It is no secret that Andor will lead directly into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. From the moment the series was first announced, it was known that this was a prequel following Cassian Andor and his journey of becoming the rebel who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the galaxy during the Battle of Scarif.
Tony Gilroy has even said in the past that the final shot of Andor will be Cassian walking to a ship to go to the Ring of Kafrene, the planet where Cassian is first seen is Rogue One and where he kills Tivik.
While speaking with Empire Magazine, Gilroy is now giving an even clearer picture of how Andor will end, with Gilroy revealing that the final three episodes of season 2 will cover the last three days before Rogue One.
Why this is good news for Andor season 2
It was already known that Andor season 2 would cover the four years before Rogue One, with each three-episode arc dedicated to one of these years. Covering four years over the span of 12 episodes is a dramatic shift from season 1, where all 12 episodes combined took place over the course of a year. This structure allowed the first and second episode of each arc to include gradual buildup before delivering the emotional and satisfying payoff at the end of the arc.
With Andor‘s final arc only covering three days, that same sense of meticulous buildup and epic payoff that worked so well in season 1 can be used again to create a rewarding ending for the series, even if the rest of the season has a more accelerated timeline and pacing.
Structuring the final arc this way will make Andor connect even more seamlessly to Rogue One. Just as the ending of Rogue One leads directly into the beginning of A New Hope, the ending of Andor can now lead directly into Rogue One. It makes these stories feel even more cohesive, with Andor, Rogue One, and A New Hope working as a perfect trilogy that follows the journey of Cassian and the Rebel Alliance standing up to the Empire and destroying the first Death Star.
Seeing Cassian kill Tivik in Rogue One will probably be even more gut-wrenching after the audience knows everything Cassian has gone through in the days leading up to that moment and everything that led him to make that brutal decision. Since Tivik’s arm is broken, he cannot climb to safety, so Cassian shoots and kills him instead.
Alex Damon of Star Wars Explained has theorized that Andor will show Cassian being responsible for Tivik’s arm being broken, making him even more responsible for Tivik’s death. This could happen in the three days before Rogue One covered in Andor‘s final episodes.
Even if it doesn’t happen, these episodes can also show Tivik first learning about the Death Star while working undercover among Saw Gerrera’s Partisans. Additionally, fans can learn what characters like Saw, Mon Mothma, and Ruescott Melshi were doing immediately before Rogue One.
Gilroy’s comments further indicate that Andor will continue to be phenomenal, with the show’s ending being just as compelling as the widely praised and celebrated first season.
Watch all episodes of Andor season 1, streaming only on Disney+.