Hello all!
The first season for Andor officially wrapped up late last year and I gotta say, I'm finally feeling like Star Wars has something to offer in terms of quality storytelling (sorry Mandalorian) for the first time since Rogue One. It's been months since this fantastic first season ended and I finally got around to finishing it up.
What's the story about: Star Wars: Andor follows its titular character Cassian Andor, known for his deep connection to the Rebel Alliance in Rogue One, as he finds out his destiny is to be part of something much bigger than himself. This is definitely a multi-ensembled cast, many characters being introduced and new to the Star Wars lore. But there are several, including Mon Mothma, that will be recognizable from other Star Wars media.
Without gushing too much, I simply loved this entire first twelve-episoded season. While Cassian is the central character that links this story together in all the differing segments and subplots, this introductory season proves that human stories can be told in the Star Wars universe at any level and they can be done really, really well. During these twelve episodes, we're introduced to 20+ characters that all have a place, purpose, and set of motivations that are understandable, believable, and fully realized. I'm still utterly shocked at how they could have that many characters and make them feel worthwhile to include and introduce all at the same time. Even the ones who are definitively "bad guys" seem like realistic portrayals of human beings and are worth rooting for, even if you don't want them to succeed.
Next to this point, if I were to describe this first season and show from the beginning in one word, it would be dexterous. It starts off with a small scope, giving us an introduction to who Cassian is at this point in time in comparison to where he will be when Rogue One begins, but after the first three episodes, it really shotguns out into a huge diverse tapestry of events and storylines to follow. But what's so impressive about it is that none of it gets confusing or convoluted. Each story is easy enough to follow and because the show is structured so well, you're always able to see the reason certain characters are being shown and given screen time to support and move the main plot along. Whilst watching the episode recap of the last episode, realization hit me that while this show has close to five core threads going at once, it all met together in a finale that involved almost every character introduced. It was amazing. All of the tension and drama was focused and acutely pointed in one location that was superbly released in the climactic episode that ended this first season. While the ending in my opinion did not land quite like I had hoped (a few odd directions without explanation and an abrupt end that didn't quite wrap certain storylines up), it still did the rest of the season's arcs justice.
Lastly, the final category I feel like I haven't touched on yet discussing the genius of this show regards the structure of the first season. Maybe it's because I don't watch very much TV in recent years, but the idea of multi-episode mini seasonal arcs was used to a perfect degree in this show. There were four sets of three episode stories that each had their own characters and directions that made each episode feel important and worthwhile. This makes it feel like it's actually worth watching instead of those episodes throughout the season that feel like a slog to get through (as is the case with almost every other Disney produced show). All in all, I'm completely satisfied with this first season and think it was done as well as it possibly could have been. I've recently read that the future of the show is only one more season split into mini arcs that emcompass the next five years leading up to Rogue One. This...has me concerned, but the amount of care and concern that was put into this first season at least give me some hope that it will be done right. I'm just going to appreciate this show for the time it is around and firmly stand on the side that Andor and Rogue One are the best Star Wars properties ever made. If you like the universe but are dissatisfied with the movies for the most part, these two contributions elevate it to its true potential while you watch them.
Final Verdict: ★★★★★ 5 Stars - Star Wars: Andor is a brilliant beginning for a show that I hope is the best thing to come out of Star Wars since Rogue One. While Rogue One was a fun adventure that fit well-enough into the Star Wars mythos to feel warranted and deserved, Andor proves that these stories need to be told more than any other in the Star Wars universe. It had depth, weight, realism, heart, and is a stunningly good portrayal of humanity and sacrifice. I hope that Disney and Lucasfilm will use this show as a building block for the future and even help other popular media become better. Star Wars has always had more potential than what it boasted, but this show is a representation of what could and should be made in this universe. I highly recommend watching this show!
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this show, other reviews, or talk movie recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.