Andor’s Three-Episode Premiere: Complete Recap and Ending Explained

Here we go again. Yet another Star Wars spinoff series. Andor is here and the first three episodes of the first season are out now for us to decode. If you’ve been a fan of Star Wars, you probably already know about Cassian Andor, a Rebel spy and freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Andor is a prequel to Rogue One, tracing Cassian’s character development and the events that led him to do what he did in the previous series. Andor also delves into the socio-political atmosphere of the galaxy during this time, which to say the least, is pretty grim.

The Empire is in full force, so much so that the ambitious folk have become power-hungry in their rule since they believe that no one can overthrow such a strongly authoritarian regime. This is, however, the right time for the dissenters to strike.

If you’ve already watched Rogue One, you know Cassian’s fate. So, Andor is expected to deal with Cassian’s backstory and explain what led him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Disney+ dropped the first three episodes of Andor together. After watching the episodes, I would say that it is a smart move. The first two episodes are quite character-driven and are intended to set up the world and its characters, so it takes some time for viewers to get used to the show’s gritty universe.

Episode 3 in contrast is a rollercoaster ride, that establishes Cassian as a major threat to the Empire while also exploring the anxiety and danger of that time. Just for you to catch up and get some major questions answered, here are short recaps of all three premiere episodes and their endings explained!

Andor Episode 1 Ending Explained

Andor Episode 1 introduces us to Cassian the same way he was introduced in Rogue One. It begins with Cassian searching for his sister at a bar in Morlana One. After irking a couple of sentry guards, he ends up beating them up and accidentally murders one. When the other guy pleads to him, he kills him, too.

This leads to Syril Karn, the Deputy Inspector of the Pre-Mor authority, being hell-bent on capturing Cassian for killing the two security guards. He belongs to a security organization that works for the Empire, but his boss is reluctant to let him capture Cassian since it reflects badly on their records.

Syril is a typical douchebag who is detested by everyone at work. He puts up a public notice that they’re looking for a dangerous Kenari man from Ferrix, referring to Cassian, of course. Since Cassian’s official documents mention that he is from Fex and very few know about him being from Kenari, we are left wondering how things will work out.

Meanwhile, Cassian meets Bix, who clearly has some romantic history with him. He forces her to contact a “secret friend” who buys things from her. We learn that Cassian wants to sell an untraceable NS-9 Starpath unit that has its Vector crystals and Imperial seal still intact. After a lot of pestering, Bix agrees to call her buyer.

Bix’s work friend, Timm, grows jealous of Bix and Cassian’s frequent, secret meetups. This plays a significant role in Episode 2 when he finds out about her real deal with Cassian. We also see Syril locating a ship that belongs to Cassian. He sets up a team to search for the ship and capture Cassian.  

Andor Episode 2 Ending Explained

Episode 2 picks up from the events of Episode 1, where Timm plays an important role. As we saw in Episode 1, Timm was already jealous of Bix and Cassian’s meetups. He accidentally finds out that the Pre-Mor Authority is looking for a Kenari male resident from Ferrix when he peaks into Bix’s monitor.

Since Timm was already suspicious after seeing Bix restless, he easily puts the pieces together and realizes that the Pre-Mor Authority is looking for none other than Cassian. However, Bix tells Cassian that she had not revealed his Kenari origins to Timm. But, honestly speaking, it was not too difficult to figure it out, given Bix’s expressions.

Now that Syril was close to getting hold of Cassian, it was essential that he complete the deal with Bix’s buyer, Luthen Rael, before the Pre-Mor gets hold of him. Timm anonymously informs Syril’s men about Cassian’s whereabouts, which makes their job much easier.

Before preparing for the deal, Cassian tells Bee that if the plan is successful, he will deliver the credits to Maarva himself. If not, he will inform Bee via the comms, and it will deliver the credits to Maarva.

The episode ends at a crucial point, with Cassian, Rael, and Syril heading towards the meeting point. The ending sets us up for the intense action in Episode 3, which proves to be worth the build-up.

Andor Episode 3 Ending Explained

The Episode 3 ending, full of intensity and drama, sees Cassian being recruited on a mission for the Rebel Alliance. Episode 3 also reveals his true identity, so there’s a lot that happens in this episode.

At the end of Episode 3, the mysterious Rebel agent, Luthen, who was also Bix’s buyer, approached Andor with an unspecified mission. Cassian agreed to participate, or rather he is forced to agree, in exchange for a ride and some credits. He understood that accepting the mission is the only way for him to escape Ferrix.

This mystery man, Luthen, is a Rebel leader with ties to Mon Mothma, according to the Andor trailers. His actual rank in the Rebel Alliance is not known, but he seems to have enough resources and enough discretion to decide for himself whether or not to recruit Cassian into the mission.

It is possible that Luthen is separate from the cell structure that maintained the Rebel Alliance. He is most likely one of the overseers whose existence is a crucial secret, as they would be at risk if identified.

Meanwhile, Corporate Security’s plan to capture Andor fails miserably. This was because Syril underestimated the hostility of Ferrix as an environment. They also arrived too late to prevent Cassian’s meeting with Luthen.

This leads to various CorSec agents being killed, which is a major incident and will surely have major consequences and draw the Empire’s attention.

Andor Episodes 1-3 Flashbacks Explained

The Kenari flashbacks are spread over the first 3 episodes of Andor, and reveals a lot about Cassian’s childhood. The mystery behind Cassian’s home planet is given to us in a slow-burn.

Basically, young Cassian, then known as Kassa, and his sister were a part of a tribe on Kenari. They banded together to investigate a crashed ship on their planet. Though most of the crew members were dead, one was alive, who immediately shoots the leader of Cassian’s tribe.

Everyone runs away, but Cassian stays back to inspect the ship, and is intercepted by scavengers Maarva Andor and B2EMO droid. Maarva understood that if left alone, young Cassian would be killed by Imperials. So, she took Cassian against his will and he is forced to abandon his sister. This is when young Cassian, or Kassa took the name Andor.

We notice the clear tension between Cassian and Maarva in present times, but the former does not blame his stepmother for his childhood trauma. While Maarva’s intentions were pure as she only wanted to save Cassian, she ended up separating him from his only family.

This explains the background behind the entire Morgana One incident, which happens because he was looking for his long-lost sister, whom she believes is still alive. Though Cassian has forgiven Maarva, he surely hasn’t forgotten.

About Andor

Andor is an American television series created by Tony Gilroy for the streaming service Disney+. It is a prequel to the Star Wars film Rogue One (2016), following the character Cassian Andor five years before the events of the film.

Set five years before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor will see Cassian in his formative years as he becomes the charismatic Rebel and espionage master.

Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Stellan Skarsgaard, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, and others star in the show. The series premiered on Disney+ on September 21, 2022, with the first three episodes.