Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episode 12.Approximately six years and six months after Andor was first announced, the series has officially reached its end. The final episode, penned by Tom Bissell and directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, perfectly encapsulates the past two seasons of meaning. Despite the series having a fixed destination — with Season 2 being a relentless push towards the tragedy of Rogue One — it doesn’t feel like an ending. While Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) may have a date with destiny on Scarif, Andor has filled Yavin with a handful of new characters whose end points aren’t set in stone. More importantly, the series finale introduces a brand-new character whose future is entirely unwritten.
Episode 12 opens on Coruscant, with Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) lamenting over what a “bitter ending” it is to have to go to Yavin, but Cassian assures her that nothing is ending. She’s keeping Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) alive. While Kleya is convinced that she will be treated like a prisoner on Yavin, Cassian affirms that she is a hero. Cassian believes she needs to see what she helped build, and Melshi (Duncan Pow) thinks she needs to be the one to tell the Rebel Alliance about what she learned. They prepare to say goodbye to the safehouse that has served them well over the years. Cassian destroys the radio, and Melshi ensures that Kleya is armed and ready to face whatever might be waiting for them outside.
Meanwhile, at the ISB, Major Partagaz (Anton Lesser) and the officers monitoring the comms discover tactical line failures across the TAC on the ground — and that’s because K-2 (Alan Tudyk) has killed everyone in his unrelenting warpath to save Cassian and Melshi. Within the apartment complex, Supervisor Heert (Jacob James Beswick) is rushing things and putting pressure on Sergeant Gharial (Andrew Brooke) to move things along. He’s eager to get in and seize his victory, after all. As they approach the safehouse, Melshi strolls out into the hallway, right into their line of sight. They order him to raise his hands, and instead of complying, he turns around and runs back inside, where Cassian and Kleya have taken cover.
Cassian warns Melshi not to shut the door, noting that if they do, they will find themselves trapped inside the safehouse. While Cassian isn’t wrong, the decision proves to be a tactical error for the three of them. The troopers throw a stun grenade into the unit, knocking Kleya out and leaving Cassian and Melshi dazed. Cassian covers Kleya’s unconscious body, and Melshi posts up by the doorway as they start to take out the troopers as best they can. Fortunately, the cavalry has arrived in the form of K-2SO. He snatches up Heert and uses him as a human shield, which Ghariel has no qualms about shooting in his own attempt to take down the droid.
By the time the ISB realizes they need to order another package of TAC teams to provide backup at the safehouse, it’s already too late. Melshi carries Kleya to the ship, flanked by Cassian and K-2, and they jet off back to Yavin, passing by the TAC teams unnoticed. K-2 tries to work a simple “thank you” out of Cassian, but Cassian isn’t entertained. At long last, we finally have our Cassian, the no-nonsense rebel with a very big cause.
Cassian Creates Another “Situation” for the Rebellion in the ‘Andor’ Series Finale
On Yavin, tensions are mounting between Saw Gerrera (Forrest Whitaker) and the Rebel Alliance. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), General Draven (Alistair Petrie), and Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt) convene with him via hologram to try to talk sense into his recent streak of questionable decisions. Mon criticizes the way he has been picking off Imperial transports on Jedha, which has created a dangerous situation for all of them, but Saw only wants to talk about the spies and infiltrators they keep sending to the Partisans. He’s paranoid — and precisely who he is in Rogue One. He cuts off the transmission before they can address the matter any further, which is convenient because there’s a larger situation developing.
Lieutenant Poyle (Terique Jarrett) comes to get Draven, because Admiral Raddus (James Henri-Thomas) wants to speak with him about the missing U-wing that is coming in hot and unauthorized. Bail seems well aware of Captain Andor’s past exploits, and this one in particular seems to have pushed the wrong buttons for him. Mon glibly remarks that their roles on Yavin make the Senate look easy, which seems quite accurate. As Raddus and Draven convene to discuss the impending arrival, Raddus notes that if General Merrick was on site, he would have had the ship shot down, which is precisely what K-2 is worried about as the base refuses to make contact with the U-wing, despite his repeated attempts to get a transmission through. They send up a pair of X-wings to escort them to the base, which prompts K-2 to joke about his plan to tell them he was kidnapped, but Cassian isn’t laughing.
They receive an armed welcome from Draven and about a dozen officers with their blasters trained on Cassian and the rest of the occupants of the U-wing. Cassian makes a desperate plea to get Kleya to the infirmary, which Draven follows through on, and then promptly orders Melshi to stay with the ship and for K-2 to power himself down until further notice. Cassian, on the other hand, gets marched straight to the Alliance High Command. While they don’t have a quorum to make any official decisions, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Admiral Raddus, Nower Jebel (Jonathan Aris), and Tynnra Pamlo (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) are there to hear Cassian’s tall tale.
Bail is the first to talk, commenting on the fact that Cassian has violated every rule they live by. Cassian doesn’t see it that way; he believes he is only guilty of trying to save an old friend. But Bail knows he went to help Luthen Rael, and he has opinions about the man. Cassian reveals that Luthen is dead, which draws a reaction from Mon, who remains largely silent throughout the meeting. He explains that it was Kleya they ended up rescuing, and she had vital information. Cassian also tells them everything he’s learned about the Empire’s plans, but all of them dismiss the information, characterizing it as Luthen’s paranoid fantasy and dismissing its credibility. Bail, in particular, seems stuck on the fact that it’s all wrapped up in the energy program, which the Senate has been funding for years, though Mon notes they were funding it without transparent reports. Cassian grows frustrated with their apathy and reminds them that Luthen died for the information, which doesn’t earn him any respect. Bail points out that Cassian — and Mon — share a long history with Luthen, which makes them incapable of objectivity.
Pamlo calls Luthen a “thorn” in the Rebellion’s side, and that makes Cassian snap. He reminds them that, except for Mon, none of them understand how much they personally owe Luthen. He had a front row seat to all of Luthen’s greatest and worst traits, and he ultimately made the decision to join the Rebellion two years ago. Cassian balks at the fact that they are dismissing Luthen’s efforts when none of them have given even a fraction of what Luthen sacrificed in the name of the greater good. Bail continues his attempt to diminish Luthen’s intel, questioning Cassian about when it was that he last spoke to Luthen. (It was a year ago, when he rescued Mon.) Bail notes that a lot can change in a year. There were rumors that the ISB was closing in on Luthen, and he believes that the information Cassian received was part of their operation. Mon looks noticeably uncomfortable as her peers characterize Luthen as paranoid and a victim of the web of doubts he created. In the end, they decide to delay making any formal decisions about the situation until Generals Dodonna and Merrick return the following day. In the meantime, Captain Andor is restricted from accessing his ship and confined to his quarters. Cassian requests permission to visit the infirmary, and before anyone can deny the request, Mon agrees.
All Roads Lead to ‘Rogue One’ in the ‘Andor’ Season 2 Finale
Draven escorts Cassian to the infirmary, and along the way, he reveals that within the past ten hours, they have received three urgent messages from Cassian’s contact, Tivik, who is embedded with Saw’s Partisans. Cassian points out that Saw is on Jedha, which seems at odds with Tivik’s current location, and Draven reminds him that he’s in no position to make suggestions. Draven returns to the command center, where they receive yet another message from Tivik, who claims he will only speak to Cassian. When Cassian reunites with Kleya, she doesn’t really respond to anything he has to say. He comments on the fact that this isn’t the hero’s welcome he promised her, and he does his best to break the news softly that the Alliance didn’t believe their intel. He assures her that he’s doing what he can to make them believe, but it’s a lot of information to take in all at once. Cassian runs into Wil (Muhannad Bhaier) after he leaves the infirmary, and he tells him that he has bad news: Luthen is dead, but he made it worth it. Cassian embraces Wil and comforts him as he reckons with the loss.
Vel (Faye Marsay) is washing up when Mon comes to visit her, and she seems surprised to see her cousin, considering they have breakfast plans. She quickly realizes something is wrong, and she doesn’t seem particularly surprised when Mon tells her that Luthen is dead. Mon explains that Cassian brought Kleya to the base, and that his little joyride got him grounded for the time being, and Vel snarks that “he should really stop saving people.” Mon admits that she came to see Vel because she needs something. Cassian brought back curious information, which she won’t tell Vel about, because she’s hoping Cassian will tell her himself and she can form her own opinion. Mon wants Vel to help her believe him.
Vel heads over to Cassian’s place, where he asks her if she’ll join him for a drink in Luthen’s honor. She will, but just this once. They toast to everyone they have lost, with Vel listing off Gorn, Nemik, Taramyn, the Ghormans, Ferrix and Maarva, and Cassian toasting to Cinta and Aldhani. As they head further into his quarters, Cassian comments on the fact that people claim they were there — on Aldhani. Vel quips that she would kill anyone who said that, and Cassian believes her on that front. Never one to beat around the bush, Vel straight-up says she’s there because Mon wants to know if his Luthen story is real. Cassian underscores the fact that Luthen died for this information, and it doesn’t really matter what happened along the way. Sure, Luthen’s mission twisted him, but none of this — or them — would exist without him. Kleya wouldn’t lie about something like this. Vel asks for a refill before she’ll listen to what Kleya told him.
Before Vel heads out for the night, she tells Cassian he should reconnect with Bix (Adria Arjona). He asks if she’s safe, and Vel confirms that’s what she has heard, indicating that at least someone within their community has heard from her since she left a year ago. Cassian seems skeptical about reuniting with Bix, pointing out that she wouldn’t be safe with him, but Vel assures him that Bix would probably disagree with that sentiment. After all, she didn’t leave because it was unsafe — she left because she didn’t want to stand in the way of his purpose. Cassian tells Vel that once things settle down, maybe he will reach out, but he’ll have to think about it, and she cautions him not to wait too long. Of course, we know this will never happen. Cassian is mere days away from death, and he will never get that chance to see what he’s leaving behind.
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While Cassian and Vel commiserate over their losses, Kleya has escaped from the infirmary, and Vel finds her wandering through the base in the pouring rain. The weather seems to reflect the impending sorrow on the horizon. Vel drapes her coat over Kleya, though it doesn’t do much to help with her rain-soaked hair and clothes. She takes her to her own quarters, bundles her up in a blanket, and gives her a warm drink. Vel tells Kleya that she’s sorry about Luthen and what she had to do. Kleya insists that it had to be done, and Vel remarks on how tiring it is to have to say that. Kleya looks so haunted, and smaller than she has throughout the entire series. She admits that she doesn’t know where she is anymore, which is at odds with Luthen’s old adage to “Know your way out before you go in.” Vel insists that Kleya is among friends — they have friends everywhere, after all — but that doesn’t seem to do much to lift her spirits. Vel leaves her to warm up, while she goes to talk with Mon about everything.
Cassian isn’t alone for long as he cleans up. K-2 and Melshi are in high spirits as they arrive, joking about why they were released from custody. Melshi tells Cassian that Draven escorted them home, and he’s outside waiting to chat with him. Cassian steps outside to have a conversation with Draven about Tivik, who has requested a meeting on Kafrene. Draven asks Cassian if he trusts him, and Cassian admits that “he tries,” sowing the seeds of doubt that lead to Cassian killing Tivik in Rogue One. Draven points out that before Cassian returned to the base, they had just been warning Saw about the increasing tensions on Jedha, which perfectly lines up with the report that the Empire is looking for kyber crystals on the planet. It all fits together, and if it’s a trap, it’s a brilliant one. Cassian agrees to head to Kafrene, officially sealing his fate.
Major Partagaz Caves Under the Pressure in the ‘Andor’ Series Finale
On Coruscant, Krennic’s (Ben Mendelsohn) ominous warning to Partagaz in the previous episode starts to make a lot more sense. Partagaz sits in the conference room with a somber expression as he listens to Nemik’s stirring manifesto:
“There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this: Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction.
Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.
And then remember this: The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.”
Supervisor Lagret (Michael Jenn) arrives, and they have a brief conversation about whether he has heard the message before, and Partagaz notes that it’s spread far and wide across the galaxy. Lagret informs him that he has been sent to escort him to a meeting, which seems to be related to Dedra Meero’s (Denise Gough) poorly handled Axis investigation. Partagaz asks for a moment to collect his thoughts, and Lagret steps outside, seemingly aware of what is about to happen. Within the conference room, Partagaz removes a blaster from a drawer and kills himself before he can be held accountable for any of his actions — even by the Empire. It’s the second time that Star Wars has portrayed someone committing suicide to avoid facing their actions. The only thing surprising about Major Partagaz’s death is that it happens long before the Empire engages in a legitimate war with the rebellion. While it evokes thoughts of Adolf Hitler’s own suicide, the rationale appears quite different.
Cassian Is Ready to Make a Sunrise He Will Never See in the ‘Andor’ Season 2 Finale
After speaking with Cassian and Vel, Draven and Mon meet with Bail to convince him to believe Luthen’s information. Following the meeting, Bail heads to Cassian’s quarters to speak with him about the mission. When he arrives, Cassian is dreaming about his sister, Kerri, and their homeworld, Kenari. Andor began with Cassian’s endless search for his sister, and it ends with the reminder that Maarva (Fiona Shaw) likely told him the truth — she died, and he survived. She was the first in a long line of important people in his life that Cassian never had the chance to say goodbye to. And yet, perhaps, seeing her in his dreams, on the eve of his own death, speaks to the fact that they will be reunited soon.
K-2 wakes him up and tells him that “the man you do not like is here.” Cassian greets Bail, and they have a brief conversation about their shared inability to sleep anymore. Bail tells Cassian that Draven has his orders, and he has been cleared to proceed to his contact on Kafrene. Cassian seems surprised and asks what changed, and Bail tells him: “If I die fighting the Empire, I want to go down swinging.” It’s a sobering reminder that Cassian isn’t the only one who has a date with destiny. In a few short days, Bail will die on Alderaan. Cassian is amused by this and tells Bail that he would have gotten along with Luthen better than he might think. They part ways, with Bail offering a weighted, “May the Force be with you.” Cassian prepares to leave for the trip, and Andor makes a point of lingering on this moment. Cassian dresses himself, layering on each piece of clothing we know he wears in Rogue One. Before he leaves, he waters the plants he has managed to keep alive since Bix left, and it’s heartbreaking to see these little things, these habits, and traditions, that come to an end the moment he leaves. This is the life he will never return to.
As Cassian walks with purpose toward the tarmac, Andor gives us a glimpse into where each of the characters they have grown to love — and hate — are being left as the series ends. Melshi is training the soldiers he will accompany to Scarif; Wil and Dreena (Ella Pellegrini) have breakfast in their quarters, while Mon and Vel eat together in the mess hall; Kleya wakes in Vel’s barracks, looking out the window and seeing, with clear eyes, what she helped to build. On Coruscant, Mon’s husband Perrin (Alastair Mackenzie) looks worse for wear, disheveled and likely hungover. He’s in the back of a speeder with a dozing Runai Sculdun (Rosalind Halstead), which is far from surprising, given how the two seemed to be thick as thieves at social gatherings. Dedra is on Narkina 5 — or at least a prison that is similar to Narkina 5 — having a breakdown about her new, miserable existence. Lastly, Krennic oversees the construction of the Death Star, which will be his own undoing in a few days.
Cassian sees the Force healer (Josie Walker) as he approaches his U-wing; the two share a look of understanding and he nods. They both know what comes next. This is the culmination of everything Cassian has been gathering for years, and he’s setting out to be the messenger that she knew he would become. As Cassian boards his ship, K-2 offers a brief moment of levity by jesting about the fact that they actually have a flight plan this time. Cassian ignores the comment, directing K-2 to get them to Kafrene the “quick way.”
‘Andor’s Series Finale Reminds Us What Cassian Is Fighting For
That scene doesn’t mark the end of Andor — at least not yet. Tony Gilroy knows precisely how to twist the knife by delivering a beautiful and tragic ending to not only the series but also Cassian’s story. As Cassian sets off, the episode reunites us with B2EMO on Mina-Rau, where he’s racing a new droid friend along the communal harvest table.
In the distance, Bix is walking through the fields, and she isn’t alone. She’s carrying an adorable baby, who toes at the grain as they walk through the waving stalks. Bix looks toward the skyline, comforting her fussy baby, and smiles, as if she knows that Cassian is finally fulfilling his purpose. With one final scene, Andor completely recontextualizes Rogue One and the sacrifice he makes. Not only does he die to ensure a better tomorrow for everyone he knows and loves, but he is also making a sunrise that his child will get to see. While Gilroy seems content with Andor being the end of his own journey with Star Wars, the series opens up a new world of storytelling potential, especially given that Cassian and Bix’s child is only a few years older than other notable rebel offspring, like Poe Dameron and Ben Solo. Cassian’s journey may have reached its end, but his family’s is only just beginning.
The entirety of Andor is streaming now on Disney+.
The Andor Season 2 finale delivers an emotional ending to the best Star Wars series ever.
- Release Date
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2022 – 2025-00-00
- Andor once again proves how well-written and planned it is, tying up all of the loose ends by the series’ end.
- Cassian’s transformation into who he is in Rogue One is perfectly established and executed by the time the episode ends.
- The revelation that Cassian and Bix had a child is a painful ending yet hopeful beginning to their story.
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