Andor Season 1 Review
After Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars, the brand has had a turbulent ride, to say the least. After reimagining the entire Expanded Universe and delivering a trilogy of films featuring two Directors battling for creative control, Rogue One was dropped to the small screen to fill in the gaps after feeling like a big screen anomaly.
The Mandalorian provided simple, fluffy fun to win back some fans, while The Book of Boba Fett recaptured some of the goodwill with a lackluster miniseries. Obi-Wan Kenobi stormed out like a bull in a china shop earlier this year, delivering one of the worst Star Wars sequels in recent memory.
Coming to Andorra, Tony Gilroy’s show had it all. Thankfully, Andor is a big surprise and one of the best Star Wars shows few people have watched — especially if you count Nielsen ratings and online audience buzz.
Rogue One
Andor is an over-the-top slow burn that takes place before the events of Rogue One, with the titular character Cassian Andor taking center stage. With plenty of practical effects and an engaging cast of characters, this is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year.
Story On Different Planets
The story takes place on several different planets and systems, with the rise of the Empire and the rise of the Rebel Alliance being the real focus here. With danger, deception and intrigue around every corner, Andor is a wanted man after murdering several Imperial officers in an alley. After being recruited by a stranger named Luten to be part of an attack on an Imperial hangar, it’s a sprawling adventure that puts all the pieces in place for Rogue One.
The first set of chapters set the stage with lots of world building, lots of establishing shots, and flashbacks showing how Andor came to the planet of Ferrix. From here, the story veers between slowly building up and just plodding along, forcing you to be patient with the story. When things get better, they eventually become tougher.
Subplots
Besides Cassian’s story, there are several other subplots involving politically motivated tales with Mon Momtha on Coruscant, Cassian’s old friend Bix on Ferrix, and Cyril, a low-ranking officer desperate to find Andor no matter what. It all comes together around the main story, and while most of the characters do well in their roles, Diego Luna lacks the humility and charisma needed to pull off the role of this main character.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s still the Cassian Andor we saw from Rogue One, but the role is crying out for someone like Harrison Ford’s Han Solo to really take this show to the next level. .
Pacing Between Episodes
This is the kind of show that would benefit from a lot of viewing, and viewership could grow as a result. The pacing itself is a particular problem between episodes, with some chapters actually doing little to move the character or story forward. While it can be argued that it’s all for atmosphere, several episodes could very easily have been edited out and added to other chapters, some of which run for around 39 minutes, including Disney adding around 8 minutes of credits in a recent trend. the end.
Overall
Aesthetically, Andor tells moody, mature stories that will also divide the new wave of fans that Disney has brought in. Those expecting lots of crazy effects, roaring battles and lightsaber duels will be sorely disappointed. Instead, it’s more of an espionage spy thriller — and that’s easily one of the best things Disney’s Star Wars has come up with. Jump to season 2!