Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Andor Season 2.
Now that all episodes of Andor Season 2 have been released, it felt like the perfect time to rewatch Season 1. While I have rewatched Season 1 before, this was my first time since having the context of knowing everything that happens in Season 2. Having this context made me see much of the show and many of the character interactions through a different lens.
Given everything that happens in Season 2, every episode now has scenes that hit differently. This is not an exclusive list by any means, but these are 6 of the moments that had a particularly strong impact on me the second time around.
1. “You fall here, you fall alone.”
When Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) demands that her fellow ISB supervisor, Blevin (Doc Brown), hand over the full Ferrix reports in Season 1, episode 4, he rejects this demand and tells Dedra, "You fall here, you fall alone." During all the previous times that I watched this scene, my focus was on the double standards that Dedra faced as a woman at the ISB and how Blevin underestimated her at his own peril.
After knowing how Dedra's story ends and seeing the beauty of Andor's villains destroying themselves, Blevin's line takes on new meaning, as he tells Dedra exactly what her fate is going to be. She is allowed and even encouraged to bend the rules when it benefits the Empire, but the moment she becomes a liability, all her peers abandon her. Blevin warned Dedra that she would fall alone, and after all the horrific things she does, it is a deeply satisfying ending for her.
2. Mon Mothma says she trusts Tay Kolma
In Season 1, episode 11, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) tells her cousin, Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), about the challenging financial situation she is in and how she is worried about what will happen. When Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) is mentioned, Mon says that she trusts him. While she is facing tremendous stress and potential danger because of her finances, Tay seems to be someone she can rely on.
After seeing Tay fall apart and become a liability in Andor Season 2, it is tragic to hear Mon say these words about him. He went from being one of the few people she could count on and be herself with to becoming a threat who could have destroyed everything she worked so hard to build. This time around, I found it heartbreaking to know that even Tay would let her down.
3. “I don’t have lately. I have always."
During a different part of Season 1, episode 11, Vel goes to see Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) at his shop, and has to meet with Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) instead. Vel says to Kleya, "I gave him Aldhani. What have you done lately?" Kleya's response is "I don't have lately. I have always." While Kleya does not share specifics, it has always been clear that she has a long history with Luthen and that she does more behind the scenes than anyone knows.
After the Kleya and Luthen flashbacks in Season 2, episode 10, this Season 1 scene can never be seen the same way again. We now understand the horrors Kleya lived through as a child, that she is the motivation behind Luthen's rebellion, and how their paths have been deeply intertwined for years. It is no exaggeration for Kleya to say "I have always," and given that history, I can understand why she would feel insulted at Vel suggesting she has done more for the rebellion.
I also like rewatching all the Kleya and Vel scenes in Season 1 when knowing how their stories will end on Yavin 4. There is palpable tension, and they do not hide how much they dislike each other. However, when Kleya's world has fallen apart and she is struggling on Yavin 4 in the Andor series finale, Vel is there to support her, and the two women are there for each other in the end.
4. “Come away from the window."
When Vel returns to Ferrix in the Andor Season 1 finale, all she wants is a moment with Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu). Unfortunately, Cinta can only focus on the mission to find and kill Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Vel tells her to "come away from the window," from where Cinta is obsessively watching what is happening outside. Cinta eventually turns around and looks at Vel, but there is still a sense of distance between them, and Cinta remains more focused on the mission than on her relationship with Vel.
This scene is far more tragic during a rewatch, given Cinta's fate in Season 2. It is painful to see her taking her relationship with Vel for granted and wasting the limited time they have left when knowing that she will regret this and will ultimately die a needless death. This is the kind of moment that Cinta refers to in Season 2 when she apologizes for hurting Vel and for wishing they had more time together.
5. Cassian listens to Nemik’s manifesto
Cassian listening to the manifesto written by Karis Nemik (Alex Lawther) in the Season 1 finale has always been an inspiring moment. Nemik's words are profound and moving on their own and are made even stronger by how they capture Cassian's journey. It is a turning point where Cassian is no longer just a rebel, but is ready to be part of a larger cause, and moving closer to being the unsung hero who will play an integral role in saving the galaxy.
All of this is still true, but the scene is even more impactful after seeing Lio Partagaz (Anton Lesser) listening to Nemik's manifesto in the series finale. Nemik's words are one of the last things Partagaz hears, and they encapsulate how the rebellion has spread across the galaxy and become impossible to contain. I love that Nemik goes from inspiring a single man to becoming a voice for the entire rebellion that haunts Partagaz in his final moments.
6. Luthen listens to the sounds of the Empire killing Ferrix citizens
There is a moment in the Andor Season 1 finale where Luthen stops and listens to the sounds of distant blasterfire as the Empire kills Ferrix citizens. He watches with a pained expression on his face, and I used to always interpret this as him experiencing firsthand what it is like for people to suffer and die at the hands of the Empire.
The scene feels completely different once you know Luthen's backstory and that he was once an Imperial soldier ordered to massacre others. I imagine he is thinking of the massacre that killed Kleya's family, and that the sounds of blasterfire and agonized screaming transport him back to that traumatizing memory. While this Season 1 scene was the one that felt the most different this time around, none of Luthen's scenes can be viewed the same way after seeing his backstory with Kleya.