The anticipation for the return of Andor may have seemed endless, but the 12-episode release schedule for the Lucasfilm Star Wars spin-off story will unfold at a much faster pace in its second season. With three episodes dropping each week, the story will jump through different points in time, ultimately leading up to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Creator Tony Gilroy expressed his excitement about the scope of the story and the numerous characters that will be introduced, stating, “One of the great thrills of making Andor is the scale of the story and the number of characters we’re able to meet—ordinary people, Imperial overlords, passionate revolutionaries. They are real people making epic decisions, all of them staring down questions with terrifying consequences. Cassian’s journey is the soul and spine of our story, but it’s the choir that makes the show. I’m so excited for audiences to see where we go in season two.”

The prospect of keeping up with the multiple storylines in a format akin to four weeks of three-hour movies is thrilling. Hopefully, this will provide sufficient time to delve into the incredible characters from season one, including fan-favorite heroes and villains. The characters’ arcs will continue to portray life under the Empire’s rule in a richly intriguing manner, and in season two, these threads must intertwine to lead up to the events of Rogue One‘s Death Star plans heist.

The decision to release episodes in clusters of three every week suggests that each drop might be more self-contained, potentially focusing on specific story arcs. There’s a lot to catch up on, including Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) as they continue to fund the revolution amidst the dangers of high society politics, and Bix (Adria Arjona) playing a more significant role alongside Andor in the rebellion.

Andor will need to resolve the power struggle between Dedra (Denise Gough) and Syril (Kyle Soller) within the Imperial forces, which is filled with tension. The moving pieces crucial to the rebellion’s success, such as the class-crossing dynamics among Vel (Faye Marsay), Cinta (Varada Sethu), and Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau), will also need to be addresssed. Furthermore, the stage must be set for Rogue One‘s Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn reprising his role) and Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) as they confront the threat of the Death Star.

This specific period in Star Wars lore continues to captivate the fandom, and there’s a lot to keep track of. The decision to move away from a weekly, single-episode release is intriguing, and it’s possible that it’s a response to the need to account for hours watched in a shorter span of time. The experience with The Acolyte serves as a prime example, as it initially seemed to struggle with viewership but ultimately became the second most-watched series on Disney+ by the end of the year.

This new release strategy could be seen as a compromise, aiming to cater to both weekly viewers and those who prefer to binge-watch entire seasons. When Andor premieres its first arc of three episodes in April, it will become clear whether this approach will work. The question remains whether the clusters of episodes will feel like individual movies leading up to a final movie that connects to Rogue One. Regardless, the return of these beloved characters is highly anticipated, and their stories are more relevant than ever.

Andor is set to premiere on April 22 on Disney+.

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