The much-anticipated Andor Season 2 has already landed in the US, but – having already waited three years for the Star Wars spin-off – those of us in the UK will have to be a little more patient as it premieres on Wednesday 23 April on Disney+.
Starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the show is set five years before the events of Star Wars movies Rogue One and A New Hope and follows the formation of the Rebel Alliance to oppose the Galactic Empire.
Formed of 12 episodes that will be released in batches of three over four weeks, the second season of Andor covers the next four years leading to Rogue One and was filmed from November 2022 to February 2024, with filming pausing due to the Hollywood strikes in 2023.
But now that the time has come to finally sit and watch Andor Season 2, is it worth the wait? One benefit of it not airing in the UK until after the US is that we have access to the reviews it has already received – and it’s good news for fans.
Here's what the Andor season 2 reviews say...
Rotten Tomatoes – a website with collates reviews from different publications – has given the series an impressive 98% rating based on 56 reviews. That leaves the show higher rated than Season 1, which has 96%.
Emily Zelmer of Observer calls it 'one of the best seasons of TV you'll ever watch', writing, ‘The second season, somehow, eclipses [the first] in an impressive fashion, building a masterful narrative arc that is undeniable in its prescience to the rising fascism around the world.’
The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager says, ‘Thrillingly intricate, suspenseful, tragic and hopeful, it fulfils the promise of the galaxy far, far away, telling a uniquely nuanced, mature, and gripping story that’s at once distinct from, and yet inherently wedded to, the Skywalker Saga,’ while Jonathan Dean from The Times adds, ‘Despite a bigger budget, the show still feels organic and lived-in.’
Empire Magazine’s Sophie Butcher says, ‘The blood of this iconic franchise — the heart, the values, the triumph over evil — runs through its veins. It will make you fall in love with Star Wars, whether for the first time or the 50th.’
While India Block of The Standard writes, ‘The rebellion’s narrative has backed itself into a few corners that mean retreading some old ground. Luckily the characters are so fascinating and their emotional stakes so high it’s a pleasure not a chore to spend time with their predicaments.’
In a four star review, Chris Bennion of Telegraph calls Andor Season 2 ‘Star Wars’ earthiest instalment yet,’ while Variety’s Alison Herman notes, ‘With Season 2, “Andor” cements itself as the gold standard of what modern “Star Wars” can be.’
Finally, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone says Andor has some ‘hiccups’ but ‘impresses with how effectively it uses the pieces of this hugely commercial brand to directly grapple with the ways that fascism rises, and the ways it can be fought.’
The first three episodes of Andor: A Star Wars Story land on Disney+ on 23 April, with three episodes arriving each Wednesday until 14 May.
Samuel McManus is a senior content creator for Bauer Media, writing celebrity news and features across five of the company’s brands – heat, Closer, Grazia, Bella and Yours. Samuel has worked at Bauer Media since November 2024.