Star Wars TV shows on Disney+ have a mixed record. The Mandalorian was an immediate hit, but the spinoff The Book of Boba Fett was much less popular. People mostly seemed to enjoy Ahsoka, but were so tepid about The Acolyte that Disney canceled it after one season.
The one show everyone seems to agree is great is Andor, a prequel to the movie Rogue One that follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he turns from a selfish smuggler into a true believing member of the Rebel Alliance. The second and final season is on the way, and cast member Adria Arjona — who plays arms dealer and Andor's ex-girlfriend Bix Caleen — is confident it's going to blow us all away.
"Oh man, when I read season one, I pinched myself, and when I started reading season two, I was like, ' can’t outdo ,'" Arjona told The Hollywood Reporter. "So I started reading episode one, and I was again like, 'It’s not going to be as good.' But it’s fucking better. It’s so much better. It is. What he has crafted and created is mind-blowing, and I can’t believe I got to be a part of it. I have Tony Gilroy on speed dial. I don’t think that man gets bothered by anybody else but me. I’m like, 'Hey, Tony, do you think I should do this? Hey, Tony, how are you?' And he’s like, “You’re calling again?' (Laughs.) I just have so much respect for him. He’s so talented, and he really outdid himself for season two."
"He’s a really good chat, and he’s so funny. And the way he talks to me — no one believes in me more than Tony Gilroy. He sees things that I don’t see. He sees my value as an actor. I’m like, “I don’t know if I can.” And he’s like, “What are you talking about? Yes, you can.” And I’m like, “Okay. Yes, I can.” He just believes in me so much, and he’s really turned into my godfather in this industry."
I have two thoughts: first, Tony Gilroy sounds like a neat guy. Second, while it's hard to believe the second season of Andor could improve this much on the first, that first season was so good I'm going to assume Arjona is telling the truth. I think phrases like "gritty Star Wars" or "Star Wars for adults" get thrown around a lot when describing this or that entry in this long-running franchise, but Andor actually found a way to do it that held together and wasn't ridiculous. I was impressed with the first season and I'm ready for a repeat.
Clearly, Arjona herself is a convert. She even commemorated her character with a tattoo. "It’s a little tiny x for Bix, and I got it … Can I say it? Disney can’t fire me. I already shot it. It’s in the can. I got it while I was on set," she revealed. "My makeup artist did a stick-and-poke in the middle of a lunch break."
We'll probably be watching the second season of Andor sometime early next year. In the meanwhile, Arjona is appearing this week in the new psychological thriller Blink Twice, where she plays a former reality TV contestant summoned to a mysterious island.
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