Warning! This article contains spoilers for Andor season 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3.
Andorseason 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3 end with a harsh reality aboutStar Wars' Rebel Alliance. Beginning around a year after the uprising on Ferrix,Andorseason 2’s storybegins with the titular character stealing a prototype TIE Avenger and attempting to get it back to Luthen. However, his plans go awry when he learns of threats to other members ofAndor’s cast of characters, like Bix, leading Cassian to rush to the planet of Mina-Rau to stop the Empire’s dark plans.
The final episode ofAndorseason 2’s first arc features this, with Mina-Rau featuring a small uprising of its own that continues to flesh out the earliest days ofStar Wars’Rebel Alliance. In the final moments of episode 3, the Imperials grow close to finding Bix, Brasso, and Wilmon, with the former facing a dark moment of her own as Cassian races towards them. In a mature ending that solidifies the project as thebestStar WarsTV showbeyond all doubt,Andorseason 2 furthers the development of its characters, the brewing civil war, and outlines some dark truths about rebellion.
Cassian Andor Gets Bix Offworld… But Brasso Doesn’t Make It Out Alive
The Price Of Freedom Is High
The aforementioned dark secret about the Rebel Alliance thatAndorseason 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3 reveal is that, sometimes, rebels can be discarded for the wider cause. Since Cassian’s first appearance inRogue One- which takes place years afterAndorseason 2 - this was made clear when he shot Tivik, a rebel informant. InAndorseason 2, this is made clear by the death of Brasso. Brasso is, sadly, shot by stormtroopers after the Empire discovers his illegal presence on the planet of Mina-Rau, with Cassian unable to save him in time.
Cassian still manages to get Bix and Wilmon away from Mina-Rau, but Brasso is a tragic casualty ofAndorseason 2’s first act. The sad reality is that this was simply another moment in the war for the likes of Bix, Wilmon, and Cassian.The trio, Cassian especially, had only fleeting moments to grieve and mourn Brassobefore being forced to move on.
Human emotions like grief and sorrow can be felt momentarily, but they need to be pushed aside for the greater good…
This highlights the true cost of rebellion in a wayStar Warsnever has: friendships and relationships will be lost, and those fighting for a better future - asLuthen’s speech inAndorseason 1, episode 10points out - will have to sacrifice a lot to get there. Human emotions like grief and sorrow can be felt momentarily, but they need to be pushed aside for the greater good. Brasso’s death at the end ofAndorseason 2’s first act proves this, revealing a mature, dark secret about the Rebel Alliance.
The Rebels Aren’t The Only Ones Who Pay The Price Of Rebellion
The Whole Galaxy Does
But another sad reality about the Rebel Alliance’s efforts is raised byAndorseason 2, episodes 1, 2, and 3; it is not only the frontline fighters who suffer the cost of rebellion. While the price of freedom will eventually lead to victory and the formation ofStar Wars’New Republic, a lot of pain, turmoil, and personal cost is experienced before that point, asAndortypifies. InAndorseason 2’s first act, it is not only Brasso or his friends that pay a heavy price, but the innocent people of Mina-Rau too.
Although it is evident that the people of Mina-Rau helped Bix, Brasso, and Wilmon in the year betweenAndorseasons 1 and 2, they will still likely suffer after episode 3. After all, several Imperials lay dead in the middle of a census check, which will surely lead to ramifications for the farmers. Moreover, Cassian destroyed one of the grain silos, which could impact their livelihood. While it is no secret that the Mina-Rau citizens will likely put up with this to be rid of the Empire, it is still a mature exploration of the costs of war and the price of freedom.
Mon Mothma Sacrifices Her Friends & Family For Rebellion
The Events On Chandrilla Are About Sacrifice Too
Aside from the events surrounding Cassian, Bix, Brasso, and Wilmon,Andorseason 2’s first arc catches audiences up with Luthen and Mon Mothma. The duo spend time on Mon’s homeworld of Chandrilla, one of the Core Planets ofStar Wars’galaxy map. The planet is hosting a wedding for Mon’s daughter, something she was agreed to reluctantly in order to receive funding for the Rebellion from a shady businessman named Davo Sculdun. Despite a very different tone to Cassian’s story, the wedding emphasizes Mon having to sacrifice people she loves for freedom.
Not only did Mon Mothma not want to allow her daughter to have an arranged Chandrillan marriage with ties to a dangerous man like Davo, but she also had to deal with her friend, Tay Volko. Tay was another man who aided her in gaining funds for the Rebellion’s activities, Mon troubles with his personal life led him to try and extort Mon for more money. At Luthen’s behest, Tay is killed by Cinta, a returning character fromAndorseason 1, highlighting more of these dark secrets about rebellion and resistance.
The cause is more important than any one relationship…
Mon is facing the reality of losing her very humanity to fight against the Empire.Her daughter is being forced into a life she did not choose, and her childhood friend, Tay, is killed. Mon is shown getting drunk and dancing wildly to escape this as she cannot handle the feeling of inhumanity, butAndorhighlights that this was all necessary to eventually overcome the Empire. Even Cinta is shown being on the same planet as her lover without even knowing it, showcasing how the cause is more important than any one relationship.
Rebellion May Cost, But It’s Better Than The Alternative
The Empire Will Always Be Worse
Regardless of all of this darkness that surrounds the rebellion, one thing that makesAndorseason 2’s first act so impactful is that it provesthe alternative is far worse. The cost of freedom and the sacrifices people must make to beat the Empire are terrible, butAndornever loses sight of the fact that the tyrannical, fascistic rule of Palpatine’s government must be destroyed. This is highlighted in a storyline that has never occurred inStar Warsbefore, which proves just how evil the Empire is.
The following paragraph contains a mention of sexual assault.
Before Bix escapes Mina-Rau, an Imperial guard attempts to rape her. This is seeded early, with the guard trying to flaunt his power over someone he deems beneath him, but the story builds to a head. Bix fights him off, hitting him multiple times with a hammer, and Cassian subsequently arrives to fly her and Wilmon away. Seeing such a blatant depiction of abuse against women by men in power felt exceptionally mature for a franchise likeStar Wars, not only provingAndor’s credentials as a story but also proving the Empire will always make life awful for regular people.
In the case of Mon Mothma, Andor, Brasso, and, of course, Bix, they have no choice: they need to fight the Empire or be abused, in many more ways than one. People like Brasso or Mon’s family may be sacrificed along the way, but when the Empire is doing what they did to Bix to countless billions across the galaxy, the fight has to happen. This makes the ending ofAndorseason 2’s first act all the more impactful, reinforcing the need for rebellion in a wayStar Warsnever has, via dark truths and even darker alternatives.
Andorseason 2, episodes 1-3
Andorseason 2, episodes 4-6
Andorseason 2, episodes 7-9
Andorseason 2, episodes 10-12
