuggle Bix and her friend out of Mina-Rau. "Why can't they just leave us in peace?" RIGHT?! He's sus.

• Heart-to-heart attempt between Mon Mothma and her daughter. Mon's telling her daughter she doesn't need to do this right now, but it's in vain. Her daughter is a BITCH.

• Ok, I ADORE Dedra and Syril together. They're perfect for each other. And his mother is meeting her for the first time. "I did not come all this way to see Syril disappear again". Mother dearest is a little creepy.

• Cassian makes contact from the Interceptor. Decides he's going to visit his home instead of waiting to an answer as to why there's a blockade on the planet.

• Syril's mother is insane. Such an awkward visit. She has issues. I LOVE DEDRA. Poor Syril.

• Chandi Merle - ancient temple figure

• Tay is sus. I don't know if he wants Mon or if he's betraying her hardcore.

• I want a DJ droid. It'd make my life so much more fun.

• Mon keeps drinking. Everything is falling apart for her

• OOOOOOOOOOOOH I wanna punch that Imperial dude in the face for harassing Bix.

• "He tried to rape me." FUCK YES, BIX

• Ok, Bix's reaction to Brasso dying make me cry.

• I WANT THIS KIND OF WEDDING DANCE PARTY. Minus the impending doom, of course.

• This song is freaking awesome.

• Poor Cassian, He's pissed. Mon is drunk and dancing like crazy. What could go wrong from here?

Tune in next week for more Andor shenanigans - new episodes streaming Tuesdays at 9pm ET on Disney+.