The first three episodes of Andor were a refreshing change of pace (and scenery) for Star Wars. For starters, there is no sign of Tatooine and it likely will stay that way since showrunner, Tony Gilroy, set out to tell a contained story, without relying on an overabundance of fan service. Gilroy takes a grittier approach to storytelling to match his work on Rogue One. Andor looks like Star Wars, but it feels very different when compared to the Mandalorian or Obi-Wan. Although, the tone isn’t the only aspect that sets it apart from the other live-action series. The direction, writing, performances, action sequences, and cinematography are in an entirely different league than it’s predecessors. At times, it’s difficult to remember that this is only a television series with how gorgeous it looks. This is the level of quality that every Star Wars series should aspire to have moving forward.
Episode 1
The first episode begins on the rainy planet, Morlana One, in a cyberpunk inspired city. Cassian Andor steps foot into a brothel in search for his sister. As he fishes out information, two Morlana security guards take notice of his presence. He discovers that his sister left the planet without a trace, months before his arrival. As he leaves the establishment, the guards follow him out. They try to shake him down for credits, which ends up in a brutal fight. Andor accidentally kills one of the guards and is left with the only choice of killing the other guard. He’s inexperienced and still trying to find his place in the galaxy–even if that means getting his hands dirty. In the opening minutes of the episode, the tone is perfectly established. This is a more mature and unique take on the Star Wars universe.
Episode 2
Morlana’s Deputy Inspector, Syril, defies his superior’s orders and conducts an investigation for the man who murdered his colleagues. The only information he has is a man with dark features was searching for a Kenari woman. There are hardly any records about what happened to Kenari, which narrows down the search. While digging up info, they find their sole suspect, Cassian Andor. As he remains low and waits for his chance to leave Ferrix, we see small glimpses of his childhood. He and his sister were a part of an indigenous tribe of people on the planet Kenari. A large starship falls from the sky, so a small group embarks on a search mission. Andor leaves his sister behind at the village to protect her from the potential dangers–little did he know that this would be the last time he sees her. When they find the ship, a sole survivor shoots one of the members of the tribe. They use their blow darts to kill him and Andor steps inside the ship. The episode ends with the introduction of Stellan Skarsgård’s character, Luthen.
Episode 3
Now that Andor’s location is known, Syril and a group of Morlana Security make their way to Ferrix. Andor has an untraceable imperial starpath unit that tracks any imperial ship within nine parsecs. It’s a rare and valuable piece of equipment that he wants to sell to Luthen leave the planet. Andor tries to barter with Luthen and they get into an argument. While they’re trying to negotiate on the pricing, the Morlana Security are moving through the town to capture Andor. They were able to easily track his location because he brought comms with him. Thus far, each episode has sparingly used action, however episode 3 changes things up by ending the episode in a bombastic action sequence with precise direction and great visual effects. Andor and Luthen kill the majority of the Morlana group, but spare Syril’s life. Before the episode ends, there’s one last look into Andor’s childhood. The Empire have been colonizing and mining Kenari. Two people sedate Andor and bring him aboard their ship to help him escape the planet, but he never had the chance to say goodbye to his sister. The emotional weight behind his past is what drives him forward. He is determined to find his sister, no matter the cost.
Wrapping Up
Andor is a political thriller about a refugee set within the Star Wars universe. Themes of corporate greed, colonization, and migration are meticulously woven into the story. Tony Gilroy and Diego Luna have something to say that is relevant today. Some may find the show a bit slow as it takes it’s time with dialogue to develop the characters, but it benefits to powerful storytelling moments. Andor will reinvigorate the fans who were disappointed with the quality of Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan and garner new ones along the way. This is a show you won’t want to miss. Check out my previous review here.
