'Andor Season 2:' Absolutely stellar

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When "Rogue One" was released in 2016, it was easily the best "Star Wars" movie I had seen since the early 80's. I also thought it had the most talented cast (Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn and Forest Whitaker)! It was such a pity it was just a one-of.

But hey, Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, and there's nothing they love more than an IP they can milk. While most Star Wars streaming products really do seem like just that — content to keep the franchise alive and the money flowing, "Andor," a spin-off prequel to "Rogue One," truly stands out.

The second and final season of Andor wrapped up last month and now has been submitted for Emmy nominations in 23 categories.

Where to begin with the praises? The set design, art direction and cinematography are excellent, the shots are all fantastically set up and there are moments when I feel I'm looking at a painting — especially the scenes in the wheat farming planet of Mina-Rau.

The costume design is impeccable. Michael Wilkinson created about 700 costumes for the show and his work here is truly out of this world. From the light, bright, Japanese inspired elegance of Chandrila (where a wedding takes place) to the classic, navy blue and neutral styles of Ghorman, everything he does adds to the sense of place and mood. Then there's the costume work he does for each character, often revealing what's going on underneath. Even the props department has taken pains to understand the technology of this world. Floating stretchers and wheelchairs and automatic doors and yet — knobs, switches, jacks used for comms. Graphics, ship interiors and consoles are properly consistent with the first batch of Star Wars films.

Showrunner Tony Gilroy and his writing team have come up with a political thriller that gets viewers invested in so many of the characters. While the script seems to take inspiration from today's headlines — everyday people finding themselves under the boot of fascism and those in power finding themselves taken away for being vocal with their dissent — all this was written way ahead of the release date. The story constantly reminds us there's a price for freedom and rights

"Rebellions are built on hope," as the line goes but, Andor constantly reminds you, sacrifice remains another key ingredient. In the words of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård),

"I burn my life to make a sunrise I know I'll never see."

Life and love are constantly at risk, all in the name of the Rebellion.

While Diego Luna returns to play the titular character, so many members of the cast get to have their significant moments. Standouts are Kyle Soller as Syril Karn, a security officer/civil servant in the service of the Empire; and Denise Gough as Dedra Meero, an ambitious lieutenant with the Imperial Security Bureau. Both already have Olivier awards, which honors excellence on the British stage.

Alas, in Star Wars, every time beings get used to living in peace with their rights, sinister forces begin to cast their shadow. The galaxy can't seem to just catch a decent enough break. However, if they did, there'd be no more Star Wars stories to tell. I don't know if this is all in the service of making more products or a reflection of how the real world works.

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All episodes of "Andor" are on Disney+ and you can still avail of a 75 percent off subscription rate until the end of this month.