Messenger (Andor)
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = Andor
| image = AndorMessenger.png
| image_alt = The Ghormans debate on how to combat the Empire
| caption = The Ghorman Front debate on how to combat the Empire.
| season = 2
| episode = 7
| director = Janus Metz
| writer = Dan Gilroy
| music = Brandon Roberts
| photographer = Mark Patten
| editor = Yan Miles
| release_date = {{Start date|2025|05|06}}
| length = 44 minutes
| guests = * Anton Lesser as Major Partagaz
- Kurt Egyiawan as Attendant Grymish
- Jonjo O'Neill as Captain Kaido
- Thierry Godard as Lezine
- Richard Sammel as Carro Rylanz
- Pierro Niel-Mee as Erskin Semaj
- Alistair Petrie as General Davits Draven
| prev = What a Festive Evening
| next = Who Are You?
}}
"Messenger" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American science fiction political spy thriller drama television series Andor. It is the nineteenth episode of the series overall; it was written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Janus Metz.
The episode is set in BBY 2{{efn|2 years before the Battle of Yavin, i.e the events of Rogue One (2016)}}, a year after the events of the previous episode.
"Messenger" was released on Disney+ on May 6, 2025 as part of a three-episode block also including "Who Are You?" and "Welcome to the Rebellion", and received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Plot
One year later, the Rebels have begun coordinating military operations on Yavin IV, where Cassian and Bix now live. Wilmon tells them that Dedra is on Ghorman—whose rebel activities have been portrayed by state-sponsored media as terrorism instigated by outside agitators—and encourages Cassian to help assassinate her. Despite his concerns over the mission being from Luthen, Cassian agrees and travels with Wilmon to Ghorman. Bix is told by a Force healer that Cassian will be vital to the Rebellion. On Ghorman, Dedra finds her position temporarily supplanted by Captain Kaido, sent by Partagaz to oversee the Imperial subjugation of the planet, while Syril begins to doubt Dedra's line on outside agitators, given his interactions with the rebels.
Production
= Writing =
The episode was written by Dan Gilroy, in his fourth writing credit for the show, and directed by Janus Metz, prior to directing the following two episodes of the series.{{Cite web |last=Lovitt |first=Maggie |date=April 8, 2023 |title=Tony Gilroy on the Race to Finish His Final 'Andor' Season 2 Script |url=https://collider.com/andor-season-2-tony-gilroy-script-comments/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408223151/https://collider.com/andor-season-2-tony-gilroy-script-comments/ |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |access-date=June 24, 2025 |website=Collider}}{{Cite web |title=Andor (2021–2024) |url=https://directories.wga.org/project/1225499/andor/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609150719/https://directories.wga.org/project/1225499/andor |archive-date=June 9, 2024 |access-date=June 24, 2025 |website=Writers Guild of America West}}{{Cite web |last=Lovitt |first=Maggie |date=November 3, 2022 |title='Andor's Season 2 Directors Revealed by Series Creator Tony Gilroy [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/andor-season-2-directors-ariel-kleinman-janus-metz-alonso-ruizpalacios/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114191104/https://collider.com/andor-season-2-directors-ariel-kleinman-janus-metz-alonso-ruizpalacios/ |archive-date=November 14, 2022 |access-date=June 24, 2025 |website=Collider}} The episodes of Andor's second season, like those of its first, are split up into blocks, or story arcs, of three episodes; however, unlike in season one, each arc begins with a time skip of one year from the previous episode.{{Cite web |last=Travis |first=Ben |date=May 4, 2023 |title=Andor Season 2's Final Three Episodes Cover The Three Days Before Rogue One – Exclusive |url=https://www.empireonline.com/tv/news/andor-season-2-final-three-episodes-cover-three-days-before-rogue-one-exclusive/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506204817/https://www.empireonline.com/tv/news/andor-season-2-final-three-episodes-cover-three-days-before-rogue-one-exclusive/ |archive-date=May 6, 2023 |access-date=June 24, 2025 |website=Empire}} Series showrunner Tony Gilroy decided to structure the season this way after concluding that the original five-season plan for the show was unfeasible, and needing some way to bridge the four years between season 1 and Rogue One (2016) in a single season. As proof of concept, he wrote the first and last episodes of each would-be arc, and eventually decided on this structure for the season.{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/tony-gilroy-andor-star-wars-rogue-one-interview.html |title="Before Anyone Else Defines It, I'm Going to Define It": Tony Gilroy on 'Andor', 'Rogue One', the Star Wars Universe |website=Vulture |publisher=Vox Media, LLC |last=Hadadi |first=Roxana |date=May 16, 2025 |access-date=June 24, 2025}}
= Music =
The original score for "Messenger", as with nine other episodes of the season's twelve{{efn|All episodes of season 2 but "Ever Been to Ghorman?" and "I Have Friends Everywhere" credit Roberts as the main composer}}, was composed by Brandon Roberts, replacing Nicholas Britell, the composer for the show's first season, due to scheduling conflicts.{{Cite web |date=April 11, 2025 |title=Brandon Roberts Scoring Disney+'s 'Andor' Season 2 |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/04/11/brandon-roberts-scoring-disneys-andor-season-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250416183502/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/04/11/brandon-roberts-scoring-disneys-andor-season-2/ |archive-date=April 16, 2025 |access-date=June 23, 2025 |website=Film Music Reporter}}
The soundtrack for the episode was released alongside that of the other two episodes in its block on May 9, 2025 via Walt Disney Records as part of the third of four volumes of the second season's original score.{{cite web |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/05/08/details-for-andor-season-2-vol-3-episodes-7-9-soundtrack-album-revealed/ |title=Details for 'Andor' Season 2 – Vol. 3 (Episodes 7-9) Soundtrack Album Revealed |website=Film Music Reporter |date=May 8, 2025 |access-date=June 23, 2025}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Andor Season 2: Episode 7 (Original Soundtrack)
| total_length = 14:34
| title1 = Andor (Main Title Theme) – Episode 7
| length1 = 0:41
| title2 = Yavin
| length2 = 1:28
| title3 = We Are the Ghor
| length3 = 1:04
| title4 = The Force Healer
| length4 = 2:15
| title5 = Messenger
| length5 = 1:50
| title6 = He'll Be There When You Need Him
| length6 = 2:32
| title7 = Sniper
| length7 = 2:33
| title8 = I Knew – Ghorman Aria{{efn|Performed by Ann de Renais; the track also plays in the background of Dedra's apartment in "Sagrona Teema"}}
| length8 = 2:11
}}
Release
"Messenger" was released on Disney+ on May 6, 2025 as part of a three-episode block, alongside "Who Are You?" and "Welcome to the Rebellion".
Reception
= Critical response =
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 86% approval rating, based on 7 reviews.{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |id=andor |type=tv |title=Messenger |season=2 |episode=7 |access-date=June 22, 2025}}{{cbignore}}
William Hughes of The A.V. Club gave a positive review, writing "Diego Luna doesn't get to have a ton of fun this episode, but Cassian clearly gets a kick out of screwing with Wilmon, big brother-style, when they leave for Ghorman."{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/andor-recap-season-2-episode-7 |title=Andor slips a little hokey religion into its brewing war |website=The A.V. Club |first=William |last=Hughes |date=May 6, 2025 |access-date=June 22, 2025}} Mike Redmond of Pajiba gave a negative review, summarizing that "I'm going to put my cards on the table here: I am confounded by the creative choices made in this latest chapter, possibly even infuriated".{{cite web |url=https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/is-cassian-a-force-sensitive-jedi-andor-season-2-episodes-7-8-9-recap.php |title='Andor' Season 2 Recap: Somehow, The Force Awakens |first=Mike |last=Redmond |website=Pajiba |date=May 7, 2025 |access-date=June 23, 2025}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb episode|20603306}}
- {{Star Wars.com episode|andor/andor-season-2-episode-7-episode-guide}}
- {{Wookieepedia episode|Messenger}}
{{Andor (TV series)}}
{{Janus Metz Pedersen}}
{{Dan Gilroy}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Andor (TV series) episodes
Category:2025 American television episodes
Category:Television episodes directed by Janus Metz Pedersen