Andor Season 1's First Three Episodes Are Free To Watch, Full Season Added To Hulu

If no one has told you to watch "Andor" yet, then let me be the first (and certainly the loudest). Despite earning rave reviews during its first season and quickly establishing itself as the greatest "Star Wars" TV series to date, the sci-fi spy thriller and "Rogue One" prequel has flown a bit under the radar for more casual fans. Thankfully, it's now easier to watch than ever before.

In a bid to get more eyes on the series leading up to its season 2 premiere on April 22, 2025, Disney just put the first three episodes of season 1 up on YouTube for free. That's a complete arc of the show, and surely enough to get plenty of newcomers hooked. In addition, the entirety of season 1 is now streaming on Hulu, opening it up to a much wider audience that might have that streamer but not a Disney+ subscription. (Hulu will continue to stream the full season until "Andor" season 2 arrives.)

It's nice to see Disney and Lucasfilm putting some extra push behind "Andor," given the numerous accolades it received upon its first outing. "Star Wars" has been in a bit of a strange place lately, made up mostly of short-tenured shows that went over budget and failed to break through in a crowded streaming market. It only makes sense for Disney to put as much marketing power as possible behind the one "Star Wars" project that's received universal praise.

It's easy for a Star Wars fan to tell you watch "Andor." And maybe it's true, maybe the franchise will fall off again after season 2. Perhaps it's too late. But I'll tell you this: If I hadn't seen the show before, I'd wake up early and start binging "Andor" from the beginning.

If you've only ever seen "A New Hope," you should watch "Andor." If you've watched all the "Star Wars" movies, "The Clone Wars," "The Mandalorian," and you own an anniversary copy of "Heir to the Empire," you should watch "Andor." If you don't know what a lightsaber is (unlikely), you should still watch "Andor." (Don't worry, it doesn't have any.) You may have heard people raving about the quality of the writing or the many fantastic performances, but what you might not know is that "Andor" is also the most stunningly shot "Star Wars" project in years.

Did you enjoy "Succession"? You like that theme song? The show's composer, Nicholas Britell, scores the entirety of "Andor," and it's the closest anyone has ever come to putting a soundtrack up alongside those of John Williams. There's incredible star power from Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O'Reilly, Andy Serkis, and the rest of the cast. And yes, the writing is as good as you've heard, delivering a riveting portrait of a galaxy under fascism and the complex mechanics of rebellion moving against it. If you've felt horrified by the state of, uh, let's say world affairs? I promise that "Andor" will deliver some catharsis.

In addition to putting out the first three episodes for free on the Disney+ YouTube channel and adding "Andor" season 1 to Hulu, Disney is organizing a live streaming event with showrunner Tony Gilroy and others involved with the series. The event, which will include a live Q&A, is scheduled for Thursday, March 13 at 12:00 PM PT.

Gilroy has said that he hopes "Andor" season 2 can bring in even more viewers who aren't huge "Star Wars" fans. Because most of the characters in "Andor" are new, and because its primary story doesn't engage too overtly with niche lore from the rest of the franchise, it's an ideal choice for casual fans who've enjoyed some of the "Star Wars" movies but may have been intimidated by the sheer amount of material out there.

With luck, "Andor" will reach the massive audience it deserves in its second go around. Meanwhile, newcomers have plenty of time to catch up between now and when season 2 debuts next month on April 22. While the series is slated to end after season 2 no matter what, higher viewership could help convince Disney to retain some of the creative team behind the show and spend more resources on similar "Star Wars" stories moving forward.