He seemed pretty competent in the first episode while looking for his sister (a little strange that storyline was completely dropped now that I think about it). He was able to track her to that bar/brothel and he dispatched the two goons with ease. They were clowns but it still was two against one and he was unarmed.
His character arc is a little confusing, even in the first episode, because it’s using some story beats that denote “highly experienced,” and some that denote, “novice just starting out.” Practically the first thing we see Andor do is take out two armed guards, one of whom has a gun jammed in his back, and then execute the survivor with barely a moment’s hesitation. That seems to set him up as someone who’s highly skilled and experienced. But he’s also living with his mom, and is too broke to leave on his own. Which usually marks a character as young and just starting out. The flashback scenes lead up to him being adopted by the scavenger couple, and we don’t see any of his life until we see him living on Ferrix with his mom. It’s hard not to assume that he’s been with her ever since, but that’s not necessarily the case. I think he’s supposed to have semi-recently returned home, possibly as a result of the Clone Wars ending, which would explain his military expertise,
It’s also confused a little in that he spends the second arc pretending to be someone he’s not. He comes across as primarily motivated by money, because he’s not supposed to be Cassian Andor to those people: he’s Clem the mercenary. He’s presenting a false motivation through most of that arc, but his actual motivation is the same one that drove him to selling that stolen Imperial tech to Luthien: he’s trying to get enough money to move him and his mom off Ferrix and settle down somewhere nice.
BTW I found it interesting that Maarva died of natural causes rather than ,say, being killed by imperial forces. Presumably the writers felt the latter would be too melodramatic and on the nose and possibly that is true but if done right I think it would have given the final episodes a real emotional punch.
That’d send up way too many red flags, and reduce the chances of monitoring her for both Andor sightings and other rebel activity.
It would not be ordered from the top; perhaps she is killed during some kind of altercation like her husband.
What I find odd is them not doing a memory dump on the droid.
It’s possible once the Empire got involved they were told to keep a light hand to draw him back. They didn’t think he’d be coming back until the funeral.
I think this series is great however I did find the season finale somewhat underwhelming and anticlimactic. If this is the half way mark it didn’t do much to wrap up any story arcs or hint at where it will go for it’s second half.
I guess the summary is basically Andor is now a partner of Luthen rather than a target? Otherwise all the other characters seem to be in the same place they were a couple episodes back.
Well, not all of them.
The Imperials, for instance, have suffered a setback, the degree of which depends on how close to the action they were. Dedra Meero, for instance, is now alive only by the pluck and quick thinking of Siril Karn, and is now stuck on a hostile world with a full-on popular uprising, a badly damaged Imperial garrison, and severely impaired prospects back at ISB (since her plan led to nothing but pointless Imperial casualties and neither Andor nor “Axis” in custody). As well as being in Karn’s debt, which is probalby a little creepy after the relief of survival trickles away.
As to the Rebels, they’re not back where they started. The opening moves of the chess game are done; the pieces are developed and positioned for action. The midgame commences.
Finally got the chance to finish the season. When is season two released?
I like the way they closed out the important storylines, but left enough open for continuing stories.
Edit: 2024.
Are they? I don’t think any of the cast from Ferrix is still in the same place: they’re either dead, or have fled the planet after participating in an anti-Imperial uprising. Siril the security guy has just stepped up big time by saving the life of Dedra the ISB lady, who just saw her career implode the way Siril’s did in the first arc. Mon Mothma’s now in bed with a crime lord, and is betraying her own values to put her daughter literally in bed with the crime lord’s son. Luthien’s had his first big success for the Rebellion, and has secured funding for more operations, which admittedly isn’t a character arc, but Luthien’s role is more of a catalyst: I don’t really expect him to have much of a character arc. Kino Loy is literally still at the place he started from, because he never got out of the prison, but he’s been radicalized by Andor. If he turns up in the show again, he’s going to be a very different person than the guy we first met. Val hasn’t really had much of an arc yet, but they’re still doing a lot of groundwork with her struggle over how much of her personal life and values the Rebellion is going to ask her to sacrifice.
We saw him fall from the bridge, and he doesn’t swim. We didn’t see him sink to the bottom of the ocean, but he’s assumed dead.
No, he doesn’t fall. Last we see of him, he’s standing on the edge while the other prisoners run past him to the water.
I hope Kino survived, but it wouldn’t really fit Andor’s tone if he did. AFAICT, he knew the facility was surrounded by water, and therefore knew he was going to die. I think that makes his actions more poignant and more heroic.
I think there’s a pretty good chance he shows up in the next season, assuming there is one. I’m guessing he’s going to end up as a guest of the ISB after the prison break. Maybe give him some interrogation scenes opposite Dedra.
That’s a good idea, and that might fit the tone.
Here’s a great interview with Denise Gough on creating Deedra Meero. Fascinating! I’m a little annoyed that the “F*ck the Empire” line was real but I’m glad they changed it.
That was a great interview and makes me like the show even more. Thanks for posting!
Thanks - I saw that, thought it was interesting, made a mental note to share it here, and forgot. 
Personally, I wish they’d kept the “fuck the Empire” line in. I’d have loved to hear Fiona Shaw deliver that.