Andor Season 2 explores the extreme ends of the rebellious cause like never before

This message contains spoilers For “Andor”.

The last season of “Andor” has continued to grow, with its first six episodes already throwing a robust base for the inevitable. It is certainly not easy to maintain the tension when the end of an arc is a fatal conclusion, which is the case with Cassian (Diego Luna), who dies a martyr in “Rogue One”. Although Cassian’s fate is written in stone, we always carefully care about his evolving ethics in “Andor” and how he will arrive in his predetermined future. In addition, “Andor” has never moved from the visceral discomfort to be part of the rebellious cause, which comes with its own set of moral puzzles which require a constant and flawless sacrifice. Consequently, rebellion means something different for everyone, even if the final objective is to overthrow the Empire for good.

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Although Cassian and Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) are always aligned, their repeated clashes make these ideological differences very clear. In episodes 4-6, we see Luthen pushing the Cassian pimples after his return from Ghorman negotiations, visibly agitated by the impulsiveness of the local resistance group. While Cassian (correctly) measured that the Ghorman front is too eager / impatient for their own good, Luthen wants to use this despair as a brilliant tag for the rebellion. It is aware of the risks posed, as well as the deaths waiting to occur, but are ready to pay the price nevertheless. On the other hand, Cassian cannot make peace with this position, because he always wants to keep his humanity, at least towards those who are on the same side as him.

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Then there are those like Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) and my Mothma (Geneviève O’Reilly), who fight completely different battles for the same cause. We will see gathering doubles her extremist beliefs, while Mothma feels more and more helpless about her neutrality in front of the public as a member of the Senate. These extreme extremities expand the rebellious cause as a complex and evolutionary organism in “Andor”, which must transform itself until it is sufficiently strong (and unified) to devour a fascist superstate.

In episode 5, Luthen and Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) appear in an argument after having realized that one of their antiquities in Bugd will be part of a security scan by a paranoid Davo Sculdu (Richard Dillane). “I can no longer keep it a trace,” growls Luthen, referring to the endless flow of lies and false information he has fed on the imperials to hide the pregnant aspects of the rebellious cause. Although Kleya later manages to recover the bug at sight, it is the type of risk that Luthen does not want to take at such critical moment. Although we are not yet aware of Luthen’s past, we know that he has already burned his decency and has adopted the tactic of his enemy to level the rules of the game. Playing a game so rigged and dirty comes with consequences, and Luthen is well aware that he must act quickly before things reach a point of return.

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This, in part, explains why it is so impatient to make a bet on Ghorman, because it is a unique opportunity to rally more allies to the rebellious cause, regardless of how bloody the consequences are. When Cassian expresses concern about Ghorman in flames, Luthen simply reasons that he will “burn very strongly”, solidifying himself as a new border against the Empire. Although we have not yet attended the Ghorman massacre, we know that it is an inevitable tragedy that will eventually modify the rebellion trajectory for the years to come.

Speaking of Ghorman, the local resistance group is in a complicated place at the moment. On the one hand, they are impulsive for a reason, because it is really impossible to take measured measures when your world collapses. In addition, the Ghormans are already assuming the burden of a historic tragedy which took place 16 years ago and is rightly on board due to the increase in the Empire on the planet. But at the same time, they are reckless, putting their faith in Syril (Kyle Soller), which is an ISB pawn placed on Ghorman to ensure that resistance does the bad thing.

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This occurs in the most heartbreaking way when Samm (Abraham Wapler) accidentally pulls on Cinta (Varada Sethu), leaving vel (Faye Marsay) devastated. Although the faux pas de Samm are rooted in inexperience, it costs the life of a rebellious hero who had so much to offer the world outside of his bravery.

While rebels like Cassian and Luthen are always able to work together despite their differences, certain perspectives are too extreme to be part of an organized rebellion. An excellent example is Gerrera, who urges Wilmon (Muhannad Bhaier) to breathe in the rhydonium of starship fuel, as he compares to a frantic expression of freedom and resistance in a crazy world. While the story of “Star Wars” dictates, the visions of the increasingly extremist world of Gerrera will end up confronting the rebel alliance entirely formed soon, forcing the high command of the Alliance to officially censor it and to cut all links with supporters.

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“Andor” does not defend or demonize Gerrera’s state of mind, but simply puts it in context. He is a child of conflicts and exploitation, forever marked by the brutality of the enemy, who does not hesitate to adopt a vision of the world killed-on-killed. When someone is shaped by such sorrow and disorders, is it not understandable for them to always be on guard, worried forever treason? It is not surprising that Gerre will pay his bitterness / vitriol repressed in extremist methods to thwart the Empire, which also come up against the efforts of the rebel alliance to organize the cause under a single banner. “Are you not tired of fighting with people who agree with you?” Luthen asks Gerrera in season 1, but the latter quickly emphasizes that factionism is a natural by-product of the conflict, where the ends justify the means (even the most extreme means) when the objective is to fight against fascism.

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Then, we have those who facilitate these fights through funds, influence and institutional authority, like my Mothma, which is currently too attached by its position to retaliate. Although Mothma was not on the front line, she had to lead a suffocating double life to ensure that each rebellious effort – from Aldhani to Yavin IV, and beyond – is made possible. However, it is so far away by the ruthless ethical of all that a murder act carried out to protect the cause breaks something in it. Although Mothma has not yet made known her true allegiance to the public, her transition to a rebellious leader in his own right is only a matter of time.

Although our rebels in “Andor” do not agree with each other on key questions, they must regroup to fight the Empire as a united front, or as united as possible. After all, when a weapon of mass destruction like the death star is looming on the fate of the galaxy, these ideological extremes are only reduced to small differences.

New episodes of the first “Andor” on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. HNE on Disney +.