Photo by Agnieszka Kowalczyk on Unsplash
3.5/5 stars
The newest Star Wars installment starts off in the right direction and the premiere does not disappoint.
Andor is a prequel series to the Star Wars film Rogue One, which itself was a prequel to the first Star Wars film A New Hope. The series follows the character Cassian Andor, during the five years before the events of Rogue One. During this time, the Rebel Alliance was forming against the Empire, which should sound familiar to anyone who has seen the films.
Diego Luna returns to his role as Andor and once again gives a spectacular performance. The supporting characters are well written, and the story has a balance between seriousness and lighthearted humour which is used at the right times. The pace of the story keeps viewers entertained while moving the story forward and effectively developing the characters through flashbacks to Andor’s childhood as a Kenari. This is where a Star Wars story told through a series format excels. If these events were instead told in a movie, it would be rushed and the audience would miss out on building an emotional connection with the characters.
The movie Rogue One is arguably one of the best recent installments in the Star Wars universe, and that’s saying a lot since it came out back in 2016. A series following what led up to those events was definitely the right choice from Disney. That’s not to say all recent projects have been terrible. This year’s Obi-Wan Kenobi had its memorable moments but overall fell short of its potential feeling underwhelming at times. The Mandalorian, as entertaining as it was, felt like a side story and quickly became repetitive. These were good additions and welcomed by fans, but one can only hope that Andor surpasses the expectations it has or at least reaches its potential.
It’s too early to tell but the show is off to a good start. The first season consists of 12 episodes released weekly until Nov. 23. The first three episodes were released on Disney+ on Sept. 21. They’re short enough to serve as a binge-watchable experience and they’re continuous enough that together they feel like a movie. The first two episodes serve as an introduction to the characters, setting, and story, ultimately building up to an entertaining climax in the third episode. The second season is already in development and unfortunately will be the end of the series as it will lead to the events in Rogue One, connecting the storylines together.
Star Wars is finally starting to remedy one of the main criticisms that followed it for years: plot holes. The first six films were the main source of information and entertainment in the Star Wars universe for a long time. A lot of the lore that was missing from the movies was implemented through books or comic books that fans of the films likely missed out on. The introduction of Disney’s series, new movies, video games, and other forms of media, is expanding and making Star Wars lore more accessible at the same time filling in those plot holes that existed, such as “how did the Rebel Alliance start?”—to which the audience will find out by watching Andor.
Whether you’re a returning fan or new to the Star Wars universe, Andor is worth a watch. If you are new, then what better place to start than here: the beginning of the plot of the original movies.