Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2!
the Andor season 2 ending stuck the landing in so many ways. However, viewers were surprised to discover two major absences from the characters who appeared in Andor season 2.
Many were expecting both Cassian's sister, Kerri, and Andy Serkis' character Kino Loy to return in Andor season 2, but neither one returned to the show. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy explained that, for Kino Loy's absence:
“Andy dropped the mic, man.... What am I going to do that’s going to be better than what we did? All it does is minimize that moment. I knew a lot of people were talking about whether we had a way of [bringing him back]. But I didn’t want to have that sort of coincidental environment.”
Regarding Kerri, Gilroy explained:
“[Kino Loy] is like the sister — people wanted to know if we’re going to resolve the sister... And the sister, in the beginning, is so much more interesting to me as a deficit. She’s much more valuable to me for Cassian as an absence. As he says in the end, ‘Maybe I should stop saving people.’ His need to return and save people and to be a savior and the compulsion to do that comes from this hole in his life, and I didn’t really didn’t want to fill that in.”
There will no doubt be mixed reactions to each character's absence, although Gilroy's points are well-taken.
The Conclusions To These Characters' Stories Are Somewhat Unsatisfying—And That Is The Point
This Continues The Trend Of Andor's Realism
Audiences are likely to be disappointed that Andor season doesn't reveal the fate of Cassian's sister Kerri or Kino Loy, but that choice is actually brilliant. Throughout Andor seasons 1 and 2, though season 2 in particular, the show has been dedicated to showing a more realistic depiction of oppression and rebelling against fascism. The fact that these two characters aren't given a clearly defined ending, especially as that relates to Cassian's story, is believable and painfully realistic.
Cassian doesn't ever find his sister, and that's absolutely brutal, but it's also something that Star Wars so rarely does. Even when there is a sad ending, as is the case many times in Star Wars movies and TV shows, there's frequently a conclusive ending. This shows the realities of fascist regimes such as the Empire in a much more authentic way. Sadly, in Kino Loy's case, this likely means he's dead, especially given his final words were that he could not swim.
Andor Season 2's Finale Leads Straight Into Rogue One: 38 Star Wars Easter Eggs & References Explained
The final episodes of Andor season 2 are here, leading up directly to the events of Rogue One with multiple Easter eggs, references, and connections.
Our Take On Kerri And Kino Loy's Absences
It Is A Shame Not To Know How Their Stories End, But It's Worth The Message
Image via Disney+
I will it that I was disappointed to realize Kerri and Kino Loy's stories were left open-ended, even as I recognize why these were valid choices. With Cassian's sister in particular, I held out hope that he would, at the very least, learn what happened to her if not reunite with her before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (and therefore his death). I was even among the camp who briefly wondered whether Kleya could be his sister, but I'm now certain that's not the case for myriad reasons.
It also seemed likely Andy Serkis would return in Andor season 2, so that absence shocked me. Even while feeling disappointed, though, I recognize that Gilroy is right. Kino Loy's story is powerful because of those brutal final moments, and bringing the character back would have diluted that. It's also meaningful that Cassian doesn't get a satisfying ending and find his sister, as that is a more realistic representation of how some stories go. It would have been fascinating to see these two characters back on the screen in Andor season 2, but I understand why Tony Gilroy chose otherwise.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
All episodes of Andor season 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
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