Andor, season 2 (2025)
Verdict: good television. Comforts the afflicted etc. But I don’t have a lot more to say about season 2 that hasn’t been said better elsewhere. I agree with Schaffrillas Productions that the season feels like 4 seasons of television smushed into one; luckily, given the production schedule, they avoided making things feel too rushed.
I couldn’t decide whether I felt that the season was a bit too much of a commentary on current events, especially in the United States: draconian immigration policies, the undermining of democratic systems, political infighting among the “good guys”, permission of massacre for the purposes of mining “raw earth” I mean foliated kalkite.
But fascism is fascism, whether it’s in 2025 or 1939, or presumably in 2060 or a Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Yes it’s a commentary on today, but it retains enough of the essential qualities of fascism (and resistance thereto) that it’ll still be a worthwhile watch in better times.
When I was finished, I went back and watched Rogue One (2016) again (like pretty much everyone else), and found it… middling. Chronologically it’s obviously a sequel to the TV programme, but thematically it feels like a prequel: the message of resistance and hope is present but undeveloped. Then I re-watched the beginning of A New Hope (1977), which by comparison feels nearly totally flippant. It was a different time.
In my review of season 1 I called out the production design as something I particularly liked. Well guess what that’s because it’s the work of Luke Hull, who also did production design on Chernobyl (2019), where I also called out the fantastic production design. I think that I am a big fan of the work of Luke Hull.
Andor, season 2 |