How ‘Andor’ Proves that Star Wars Can Thrive

Andor luminously explores Cassian’s childhood concurrently with its mainline story—adding parallels that instill serious depth to his character. It’s not revolutionary, but it does feel more natural than anything we’ve been getting in Star Wars re

This feature article may contain some spoilers from the first three episodes of Andor on Disney+.

SPOILERS AHEAD

It’s about time for a new show to binge on Disney+ and because the show in question appears to be halfway decent, I thought I’d discuss some of the things that the creators are getting right. Yes, we’re talking about Andor. A prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), co-written by Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, the seriesexplores how the titular character becomes a Rebel hero by the time we follow him into battle on Scarif. You’re probably thinking, “…but do we need another prequel series?” And the answer is a resounding no. That is unless, of course, the series can expand on questions that were left open to the viewer after the original film released. While Rogue One didn’t leave too may “questions” for the audience to chew on (mainly due to that tragic ending), it did leave a sense of wonder for what life was like for the heroes, Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), before their eventual fate. Andor surveys that curiosity that some, including myself, have carried for so long. How did this once nobody help shape the Rebellion we see in A New Hope (1977)?

We’re dropped right into a cold open on Morlana One as we watch Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) search for his sister. This is a “company town” and Andor wishes to avoid making too many waves. But while on his search for her at a local club, a pair of patrons wind up giving him a pretty difficult time. Cassian does the right thing and proceeds to leave without causing a scene but the pair of rowdy patrons end up making their return to rough him up outside of the club. In this moment, we are treated to the Cassian we all know from Rogue One as he proceeds to kill them both. This was, perhaps, the best way to re-introduce this character back into the fold. And if Rogue One means anything to you, you’ll know that it feels distant from virtually any other Star Wars movie in the past decade. I can say with confidence that in the current line-up of Disney+ Star Wars shows, this feels like another side step in the right direction.

Andor luminously explores Cassian’s childhood concurrently with its mainline story—adding parallels that instill serious depth to his character. It’s not revolutionary, but it does feel more natural than anything we’ve been getting in Star Wars recently. Obi-Wan Kenobi swung for the fences a few times and missed almost entirely. Conceptually, it was the most exciting premise of any Disney+ show yet (yes, I’m a prequels stan) but as a weekly episodic journey, the pacing immediately shattered a lot of the emotional payoff—for both the characters of Reva (Moses Ingram), who I quite like, and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor). I was anticipating Obi-Wan to be rooted more in vulnerability and gradation; though I can still see the glimmer of a show more polished, it leaves a lot to be desired. Why not thoroughly study how [metaphorically] killing his Padawan has affected his life? That’s not to say that it doesn’t give us slivers of these moments, but they aren’t focused. I’d even go so far to argue that Andor has already accomplished more in just a handful of episodes.

In episode three, titled “Reckoning,” Cassian must reconcile with the fact he might have to leave behind the people who saved him from his home planet of Kenari. Brilliant intercutting between young Andor on Maarva’s (Fiona Shaw) ship and present day as he once again flees his planet of Ferrix informs the viewer of some important context. As Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) sets for departure, Maarva is the only thing on Andor’s mind; she didn’t abandon him and he very well may be inadvertently signing off on her death. Luna’s performance, steeped in such subtle morality politics, makes this moment even more gut-retching. Andor makes incredibly difficult decisions that are often morally despicable because he believes he is doing the right thing. While we see this structure in a lot of Disney properties, Gilroy knows how to build this internal conflict effectively and the actors execute bringing the words on the page to life. At this point I have to wonder just how much time we will be spending with the younger version of Andor but so far they’ve managed to balance the two timelines succinctly.

And if these three episodes are an indication for how strong the storytelling may be, then we have the greatest Disney+ Star Wars show on our hands. The Mandalorian makes for great popcorn entertainment (with some emotional resonance) but it has never felt as tangible to me in the same way Andor has. Perhaps, this has something to do with just how tragic Rogue One really is and the pre-established relationship the audiences who love the film have with those characters. We associate them with the true beginning of the Rebel movement, responsible for shaping the trajectory of the entire series after the prequels as opposed to a more removed story and setting. Now that I think about it a little bit, that’s exactly why Andor has the palatability it does but that doesn’t in turn detract from the quality of the show. Regardless, everyone has their own favorite Disney+ Star Wars property and Andor is mine.

Let us know what you think of Andor so far in the comments!