Created by Tony Gilroy, Andor takes place five years before the events of Rogue One and follows an ensemble cast of characters when a Rebel Alliance is forming in opposition to the Galactic Empire. One of these characters that connects them all is Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a thief who becomes a revolutionary and eventually joins the Rebellion.
Out of all the Star Wars shows to come out in recent years, I really had no clue what to expect from this one since so much of it was surrounded in secrecy and very little was being talked about it prior to its release, as if no one really cared this series was coming out. Despite all this, the first season of Andor proved itself to be Star Wars storytelling at its best, exploring a new corner of the universe and offering a deeply layered story of Cassian Andor’s journey in being a part of the Rebellion’s beginnings and facing the complex tyranny of the Empire.
Taking a more slow-burn approach, along with having separate but connected story arcs, this show proved itself to be infinitely investing with its acting, writing, and directing. It highlights a mature part of Star Wars that has not been explored in much detail, as well as adding much-needed variety. It delivers a more “adult” take on Star Wars, not through edgy genre exploitation but mainly through discreet, deeply human moments as well as masterfully built-up tension. The writing is the sharpest the franchise has ever had and it’s thrilling to see it realize this potential.
I still love fun stories of the Jedi and Mandalorians as much as anybody else would but I’m actually glad to get something different that doesn’t focus on either one of those and takes different directions in storytelling compared to previous installments. There’s so much this series has to offer and it sadly hasn’t gotten as much attention as it should. It’s a shame given all the hard work the show-makers put into this project.
We have multiple characters involved in this series that are separately focused on in different places across the Galaxy, yet are all connected in one way or another to the titular Andor himself, whether it be with him personally or through actions caused by him.
Diego Luna truly gives his best performance as the character, being the heart and soul of the series and able to fully flesh out the character in many ways that were impossible to completely cover in his debut in Rogue One. Even though we are aware of his eventual fate in that film his journey to that point is extremely investing and adds so many complicated layers to his character, making him stand alongside some of the greatest and most unique characters in all of Star Wars.
He isn’t your typical hero that immediately joins the fight but rather someone who is forced into the conflict after being given no other option. He is simply a human trying to survive under an oppressive regime and his refusal to answer his true calling causes great consequences for him. He realizes what he needs to do and what he has to be is done in such a beautiful and perfect way that you can’t help but feel so much more attached to the character in everything he goes through, even when he is a very flawed person with special talents. I loved everything about his growth and story this season and I am eager to see what comes next for him in the upcoming second season.
Many other faces in this show, both new and familiar, are also extremely investing and acted marvelously by their respective cast members. Every main and supporting character from both major factions gets time to be fleshed out so that viewers can be really invested in everything they do, whether it be involved in tension-filled action or tension-filled politics. It is difficult to discuss every single character this series has but I’ll focus on discussing the major characters that have the most impact.
We start off with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), a member of the Rebel Alliance who is the one to bring Cassian to the fold by hiring him on his first mission as a Rebel operative. Luthen also poses publicly as an eccentric antiques dealer from Coruscant, using the position to infiltrate the heart of the Empire for information. Stellan Skarsgård brings an extraordinary presence with this character, a rebel that is deeply dedicated to the cause of fighting against the Empire and has sacrificed so much for his commitment. His ideologies and tactics are more intense and dangerous compared to other moral rebel members and he’s willing to do what is necessary to win, even if it means using people as expendable assets, including Andor. How Skarsgård was able to transform himself in such a way with a role like this was beyond me and he brought such a magnificent level of acting to Star Wars that is truly worthy of recognition, especially in smaller moments.
On the more moral side of the Rebellion we get the return of Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) who gets a massive character expansion and development in this series than she has ever had in previous Star Wars stories. I never really thought much of Mon Motha in Star Wars as I always just considered her a small supporting character in the overall Star Wars story but this series changes that by giving her much more depth and expanding her role in the universe. Like everyone else she wishes to fight against the Empire’s tyranny but wishes to do so in a way that doesn’t endanger more lives in the galaxy and plays a risky game of politics.
Genevieve O’Reilly delivers a phenomenal performance as a person who feels so alone in her fight against oppression, risks so much for what she is doing, and faces tough decisions that could break her moral beliefs. Her story is the most emotional and heartbreaking of all the characters in the series and through incredible acting and excellent writing, you truly feel invested in everything this character is feeling and dealing with, both as a political figure and as a person who was forced to endure a horrible personal life.
Saw Gerrera, reprised by Forest Whittaker, makes a short appearance in the series, returning as the radical rebel leader but one who is not immediately villanized the moment he shows up onscreen. His extremist ideologies are still present but we see why he is the way he is and why he chooses to push his allies away. Whittaker has always delivered excellent performances as this character in all his appearances but this felt like his best one yet, from the way he delivers his dialogue to his intense presence and paranoia, truly making you see a physically and mentally damaged human being underneath the violent exterior.
The Empire has its own faces introduced in this series, all of which explore and expand upon the inner workings of the Empire at the height of its power and are dedicated to their cause of bringing order to the galaxy.
At the lower end of the hierarchy, we have Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), A Deputy Inspector for Preox-Morlana (Pre-Mor) Authority, a corporate conglomerate in charge of a trade sector. Karn works for Pre-Mor’s security services and is determined to capture Andor after learning he murdered two Pre-Mor security employees, which kicks off the events of the series. Soller does a fantastic job delivering a character that has an obsessive need to impress and fill a hole in himself as part of the Empire’s first line of defense. He is all about ascending to the top of whatever field he’s in and doing whatever possible in service of the Empire. His dedication however is not met with open arms as he expects, showing an extreme naivety that ends up screwing him over big time. He’s the perfect example of an individual who is radicalized in a hierarchical regime that doesn’t care for those considered beneath it no matter how loyal they might be.
I know some people have considered Syril’s story to be the most boring part of the series but I disagree as I feel it fits with many of the themes of the series as well as the fact he is directly responsible for the start of Andor’s journey.
Higher above Syril is the equally dedicated but more experienced Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), a high-ranking supervisor for the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). The ISB has had several merciless villains come out from its inner workings but Dedra Meero may just be the most dangerous and hateful one of them all. With an incredible performance from Denise Gough, we get a truly evil and relentless individual that is willing to go to great lengths to get what she wants and to achieve the primary goals of the ISB. Her intelligence and methods make her a truly dangerous foe to anyone that crosses paths with her, another one of the most interesting original villains to come out of Star Wars in recent years. She’s the perfect love-to-hate villain that gets under your skin every time she’s on screen.
Several supporting characters are also just as good or even better than the major characters. Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw), Cassian’s adoptive mother, and Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Cassian’s closest ally, serve as the main emotional connections Cassian has in the series. They mean the most to him and everything that happens to them impacts the viewers just as much as Cassian himself.
The Aldhani rebel cell contained a lot of surprisingly great characters each with their own human motives and who have their own impact on Cassian even beyond the Aldhani arc. The most notable among them was Vel Sartha, played incredibly well by Faye Marsay.
But the biggest surprise supporting character of them all was Kino Loy from the Narkina 5 arc, played by the legendary Andy Serkis. At first, I believed this character was just a cameo role for Serkis, given his previous Star Wars role as Supreme Leader Snoke in the sequel trilogy. But that was not the case at all as the character plays a vital role in the Narkina 5 arc and has a major impact on Cassian’s story. He was written to perfection and the show-makers fully utilized Andy Serkis’s talents as an actor without being another motion capture character. This is Serkis in the flesh and he gives a truly dedicated and phenomenal performance that blew me away. This is the first time in a long time that a short-lasting supporting performance really impressed me.
The season is one ongoing interconnected narrative that is separated into arcs, all focused on certain events in certain locations that are approached with slow-burn storytelling. This allows tension to be built and felt in each episode, leading to satisfying payoffs with the action while also taking time to explore characters and their motives, giving them depth for us to connect to. This is a very different approach compared to the one-mission-per-episode approach of The Mandalorian and more similar to the kind of storytelling you’d see in the animated installment of Star Wars but on a more grounded scale.
And as much as I still love The Mandalorian I can definitely say I do love the more slow-burn approach of Andor as it allows us to spend more time with the characters and the intricacies of this world, which in turn allows viewers to be more invested. On top of that, it allows for the exploration of new ideas that add richness and variety to Star Wars. Easily my favorite arcs in this season were the Aldhani arc, the Narkina 5 arc, and the two-part finale arc, which was an absolute tinderbox of emotions that perfectly caps off the first season and opens up the next stage for season 2. And yes there is a post-credit scene so don’t miss it.
There are multiple themes to be found in the first season’s multi-layered story and every single one of them are interesting and never felt boring in the slightest. This series explores things we have seen happen in our world, from corporate structures to exploitation and borders. It is a series told in hierarchies and highlights the eternal conflict between working class and upper class. The use and abuse of power are always on display for both the Rebellion and the Empire, showing that the lines between good and evil aren’t as simple in Star Wars as we may think. It is abundant with political intrigue, and conflicting ideologies and is very much a damning examination of life under fascism, showing what people are willing to do to benefit their causes or themselves.
The series also delivers massive stakes by showing the price of rebellion and what it can cost. Things realistically get worse before getting better and people suffer for it, whether it be getting imprisoned for doing the most innocuous things or being interrogated through horrendous measures. The cost is always so high no matter what planet things happen on as it will always impact everyone across the galaxy in a negative way. This is a series that people are going to take something away from and have endless interesting discussions about, which is something many may not expect from a franchise involving laser swords, aliens, and space travel.
The action, visuals, effects, editing, sound design, cinematography, and music for this series are truly out of this world. All the technical elements and details contribute to the grounded and unique story, enhancing all narrative elements and leaving a much larger impact than expected. Even when events are going on that may seem small in comparison to other major events in Star Wars they speak massive volumes, thanks in part to the technical elements. All the practical effects, costumes, sets, and locations are incredible, as are the CGI effects despite the lower budget and potential pandemic impacts they may have endured.
The music done by Nicholas Britell is easily another one of the most unique and intense scores done in recent Star Wars installments. It adds so much to the tension, atmosphere, and emotional weight of the series and even helps tell the story visually without the need for words.
Andor truly is a massive surprise hit that needs more recognition and attention from everyone. For those who wanted something greatly different from anything that has come before in Star Wars this is it. It needs to be seen. I eagerly wait for the second season with great anticipation as this has become one of my favorite Star Wars shows ever and one of my top favorite shows of this year. I’m going to give Andor Season 1 an A+ = 100.
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