Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for the Andor season 2 finale!
Star Wars' best TV shows, if not the single best. This season has shown the grittier, more brutal realities of oppression and fighting fascism, and it has done so in a way that is innovative yet still feels like Star Wars.
The final three episodes of Andor season 2 were no exception, with tragic moments such as Luthen's death as well as satisfying endings, like Dedra Meero's imprisonment. For Cassian Andor, the conclusion of Andor season 2 was always going to be heartbreaking, as we already know he dies at the end of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Now, the Andor season 2 finale made Cassian's inevitable death so much more painful with the revelation that Bix Caleen was secretly pregnant with and gave birth to Cassian's baby—and he had no idea.
Andor Season 2's Shocking Twist Gives The Story Hope
Seeing Cassian Leave And Knowing His Fate Would Have Been Too Grim
This twist with Bix Caleen holding a baby (who is clearly Cassian's) at the end of Andor season 2, episode 12, was truly shocking, but it does make sense. Although we already knew how Cassian's story ends before Andor season 2, it would have been too dark for the show to conclude with Cassian setting off for the journey we know results in his death. Instead, the revelation that Cassian has a child is a way for Star Wars to infuse a sense of hope into the story, even knowing it will ultimately end in so much tragedy.
Speaking exclusively with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy spoke about this meaning directly. In response to a question regarding how far in advance he knew this was the plan for Andor season 2's conclusion, Gilroy explained:
"I knew, probably starting to sketch the second season. I had a good idea how much mileage we were going to put on these characters and how hard the road was going to be. And there’s a shadow over the show, and I just knew, not dramatically but personally, there had to be a legitimate hope at the end of this thing, or it was really… not abusive, but just wrong. There has to be a candle in the window, or what’s the point of getting up in the morning?"
After so much violence, heartbreak, and brutality throughout Andor season 2, Gilroy is likely correct that ending Andor season 2 in such a dark place would have felt "just wrong."
While a baby doesn't reverse the suffering that's been shown throughout Andor, nor does it negate the suffering we know is coming in Rogue One, it is a reminder that the story and the galaxy continue on—even if they do so without Cassian. For some, this may feel like salt in the wound, but that wasn't the intention. We've not yet seen Bix's reaction to the news of Cassian's death (and we may never), but there is also some comfort in the fact that she will still have this child, even when she learns about this terrible loss.
Andor Season 2's Finale Fully Explains Why Bix Left The Rebellion
This Is A Layered Issue, But The Baby Is A Key Part
Cassian was distraught that Bix had left in the Andor season 2 episode 9 ending, and now we know the full reason why she made that decision. In her note to Cassian in that episode, Bix explains that she cannot be the reason he abandons the Rebellion, as he had just told her he was willing to do, because she knows how important he is going to be. Presumably, that was true; the Force Healer had especially put it into Bix's head that Cassian was special, and his willingness to leave the rebel cause for her was surely concerning.
After all, Bix wanted the Empire taken down as badly as anyone, if not more so than most, given the torture she suffered in season 1 and the rape attempt by an Imperial officer she experienced in season 2, episode 3. It therefore makes sense that Bix would choose the Rebellion over Cassian and put the cause above her relationship—managing to do something that even Anakin Skywalker and Pé Amidala couldn't do. However, we now know that there was much more to it than just that.
Star Wars' Best TV Show Just Revealed The Truth About The Force (& It Shows Why Anakin & Pe Got It So Wrong)
One surprising plot point in Andor season 2, episode 9, has confirmed something about the Force that explains Anakin and Pe in a new way.
In the same interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy explained the logic behind this decision as well. Of the decision for Bix to be pregnant, Gilroy explained:
"And so, I had the idea percolating that was probably my best option. And then, as we sketched her departure when she leaves Cassian, and figuring out the throughline from this sort of destiny and the Force Healer, and feeling this… it really was confirmed for me… It’s a complicated idea… I really wanted to underline it for anybody who was doubtful about it. When they get to the end, they go, ‘Oh my God, she was pregnant. That’s why she’s leaving. Really? That’s what she’s not saying? Oh my God.’"
Impressively, some eagle-eyed Andor season 2 viewers had already spotted that the most recent three-episode arc had hidden shots of Bix's stomach and therefore suspected she may be pregnant, but many viewers will no doubt have exactly the reaction Gilroy describes.
Now We Know Why Bix Wanted Cassian To Keep Fighting
She Truly Believed The Rebellion Couldn't Do It Without Him—And She Was Right
It's true that Bix had other options here, including telling Cassian that she was pregnant and leaving the Rebellion behind with him, as he already wanted to do. Of course, that would be entirely against Bix's nature; she's proven throughout Andor that she is a fighter who never backs down. There's another reason for Bix to have insisted on leaving and telling Cassian to stay and fight, though: she no doubt desperately wanted to avoid bringing her child into a galaxy dominated by the violent Empire, and she knew the Rebellion needed Cassian to win.
In the end, Rogue One sadly proves her entirely correct. Without the Death Star plans, it's unlikely the Rebel Alliance could have defeated the Empire, as it simply would have become too powerful. However, that victory also required Cassian Andor's incredible sacrifice. While she clearly didn't think Cassian would die in this fight, as she tragically tells him she will find him after the fighting is over, Bix wanted a safe galaxy for their child, and she understood that Cassian was an essential person in that fight.
Where Bix Is Hiding From The Empire
Bix Returned To Mina-Rau
Image via Disney+
Although Bix's location remains a mystery to Cassian, we do get confirmation in the scene revealing the baby that Bix returned to Mina-Rau, the planet from Andor season 2, episodes 1-3. This is an interesting choice for a host of reasons, including the fact that this was the location of the rape attempt she experienced. However, there are many reasons that this location makes plenty of sense, too (including, perhaps, that she now sees this place as a reminder of her strength and ability to defend and save herself).
Among those reasons is the fact that she already had friendships and s established there, which would no doubt be helpful while raising a baby. Given the Empire had just performed a census on that planet not that long ago, it was also a safer option for Bix, as they would be unlikely to return for some time. Heartbreakingly, this was also likely an ideal choice because Bix was hoping Cassian would come looking for her after the war was over, and she knew he would know to look on Mina-Rau.
Evidently, though, bringing this planet to the screen for episode 12 posed a complicated problem. Speaking with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, Gilroy explained:
"It was really the last thing that we filmed because we lost our wheat fields up in England because of the strike, and they had to rebuild it all on the bond stage, and I came back for those last 10 days. You don’t want it to be too sugary. You don’t want it to be too obvious or cheesy in any way, but Alonzo Reese Palacious, and then Damian Garcia, who’s shooting it, I knew they would give us a really righteous frame. I knew that it would be really proper, and my confidence in Adria was brimming at that point, and I knew that she had earned it. She’s mother courage there. She’s bringing everything to that moment, and it’s not just a postcard. It’s really all in there, and it’s very satisfying."
Thankfully, the Andor team was able to make this work, as this really is the logical place for Bix to end up.
Cassian Andor Has Another Legacy After Rogue One
Cassian's Legacy Will Continue On Through His Baby—But Will We See This Child Again?
Major Star Wars choices like this one are always going to land with audiences in different ways, but I, for one, think this is a lovely way for Cassian's story to continue on in Star Wars. We know from the original trilogy and even several projects set after it that Cassian's name wasn't one known the galaxy over, despite how much he'd sacrificed for the Rebellion. This is a wonderful way for his legacy to continue on and, perhaps, for there to be a character who does honor and make known all that Cassian did for the galaxy.
At this point, it's unclear whether we will ever see Bix and Cassian's baby again or whether we will learn more about them. Apparently, per his interview with ScreenRant, even Tony Gilroy doesn't know. Gilroy explained, "I don't know the sex of the child or the name of the child or anything… Let's be honest, Disney owns that child." This means that, for now, Cassian and Bix's baby's future in Star Wars is an open book—one that we may or may not see again.
This plot twist with Bix Caleen at the end of Andor season 2 was truly shocking, but I believe it makes plenty of sense. Whether we see the baby in Star Wars stories or not, this is confirmation that part of Cassian Andor endures even after his devastating death in Rogue One. There will no doubt be mixed reactions to the revelation that Cassian Andor and Bix Caleen had a baby in Andor season 2, but I find it to be a fitting end, especially in light of Tony Gilroy's insights.
All episodes of Andor season 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
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