Of all the "Star Wars" projects that have been released in recent years, there hasn't been one quite like "Andor." The series, created by Tony Gilroy, took an entirely different approach to the galaxy and its characters, using it to tell a grounded story that filled in the events between movies and shows while also engaging as its own separate entity. Despite the fact that Cassian Andor's story very clearly ends with "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the creative team behind the series tried to make the story of the character's place in the rebellion as fresh as possible, with new characters and stories that paint the story of the "Star Wars" rebellion that everyone thinks they know in an entirely different light.

"Andor" ended its first season in November of last year with an emotional finale that had Cassian deciding to join Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and become a larger part of the Rebellion against the empire. Over the course of its 12 episodes, "Andor" covers about a year of Cassian's life, and takes place five years before "Rogue One." The upcoming second season of the series will be its last, covering four years across 12 episodes that lead directly into the "Star Wars" story in that Diego Luna first appeared. However, that wasn't always the plan, as Disney and Lucasfilm originally envisioned the series lasting 5 seasons, each covering a year.

A Massive Undertaking

In a feature from Rolling Stone on the making of "Andor," Diego Luna recalled the initial deal made with Lucasfilm to return to the role for a five-season series. Luna attributed his return to a realization of "how much [he] missed this job and missed this character." Cassian Andor had been one of the more interesting aspects of the ensemble of "Rogue One," as a morally ambiguous spy fully dedicated to the cause of the Rebellion. "Andor" exemplifies the themes and motivations of the character, delving into the psyche of Cassian and other like-minded characters, making the series a natural continuation that keeps the film's gritty aesthetic.

However, the passion for the world of the series and bringing it to life would prove to be a massive undertaking. In fact, halfway through production on the first season of the show, Diego Luna (who is also credited as an executive producer on the show) and Tony Gilroy had agreed that the number of seasons needed to be reduced. Gilroy would detail how, from a practical standpoint, many years of making "Andor" was not plausible:

"It was just like, 'We can't possibly do this.' It's a massive, massive undertaking, and Diego wouldn't be able to play a younger man over the next 15 years. We wouldn't be able to physically do it. And we were like, 'Oh, my God, what are we gonna do?' So at first, it was desperation, and then a very lucky, elegant solution presented itself."

Telling A Story Effectively

The solution Tony Gilroy had in mind was to structure the "Andor" season 2 similarly to the first. "Andor" season 1 gave the directors of the series room to breathe with their story arcs, having the same writers and directors every three episodes (save for episode 7). The structure worked wonders for the series, with each section telling its own engaging story and coming together like pieces of a puzzle to tell the story of one man's search for identity and belief in a world that wants to silence him. The second season will follow a similar pattern, with every three episodes being a separate section; only this time, these sections will equate to a year of Cassian Andor's life.

Given that the second season will also have 12 episodes, the three episodes for every one-year structure should succinctly cover the remaining four years of Andor's life before "Rogue One," just as originally intended, only with a much shorter production period and episode count. Gilroy's decision to not overextend his stay in a galaxy far, far away is admirable. Moreover, it's just another example of how "Andor" stands out from the other shows on Disney+. Instead of being a dragged-out series to cash in on the success, "Andor" will end on its own terms, telling its story as effectively as possible while also being emotionally powerful.

Read this next: The 12 Best Scenes In Andor Season 1, Ranked

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