Andor Creator Explains Why He Chose To End The Series With That Final Shot

Rebellions are built on hope — the hope that you've watched up to episode 12 of "Andor" season 2, because there are heavy spoilers ahead.

"Star Wars" is a sandbox that can support a wide variety of stories and tones, from the child-friendly whimsy of "Skeleton Crew" to the darker morality tale of "The Bad Batch." And yet, there is nothing quite like "Andor" in the galaxy far, far away. It's at times hard to look at what showrunner Tony Gilroy and his team have accomplished and think it is part of the same universe as George Lucas' original space fantasy. Sure, both focus on the Empire, the Rebellion, and have stormtroopers, but "Andor" is by far the darkest, most harrowing and heart-wrenching thing we've ever seen in "Star Wars."

Throughout 12 episodes, season 2 of "Andor" showcased the human cost of fighting fascism, the epic sacrifices made in the name of freedom, and how messy that can be. The Rebel Alliance is no longer just a purely good faction of freedom fighters, but a morally complex and nuanced coalition of many groups with their own goals and ideals. It's an alliance that was willing to erase arguably its biggest contributor for the sake of good PR, which abandoned allies, and was too cowardly to fight until individuals took matters into their own hands.

With such a dark show, especially one that builds up to the start of "Rogue One" — a movie where all the main characters die — it would be easy for "Andor" to end on a depressing note. Thankfully, Tony Gilroy knows better, and the show ends up with a rather heartwarming scene: Bix (Adria Arjona) back on Mina-Rau, with her and Cassian's child on her arms.

/Film's Ben Pearson spoke with Tony Gilroy about the making of season 2, and touched on the decision to end the series this way. "I had to end on something hopeful. I knew I did," Gilroy said, explaining:

"It's just such a very tough show on the characters. A lot of it's really heavy, and you know where you're going in 'Rogue [One]' is pretty dark, so it would be, not just a crime against storytelling, but just in my own spirit. I really have to finish with something uplifting. There really has to be hope. Otherwise, what are we doing?"

Having Bix not only make it out alive, but living happily with her and Cassian's child is possibly the single best ending in the "Star Wars" franchise (together with Broom Boy in "The Last Jedi"). It justifies every action the characters of "Andor" made throughout the two seasons. Every sacrifice, every death — it was all for this. Cassian (Diego Luna) burned his life for a sunrise he never got to see, but Bix did. The Skywalker Saga is all about how the Republic and the Jedi fell because one very stupid man could not let go of the woman he loved. Bix was able to let go of the man she loves, in order to put the Rebellion first, and in doing so paved the way for a better future.

Now, does Bix ever find out about what happened on Scarif? Is she in touch with Vel (Fare Marsay)? We don't know, but knowing that at the moment Cassian dies on Scarif, his child is alive and safe somewhere? Without a doubt the biggest victory in "Star Wars."

Well, second biggest. The biggest victory at the end of "Andor," and what this has all been about, is the brief shot of B2EMO on Mina-Rau happily playing with another droid like a couple of old dogs at the park. Cassian leaving his faithful droid behind remains arguably the most heartbreaking moment of the season, knowing the only thing Bee was looking forward to was being reunited with Cassian. Granted, the knowledge that they never saw each other again is still emotionally devastating, but perhaps everyone did the old droid a courtesy and never, ever told him about Cassian's death.

If anyone deserves a happy ending, to be blissfully ignorant of every bad thing happening in the galaxy and to just live a quiet life in the big farm upstate playing with other droids, it's B2EMO. To quote Gilroy, "Otherwise, what are we doing?"