Review: Andor: Season 1

Well, I am going to have to swallow my words, to a point.

I have, over the last few years or so, made an effort to delve into the Star Wars extended material, read about 15 books most, but not all, of the new canon, and watched basically all of the series Star Wars has put out, past and present. Over that time I’ve become increasingly of the opinion that Expanded Universe material is fine, but it’s not really for me. With the possible exception of The High Republic novels, which may or may not prove themselves otherwise, as I’m 3 books in at time of writing, Star Wars novels feel to me like filler arcs. The only definite exception being Dark Desciple by Christie Golden, which actually feels like part of the story of the Clone Wars series, which isn’t surprising given it was based on some unproduced episodes, but I digress.

The impression I’ve come away from all that with, is that extended material feels like lore for it’s own sake, which is fine, but not what I really like to go for. That, coupled with the recent Tales of the Jedi series actively contradicting some of them, I think it’s safe to say that I can take or leave EU material, at least that which uses legacy characters.

Enter Andor. A spin-off of a spin-off, about as “extended material” as it gets, that not only has me more compelled than anything Star Wars has put out in years, that I feel confident naming the best series on Disney Plus overall, but that may well be in the top ten series I’ve ever seen. (though I am aware of the potential recency bias at play here, so don’t hold me to that.)

It turns out my problem with Star Wars extended material is just that it wasn’t that great. Indeed, Andor damns much of the rest of the franchise by sheer contrast of quality. (and I’ve generally liked most of it, including what Disney has put out)

First let me start out by saying that Andor is a significant departure from usual Star Wars fare, if you go in expecting a the usual pulpy sci-fi action and reference-laden, meme-fodder dialogue, you’re going to find this series rather jarring. Andor is a political thriller with the emphasis much more on dialogue and drama than on action. Said dialogue is head and shoulders above what we’re used to hearing in the galaxy far, far away, and the much more grounded setting allows the themes of the franchise a new dimension of exploration.

For the first time in Star Wars visual media, we’re seeing laid bare the human cost of living under a tyrannical empire, and also that of rebelling against one. Never failing to impress upon us the insidious banality of lawful evil, coupled with the bursts of blatant abuse of power that help the former go unnoticed. Andor shows us at every turn that rebellion is a messy business, and that sometimes cleaning up means getting one’s hands dirty. The emphasis on small-scale personal stakes may be jarring at first, and the series does take a few episodes to really get going, but once it did, I found myself waiting on tenterhooks week-to-week

One of the things I find most refreshing about Andor is that it has the confidence in it’s own story to not rely on references to, or cameos from, the wider canon. Sure, there are Easter Eggs aplenty, and one of the major characters does happen to be Mon Mothma, (who is *fantastic* in this, by the way) but at no point did I feel like my appreciation of this series was dependent on my pre-existing fondness for Star Wars

I don’t want to spoil anything, just on the off-chance that someone reading this hasn’t watched it or given it a chance yet, but Stellan Skarsgard gives a consistently show-stealing performance as Luthen, the leader of a pre-alliance rebel cell, who gives us a great look at some of the logistical struggles of organised rebellion, and the compromises to morality required to make it all work.

Another great performance I have to mention comes from Andy Serkis as Kino Loy. I don’t want to spoil more than that except to say that Andy Serkis remains a criminally underappreciated performer, who I hope we see again in the future.

None of this is to take away from Diego Luna, who is also fantastic as the titular character. If I were tasked with making a spin-off series for a Star Wars character, never in a million years would I have thought to choose Cassian Andor. Luna proves himself worthy of the mantle of leading man in every conceivable way, as he makes the journey from wily everyman, to reluctant accomplice to willing rebel.

If I stick to just praising individual actors then season 2 will likely be out by the time I finish writing this review, just take it as read that everyone is really good, because they are.

The series also looks fantastic, the locations feel lived in and give the universe a rare sense of scale, managing to make a single TIE fighter feel intimidating at one point. Each location exudes personality from the slick, intimidating offices of the ISB, to the sterile and stifling Narkina 5, to the grungy slums of Ferrix, and the use of frames within frames throughout the series to highlight the feel of the moment is exceptional.

I haven’t even mentioned the villains yet, true to the rest of the series, the villains of the piece are less arch and broad than usual Star Wars fare, but all the more horrifyingly familiar for it. From interrogation officers that are too fond of their job, to ambitious climbers in a tyrannical regime, and all of these somehow competed with in dispicability by a single, toxic parent.

The pacing is slow, and the action scenes, few and far between, but they’re bloody good when they happen, and the downtime is filled with compelling characters and interesting worldbuilding. I’d go as far as to say the pacing is perfect for what the show is trying to do. That said, if it doesn’t scratch your Star Wars itch, I do understand, and there’ll always be The Mandalorian to look forward to.

Andor is not going to be for everyone, and, if you’re insulting the intelligence of people who don’t like it, you are a prick, and that’s not how you get people to listen. It is completely understandable that it might just not be what you want out of Star Wars. But if you like a more grounded, everyday look at the galaxy, and a rare glimpse of life under the empire for the average person. Coupled with dialogue of rare quality and well-written character drama making what action the show does have all the more impactful for it. I recommend this to you without reservation.