Star Wars is traditionally known for its sci-fi and futuristic setting – a galaxy far, far away. “Andor” changed the formula of the franchise when the show premiered on September 21 and depicted a new side of this distant world.
Honestly, I didn’t expect much from this show when it was announced over two years ago, as I wasn’t very interested in the character or the movie “Rogue One” that introduced it. I recently re-watched the film and saw how blind I really was to the ideas it brought to the franchise. We missed details that ranged from a new perspective on the beginning of the rebellion against the Empire to the unseen characters that helped trigger the vital events of the original trilogy of Star Wars films. The show had the same impression the movie had on me with its tone and theme.
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is developed more complexly. “Andor” shows his story and some of his allies not seen in “Rogue One”. It shows how he builds the character of a loner who only cares about money to want to fight against the cruelty of the empire. It’s interesting to see the little people who have changed it throughout this season. From a member of his ragtag team, Karis Nemik (Alex Lawther), to his mother Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw), several people point Andor in a new direction of helping not only himself, but others .
With a total of 12 episodes compared to many other Disney+ series that only have six, the show has plenty of time to develop the world and take things slowly. Andor’s home planet goes through a complete transition throughout the season, making it feel less like a place and more like a group of people. By the end of the season, they have completely changed from a disconnected community to everyone staying together. The pacing of the show is very well done as the show slowly moves through several phases from hunting down Andor to getting him involved in an “Oceans 11” style heist. All these different narratives still don’t escape the overarching narrative that unfolds.
The only part of the show that made me snort was the political part of the show involving Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly). Every scene in this plot felt dragged out with little to nothing interesting. Even by the end, when it looks like something big might happen, it leads to an unsatisfying ending.
The series proves that Star Wars still has some new places to explore when new views are shown. This show was made for more than Star Wars fans, but for newcomers to gain interest in the franchise. If you have even the slightest interest in the show, this is a great start to the ever-expanding universe as it slowly brings you closer to the Star Wars vibes while giving it its own twist.