The first three episodes of the long-awaited Star Wars series Andor are no longer unnamed, as Disney+ has announced their titles. While the three episodes were available on the streaming site on September 21, they were untitled. This was most likely done by Lucasfilm to prevent spoilers from being revealed. The following afternoon, though, Disney+ had updated Andor’s page with titles for the trio.
The first episode, titled “Kassa,” reintroduces the spectator to Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the character who died while assisting in the recovery of Death Star plans in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As a prequel, “Kassa” gets right into the action, depicting Cassian on the run after unwittingly committing a double murder. Cassian seeks to hide from the authorities after being forced to flee to the planet Ferrix, while new characters are introduced, including companions Brasso (Joplain Sibtain) and Bix (Adria Arjona), as well as Cassian’s loyal droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman) and adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw). The episode also shows Cassian’s upbringing on Kenari and reveals that he used to go by the moniker Kassa.
Cassian’s attempts to flee the authorities are explored further in Episode 2, “That Would Be Me.” Cassian must now leave Ferrix, since he is being pursued by operatives of the firm whose employees he murdered, as the episode begins. After a warrant is issued for his arrest, Cassian works to devise an escape plan by selling a starfighter to Bix’s buyer, Luthen (Stellan Skarsgrd), who appears to be hiding some secrets of his own. The episode also continues the flashbacks by seeing Kassa and his fellow Kenari inspecting a crashed ship when something goes wrong, prompting him to enter the wreckage.
Andor’s third episode is titled “Reckoning,” which is also the title of an episode of The Mandalorian, however that episode is actually titled “The Reckoning.” Cassian’s reckoning comes in the shape of Luthen, who catches up with him on Ferrix just before the corporate warriors arrive to take him down. Luthen quickly tries to persuade Cassian to join the Rebel Alliance, demonstrating that he is more than just a buyer. Cassian and Luthen, with the assistance of B2EMO, Bix, and Maarva, successfully dodge the soldiers and flee the planet, where it appears that further adventures await. This episode also depicts Maarva’s encounter with Cassian, which occurred during the flashback aboard the crashed spacecraft.
Andor’s first three episodes gained critical acclaim, much like Rogue One, which was written by Andor creator and executive producer Tony Gilroy. Critics have complimented the series for depicting a distinct, grittier version of the Star Wars universe, and have pointed out that the plot lacks Jedi, Sith, lightsabers, and other Star Wars staples.