Andor (TV)
Back in 2022, I watched the first couple of episodes of “Andor” ahead of its release on Disney+, and I really liked what I saw. Meredith wasn’t interested, however, so I didn’t really continue the watch, despite the acclaim it received. As the second and final season approached, I was thinking about finally digging in, but my time didn’t really allow for time to watch it. Now that the series is done, I’m ready to give it my attention.
The discourse about Disney “Star Wars” will always be toxic and absurd, in large part because it’s stoked by bad faith actors who view it as indicative of how bad Kathleen Kennedy is as the head of Lucasfilm, in their opinion. They give Dave Filoni- the creator of the “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” series, along with others in their live action stable- and “Andor” creator Tony Gilroy a pass, but everything they don’t like, Kennedy gets their ire, even though she greenlit everything that’s come out since 2014, both in TV and movies. Yes, there are legitimate complaints that can be levied over how the movies in the sequel trilogy were managed, and there are also legitimate issues with how Lucasfilm has pushed back against the more toxic parts of the fanbase and their bullying of women and POC in the franchise. There are also people who look at “Andor” as proof that Gilroy should be Kennedy’s successor, but do we really want creators as talented as Gilroy in business-first positions? Gilroy does make a strong case for why his approach, though not traditionally “Star Wars,” nonetheless has some DNA with George Lucas’s ideas for what inspired the series.
“Andor” is a prequel series to a prequel movie we didn’t need. But “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is probably one of the strongest projects to come out of the Disney era, a thrilling war movie that doesn’t focus of Jedi and Sith, and shows the sacrifice of heroes who believe in an idea of hope, and recognize the need for rebellion. With “Andor,” Gilroy is showing us how Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) went from being a common man trying to survive in the world to a cold-blooded spy for the rebellion. It wasn’t just one event or choice, but a series of choices, and events, that led him to who he is at the beginning of “Rogue One.” Gilroy hits on a different level with this series, and it’s the best live-action series we’ve gotten yet from “Star Wars.”
Empires are not built in a day. As the prequels showed, Palpatine was able to manipulate events in a way that allowed him to take control of the Republic, and turn it into an authoritarian regime. But in “Andor,” which begins five years before “Rogue One” and “A New Hope,” we see the way the Empire operates in a way which no other series has shown before. The way they handle criminals in kangaroo courts. The different levels of bureaucracy. Crackdowns of dissent and rebellion. While Filoni and co. have hinted at this in shows like “Rebels” and “The Bad Batch,” Gilroy is able to do so without the trappings of animation to bring the narrative a more tangible sense of the Empire’s brutality than an animated show can. There is torture. There are labor camps. And no, we do not go full “Game of Thrones” in terms of violence, their tactics still leave an impact, which will take years to heal from.
Cassian’s trek to being a part of the rebellion happens because of a simple act of violence. He’s looking for his missing sister, and- while in a brothel- is harassed by two security officers. Later, he kills one of them accidentally, and then murders the other so as to not leave witnesses. He still finds himself on the Empire’s radar, as well as that of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), who is building the rebellion but also fronts as an art dealer. Luthen sends him on a heist, which puts him at bigger risk with the Empire. Meanwhile, his legal trouble puts Cassian’s mother (Fiona Shaw) and best friend, Bix (Adria Arjona), in Imperial crosshairs with local security forces, led by Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). Luthen is building further resources, however, and has an alliance with Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who is covertly using her family’s fortune to help fund the rebellion.
In “Andor’s” two seasons, there are two very different stories being told. What I just laid out basically covers the first season, which happens in a matter of months, and is his radicalizing moment, especially when he gets sentenced to a labor camp, and inspires a rebellion he leads with his supervisor (Andy Serkis). In season two, every three episodes covers events vital to each character as another year passes from the first season and builds up to “Rogue One.” The rebellion is building with each year, and as the rebellion gets more aggressive, the choices characters make put them at greater risk. One of the remarkable things about the second season is how we don’t feel like we’re missing a year’s worth of events as the next quarter of the season starts, even as we can tell the time that has passed. The characters are in different emotional places, their journeys have taken them into different territories, but their narratives are consistent in what they mean for that character.
Shows like this and last year’s “The Acolyte”- and, from what I watched, “Skeleton Crew”- are what I was excited to see once the Skywalker Saga ended. Yes, this is a prequel series to a prequel movie, but the way it approaches the world of “Star Wars” is very distinct from what we’re accustomed to. It’s not just Jedi vs. Sith, black-and-white morality. Even characters like Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Karn, who find their paths defined by their power (or lack thereof) in the Empire, have things about them we can empathize with. Meanwhile, someone like Luthen- who seems to be determined to create a true, impactful rebel alliance- does things at the service of that we cannot abide by. This is a side of the galaxy we haven’t seen before, and it is a riveting, brilliant piece of storytelling. “Star Wars” has rarely been better than it is here.
