‘Andor’ vs. ‘The Last of Us’: Which Show Has More Riding on Season 2?
Two of the biggest genre shows on television are headed into high-stakes second seasons: Andor, the Star Wars prequel that shocked fans with its smart, slow-burn storytelling, and The Last of Us, HBO’s blockbuster video game adaptation that delivered an emotional gut punch week after week.
But while both have a lot to live up to, one of these shows has way more to prove the second time around.
‘Andor’ just needs to land the plane
When Andor premiered on Disney+ in 2022, it didn’t look or feel like anything Star Wars had done before — and that was a good thing. It was gritty, slow-paced, and focused on character development over spectacle. Critics and fans alike praised the show’s grounded tone and bold approach to rebellion and politics in a galaxy far, far away.
Diego Luna returns in the lead role as Cassian Andor, a morally conflicted rebel spy whose journey through espionage, betrayal, and political awakening captivated audiences in season 1. Luna, who also starred in Rogue One, has received praise for bringing emotional depth and quiet intensity to the character.
Season 2 will bring Cassian’s story right up to the events of Rogue One, and creator Tony Gilroy has said from the beginning that the plan is a tight 24-episode arc across two seasons.
That kind of creative clarity means Andor doesn’t need to reinvent itself. It just needs to stick the landing. And while Star Wars fans can be notoriously hard to please, Andor operates mostly outside the mainline saga — so the fallout of a disappointing finale likely wouldn’t shake the franchise too much.
‘The Last of Us’ is walking into the fire
Then there’s The Last of Us Season 2, which is in a much more precarious spot.
HBO’s adaptation of the PlayStation game took off in 2023, with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey earning praise for their emotionally complex performances as Joel and Ellie — a gruff smuggler and a sharp-witted teenager navigating a post-apocalyptic world together. Their father-daughter dynamic carried the heart of the show, anchoring each devastating twist with raw authenticity and helping the show become a rare example of a successful video game adaptation. But now it’s time to dive into the story from The Last of Us Part II — and that’s where things get tricky.
The second game is famously divisive, especially for how it handles certain major characters. Fans were split when it launched in 2020, and the show’s creative team knows they’re walking a tightrope. The Last of Us now has two factions of fans: those who know the game and those who only know the TV series. The series can’t swing too far in one direction without alienating some fans, which could mean altering, ignoring, and/or drawing out certain story points.
That means season 2 has to thread a very difficult needle: staying true to a bold and emotional story while keeping viewers — especially passionate fans of the game — on board. And if it doesn’t work? It could hurt the show’s future in a big way.
‘Andor’ or ‘The Last of Us’: Who has more to lose in season 2?
While both shows are heading into crucial second chapters, the stakes aren’t evenly matched.
Andor has already established itself as one of the most mature and well-crafted entries in the Star Wars universe. It’s operating with a clear creative vision, a defined endpoint, and near-universal acclaim. If season 2 delivers more of what fans loved the first time around, it’ll likely go down as one of the best pieces of Star Wars storytelling to date. And if it doesn’t? It’ll still be remembered as a bold experiment that pushed the franchise in a new direction.
But The Last of Us is a different story. Season 2 isn’t just about continuing a successful show — it’s about adapting a source material that divided fans and tackling narrative risks that could alienate newcomers and longtime players alike. If the show can pull it off, it could elevate the franchise to Emmy-winning, genre-defining status. If it stumbles, though, it risks losing the goodwill built in season 1 and derailing any plans for future seasons.
So yes — both shows face pressure. But The Last of Us Season 2 is the one walking a creative tightrope. With passionate fans, high expectations, and some of the most controversial plot twists in modern gaming, the show isn’t just continuing its story — it’s defending its legacy before it’s even finished telling it.
