Harvest (Andor)
Bix Caleen fights for survival on Mina-Rau.
"Harvest" is the third episode of the second season of the American science fiction political spy thriller drama television series Andor, and the fifteenth episode overall. It was written by series creator Tony Gilroy and directed by Ariel Kleiman, and released on Disney+ on April 22, 2025 as part of a three-episode block. The episode received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Andor
- Director
- Ariel Kleiman
- Writer
- Tony Gilroy
- Photographer
- Christophe Nuyens
- Editor
- John Gilroy
- Released
- 22 April 2025
- Length
- 53 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Aboard the TIE Avenger, Cassian Andor contacts Kleya Marki and learns that his friends on Mina-Rau are in danger. On Mina-Rau, the farmer hosting the Ferrix refugees warns that an Imperial inspection is imminent and that another group of undocumented migrants was recently arrested; the group plans to leave before the inspectors arrive. On Chandrila, on the day of Leida's wedding, Mon Mothma recounts her own wedding day and tells Leida she need not marry if she does not want to, but Leida rejects the offer. The wedding ceremony to Stekan Sculdun proceeds, and guests prepare for the reception. On Coruscant, Syril Karn and Dedra Meero host Syril's mother Eedy for dinner; Eedy belittles Syril, and after he leaves the table, Dedra intimidates Eedy into being more amiable. At the wedding reception, Mon tells Tay they will discuss his finances next week, but Luthen Rael implies to Mon that Tay must be killed to prevent him from becoming a liability. On Mina-Rau, Imperial Lieutenant Krole arrives at the farm; Bix Caleen is alone. Krole offers to fix her immigration status in exchange for sexual favors, and when she refuses, he attempts to rape her. Bix fights back and kills Krole with a fatal blow to the head. Wilmon arrives and fires at the soldier guarding the cabin, allowing Bix to kill him as well. Imperial soldiers rush to the cabin.
Production
The episode was written by series creator Tony Gilroy, his eighth writing credit for the show, and directed by Ariel Kleiman, who also directed the next three episodes. The second season is split into blocks of three episodes, each beginning with a one-year time skip from the previous episode; Gilroy adopted this structure after concluding the original five-season plan was unfeasible. "Harvest" ends the first block and was the last arc written; Gilroy finished the script on a flight days before the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. The planet Mina-Rau was named after the daughter of writer Tom Bissell. Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O'Reilly, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Elizabeth Dulau, Joplin Sibtain, Muhannad Bhaier, Alastair Mackenzie and Richard Dillane reprise their roles; Pierro Niel-Mee joins as Erskin Semaj, a character from Star Wars Rebels. Filming took place in the United Kingdom; the first block was the last filmed and faced disruptions from the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, including in the Central England Midlands where 200 acres of rye were planted for Mina-Rau scenes. The score was composed by Brandon Roberts, replacing Nicholas Britell due to scheduling conflicts.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode holds a 100% approval rating based on 8 reviews. William Hughes of The A.V. Club called it an "excellent, irresistible hour of TV," and Mike Redmond of Pajiba wrote that he "deprived myself of the joy of barreling right into the gut punch of a third episode. The attempted rape of Bix Caleen by Imperial Lieutenant Krole drew a mixed reception from viewers and fans; some defended the scene for highlighting the plight of undocumented migrants or the evil of fascist regimes, while others compared it to the Princess Leia "slave bikini" costume in Return of the Jedi. Actress Adria Arjona also defended the scene, saying she felt power in speaking the word "rape" aloud, and worked with director Ariel Kleiman to choreograph how Bix would fight back.
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