The season finale of Andor is an emotional whirlwind, taking us back to where it all started on Ferrix and bringing the first season of the best Star Wars show ever to a satisfying conclusion. As usual with the show, the finale had complex character interactions, tense, high-stakes scenarios, and an incredible set-piece showcasing the best of the Star Wars universe.
But one thing stood out above all the rest: B2EMO and Brasso are the Andor friendship we didn’t know we needed, and I would die for them.
[Ed. note: Spoilers follow for Andor season 1.]
Photo: Des Willie/Lucasfilm
When we first meet B2EMO, he’s missing Cassian greatly. There have been many great Star Wars droids over the years, but B2EMO instantly won us over with his sad monotone voice, his willingness to skirt his programming to lie for a friend, and his inquisitive head tilts. Also, he’s just plain adorable.
B2EMO is a loyal friend who wants to travel with Cassian, or for Cassian to stay with him, but that’s not possible — our hero has places to go and people to shoot. Instead, our new favorite droid stays on Ferrix with Maarva Andor. And after she dies in the 11th episode, he is despondent, curled up like a turtle in a shell and unwilling to leave her apartment.
That’s where Brasso (Joplin Sibtain) comes in. I’m on record here at Polygon as being a fan of big guys on TV, and Brasso is a wonderful addition to the crew. He’s a sensitive big lad with kind eyes who always speaks sensitively to Cassian (the scene in the finale where he passes on a posthumous message from Maarva is incredibly moving), and seems to be looking out for his fellow Ferrix residents, and we love that around here.
When faced with a despondent B2EMO, Brasso consoles him, while trying to convince B2EMO to leave the apartment ahead of the funeral. When it becomes clear the droid doesn’t want to leave (and after B2EMO sparks tears by saying “I don’t want to be alone”), Brasso offers to stay with B2EMO for the night in one of the most heartwarming scenes of the entire season.
Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.
That lays the foundation of their relationship, and sets up one of the most meaningful moments in the finale. At Maarva’s funeral, B2EMO projects a message from hologram Maarva, a stirring speech against the Empire that rallies the residents of Ferrix and angers the Imperial soldiers. One of them, in disgust, flips over poor B2EMO. Before I had time to fully process how angry that made me (I was fully hollering about my droid son), there is Brasso, front-kicking that dude Sparta-style into oblivion, protecting his new best friend.
Moments later, Brasso decks a Stormtrooper with Maarva’s brick (just like Maarva would have wanted). He then headbutts a Stormtrooper who is wearing his helmet and comes out the better of that particular exchange, clearly empowered by his love for the very good droid. It’s not that Brasso being able to fight is a surprise — he’s a big dude, and he walks like someone who knows how to carry himself in hard situations — but the ferocity with which he takes on the Stormtroopers juxtaposed with the softness he shows when caring for Cassian, B2EMO, or any of his other loved ones makes him one of the most lovable characters in a show filled with them.
It speaks to one of the many things that makes Andor such compelling television: exciting story beats elevated by nuanced characterization and meaningful relationships that the show has successfully made you care about (not to mention the excitement of seeing the Rebellion form in real time, and the weight the show gives to its scenes of uprising).
It takes all kinds to spark a successful rebellion — savvy smugglers and scheming politicians, sure, but also ailing matriarchs, anxious droids, and sensitive salvage workers. Brasso and B2EMO epitomize this through their mutually beneficial relationship, seeking out companionship with each other in a time filled with strife and heartache. In Andor, when things get difficult, we turn to each other. And there’s something really beautiful about that.