Disney+ has finally announced the names for the first three episodes of the much anticipated Star Wars series Andor. The three new episodes were uploaded to the streaming site on September 21, although they remained untitled. Perhaps Lucasfilm did this to avoid any spoilers being released. Disney+, however, had the three titles added to Andor’s profile the next afternoon. The purpose of the premiere episode, titled “Kassa,” is to reacquaint viewers with Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), who was killed while attempting to steal the Death Star plans in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Since this is a prequel series, “Kassa” begins right in the middle of the action, revealing that Cassian is on the run after committing a double murder by accident.
Cassian is on the run from the law and has fled to the planet Ferrix, where he is joined by his companions Brasso (Joplain Sibtain) and Bix (Adria Arjona), as well as his loyal droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman) and adoptive mother Maarva (Emilia Clarke) (Fiona Shaw). Throughout the episode, we get flashbacks of Cassian’s childhood on Kenari, where he was raised by his uncle and was known by his childhood nickname, Kassa. In Episode 2, titled “That Would Be Me,” we learn more about Cassian’s efforts to evade capture by law enforcement. The episode opens with Cassian realising he had to leave Ferrix immediately to avoid capture by the firm whose employees he slaughtered.
Cassian, after learning that an arrest warrant has been issued for him, tries to sell a starfighter to Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard), the buyer for Bix. Luthen, it turns out, is hiding his own secrets. Kassa and his fellow Kenari are inspecting a wrecked ship when something goes wrong, forcing him to enter the wreckage of the ship. It’s intriguing that “Reckoning,” the title of Andor Episode 3, is also the name of an episode of The Mandalorian, but with a different spelling: “The Reckoning.” Unfortunately for Cassian, Luthen gets up to him on Ferrix right before the corporate troops come to put an end to him.
Soon after meeting Cassian, it becomes apparent that Luthen is up to more than simply business. He actively recruits Cassian into the Rebel Alliance. Cassian and Luthen are able to leave the planet with the aid of B2EMO, Bix, and Maarva, and they are likely to have other adventures in the future. In this episode, Maarva meets Cassian for the first time after stumbling into him in the destroyed ship’s flashback. Andor’s first three episodes have been well-received by critics, much like Tony Gilroy’s other Star Wars project, Rogue One.
The plot does not feature Jedi, Sith, lightsabers, or any of the other standard Star Wars cliches, and critics have commended the series for showcasing a darker, more realistic side of the Star Wars universe. Andor, which now has three episodes accessible, will have new episodes added to Disney+ every Wednesday.