By George & Josh Bate
Forty days until the premiere of Andor Season 2 on Disney+, series creator Tony Gilroy and several actors from the show gathered for a special look back at Season 1, while offering some hints as to what’s to come in Season 2. The special look back, which also involved Gilroy and guests answering fans’ questions, was livestreamed on YouTube.
Below, you’ll find our recap of the event and all the interesting things we learned from Gilroy and others about the acclaimed Star Wars series. Find out what Andor star got a tattoo of their character, what actor incurred an injury filming the show, more about the Cassian-Bix romance, what’s in store for Bix, Luthen, Mon, and others in Season 2, and more below….
Adria Arjona, who plays Bix Calleen in Andor, was present for the livestream. Talking with host Ash Crossan and series creator Tony Gilroy, Arjona expressed her excitement about the upcoming season. “I’m probably the most eager [of the cast to watch Season 2],” Arjona said. “I’m so excited for people to rewatch Season 1 and then watch Season 2.”
Arjona revealed during the livestream that she has a tattoo of Bix on her arm! Bix is the only character Arjona has played that she has a tattoo of.
Recently, Tony Gilroy previewed Mon Mothma’s arc in Season 2 as “hellacious,” and it seems things aren’t that much easier for Bix. When asked to describe Bix’s journey in Season 2, Gilroy said, “Man she has a hard road.”
Gilroy also confirmed that the romance between Cassian and Bix will be further explored in Season 2. “Anyone invested in this relationship will be rewarded in Season 2,” the series creator said. This is great news for anyone shipping Cassian and Bix!
In looking back at Season 1, Arjona said that Bix’s torture scene is her favorite of the initial 12 episodes. “The torturing scene was one I really enjoyed filming,” Arjona remarked.
Mon Mothma herself Genevieve O’Reilly was also present for the Andor Season 1 special look back.
While discussing Mon Mothma, Gilroy initially hinted and eventually confirmed that Season 2 will depict the marriage between Mon Mothma’s daughter Leida and Davo Sculdun’s son. This marriage was discussed in Season 1 and shots from the Season 2 had fans theorizing that the wedding would be depicted in the upcoming episodes. Now that has been confirmed by Gilroy.
Highlighting how much this incredible show means to all involved, Genevieve O’Reilly became visibly emotional when discussing her work on Andor and her time playing Mon Mothma. Fighting back tears, O’Reilly said, “I will miss her….I love her deeply. I don’t know how I’m going to let her go.”
Gilroy also discussed Luthen Rael, the rebel leader played by Stellan Skarsgård in the series.
Gilroy described Luthen as an “accelerationist…a leader who wants to make things worse to provoke change.” He elaborated that Luthen’s background/origins will be revealed in Season 2. “We learn a lot about Luthen. Who he was before,” Gilroy coyly remarked.
The last guest of the livestream was Duncan Pow, the actor who played Melshi in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and reprised his role for Andor.
The funniest moment of the livestream came about when Gilroy excitedly showed off his ‘Narkina 5 Swim Team’ t-shirt to Pow. This is of course a reference to the Narkina 5 prison break arc from Season 1, which saw Melshi and Cassian team-up to stage a breakout of the brutal Imperial prison. If anyone knows where Gilroy got this shirt, let us know.
Duncan Pow revealed during the live-stream that Diego Luna tore his hamstring running down a hill in a scene in Season 1.
Hinting at the important role Melshi will play in Season 2, Gilroy said that a specific scene from Season 1 Episode 1 is “very important” for the events of the forthcoming season.
Tony Gilroy offered a bunch of interesting details about Andor. Hearing how his mind conceptualizes Star Wars was fascinating to say the least.
When asked what his favorite moment of Season 1 was, Tony Gilroy had a surprising answer. “It‘s the scene where I relax when people watch the show…It’s a little bit long and shaggy, but it’s so what I wanted the show to be able to do. It’s so flashy in a cool, down way.”
Gilroy said his favorite episode of the series is Season 1 Episode 12 “Rix Road.” The Season 1 finale portrayed the funeral of Maarva, Cassian’s rise as a rebel, and is a near-perfect episode of television (in our opinion).
