Marvel at Tony Gilroy’s Original Pitch for ANDOR Season 2 (And How Close It Is to What We Saw)

Of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Bix’s relationship in Andor season two, Tony Gilroy said in his original pitch, “We left a love — a passionate, complex, real love — between two people who’ve been orbiting one another for years, not ready to move to the next level. We saw the power of the connection in Season One. We’ll lean into this. Bix is not just a romantic appendage. She’s worthy of the ingredients.” All of this turned out to be accurate. Bix (Adria Arjona) was a truly developed character in season two. Lesser shows might have made her trauma all about Cassian’s character arc. We’re glad to see Gilroy planned for Bix’s naunce right from his initial Andor season two pitch.

Gilroy’s pitch, of course, leans heavily into the Ghorman Massacre, which turns the character of Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) into a martyr for the Empire. But it is also the triggering event for the Rebel Alliance to find its leader in Mon Mothma, played by Genevieve O’Reilly. Gilroy’s Andor season two pitch also describes one of the most powerful moments from the series. It reads, “The Ghorman Massacre is Mon Mothma’s canonical red line. It’s this event that prompts her stand in the Senate chamber. She will denounce the Emperor and be forced to flee. We’ll be right there.”

From the look of this pitch, Gilroy had a compelling plan for Andor season two very early on, and the series was proof of how good Star Wars can be when planned out with a clear vision.