Season 1 - 11 episodes
Watch Andor on Disney Plus
Created by: Tony Gilroy
Starring: Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O'Reilly, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer
Plot
A prequel series to Star Wars Rogue One, Cassian Andor embarks on the path that is destined to turn him into a Rebel hero.
Verdict
It was a bit slow to start, but once we get deeper into the plot it's very engaging. My favorite part of this is what this show accomplishes in the Star Wars universe. We finally get a show that makes this universe feel big and we didn't need a light saber, Jedi, or Sith to do it. This season certainly covers a lot of ground. It feels like a couple of seasons in one. The strong second half of the season delves into political intrigue and repressive governments. We know Disney is nowhere near done with Star Wars, and this is a blueprint Disney should follow as it expands the universe. There are so many stories to tell in this universe, and they don't all need light sabers.
Watch It.
Review
While Gilroy wrote Rogue One, he also wrote and directed the great legal thriller Michael Clayton.
After the first couple of episodes this seemed like a lot of production value but not much story. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is the noble thief. It's a story that's been done many times. It was after these episodes that I really started liking the show as it became more political.
This finally makes the Star Wars world feel bigger as we visit new planets. This is a great addition to the universe as it broadens the story and doesn't revolve around the usual characters. We know Disney wants to churn out a lot of Star Wars content, and expanding the universe is one avenue to do that.
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| Diego Luna plays Cassian Andor |
Cassian has an epic journey this season. This show certainly evolves over the season, much more than the typical show. At first I liked what this show was attempting and mostly achieving, but in the second half of the season the story really comes into its own. While the first third of the season might be a bit too much table setting, the rest of the season more than makes up for it. The political implications and how the Imperial government works is intriguing. With each episode, this season keeps getting better. Not only do we follow Cassian all the way to a jail cell, but we're following Imperial officers as they try to thwart the rebels. We're seeing an oppressive government get even worse.
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| Denise Gough plays Dedra Meero |
Cassian goes from pretty criminal to rebel to imprisoned by the Imperial government. We follow Imperial agent Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) pursue Cassian and the rebels while ranking up the government ladder. The other side of this government is the forced labor camps prisons have become and to which Cassian is subjected. While prison breaks may be cliche, this show understands what makes them interesting. That's the thing about this show. It knows what it's doing and where it's going.
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| Diego Luna plays Cassian Andor |
One thing the different Star Wars series have achieved is that Disney is willing to spend on the production design. This show certainly has movie level production values that are evident from the beginning. The prison especially is creative and well designed.
So much of Star Wars seems to rest on a story with light saber duals and the fundamental good versus evil. Andor is more nuanced and that's a benefit. I don't want the franchise to abandon light sabers and Jedi, but since we know they will continue expanding it's nice to know they don't have to rely on that as a crutch. Andor is the first series in this universe to specifically distance itself from what is considered core Star Wars. Not all of the spin-offs should do that, but it's a definite benefit here as this changes genres. The Mandalorian did a similar sidestep into the western genre.
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