'Andor' season two is a 'Star Wars' masterpiece thanks to its surprising realism

• "Andor" season two is a gripping masterpiece that elevates the "Star Wars" franchise.
• The show's brutal action and rich character exploration are second to none.
• The "Andor" cast told Business Insider that its sociopolitical commentary is "timeless."

"Andor" season two brings "Star Wars" closer to the real world than ever before, delivering a suspenseful masterpiece underpinned by deeper message. The cast and crew spoke to Business Insider about the show's "timeless" themes that make it so effective.

The second season takes place four years before the events of 2016's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and 1977's "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope."

While the franchise has always been about fighting an oppressive regime, "Andor" season two seems filled with real-world allegories that stretch across time.

Much of the story revolves around the Galactic Empire using propaganda to weaponize hate toward the Ghorman people to stoke a revolution and commit genocide against them.

"The Ghorman Massacre" is an event referenced in other "Star Wars" projects. In "Andor" season two, audiences are shown the lengths to which the Imperial regime goes to displace and murder this group. Watching it in the current global climate, the affect was chilling.

When Business Insider asked showrunner Tony Gilroy what he wanted audiences to take away from "Andor" season two he said, "The sorry truth is that we always think that we live in special times and that everything that's happening to us is unique. And the point of fact is: Peace and prosperity are the rarity."

"It was all too easy to pick comparables for the show from many, many historical sources," he added. "We're not writing with a newspaper in mind. We're trying to write something that's timeless."

The story is bolstered by some powerful performances from Diego Luna and Adria Arjona, who play the show's main characters Cassian Andor and Bix Calleen, as their respective traumas drive them further into the fight against the Empire.

Their dedication to defeating the Empire looks at the human cost of standing up for what's right. They work alongside rebel mastermind Luthen Rael (Stellan Skårsgard), who plots to destabilize the Empire, and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), a senator who balances motherhood while opposing the Empire in the Galactic Senate.

That sense of righteousness is something Genevieve O'Reilly, the Irish-Australian actor who plays Mothma, was thinking about during filming.

She told BI, "Courage is powerful; we can all be courageous," before adding that the show is about the "courage of ordinary folk."

Her co-star Luna echoed those sentiments, saying: "Being part of a community makes you powerful. This show is about that."

"Andor" is succeeds because it doesn't rely too heavily on swashbuckling, lightsaber-wielding hero tropes of other "Star Wars" offshoots. These characters feel real; they have hopes and dreams of living peacefully together.

Even though the series takes place across various planets, cities, and military bases, the action and drama never feel over the top. Every fight scene is grounded in the characters' painstaking battle for survival.

"Andor"'s meticulously choreographed conflicts invites audiences to reflect more closely on the war aspect of "Star Wars."

However, being part of a wider franchise is something that the cast was conscious of. Denise Gough, who plays Dedra Meero, the Imperial agent hunting Andor and the rebels, said that she hopes they've "done the legacy proud, because it is quite a legacy."

Science fiction is typically at its best when it's telling a very human story in a fantastical setting."Andor" season two is a blistering look at our own history, albeit underscored with laser guns and spaceships.

Most surprisingly of all, it's the best "Star Wars" story since the original trilogy.