# What a Festive Evening
**"What a Festive Evening"** is the sixth episode of the second season of *Andor*, the Disney+ Star Wars series that traces [Cassian Andor](https://www.edgepedia.org/cassian-andor)'s path to the [Rebellion](https://www.edgepedia.org/rebellion), and the eighteenth episode of the series overall. Written by [Beau Willimon](https://www.edgepedia.org/beau-willimon) and directed by Ariel Kleiman, it premiered on April 29, 2025, alongside the episodes "Ever Been to Ghorman?" and "I Have Friends Everywhere".[1](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Festive_Evening) Its official summary reads: "Vel and Cinta to Ghorman. Cassian home to Bix. An argument. A heist. A party. Everything at risk."[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position in series | Season 2, Episode 6; eighteenth episode overall; production code 206[1](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Festive_Evening) |
| Premiere | April 29, 2025, on Disney+, released with "Ever Been to Ghorman?" and "I Have Friends Everywhere"[1](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Festive_Evening) |
| Credits | Written by Beau Willimon; directed by Ariel Kleiman[1](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Festive_Evening) |
| Format | 54 minutes; rated TV-14; action, adventure, science fiction[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20603302/) |
| Central events | Cassian and Bix reunite on Coruscant; Cassian confronts Luthen Rael; Davo Sculdun hosts a soiree; Vel and Cinta lead the Ghorman rebels' first Imperial heist[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide) |
| Key death | Cinta Kaz is killed amid the violence of the Ghorman heist[4](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/andor-season-2-episode-6-recap-revenge-is-best-served-with-explosives/) |
| Reception | IMDb 8.6/10 from about 17,000 users; 100% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes from 8 reviews[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20603302/) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/andor/s02/e06) |
## Place in the season
The episode closes the second of the four three-episode arcs into which *Andor*'s final season is divided. Showrunner [Tony Gilroy](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-gilroy) structured the season so that each arc jumps forward about one year, placing this block of episodes in 3 BBY, three years before the events of *Rogue One*.[6](https://jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?id=271&name=Star-Wars-Reviews&swop=showcontent) The Ghorman storyline that began in the previous week's episodes remains the center of the story.[6](https://jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?id=271&name=Star-Wars-Reviews&swop=showcontent)
## Plot
On [Coruscant](https://www.edgepedia.org/coruscant), Cassian Andor ([Diego Luna](https://www.edgepedia.org/diego-luna)) and [Bix Caleen](https://www.edgepedia.org/bix-caleen) (Adria Arjona) reunite after a mission, but Cassian risks everything to confront the rebel leader Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) after learning that Luthen visited the safehouse while he was away.[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide) Elsewhere on the capital world, Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) and her husband Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie) visit their daughter's new in-laws as the businessman Davo Sculdun (Richard Dillane) hosts a soiree. The display of Sculdun's prized collection of artifacts provides cover for Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) to remove a listening device.[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide)
**The Ghorman heist.** On Ghorman, Vel Sartha ([Faye Marsay](https://www.edgepedia.org/faye-marsay)) and Cinta Kaz ([Varada Sethu](https://www.edgepedia.org/varada-sethu)) lead the local rebels on their first Imperial heist, an operation that ends in tragedy when Cinta is killed in the violence.[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide) • [4](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/andor-season-2-episode-6-recap-revenge-is-best-served-with-explosives/) Rotten Tomatoes' synopsis adds that Cassian passes on the Ghorman mission, that Luthen's visit to Bix amplifies friction between them, and that Sculdun's well-attended Investiture Party becomes the site of a do-or-die mission for Kleya.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/andor/s02/e06) Meanwhile, Bix and Cassian take on a mission involving plans to use Dr. Gorst's interrogation techniques for military intelligence.[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide)
The episode's dialogue includes four lines highlighted in the official guide's quotes section: Vel Sartha's "Prep is useless if you can't follow orders," [Mon Mothma](https://www.edgepedia.org/mon-mothma)'s "You seem fixated on defining people by their resistance to power," [Luthen Rael](https://www.edgepedia.org/luthen-rael)'s "Think like a leader!", and Bix Caleen's "Whatever the mission is, I'm coming. Do you hear me?"[2](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide)
## Production and trivia
For the aerial shot establishing Davo Sculdun's home on Coruscant, footage was captured by a drone above the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain.[1](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Festive_Evening) Fantha Tracks' episode guide records further details: the port from which Luthen picks up Cassian after his Ghorman mission is located on Steergard, a location mentioned repeatedly across both seasons; Corellian hounds are visible at Port Steergard; Luthen's Fondor Haulcraft uses the same levers as the [Millennium Falcon](https://www.edgepedia.org/millennium-falcon) to jump into hyperspace; and an alien customer in Luthen's shop, Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest, is a Nobillian, a species first seen in *The Last Jedi*.[7](https://www.fanthatracks.com/news/film-music-tv/andor-the-guide-episode-6-what-a-festive-evening/)
## Reception
The episode earned an 8.6/10 rating on IMDb from about 17,000 users.[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20603302/) On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 100% Tomatometer based on 8 reviews; the AV Club's William Hughes gave it a B, calling it "tense, occasionally funny, well-acted, and with a couple of stand-out moments," while Jeffrey Lyles scored it 9/10, writing that it "sets up Andor's final three episodes masterfully."[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/andor/s02/e06) Metacritic lists the episode at 54 minutes with an air date of April 29, 2025, and credits writing to Beau Willimon, Tony Gilroy, and [George Lucas](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-lucas) (the last as creator of [Star Wars](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-wars)).[8](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/andor/season-2/episode-6-what-a-festive-evening/)
**Critical discussion.** The Sunshine State Cineplex review praised the episode's ideological moments and its use of Hitchcock-style tension, with the metaphorical bomb arriving at Davo's party, while criticizing the handling of Cinta's death as an instance of the "Kill Your Gays" trope.[9](https://sunshinestatecineplex.com/2025/05/13/andor-what-a-festive-evening/)
The episode received an industry nomination at the 73rd Golden Reel Awards, with John Finklea credited as music editor for the episode.[10](https://cdn.wildapricot.com/288621/resources/Documents/2026/MPSE%2073rd%20Golden%20Reel%20Awards%20Nominations.pdf?Key-Pair-Id=K27MGQSHTHAGGF&Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOiBbeyJSZXNvdXJjZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2RuLndpbGRhcHJpY290LmNvbS8yODg2MjEvcmVzb3VyY2VzL0RvY3VtZW50cy8yMDI2L01QU0UlMjA3M3JkJTIwR29sZGVuJTIwUmVlbCUyMEF3YXJkcyUyME5vbWluYXRpb25zLnBkZj92ZXJzaW9uPTE3NzAxMzE1MDgwMDAiLCJDb25kaXRpb24iOnsiRGF0ZUxlc3NUaGFuIjp7IkFXUzpFcG9jaFRpbWUiOjE3NzAzOTE2Njd9LCJJcEFkZHJlc3MiOnsiQVdTOlNvdXJjZUlwIjoiMC4wLjAuMC8wIn19fV19&Signature=BQ4wEgLpXPyHp~48OWcY-HGznWkjcHQnmZcW~RY9DrTZ1afpzf4dcz~amjkaqYKQxpvfLpCDcb-6S20zvDQ0J9VXJP1c5eoSyqgFd4qMipJNeFCKeOeDiyTYFedehUcW38eMXkLIPmErxwe6XXc3aqjdL-ZLGKKPJmbLk~MOqkYQzdHLUPI6dk8WWzEvH9CvsLsAW07BGawJ0mGHDocdV~PxUGHitkz~cAqjM54EkxlJ3zagufrQ1KTiXcbzA9i0fXNRMOPHi-un9~AM~Bius1SU~aeosiwlu~d-lnqJZ8c50Wu85jI-OdjdGwnCgWD3wQWLhURHB~B-6ah66db0Hw__&version=1770131508000) More broadly, *Andor* was nominated in 14 categories, including Outstanding Drama Series, at the 2025 [Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmy-awards).[11](https://www.starwars.com/news/andor-explained-season-2-highlights-episodes-4-5-6)
## References
1. [What a Festive Evening, Disney Wiki (Fandom)](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Festive_Evening)
2. ["What a Festive Evening" Episode Guide, StarWars.com](https://www.starwars.com/series/andor/season-2-episode-6-episode-guide)
3. ["Andor" What a Festive Evening (TV Episode 2025), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20603302/)
4. [Andor Season 2 Episode 6 Recap: Revenge Is Best Served With Explosives, DocumentaryTube](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/andor-season-2-episode-6-recap-revenge-is-best-served-with-explosives/)
5. [Andor: Season 2, Episode 6, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/andor/s02/e06)
6. [Ever been to Ghorman? / I Have Friends Everywhere / What A Festive Evening (Andor S02E04–E06) Review, JediTempleArchives](https://jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?id=271&name=Star-Wars-Reviews&swop=showcontent)
7. [Andor – The Guide: Episode 6 'What a Festive Evening', Fantha Tracks](https://www.fanthatracks.com/news/film-music-tv/andor-the-guide-episode-6-what-a-festive-evening/)
8. [Andor season 2, What a Festive Evening, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/andor/season-2/episode-6-what-a-festive-evening/)
9. [Andor — "What a Festive Evening" — Think Like a Leader, Sunshine State Cineplex](https://sunshinestatecineplex.com/2025/05/13/andor-what-a-festive-evening/)
10. [73rd Golden Reel Awards Nominations, Motion Picture Sound Editors](https://cdn.wildapricot.com/288621/resources/Documents/2026/MPSE%2073rd%20Golden%20Reel%20Awards%20Nominations.pdf?Key-Pair-Id=K27MGQSHTHAGGF&Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOiBbeyJSZXNvdXJjZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2RuLndpbGRhcHJpY290LmNvbS8yODg2MjEvcmVzb3VyY2VzL0RvY3VtZW50cy8yMDI2L01QU0UlMjA3M3JkJTIwR29sZGVuJTIwUmVlbCUyMEF3YXJkcyUyME5vbWluYXRpb25zLnBkZj92ZXJzaW9uPTE3NzAxMzE1MDgwMDAiLCJDb25kaXRpb24iOnsiRGF0ZUxlc3NUaGFuIjp7IkFXUzpFcG9jaFRpbWUiOjE3NzAzOTE2Njd9LCJJcEFkZHJlc3MiOnsiQVdTOlNvdXJjZUlwIjoiMC4wLjAuMC8wIn19fV19&Signature=BQ4wEgLpXPyHp~48OWcY-HGznWkjcHQnmZcW~RY9DrTZ1afpzf4dcz~amjkaqYKQxpvfLpCDcb-6S20zvDQ0J9VXJP1c5eoSyqgFd4qMipJNeFCKeOeDiyTYFedehUcW38eMXkLIPmErxwe6XXc3aqjdL-ZLGKKPJmbLk~MOqkYQzdHLUPI6dk8WWzEvH9CvsLsAW07BGawJ0mGHDocdV~PxUGHitkz~cAqjM54EkxlJ3zagufrQ1KTiXcbzA9i0fXNRMOPHi-un9~AM~Bius1SU~aeosiwlu~d-lnqJZ8c50Wu85jI-OdjdGwnCgWD3wQWLhURHB~B-6ah66db0Hw__&version=1770131508000)
11. [Andor Explained | Season 2: Episodes 4, 5 & 6, StarWars.com](https://www.starwars.com/news/andor-explained-season-2-highlights-episodes-4-5-6)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Episodes and serial chapters › Individual episode articles › General episode articles › American science fiction episodes*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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