Star Wars fans have spotted a neat parallel between the beginning and end of Andor season 2, and it explains a late season plot hole

Andor season 2 may be over but fans are still noticing new details, including a throwaway line in the first episode that helps explain a late season plot hole.

Warning, this post includes mild spoilers for Andor season 2, so make sure you’re all caught up. But first, read our Andor season 2 review.

Over on reddit, the fan pointed out that a brief exchange during Krennic’s secret meeting in episode 1 informs why the ISB later fails to muster enough manpower during Kleya’s rescue. During a break from the meeting, an officer proposes one way of forcing the Ghorman population off-planet would be to claim there is a deadly plague in circulation. This is dismissed by another officer who notes that "We've actually gamed that out. It gets unpredictable very quickly."

Come episode 12, the idea of a fake plague comes back around when Partagaz (Anton Lesser) proposes they tell the people of Coruscant that Kleya is carrying an infectious disease in order to prevent her escape from the planet. But when the Imperial tactical unit sent to arrest Kleya is wiped out by K-2SO, backup never arrives because everyone is busy keeping up appearances and searching for someone with a non-existent sickness. The irony is that Partagaz is present for that episode 1 meeting, and fails to heed the warning as it's unlikely he overheard the conversation.

However, not everyone is convinced that the two are connected, with one fan saying “I don’t think it was intentional. I bet the episode 1 line is just… meant to reference his speech from his first appearance.” Partagaz does have a habit of using medical metaphors in his speech. During season 1, episode 4 the Imperial major memorably claims that the ISB “are healthcare providers. We treat sickness. We identify symptoms. We locate germs whether they arise from within or have come from the outside.”

Given Andor’s universal acclaim, it’s a safe bet that showrunner Tony Gilroy and episode 12 writer Tom Bissell knew exactly what they were doing with this call-back, which shows how even a force as powerful as the ISB can collapse under the weight of its own lies.

Andor season 2 is streaming now on Disney+. For more, check out why a major season 1 question was left unanswered, or our guide to every upcoming Star Wars movie and TV show.