We were caught off-guard when the first season of Andor was going to premiere in September with not one, not two but three episodes. While we’ve had a two-episode premiere in the past, this was quite the surprise for many when it was first revealed. Most assumed it might be to make way for what else is released on Disney+ throughout the rest of the year, but it seems that there is even a story reason for this decision.
In an interview with Variety, Tony Gilroy revealed that the reason they decided to release three episodes is that they were written and directed by the same team. Not just that, but it also is a single story arc that unfolds throughout these three episodes. So, they purposefully didn’t want to break it up in its premiere which also became their base structure for how they attempt the second season. It is also why the first and second seasons each consist of 12 episodes, as three episodes would cover a certain amount of time in the next season.
They want to explore five years in this story, but their original plan to have it unravel with one season per year just wouldn’t make it, as production would take too long. So, Andor‘s first season covers one year broken into story arcs while the second season will have three episodes cover a specific amount of time. So, it’ll be interesting to see how it balances multiple years in a single season with this same approach.
Source: Variety
