Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2 episodes 7-9

Andor season 2 actor Kyle Soller, who plays the surprisingly relatable Imperial Syril Karn, perfectly captures what makes this TV show so unique in Star Wars. Andor had already proven itself to be one of Star Wars’ best TV shows in season 1, but season 2 has truly blown audiences away. This season is pulling none of its punches, showing the realities and brutalities of the Empire and the sacrifices asked of the rebel fighters throughout the Dark Times in ways that feel new among Star Wars movies and TV shows.

In an interview with Collider, Syril Karn actor Kyle Soller commented upon the show’s impact and role in Star Wars in a way that fully encapsulated what Andor means to the franchise. Soller explained:

“…Andor has taught me the vital importance of community and using your voice and taking a risk to do what you think is right. I think Syril’s given me some really good coats. I really enjoyed his journey. It’s a coming-of-age journey that he has, and even though he was a late bloomer, ultimately, it’s someone who is learning to see truth for what it really is, ultimately to have proper discernment, stand in his power, and then say goodbye before you get too boring.

It’s been such a gift. It’s really been a gift, this part and this job, because it’s also opened up an entire community of the Star Wars family. We’re so beautifully protective and supportive of it. God, I could go on about what Tony Gilroy and Diego have accomplished with this. I just think it’s moving Star Wars in a new direction. Not that everything has to be like Andor from now on, and it shouldn’t be, but it’s opened up a conversation of what can it achieve? Can it be as intricate and adult, and explorative of our history and our own current times? Or as powerful and hard-hitting and exciting and ultimately heartbreaking? This is about love and sacrifice. It’s given all of that.”

In part, Soller is discussing Syril’s death in the Andor season 2 episodes 7-9 arc, but he is also hitting upon something that seems profoundly true: Andor is changing Star Wars as we know it—and it’s doing so in the best way.

What Andor Season 2 Means For Star Wars

Soller Is Right About Andor Bringing Something New To The Franchise

Kyle Soller’s comments about Andor season 2 really do feel dead-on accurate, in part because they reflect how revolutionary (pun intended) Andor has proven to be. The show has made some shocking but brilliant moves in its first 9 episodes, and each three-episode arc only seems to get more exciting and break even more conventions. From the first use of the word rape in Star Wars to even Syril Karn’s character, who represents the surprisingly human side of some Imperials, Andor season 2 is shifting opinions within this franchise and its fanbase.

After all, Syril Karn’s scene with his mother and his (at the time) lover Dedra is among the most relatable, realistic moments throughout the Star Wars timeline, especially when Syril went to lie down in bed in utter defeat because his mother was proving so exhausting. Soller is also right that there’s something so much more adult about Andor season 2. Yes, Star Wars has always been political, and war is of course a heavy topic that has been at the core of the franchise from the start, but the raw, on-the-ground realness of Andor season 2 feels new.

Our Take On Andor Season 2

I Hope Kyle Soller Is Right About The Long-Term Effects

While I agree with Soller that not everything in Star Wars now needs to be Andor—nor should it be—I have the same hope that this show will impact the future of the franchise. It doesn’t feel out of line to say that it has felt as though Star Wars has struggled to find its footing in recent years, likely due to a combination of needing to find a direction after the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga and sorting out how to respond to the intense backlash and controversy that plagues the franchise.

Related

Upcoming Star Wars Shows: Story, Casts & Everything We Know

Several exciting Star Wars TV shows are set to be released on Disney+ in the coming years from the realm of both live-action and animation.

That is in part what is so refreshing about Andor; it feels so decisive and confident. I genuinely hope that Star Wars maintains this grittier feeling, at least for some of the projects coming down the line. In the meantime, there are just three episodes left in Andor season 2, and therefore in the show overall, and I cannot wait to see what the conclusion of this incredible Star Wars show holds.

Source: Collider

New episodes of Andor season 2 release weekly on Tuesdays at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Disney+.

Andor

8/10

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Tony Gilroy

Directors

Susanna White

Writers

Dan Gilroy