The primary trailer for Andor season two dropped immediately, giving us a long-awaited take a look at Cassian’s return—and a revolt coalescing into full, explosive impact. It’s stuffed with tiny little glimpses of what we all know are going to to be 4 distinct chapters setting the year-by-year stage for the Cassian we met in Rogue One, acquainted faces from the primary season, and even a number of intriguing Star Wars Easter eggs. Right here’s every thing we noticed.
The Many Lives of Cassian Andor
The intelligent opening cuts between a number of pictures of Cassian’s again, and particular person acts of revolt, that appear to presumably pull on the broader construction of season two. We now know that the 12-episode season might be break up up into 4 “chapters” of three episodes every, with every story leaping by round a 12 months between 4BBY and 0BBY—ending Andor simply days earlier than the start of Rogue One. These 4 distinct eras are marked right here: Cassian in a slick, fancy disguise on a planet of white constructions and what seems to be a busy transport hub (that descends into chaos slightly quickly, extra on that later); Cassian in a extra Andor-esque leather-based jacket in a moody inside (that cuts to him disabling some sort of massive cargo transport sled); a fair moodier inside of a extra claustrophobic, dingy hall that appears to match up with some the pictures we see later with Noticed Gerrera (which cuts to Cassian, seemingly once more, as he casually executes an Imperial guard in a spartan facility). That every one then cuts to…
The Eve of Rogue One
Cassian, on the Massassi Temple, an agent of the unified Insurgent Alliance on the precipice of an all-out galactic civil conflict. That is, presumably, the ultimate arc of the present, the one we all know that may culminate simply days earlier than Rogue One and A New Hope are set to start. How do we all know that, past the truth that Cassian’s clearly on Yavin IV? Nicely, he’s carrying a part of his Rogue One costume: the jacket is the one we see Cassian put on within the opening of the film the place he meets his contract at a station within the Rings of Kafrene, and the undershirt is one he wears all through the movie… till his very finish.
Battle or Win
“We’re in a conflict,” Cassian growls to somebody over a collection of pictures. “You wanna struggle, or win?” He appears to be doing a little bit of each—these all seem to come back from the identical arc, and are all constructed round components we’d seen beforehand teased: there’s an agri-world, coated in oceans of crops that we see Stormtroopers blasting at an unknown determine working by way of. We see whoever Cassian’s speaking to, as he himself is wearing an Imperial disguise we’d seen in earlier promo pictures of him stealing the ultimate aspect of this transient montage: a prototype TIE Fighter, from which we see Cassian unload a salvo of rockets to blow a car up in these aforementioned crop fields.
That prototype TIE, whereas nonetheless unofficially named, canonizes the general design of what was previously referred to as the TIE Avenger. Launched within the traditional simulation recreation TIE Fighter in 1994, the ship was the EU’s iteration on Darth Vader’s TIE Advance, an experimental prototype that represented the potential way forward for house superiority fighter craft within the Imperial Navy: a succesful ship-to-ship dogfighter that married excessive velocity, an improved arsenal of blaster and heavy payload armaments, and deflector shielding, multi functional bundle.
Three Faces of Riot
The subsequent trio of pictures are very attention-grabbing. We get a fast glimpse of Noticed, trying far more like he does in Rogue One than he did in Andor‘s first season, suggesting we’ll meet him once more just a little later in season two’s chronology after some essential occasions (extra on that later). The subsequent is of Mon Mothma, carrying a sublime robe as she’s surrounded by crowds of equally elegantly dressed dancers at a celebration (extra on that later). The final is of Luthen Rael, seemingly again in his foppish disguise as an antiquities supplier… and extra on that proper now, as a result of that is the one shot we truly get of him in the complete trailer.
That is very attention-grabbing, not simply because Luthen was such a serious character in season one. However as a result of he’s additionally the character we largely know the least about, right here. We know the place Mon Mothma finally ends up by the unique trilogy. We all know the place Noticed finally ends up, too, for higher or worse—identical for Cassian. Luthen is a free radical in some ways, but it surely’s particularly going to be intriguing to see what he in the end contributes to the formation of the broader Alliance as we come to comprehend it, as a revolutionary and political entity. For now, Andor is giving us only a few clues.
The Revolution Begins Now
Cool insurrectionists don’t take a look at explosions. However tropes apart, the intriguing affirmation right here is that Cassian’s rebellious actions will, sooner or later, see Bix straight companion with him. Season one ended with him saving her from Imperial interrogation and getting her (alongside Brasso, who we additionally see on this trailer later) whisked away from Ferrix—but it surely seems like season two goes to provide us a take a look at how she herself is cast into an agent of revolt.
We Stand Right here Amidst His Achievement
As if to remind us the place that is all in the end heading once more, we get some satisfyingly smug pictures of Andor‘s largest “cameo” but: the return of Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic. We already know from earlier teases that Krennic and Dedra are going to butt heads this season, however we’re additionally clearly going to see a few of the earlier levels of Krennic’s work on growing the Loss of life Star, now in a lot closer-to-operational state than after we noticed it on the finish of season one.
The Partisan Entrance
The subsequent shot encompasses a grim perspective: a corpse within the foreground as X-Wings and one other ship are seen within the background. We see that ship just a little later in one other shot coming into hyperspace, and whereas it’s exhausting to inform specifics, it has numerous design similarities to the Aurore-class freighter, a category of ship that first appeared in Clone Wars as a ship in common use by the Zygerrian empire.
However the factor to notice right here is that the X-Wings carry the distinctive black-and-white livery of the Partisans, Noticed Gerrera’s guerrilla faction. On condition that after we met Noticed in Andor‘s first season, he was struggling to accumulate materials and wanted convincing to work on operations with different disparate insurgent cells, it looks as if that after we meet him in season two, the Partisan entrance goes to be far more readily established—and, presumably at this level, already largely distanced from the broader Insurgent Alliance because it pushed its personal, extra aggressive path to resistance in opposition to the Empire.
Prelude to a Bloodbath
The port metropolis Cassian is seen at all through this trailer can be proven repeatedly to finally devolve into absolute chaos. There’s our bodies in all places, Stormtroopers firing indiscriminately, full carnage. The timing of Andor‘s second season, and even a number of potential teases from the primary, might point out that this might be our first on-screen take a look at a basic second within the Riot’s historical past: the Ghorman Bloodbath.
Going down in 2BBY, the Ghorman Bloodbath noticed Imperial forces slaughter crowds of civilians participating in peaceable protest on the planet Ghorman, after years of disaster over Imperial management of delivery lanes all over the world. The bloodbath sparked Mon Mothma’s public withdrawal from the Imperial Senate, and the formal declaration of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, brazenly uniting a collection of insurgent cells throughout the galaxy into the organized revolt in opposition to the Empire as seen in Rebels‘ third season.
Kleya’s Rage
Luthen won’t be on this trailer a lot, however this very intriguing shot of his assistant and fellow operative Kleya may give us a greater image of his closing destiny—contemplating she seems extremely upset and completely livid to see Cassian, it’s clear one thing very dangerous has occurred.
Brasso!
Sadly he’s received no brick to beat them up with this time, however 4 Stormtroopers vs. one Brasso is a struggle we’re itching to see, even when he’s getting fairly manhandled right here. Fascinating to notice that the agricultural setting right here appears to position Brasso on no matter world Cassian makes use of the TIE Avenger on. Is that this the world Cassian received him and Bix despatched to after the riots on Ferrix? Does that imply the younger individual being chased by troopers earlier within the trailer is perhaps Wilmon Paak, the child of the salvage store proprietor on Ferrix?
Not Fairly a Soldier, Not Fairly a Trooper
This very attention-grabbing second matches up with that tight hall we noticed Cassian roaming by way of in that opening montage of pictures, however from an altogether extra antagonistic perspective: Imperial troopers, who’re carrying a captivating mishmash of Imperial military gear (as seen on the numerous troopers we noticed in Andor season one, like these stationed on Aldhani and the riot officers despatched to Ferrix) and the white plastoid armor plating of Stormtroopers.
This doesn’t look like an impromptu get-up out of necessity, as we additionally see equally dressed troopers within the background of one other shot shortly—are they a form of stepping stone between the common forces of the Imperial floor military and the Stormtrooper Corps? It’s attention-grabbing to notice that whereas Stormtroopers themselves have been fairly spartan in Andor season one, they’re far more prevalent in all this footage, exhibiting simply how Imperial response to insurgency goes to escalate over this time period.
Dedra’s Again, and Very Irritated
Talking of that different shot! We see one other one in all these hybrid-troopers milling round within the background of one other acquainted face solely given single glimpse right here: the return of Dedra Meero. In true Dedra type, she’s clearly ticked off about one thing. Cassian slipping out of her fingers? Krennic getting underneath her pores and skin. Syril being… effectively, Syril? We’ll have to attend and see.
Krennic’s Intriguing Orbit
Talking of the nice director, this subsequent glimpse of him in a barely swankier get-up is attention-grabbing much less for him, and extra for who’s within the blurry fringes. We’ll get a a lot better, and equally transient, look in a while within the trailer, however this actually seems to be Davos Sculden within the blue robes, the seedy Chandrilan mobster Mon Mothma is pressured to take care of to safe clandestine methods to funnel cash to the Riot. And seemingly Mon herself on the left of the shot, trying just a little extra like her appearances in Rogue One and Return of the Jedi.
Welcome to Chandrila?
After a quick glimpse of the TIE Avenger inflicting chaos in an Imperial facility (little doubt at Cassian’s fingers) because it weapons down a bunch of Stormtroopers, we get a number of pictures of Mon Mothma furiously dancing at that social gathering we noticed her at early on within the trailer. This may be our very first take a look at her homeworld, Chandrila, on-screen—the apparel actually matches the aesthetic we frequently noticed Mon and Perrin enrobe themselves in in season one. May we go to the world to see the standard customs that may see Mon’s daughter Lieda wedded to Sculden’s son?
The Revolution Will Be Televised
Talking of Sculden and Mon although, we’re seemingly again on Coruscant right here, and that occasion we see Krennic attending—we get a clearer shot of Sculden welcoming Mon and Perrin, and it’s clearer too that Mon has had a little bit of a trim in comparison with what we simply noticed on her homeworld. Sure, the pixie minimize from Rogue One that Mon will seemingly put on for the whole thing of the Galactic Civil Warfare is making its debut right here. Fashion icon!
Whats up, K2…
We knew he was coming this season, and we’d received to see him briefly in our first public take a look at season two a number of months in the past, however sure, Cassian’s ex-Imperial droid bestie is again! Presumably we’re going to see simply how Cassian and Ok-2SO teamed up this season—I’m positive no trauma round Cassian’s brutal arrest on Niamos by the hands of one other KX safety droid might be concerned.
… and Syril, We Guess
One other one-shot marvel on this trailer, our first and solely take a look at Syril Karn is suitably dweeby, as he haughtily scampers by way of a gaggle of Imperial technicians. Clearly he’s gone up on this planet since saving Dedra on Ferrix… however will he have actually needed to, we marvel, contemplating his formal apparel and the setting recommend that he’s in that port metropolis that might probably be Ghorman based mostly on the opposite pictures within the trailer. Will everybody’s least-favorite little freak meet his premature finish there?
The Making of Melshi
One other transient glimpse, one other acquainted face: this time it’s Rogue One‘s Ruescott Melshi, who we noticed liberated from Narkina 5 because of Cassian’s assist final season. Though we final noticed him and Cassian parting methods on Niamos after they’d managed to flee the Imperial jail, it appears Melshi’s nonetheless going to be caught up in chaos right here—is smart, contemplating that, like Cassian, we all know he’s going to be signing up for the Riot.
Readability of Goal
The trailer climaxes with one other quick montage of motion pictures: extra of the TIE Avenger going loopy, extra of the carnage on maybe-Ghorman, Cassian being blasted round as he’s smacked up in opposition to partitions and careening over surfaces, Bix combating an Imperial officer hand-to-hand. There’s even a shot of probably the most chaotic pressure of all, Syril’s mom Eedy, for good measure!
However the trailer ends with a second of dialogue from Noticed, as he shakes inspirational sense what seems to be one in all his personal partisans. “You’re right here, proper right here, and also you’re able to struggle!” We have already got numerous proof on this trailer that no matter arc we get with Noticed on this season goes to be after he’s largely minimize ties with the broader Insurgent Alliance—a second we received to see coalesce in Rebels. However it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see simply how Noticed makes his case to his forces that his means is the appropriate means, particularly understanding the way it all tragically performs out for the partisans by Rogue One.
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