The best thing Andor did in my opinion was to make the Empire a character. They gave the Empire an omnipresent weight that was felt everywhere they explored.
Rogue One kind of did that. A lot of people dunked on Rogue One for the lack of character arcs, except the Rebellion and the Empire were characters that had character arcs. As this was the same writer as Rogue One who had a season to continue that narrative, it's clearly done a lot better.
There's an ep in Season 3 of Mandalorian (I think episode 3) that felt a lot like them going "Oh, people liked Andor, we should probably do something similar to that" and... it's actually a pretty great episode for it! ~ Though it does feel a little separate from the rest of the season lol. So hopefully the powers that be are taking note!
This is one of the biggest things to me. It really gives you the feeling of dread being ruled by true fascism. Knowing that if you fight back even a little, you're a goner. Even the city rising up at the end is terrifying, because you know that even with a small victory against their tyranny, the Empire has the immense power to come back and literally wipe them off the face of the planet with fire and death. The only way to survive is to literally run for your life from them and hope they don't find you.
Yea that’s what I’ve hated in Disney Star Wars. Sure thebbad guys have always been incompetent, but at least they looked organized and were legitimate threat Disney. Star Wars just makes them straight up cartoonishly bad.
I hate how people say, “But it isn’t Star Wars.. it’s a spin-off of Star Wars - but it ISNT STAR WARS” then what is - The Mandalorian, One of the worst written shows this year?
Yes and I thought, while not only showing the evil minds at the top, they also do a good job showing what the low level grunts are feeling as well. Even though they had the firepower, the troopers always knew in the back of their mind they could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of civilians if it all went south. Those kind of standoffs really upped the tension and suspense. Plus, you were never sure which way it would go.
@@firstlast9846 The other two seasons had some strength, things for the most part made sense. This last season was just SOOO "sloppy" the ending was weird and their was no consistency after the first episode.
@@360.Tapestry that’s exactly right. The rebellion wouldn’t happen without them but most of them would never live to see what they fought for come true.
so many good ppl die in this show, almost the entire heist crew dies, dozens of prisoners die, and ferrix citizens get massacered. this def feels like rogue one prequel
Andor was the Star Wars Masterpiece we never even imagined. From the music, to the story. Its just all perfect. The actors, all of them did a fantastic job. This is the most 10/10 I can ever give to a Star Wars. P.s. The Empire is no longer goofy and weak? Oh boy, this is new!
The closest we ever got to the empire feeling like an actual force is starwars rebels where organized cells didn't know they were part of a larger rebelion until the time was right, however the empire also playing their cards right lead to the downfalls of key and well loved characters throughout the show that took somthing from them as a symbol. Andor does this at a way higher level but they're still compairable and it's really nice to see somthing of this nature.
I think you can even go beyond this - not only is it a Star Wars masterpiece, it’s a new standard bearer for franchise storytelling. If a creative team can come jump into one of the most densely-plotted, carefully built worlds after nearly 50 years of stories, and completely revolutionize the tone, style, thematic subtext and visual language of said universe in one fell swoop, then my lord, anything is possible. I no longer believe any sequel or prequel or spinoff is off-limits IF (and only if) it’s possible to pull off an “Andor” like take on it that similarly recontextualizes the original work.
@@danhess2 Honestly, they even inspire me to go fight for freedom. Imagine that, some fun tv show being so strong and impactful. Andor deserves all the praise it can get!
Luthen’s monologue, Kino’s speech, Nemik’s manifesto, Maarva’s eulogy. This show gave four incredible masterpieces in script writing, and that’s not including the countless quotes and lines throughout the show all carrying so much weight and emotion.
“I would rather die trying to take them down, then die giving them what they want.” “That’s what a reckoning sounds like.” “The pace of repression outstrips our ability to understand it.” “I’ve learned from Palpatine. I show you the stone in my hand, you miss the knife at your throat.”
But the bricks/screws it goes against Dave Daddy Filonis Star Wars vision It has no action and no needless random cameos 4/10- Star Wars theory Nah but seriously though this is the best Star Wars we’ve gotten since rogue one lol
"I burn my life for a sunrise I know I'll never see" is the line you were looking for. And there's writing like that all over this Star Wars show. At it's peak it's like poetry
A great quote. Seems to be borrowed from this great, old quote. "Blessed are old people who plant trees knowing that they shall never sit in the shade of their foliage."
Tony Gilroy described season 1 of Andor as “Andor’s Education”. He starts off not giving a fuck and over time gets to the point of being willing to give his life for a cause greater than himself. It’s brilliant. I think Syril Karn is the parallel story of someone fully adopting fascism into their life from feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy. It’s all paralleled with their respective mothers. Maarva is fully loving with a rebellious heart and Edie is a cruel dismissive social climber. It’s brilliant. I think Season 2 is going to be the fight for Andor’s soul as he will be pulled between Luthen’s dark pragmatism and Mon Mothma’s hopeful idealism. I can’t wait
My favorite thing about Andor is the way it chooses to interpret Star Wars and especially "Life under Empire" for the average people and communities. Not the heroes and legends with amazing powers who performs historical feats but the smaller workers who paves the way for the big characters. It totally works with the tone shift to a political drama because of that. I especially love how one of the speeches reverses Yodas "Do not try, do"-line to Luke. The average people may not be able to "do" like the legends can but they can "try".
It really shows how people have suffered from the empire. their daily lives and their homes, their jobs, their culture, etc. Even as small of an example as those two fishermen who saved Andor after the prison break, they couldn't catch fish because of the empires destruction of the ecosystem.
Andor really showed the viewer exactly how the Empire is oppressing the galaxy in a way nothing really had. Even though we literally see them blow up a planet in ANH, the Empire somehow still feels more evil in this show.
Yeah but the "do or do not, there is no try" isn't just for legends, for Jedis, the powerful ones. Don't forget, it's motivational story for you, for us, THE people, we're all are Luke Skywalkers. It has it's place. It's stating that you are powerful being, and you can do what you set your mind to, so if you want to try, you try, if you want to do, you do.
Andor is what Disney Star Wars SHOULD have been all along. Thoughtful, intelligent, well written, great acting, political undertones, and visceral action.
Well all thanks to Tony Gilroy, the creator of the show. He saved Rogue One from being terrible with the extensive reshoots under his writing and directing and now Andor. He's doing a far better job than basically anyone who's in the writer's room of The Mandalorian
@@nicholasnajibi3082Empire Strikes Back is a masterpiece but Andor is very clearly better written. Does that make it better? No, but nobody claimed it was.
I also skipped on Andor after watching Obi Won. Ended up binge watching it last week and couldn’t put it down. From the story, script, set design, characters, and CGI Andor was actually REALLY good for a Disney product!
Everything about Andor was excellent. The writing, characters, performances, set design, costuming, action sequences, music, special effects, EVERYTHING about it was so good. It also plays into the original trilogy really nicely, rather than desperately trying to dismantle, belittle and hastily replace Lucas’ actual vision and story. It actually had me excited about Star Wars again.
The coolest part about the Death Star reveal is how it thematically meshes with Andor's character arc. He unknowingly contributes directly to the thing he willingly laid down his life to help destroy in the end.
Yeah, I feel Rogue One is improved by Andor. For instance, the little detail of a book on Cassian’s coat in Rogue One and now we know that’s Nemik’s Manifesto.
The passing of authority of Ferrix from Morlana to the Empire was handled exceptionally well in Episode 4 because the level of authority kept ramping up and up, and credit to the show for not resorting to Vader and Palpatine. They made the best Star Wars in decades without cheap marketing. Kudos
Andor is a 10/10 for me. The stakes are high and the empire FEELS ominous/imposing. Hell there was a scene where the robot was giving off such emotion I felt so bad for it... a Star Wars robot had more emotion than all of Obi Wan and Book of Boba combined.
I think Nemik's Manfesto is such an underrated monologue on the show. "The pace of oppression outstrips our ability to understand it. …Freedom is a pure idea it occurs spontaneously without instruction…Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks. It leaks. For it is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it’s so unnatural.. …Rebellions are built on hope. Remember this. Try."
@@kp-legacy-5477that’s easy for Jedi to do; people without telekinetic Force powers have to work hard to achieve their goals. When Yoda says that, he’s telling Luke to believe in himself and the Force to lift his X-Wing out of the swamp; for a normal person, they’d have to build things and try different means and keep trying and trying until they got it done. Luke just needed to let go of his doubts.
The parellels and intersections between Andor and SW are great. Do or do not vs. try then you got Leah: I love you Han: I know vs. Diedre: I should thank you. Syril: You don't have to.
@@deanthemachine7489 Ahh but it is not easy and it is not just for the jedi dont get me wrong i understand the subtext behind the andor seen and i think its lovely and im not being critical of it just felt yodas words hold a lot of weight because at the end of it all the rebellion did rather than did not inspite of the failures thats what the phrase means you either fail or you dont but you always get back up you arent trying you are doing or not the rebellion did. i hope i made sense english isnt my strong suit
Dude it's not just good star wars, it's good writing, good directing, good acting... good everything. Take the star wars part out and you still have an amazing show. That's how every one of these disney+ shows should be. Andor set a bar!
Gotta say I disagree. I think the license did most of the heavy lifting for me. If it wasn't the fact it was star wars, I'd have checked out by episode 3 or 4. Thankfully I stuck with it, and from episode 6 onwards it was generally good or great (depending on the episodes). Overall it's been the weakest star wars show for me. Still the end of the season won me over so I'm gonna give season 2 a shot. I hope it's not as slow starting as this one though.
Actually, Syril Karn works very well and probably my favourite villain in the show because he is totally a "loser" as a person, he wants to show off, but it wants to do it for the Empire. He is unable to discern good from evil what he does is just self serving, no matter what. He is the incarnation of the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". That character is right from the book "The Banality of Evil" by Hannah Arendt.
I think Syril's story is a sympathetic one. I’m not sure how much of a looser he is, what I do know is that he’s looking for a sense of purpose and trying to find his place in the galaxy. That’s why the empire appeals to him, he’s obsessed with „law and order“ because by enforcing it he feels he is an important part of something bigger than him. When he sees two police men having been murdered it’s his perfect opportunity to prove his honor by solving the case. It perfectly illustrates how fascism appeals to so many people, it makes people attached to a social and political order they can feel meaningful in, while completely missing how they’re individuality is being completely eroded and replaced with a sense of pride for the system that only exploits them, to themselves they’re an honest and productive citizens while to the system they’re just a cog in a machine meant to serve only a few.
@@zuckergolf4442 I agree with everything and you wrote it out so nicely, except I think he is definitely a loser; he didn't hesitate to shoot at unarmed citizens after breaking into their own house...and he still missed! Loser behavior.
Agree... he's a baby fascist. Compelling when you start putting together how he was made. I mean... his mother! How could you NOT grow into a mess of a person with a mother like that.
I would like to see a series focusing on his backstory and what we're the events that made him set his sights on fighting the empire..you know there is a story there. But it would to be written by the Gilroy team. Can't let the folks who had their hands on Obi-Wan touch that.
The acting in this show is leagues above anything else in all of Star Wars. So many scenes that are genuine acting masterclasses. My favourite is the scene at the party between Mon and Tay, everything about it is *chefs kiss* brilliant
acting AND writing... that party conversation between Mon and her childhood friend in one of the early episodes... how the hell do you make a simple conversation so tense??? amazing stuff
I understand that most people are focussed on the main protagonists and their acting, but for me the real diamnds were the night shift manager during the prison break as he stepped on the floor, not knowing if it would kill him or not. Such a small scene barely 2 seconds but he expressed so much in that short frame of time. Or Pak´s son during Martha´s eulogy. Every actor brought so much to it.
@@yomerito3320 Right! This is a result of excellent writing, top notch acting and directing. I really hope more people will warm up to this series, it really is amazing.
Andor, in conjunction with Rogue One, are perfect companion pieces to the overall Star Wars story. It fills in gaps and adds to something that was sorely missing in the bigger picture: why the Empire was so feared. Sure, episodes 1-6 showed how the Galactic Empire was formed and how they fell, as well as showing us that the _Emperor_ was evil, but we never got the sense of what the Empire did to solidify its rule. If Good and Evil were the two main characters of the Original trilogy, and Temptation was the main character of the prequels, Andor and Rogue one do a perfect job of making Fea, Oppression, and Hope characters as well.
@@IwhowasdatXD960 don't go in expecting a ton of flashy action sequences. The show takes a much slower, more grounded approach which is what I feel turned off a bunch of people. But if you go in with the mindset of a slower show, it's REALLY good
Andor benefits greatly from the absence of Vader or Sidious. The Empire is scary specifically because it's realistic. The show connects heavily to the lessons learned from the Nuremberg trials. The greatest evils wrought by humanity are conducted by seemingly normal people that develop a casual cruelty and distance from the evils they're a part of. To them they're just doing their job and climbing the latter, just like Deedra is.
I wouldn't complain if Palps were to appear in Mon Mothma's storyline in season 2, though. Something is going to have to happen for her to go completely guerilla from where she is .
I think the 'I'm looking for my sister'-plot was Cassian's way of escapism and represented his aimless searching for a purpose in his life. His constant refusal to ignore the empire but beaten down and oppressed to a point when he finally joined the rebellion.
It took me months to get through the first episode after watching Kenobi but once I did, I finished it in a few days. I was blown away by its complexity, tough decisions, the work that goes beyond to make it all work and get into place. It was amazing and I hope it continues
It took the full three episodes to get going but when Luthen says, "Don't you want to fight these bastards for real?" I was all in. That's where we said, "OK, so THIS is a show!" Skarsgard and Serkis both deserve Emmys for their work in Andor.
for me it was the line where he says he'll fight even if he'll never see the sunset or something of that kind. took a while but when it did, it got me. easily one of the best Star Wars shows.
Andor is literally the best Star Wars live action ever made. Cinematic Masterpiece. It was the most realistic and immersive Star Wars of ALL . Best character development, best cinematography, best sound design, best acting, best stories, specially using real locations makes it look so much better more real and expansive, best monologues of all, literally everything is 5/5.
I absolutely loved this show. The dialogue and acting were all amazing, the production values were top notch. The characters felt and acted like real people. The stakes were well crafted and threatening, it was just an incredibly well crafted show. Andor managed to make a SINGLE TIE Fighter feel threatening. By far the best thing Disney has put out Star Wars wise
Watching Disney Star Wars is like swimming in a porta potty but occasionally you find a diamond. It’s still not worth swimming through all the poo. But those diamonds are pretty sweet
didnt feel like real star wars tho lol... They put more into a side character that weve already seen die then the Obi show and Boba Show.. Mando season 3 was lack luster to say the least. Disney hates all the George Lucas characters and only wants their new dumb shit to shine
"So what do I sacrifice?.... EVERYTHING" That line alone gave me so many chills. That entire episodes was full of amazing moments, but that monologue was the icing on the cake.
The takeaway I have from Andor is that the very best television in the world... Andor, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, you name it... doesn't always hook you from the first episode, but often needs 2-3 eps to do some worldbuilding before it gets its hooks in you. But then when it does... wow. And the hardest thing in the world can be trying to get that friend who you know will love it if they gave it a chance to give it a chance after they got bored with the first episode.
It's amazing how Tony Gilroy saved Star Wars twice. From Rogue One's extensive reshoots (that includes the Darth Vader scene at the end) to creating Andor, i'd say Lucasfilm should give him more Star Wars projects
@@Skyebright1 he’s a good storyteller, it has nothing to do with his understanding of Star Wars. He’s consistently said he doesn’t care about Star Wars
I think he said he doesn't want to stick with Star Wars. Cause it takes too much time as a commitment. Maybe he will change his mind after completing season 2.
@@fellowkrieger457 I mean, I don't expect him to do everything for Star Wars. Just take his time properly, I'm sure he's gonna do great. Most of Star Wars' problems are just them rushing out to get things done
To me, I felt like I was watching a good World War 2 Spy series. It felt grounded, believable, with giant stakes, excellent acting. It is slow and there's a lot of dialogue, but I enjoyed it all, like a good WW2 series/movie. It is definitely the most sophisticated writing in star wars, that's for sure.
I cant even begin to tell you how my heart broke for Andy Serkis's character(Kino). They FINALLY had freedom, just for it to be taken away from him at the very last, literal, step. Been years since I gave a shit about any character in any movie or show but that right there done pissed me off. In a good way, of course.
Some people said that for a smart man like Kino, jumping 100 feet into the ocean and trying to swim to the shore when he can't swim is the worst decision he can make. He would better off ambushing whatever aircraft comes to inspect the prison, so he's not hopeless.
I've been waiting for Star Wars content that didn't feel like fan-fiction trying to emulate Star Wars and that didn't include a ton of "wink at the camera" cameos and references. Andor is absolutely incredible, in my opinion. Everything feels so well thought-out, and all the characters feel real. As for the creepy stalker, I actually loved how weird he got. It felt like his arc highlights some of the types of people that become true believers in fascist governments like the Empire. He's unsettling and creepy, and I think it works particularly with how even Dedra seems perturbed by his tenacity.
1. Andor was weird because sometimes it felt nothing like Star Wars, and sometimes it felt more like Star Wars than anything I've seen since ROTJ. The consoles, switches, buttons, costumes, etc. REALLY nailed the aesthetic and it made me feel like I was in the SW universe. 2. I absolutely loved Syril's arc. He's the contrast to Dedra. Syril is lawful good. He has bought 100% into the law of the society he lives in. He's a true believer in what the Empire represents on paper, but I think his obsession with Andor will cause him to ultimately realize that the Empire is evil. He is enamored with Dedra because she appears to represent everything he loves about order and justice, but hanging out with her going forward will probably help make him realize the truth. Dedra is lawful evil. She COMPLETELY understands what the Empire is and how it works and she is 100% on board. I loved how the show left that as something of a question mark until the torture scene when you realize she doesn't just use it as a tool, she likes it. She is evil. Her darkness will be the catalyst to push Syril to the rebellion.
I wish people would stop using D&D Alignment to describe people, lol. There's a reason no other modern system uses alignments because it's a ridiculous way to classify human behavior. That and you got it wrong anyway. Syril isn't Good by any measure. He believes in the system of law and order, but is not concerned with the pursuit of justice or truth. He sees the oppression and the brutality and does nothing, because he's obsessed with the Law, and not with notions of Good or Evil. He seems quite content with Evil so long as Law and Order are maintained. IF we were to try to pigeonhole him in D&D with an alignment that would fit him, he would either be lawful neutral or lawful evil.
This show was the best piece of Star Wars material we’ve had in well over a decade! A show for an older audience who don’t get bored without an explosion every 5 minutes
I think there’s some room for improvement in the pacing. I’m a movie guy, tv shows frustrate me when I have to watch 4+ hours of content to finish a story arc. The payoff was very good though.
That's a stretch. Episode 2 and 4 were so slow. Nothing happened except boring exposition. If the exposition was interesting or set in an interesting landscape then it would of been awesome. Episodes 1,3, and 6 were the best.
I totally understand what Jeremy means by the story with Syril (Imperial who looks like young Kyle McLachlan). However, I do think it works when you think about it given the context in which the show frames the Empire. They have not only never been scarier and more threatening, but they’ve also never felt more real and human. Both Syril and Dedra are shown to actually be kinda relatable in certain ways. Dedra is introduced by giving her an office rivalry with a superior where you weirdly want to root for her in a way, but then you see her torture Bix and you remember “Oh right, she’s with the Empire…”. We’re softened to her at first, before she’s hardened by the end of the season. And with Syril, he might be introduced as a vengeful Imperial, but even he’s still a human who eats cereal at his mom’s house.
And I also appreciate that Syril is Andors counterpart, Parallel Lives style. We see their contrast. We see their interactions with their respective mothers, we see that Andor doesn't care about anything, while Syril is obsessive. Andor had no goals, Syril is ambitious. Both went to a prison of a different kind, and both are oppressed by the same system, but in different ways. At the end I feel sympathy for both. The real villain of the show is the Empire.
I think the idea is to show that the Empire didn't rule just with brute force - there were actually regular people who supported the Empire and what it stood for.
To add to this, I think Syril’s story shows how mundane real fascism can look and how people that think they’re doing the right thing can fall in with a fascist regime. It makes the Empire even more terrifying, to me, because it grounds them and makes it feel “real”.
What I liked about this show was how they made the galaxy feel more transparent and believable, showing that things aren’t so black and white like the movies portray. We see our heroes hold a family hostage early in the story and later in the finale one of the villains being afraid and vulnerable when a raging crowd tried to murder her. Everyone feels like normal people, victims formed by circumstance from someone else’s war.
I think we still need good and evil. What I don't like is trying to force the who universe into being a shade of grey. Some people are evil, some people are good, most people will lean either way depending on the situation or their personality. Saying the world are shades of grey is to say that Luke will blow up a building with kids. I know that's not what they are saying, but I fear they mess with the good guy Rebels. Like I hate what they are doing with the Republic. Just have them be good, not some other extreme of something.
@@Mord12gp Bro does not understand how the world works and that media, even if fictional, can still be grounded in a moral realism as opposed to being cartoonishly polarized 💀
@@saji.2874 We have enough Sunday morning cartoons telling us Blue = Good and Red = Bad. We also need media for adults that understand the world isn't so simple.
@@Mord12gp Yeahhhhhh sorry, but the world is indeed NOT in black and white. It is made up of greys. To think of it in terms of black and white, good or evil, or just one extreme to the other, is very naive and over-simplistic. People are much more nuanced. This line of flawed thinking can be can be attributed to how things are going in our society today. Everyone tries to fall to one extreme or the other....when it just doesn't work that way.
As the Critical Drinker said, "it's the best show at the worst time". Which is really heartbreaking. This show got absolutely screwed being thrown in after two crappy shows were released. I really hope that season 2 is just as. If not better than the first season.
Took me until ep4, when Luthen and Mon Mothma’s conversation takes a 180° turn on a dime, to realize “oh, shit - this is gonna be something special!!” I actually laughed in shock
Syril works for me as a character for a couple reasons: 1. He'd be the hero in most stories. He pursues Andor because Andor killed two men. 2. He's goal is never revenge or personal animosity. He believes he's on the side of justice. 3. He's closer to being a rebel than Andor for most of the run. He can see the flaws in the Empire, but thinks they're fixable with a few adjustments to Imperial bureaucracy--not outright armed rebellion. 4. Just like Andor helped build the Death Star, Syril is also a good man unwittingly helping build the Death Star. He sees what he's doing as sensible and even virtuous but needs to pan out to see the big picture.
I have no doubt his season 2 arc will include a widening of his perspective. I think it would be cheesy if he went full Rebel, but I definitely think he'll at least start to sympathize (hints of which are in season 1).
You know, at first I kinda felt the same about Dedra. Here was a character that had risen through the ranks despite the odds being against her, and was shown to be a competent, intelligent officer and leader who saw dangers that those around her that others were not seeing. She had those hallmarks of one of those underdog main characters...and then we see that she is a monster.
I don't think Syril is a good person. Episode 3 shows just how much he looks down on the people he views as below him, happy to threaten them and put a boot on their neck. He spends the whole show going after Andor, but doesn't give a shit about the unarmed man one of his own soldiers gunned down without cause.
@@Cameleonbates Dedra is my Cersei. Everyone was all on about how amazing Cersei was during GOT but all she ever really did was sit in her high tower and sip wine and look sinister. I didn't get it. Dedra though...... for all the reasons you just mentioned. Immediately was like "I fkin LOVE how much I fkin HATE this woman!!". Yes, she's a monster. But she's exemplifying how someone who's just "good at their job" can be such a problem rising in the ranks of a Fascistic regime. These characters have existed in history. We are at a weird time in feminism where we can't seem to figure out how to tell those stories yet.... but Andor did it. Dedra is that character. I can't wait for season 2 so we can see how it all goes horribly for her lol
ANDOR is arguably the best written/directed/acted piece of Star Wars media since Empire Strikes Back. I adored this genius show so much, glad you watched it!
@@thewadz5878No, it definitely is. I don’t think the OT will ever be topped in terms of pure craftsmanship and iconography, but I think people need to look past the nostalgia. Narratively and thematically, it’s by far the best thing Star Wars has ever done.
What made Andor stand out is the lack of green screen, or whatever they’re using in The Mandalorian. Also the fact that the people behind this show was behind Rogue One, which to me is the best Disney Star Wars movie. Like you said, it’s not a show meant to serve the fanboys, it’s a show meant for everyone. But sadly not even the fanboys wanna see it
I totally love it, it's like if HBO decided to do SW, great writing, great acting, awesome production value. It feels real, because they made the best out of every dollar in their budget, shooting on locations and building entire prop town for filming instead of volume. They also get composer from Succession to write music, so tunes are quirky and memorable. Every other SW show now look so cheap and childish in comparison.
Despite a slow start this show was the best thing they've done on D+ So many really top quality moments, very well written and acted. Luthens monologue, the crescendo of the marching band leading to the ending, the prison break and tension leading up to it. How did it come from the same studio as that pish Obi wan Kenobi 😅
Andor is an absolute masterpiece. Every character in this series is at their best. Stellan and Diego, my gosh it doesn't get better when you have such great dialogue and two behomeths in the craft delivering this beautiful film. This is the best Star Wars side story.
The best thing about Andor is it doesn't feel anything like normal Star Wars. It was just an awesome show. You can love it even without ever seeing a single Star Wars Movie or Show Prior. And the best character is the dude that hammered on that "Bell" as needed. The way he smashed those hammers on the "Bell" with such intensity was awesome. Talk about taking your job seriously, regardless of meaningless it seems.
When I saw Beau Willimon’s name in the credits of Andor, I was so thrilled. It makes sense to have the writer for House of Cards to handle the plotlines.
I can assume Beau's involvement was because creator Tony Gilroy asked him to do it since Gilroy serves as a creative consultant for House of Cards season 3 and 4 Gilroy helping Willimon to do House of Cards and now Willimon helping Gilroy to do Andor, that's amazing creative partner right there
I've never seen House of Cards but I did think all the cloak and dagger political intrigue was one of my favourite aspects of the show. Like the prequels, but for adults
@@Chi11monger Uh yes he did, just search for his IMDB. You'll see House of Cards there, he's just involved in season 3 and 4 as a consultant meaning that he just give suggestions and input to the scripts
The low-level security dude is the best character on the show. You can slowly see his life grinding down to a pathetic halt and the hate in him slowly start to build.
On my first watch of Andor coming off the kenobi show my brain was already in that half asleep action blockbuster mode that happens on auto pilot for star wars and marvel content. After getting to the end and realizing it wasn't the usual Disney slop I decided to re-watch paying far more attention to details/dialogue and after doing so I'm pretty confident in calling Andor a Masterpiece. It's not just the best starwars or Disney series I've seen in a while but probably the best TV show I've seen in over 5 years, easily on par with the likes of early Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a good series regardless of how they feel about the Star Wars franchise
I had exactly the same experience. I realised towards the end of episode 1 that I couldn’t follow the story, and that that was because I simply hadn’t anticipated such nuanced dialogue and characterisation. I started again, gave it the attention it deserved, and was blown away. The scene with Syril and his boss is especially delicious. I’m sure some of the people who found it boring either couldn’t or wouldn’t concentrate. I’m not huge Star Wars fan, although I had admired Rogue One… but this is in a league of its own in terms of quality. Great to see the Emmy nominations in recognition of that.
With Andor’s sister plot, it comes full circle with Bix. He’s able to at least save her by the end and save his “sister” in a sense. But if that’s the weakest part of the series, I’ll take it. This series is far and away the best SW series we ever got
It's literally the best Star Wars has ever been. At 39-years-old and a staunch "Star Wars peaked at Empire" sort of fan, I was shocked, awed, and more than pleasantly surprised. More of this please!
So glad you finally watched it. It deserves so much more attention and love. ETA: On feeling like Star Wars-the very first movie (IV) was a world that felt lived-in and independently alive to me as a kid; Andor’s worlds feel the same to me now as a grown-up. To me, it’s the most Star Wars Stars Wars in a while.
No it doesn’t… it may be good but seriously Disney can F off. They need to fail miserably because a dead clock being right twice a day isn’t good enough. Disney destroys
Andor is not just one of the best Star Wars things that Disney has put out it's one of the best Star Wars things ever. I'd say that only the original trilogy can be said to be above it since Andor being competently written, directed and acted makes it clearly better than the prequels, even though I still like the latter despite all their flaws.
Andor has been my favorite Star Wars on Disney +, and this is coming from someone who LOVES the Mandalorian. It gave us some great world building, showed us the everyman characters who got caught up in the growing rebellion. It showed us WHY the Empire was to be feared and abhorred, not just some 7' dude wielding a lightsaber. It gave us some of the greatest speeches, and not just for Star Wars. We got to see a heist, a jail break, and so much politics that was INTERESTING. One Way Out is one of the best episodes of a show, ever. I cannot wait for S2.
It may not have felt like stereotypical Star Wars at times but its the only Star Wars that brought emotion out of me on a level of the original trilogy. Excellent writing and story building, when Maarva was giving the funeral speech I was so amped I wanted to join the rebellion myself 😅
So since Babylon 5 ended, I have longed for more shows that had character development and long-term structure. Andor could be my fix. My wife saw it and she was so right on about how good it was. I loved Rouge One and knowing the end of the character made me care to know how he started.
Exactly my thoughts. Before Andor, my standards were so low that I had actually tricked myself into thinking Book of Boba was good. Even Mando seasons 1 and 2 don’t seem as good as they used to after watching Andor
Would just stick to the games (Fallen Order and Survivor) and animation (Visions, Tales of the Jedi, even Bad Batch). Most things they've made live action, they seem hellbent on messing up. At least with Andor you get the sense these writers have a plan, especially with it confirmed that the next season will be it's last and lead to Rogue One.
@@thelegend_doggo1062OK let's be real here, mandalorian season 1 was genuinely good... unlike its following seasons it actually did something fresh and new, it was fun, well written and executed with heart and soul trying to emulate specifically the western theme of star wars and focus specifically on it. The thing Is, cuz it worked Disney got a lil too greedy too quickly and decided to use these shows as marketing for more content rather than letting them stand on their own like the mandalorian season 1 did, that's when the problems arose, they jumped the gun just as the first season of their first original star wars show was released which is just such a shame.
Andor feels the most like George Lucas’ Star Wars BECAUSE it’s different from everything else we’ve seen before. George Lucas has been saying for years that he’s always tried to make each of his films different than the last. Different planets, ships, creatures, cultures etc… Andor finally gives us new means of introducing characters, locations through great dialogue and storytelling that feels wholly unique in the Star Wars universe. Which is why it will last compared to most things released by Disney Star Wars.
George is the antithesis of Andor. The only reason the first two films were genius is because he ddn't have full control, and all his ideas were vetted and whipped into genius by talented creators, editors, and uncredited writers. From Jedi onwards you see the real George star wars appearing due to have total control: childish, corny, and with an eye on toy sales more than the scripts. This myth about himself that george spent a long time manufacturing needs to thrown out.
@@davidcauley9400it seems childish and corny. Because it was made for children and based heavily on Saturday matinee serials. Star Wars is meant to be a Saturday morning serial. It’s meant to be campy.
its the locations that did it. after the trainwreck that was obi wan and the book of fett. it was great to see shots on location not on a green screen. towns that looked lived in and open. the bridge where the meeting takes place is a real bridge. just interposed on a different cityscape.
@@davidcauley9400Ah yes, more of the "George didn't make Star Wars great" urban legend that has mountains of counter evidence but people keep spewing because they hate Lucas. It's like you people selectively figured out that films are made by more than one person and are a collective team effort, and choose to negatively apply it here. Even though Lucas was absolutely, definitively the primary author and generator of the story, worlds, and ideas of SW there's this hardon to try to take all credit from the man for his own work.
Andor was amazing, really deep, well written and well acted. Its the most Star Wars and the best, without the cheese or insanity. Its wonderful. They made it feel so real and down to earth believable.
This show was just fantastic. I honestly wasn't expecting much going in and it just ended up as a mind-blowing creation. The galaxy felt big and dangerous again in a good way. I wish that every Star Wars property took this kind of time and attention to detail to craft a really good story.
Andor has raised my standards for Star Wars shows. After the dumpster fires that were Kenobi and Boba Fett, I wasn't really looking forward to Andor, but I'm so glad I watched it. Everything about was amazing, the writing, directing, chracters, dialogue, cinematography. Ferrix feels like a fully fleshed out world. This show made the Empire actually scary.
the female isb agent. wow the face twitch during the interrogation makes her so much more terrifying. Sarkis in the prison and skar in general, these two acting should be held up as an example of how to make your characters real, flaws and all
Andor captured the feeling that a lot of my favorite star wars novels capture. It is a fantastic story driven by the characters, with stakes that feels high in the moment but in the grand scheme of things are footnotes, and it offers a wider view of the galaxy without trying to hit me over the head about it.... That's probably my favorite thing is the phenomenal world building. I love the fact that you really get a sense for how the empire struggles to control these small outer rim worlds but at the same time the planets are still chafing under there control. I love seeing the inner workings of the ISB and hearing about the politics of the Senate... So much world building and every part of it felt organic to learn about. I truly hope that they take as much care with all the projects that have Thrawn in it because they have arguably the single most compelling character in all of star wars and there is a potential for it go really well or really poorly.
For me, Andor fulfils the tone that Empire promised me, when back when. Dark, people really die, rebellion feels underfounded. Empire was pretty realistic, before Ewoks were capable of killing storm troopers with rocks. This show is a treat.
As a kid who grew up with star wars and gradually growing out of it in my adult years, Andor is the perfect take on Star Wars for me to grow back into it.
I actually really liked Cyril (the low level Imperial/corporate investigator) as a character and thought the transfer to Dedra made sense. It started out with him refusing to essentially cover up the murders, because he's all gung-ho for justice and whatnot, but he got in over his head and people died as a result, drawing the attention of the ISB and thus introducing Dedra as the new antagonist.
@GiRayne well put. evil is more bottom-up than it is top-down. it's when every-day normal people are complicit in the lies that tyranny and totalitarianism reigns.
Cyril is a very important point-of-view character on the imperial side as well. He's the young impressionable kid who grew up within a messed up system and brain washed by the system to the point of developing this warped sense of justice, he genuinely believes that he's doing the right thing, that he represents the "good". Same cannot be said with Dedra, she's actively aware that she's doing evil.
Andor made the star wars lore feel alive. It's what I thought The Mandalorian was going to be, but this is much more grounded and gritty. We got used to seeing characters shoot their way out, but never really struggle under this world. I said a comment on another video as to what makes Andor a bit more engaging than the Mandalorian. The first season of The Mandalorian was quite a bit isolated from the other stories occuring in Star Wars, which was great it made it feel like Din Djarin had to abide by the rules of others, because he had very little control within his actions and the effects he causes. By season 2 through BoBF, and Season 3, Din Djarin becomes a driving cause for the balance of power and action in the storylines told. Now characters seek Din Djarin out to turn the tide of their own greater plot. He sets the rules, instead of abiding by them. He manipulates the cause and changes within the galaxy. People seek him out to make these changes. He is a greater part of the story, greater than the rules applied. Andor shows an isolated version of the world. Each character can only make so many changes in the story and affect each other based on what they're allowed to get away with. Cassian throughout the story has shown that he has been manipulated by the rules given to him. From childhood all the way to the final episode. In childhood, he could not join his tribes warparty, because he was too young, but he was given a leeway by the tribal leader, because that leader dictated his actions. As a teenager he was taken by the Stormtroopers, into prison. Because the Stormtroopers dictated his actions. In episode 1, he murders two people and is now on the run, because the Corpos in that sector dictated that he could not just shoot his way out and get away with it. People suffered and died because of his actions, because he could not bend the rules. Each action he took, people suffered for it, because he could not change the outcome to suit his intended purpose.
I liked that Andor brought nuance to Star Wars' good vs evil conflict. There are people in the empire who are competent, though misguided. You have rebels who are fighting against the Empire's tyranny, but they have to make some horrible choices. It's a bit of a slow burn, but that last episode, man it was good!
What Andor did so well was its representation of infighting within the political movements. Saw Guerrera refusing to work with Anton Kreiger because although both want to overthrow the empire, one is a republic loyalist whilst the other a former seperatist, meanwhile within the empire, specifically the ISB you see the clash of careerists who want to impress the above more than operate as a cohesive team, yet masquerade around such fact. Then, you have Andor and Syril Karn who are not politically driven but serve their respective factions for ulterior reasons. Andor is just trying to protect himself and his family and avoid capture after being labeled as something he wasnt truly guilty of, which led him into the rabbit hole, meanwhile Karn has his great desire to capture his enemy, and the empire is his means of doing so, and through that we see his infatuation with Dedra to the point of unhealthy obsession. Everything *feels* like a realistic representation of what it is supposed to be
Andor gets back to what makes Star Wars interesting to me. Small groups of characters who's interactions are personal against a larger backdrop. It doesn't get lost in scope creep; trying to craft this overly grand structure on a massive scale that demands even the scenes to be of gargantuan proportions. These actions do have larger stakes. There is a bigger picture being affected by the ripples of activity... which in turn affect the characters. But we don't have to zoom out so far that we lose the characters and plot.
I'm so glad that more CZcamsrs are starting to watch Andor! Hopefully season 2 will reach new highs for Star Wars viewership, but even if it isn't, I'll still be watching!
Andor is what you get when you get passionate writers who actually care about and respect the series and franchise. Andor is peak and can't wait for season 2
@@yuuriuu its not entirely done by die-hard fans. Tony Gilroy said he is not that much into SW - he had seen the George Lucas movies and was reading about some lore on Wookiepedia during productions (even some fan theorys during the Andor releases). For him it was more like trying to do a good story in a existing universe with established lore without disrespecting the source-material but anyway giving it a own touch. But he also had SW fans in his team - if i remember correctly either he or some set-designer talked about how Gilroy had no idea what to place into Luthens shop since he didnt knew much about "ancient" SW lore - so he gave the writers and set-designers more or less completly freedoms to fill the shop with all items they want - in the end some neat easter-eggs were put there.
Tony Gilroy, the showrunner, is pretty public about the fact that he's NOT a Star Wars fan. He's said in interviews how he's never seen any of the movies more than once other than the original trilogy, and he had to work really closely with the story group for Andor and Rogue One to make sure everything worked out in the story.
You don’t have to be a fan of a franchise to be passionate about the content they create in that universe. It just shows the people Tony gilroy surrounds himself with people who know how to make Star Wars feel like Star Wars
Easily the best thing Disney has released since the acquisition. The Mandalorian has squandered its position. Just imagine what we could have had if these guys were in charge of the sequel trilogy.
'Just imagine what we could have had if these guys were in charge of the sequel trilogy' - this simultaneously makes me ecstatic for what we might have got, and deeply frustrated for what we received instead. Maybe in a parallel universe these guys were in charge of the sequel trilogy and it was absolutely fantastic.
Andor transcends standard IP fare. It is truly a work of ART alongside Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Wire etc… also the prison was more an homage to THX 1138
One of the best shows that I have seen in a long time! From the writing, to the acting, the scenery, and music, Andor stands as one of the best shows to date. This show was passionately crafted.
Andor finally gets the “political drama” side of Star Wars and does it right, but also has a “phycological thriller” aspect to it which works so well, the writing is on a level we have never seen in Star Wars and I understand why a lot of people didn’t tune in, Star Wars has always pulled people in with the Skywalker family and light saber fights, but Andor shows that this series can be so much more than that, this is exactly the level of dedication every project needs, he said it perfect this wasn’t pushed out it was CRAFTED and had a purpose other than cameos.
I live in Poland. We were a totalitarian country until 1989, and when I made my Dad watch Andor, he told me it gave him flashbacks. That's how good is the portrayal of the Empire as an actual oppressive, totalitarian country.
The best thing Andor did in my opinion was to make the Empire a character. They gave the Empire an omnipresent weight that was felt everywhere they explored.
Rogue One kind of did that. A lot of people dunked on Rogue One for the lack of character arcs, except the Rebellion and the Empire were characters that had character arcs. As this was the same writer as Rogue One who had a season to continue that narrative, it's clearly done a lot better.
They made them competent. It was amazing. The errors they make are mostly because of their intrinsic cruelty and hubris
@@deanthemachine7489 well said.
There's an ep in Season 3 of Mandalorian (I think episode 3) that felt a lot like them going "Oh, people liked Andor, we should probably do something similar to that" and... it's actually a pretty great episode for it! ~ Though it does feel a little separate from the rest of the season lol.
So hopefully the powers that be are taking note!
really portrayed the 'banality of evil', some of the meetings at ISB hq reminded me of the nazi Wannasee conference
I like how Andor actually makes the empire look like a scary and competent organization.
This is one of the biggest things to me. It really gives you the feeling of dread being ruled by true fascism. Knowing that if you fight back even a little, you're a goner. Even the city rising up at the end is terrifying, because you know that even with a small victory against their tyranny, the Empire has the immense power to come back and literally wipe them off the face of the planet with fire and death. The only way to survive is to literally run for your life from them and hope they don't find you.
Yea that’s what I’ve hated in Disney Star Wars. Sure thebbad guys have always been incompetent, but at least they looked organized and were legitimate threat Disney. Star Wars just makes them straight up cartoonishly bad.
I hate how people say,
“But it isn’t Star Wars.. it’s a spin-off of Star Wars - but it ISNT STAR WARS” then what is - The Mandalorian, One of the worst written shows this year?
Yes and I thought, while not only showing the evil minds at the top, they also do a good job showing what the low level grunts are feeling as well. Even though they had the firepower, the troopers always knew in the back of their mind they could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of civilians if it all went south. Those kind of standoffs really upped the tension and suspense. Plus, you were never sure which way it would go.
@@firstlast9846 The other two seasons had some strength, things for the most part made sense. This last season was just SOOO "sloppy" the ending was weird and their was no consistency after the first episode.
Andy Serkis' character and every episode in the Prison is absolute story telling class.
I was so sad that he was stuck at the top bc he couldn't swim. What a heartbreaking moment.
@@alecbormia4523 I think it was a perfect parallel to Luthen's character. "...to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see."
@@alecbormia4523 these characters are like moses who were born and bred to lead others toward a future they were never meant to take part in
@@360.Tapestry that’s exactly right. The rebellion wouldn’t happen without them but most of them would never live to see what they fought for come true.
so many good ppl die in this show, almost the entire heist crew dies, dozens of prisoners die, and ferrix citizens get massacered. this def feels like rogue one prequel
Andor was the Star Wars Masterpiece we never even imagined. From the music, to the story. Its just all perfect. The actors, all of them did a fantastic job. This is the most 10/10 I can ever give to a Star Wars.
P.s. The Empire is no longer goofy and weak? Oh boy, this is new!
I agree 100%. 10 out of 10 for me also. SO GOOD!!!!
The closest we ever got to the empire feeling like an actual force is starwars rebels where organized cells didn't know they were part of a larger rebelion until the time was right, however the empire also playing their cards right lead to the downfalls of key and well loved characters throughout the show that took somthing from them as a symbol.
Andor does this at a way higher level but they're still compairable and it's really nice to see somthing of this nature.
@@Ramzi65ok Indeed, well said there. I was very impressed with it and how they showed the rebelion/empire.
I think you can even go beyond this - not only is it a Star Wars masterpiece, it’s a new standard bearer for franchise storytelling. If a creative team can come jump into one of the most densely-plotted, carefully built worlds after nearly 50 years of stories, and completely revolutionize the tone, style, thematic subtext and visual language of said universe in one fell swoop, then my lord, anything is possible. I no longer believe any sequel or prequel or spinoff is off-limits IF (and only if) it’s possible to pull off an “Andor” like take on it that similarly recontextualizes the original work.
@@danhess2 Honestly, they even inspire me to go fight for freedom. Imagine that, some fun tv show being so strong and impactful. Andor deserves all the praise it can get!
Luthen’s monologue, Kino’s speech, Nemik’s manifesto, Maarva’s eulogy. This show gave four incredible masterpieces in script writing, and that’s not including the countless quotes and lines throughout the show all carrying so much weight and emotion.
“I would rather die trying to take them down, then die giving them what they want.”
“That’s what a reckoning sounds like.”
“The pace of repression outstrips our ability to understand it.”
“I’ve learned from Palpatine. I show you the stone in my hand, you miss the knife at your throat.”
Did Jeremy ever do a Puss in Boots 2 review? I don't remember ever seeing that
Calm down
It’s not only the best Star Wars show, but maybe the best Star Wars thing to ever exist imo
But the bricks/screws it goes against Dave Daddy Filonis Star Wars vision It has no action and no needless random cameos 4/10- Star Wars theory
Nah but seriously though this is the best Star Wars we’ve gotten since rogue one lol
"I burn my life for a sunrise I know I'll never see" is the line you were looking for. And there's writing like that all over this Star Wars show. At it's peak it's like poetry
"Don't you want to FIGHT these bastards for real??"
They rhyme.
Just as George Lucas would've wanted :)
But do they also rhyme?
A great quote. Seems to be borrowed from this great, old quote.
"Blessed are old people who plant trees knowing that they shall never sit in the shade of their foliage."
Tony Gilroy described season 1 of Andor as “Andor’s Education”. He starts off not giving a fuck and over time gets to the point of being willing to give his life for a cause greater than himself. It’s brilliant. I think Syril Karn is the parallel story of someone fully adopting fascism into their life from feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy. It’s all paralleled with their respective mothers. Maarva is fully loving with a rebellious heart and Edie is a cruel dismissive social climber. It’s brilliant.
I think Season 2 is going to be the fight for Andor’s soul as he will be pulled between Luthen’s dark pragmatism and Mon Mothma’s hopeful idealism. I can’t wait
Top comment. 🎉
We also get the perspective of a(nother) mother through Mon Mothma, and what she's willing to sacrifice, even if it doesn't feel like it to her kid.
You put the thoughts in my brain, in writing. The parallels between those two characters was amazing.
Yeah, but there wasn't any unnecessary spinning lightsabers or shitty prequel "I don't like sand" dialogue.
@@Steve-3P0 I know! How are we even supposed to know who the bad guys are without all the cackling and red lightsabers?!
My favorite thing about Andor is the way it chooses to interpret Star Wars and especially "Life under Empire" for the average people and communities. Not the heroes and legends with amazing powers who performs historical feats but the smaller workers who paves the way for the big characters. It totally works with the tone shift to a political drama because of that. I especially love how one of the speeches reverses Yodas "Do not try, do"-line to Luke. The average people may not be able to "do" like the legends can but they can "try".
It really shows how people have suffered from the empire. their daily lives and their homes, their jobs, their culture, etc. Even as small of an example as those two fishermen who saved Andor after the prison break, they couldn't catch fish because of the empires destruction of the ecosystem.
everyone has their own rebellion
Andor really showed the viewer exactly how the Empire is oppressing the galaxy in a way nothing really had. Even though we literally see them blow up a planet in ANH, the Empire somehow still feels more evil in this show.
Yeah but the "do or do not, there is no try" isn't just for legends, for Jedis, the powerful ones. Don't forget, it's motivational story for you, for us, THE people, we're all are Luke Skywalkers. It has it's place. It's stating that you are powerful being, and you can do what you set your mind to, so if you want to try, you try, if you want to do, you do.
to be honest the normal people feel more heroic to me because they doesn't have power like jedi.
Andor is what Disney Star Wars SHOULD have been all along.
Thoughtful, intelligent, well written, great acting, political undertones, and visceral action.
that’s literally what the last jedi was.
@@Joela393 Last Jedi was used toilet paper in a gas station bathroom.
@@austinpeterson6203 nope, TLJ pushed the envelope, but rabid fanboys pushed back and we got shitty content until Andor
@@Joela393 That...that is the opposite of what the last jedi was.....oh i get it. You are a troll. Yep, got me.
Half of that stuff wasn’t even in the prequels though.
One of the best written Star Wars anything we’ve ever had tbh
The only best written one
Well all thanks to Tony Gilroy, the creator of the show. He saved Rogue One from being terrible with the extensive reshoots under his writing and directing and now Andor. He's doing a far better job than basically anyone who's in the writer's room of The Mandalorian
@@nicholasnajibi3082Empire Strikes Back is a masterpiece but Andor is very clearly better written. Does that make it better? No, but nobody claimed it was.
@@nicholasnajibi3082despecialized edition
The Gilroys had the radical idea of writing for TV
I also skipped on Andor after watching Obi Won. Ended up binge watching it last week and couldn’t put it down. From the story, script, set design, characters, and CGI Andor was actually REALLY good for a Disney product!
Not just for a Disney product, it was just really good
Glad you eventually listened to the critical adults and watched it, bravo.
not even for disney, its just really insanely good
compared to most _star wars_ projects, i'd call this GREAT. i've been a fan of tony gilroy since _michael clayton_ and i'm glad he's riding high here
Everything about Andor was excellent. The writing, characters, performances, set design, costuming, action sequences, music, special effects, EVERYTHING about it was so good. It also plays into the original trilogy really nicely, rather than desperately trying to dismantle, belittle and hastily replace Lucas’ actual vision and story. It actually had me excited about Star Wars again.
the fact that they never even show a lightsaber.. and it still felt more like star wars than anything else
Rogue one sucked so I’d never watch this show
@@hoopbaby07 L
@@hoopbaby07 Your loss.
@@hoopbaby07 personally, I liked this show a ton more than Rogue One
The coolest part about the Death Star reveal is how it thematically meshes with Andor's character arc. He unknowingly contributes directly to the thing he willingly laid down his life to help destroy in the end.
End of Rogue One hits a little different now.
Yeah, I feel Rogue One is improved by Andor. For instance, the little detail of a book on Cassian’s coat in Rogue One and now we know that’s Nemik’s Manifesto.
@@GeahkBurchill After andor s2 that will lead into rogue one, the movie will just feel like a big epic finale for the show in a great way
To me, Andor is the best thing in Star Wars since the original trilogy. It's amazingly well written and absolutely amazing in so many ways.
I concur. To me, it’s the best since Empire Strikes Back.
I tend to agree. Tho the clone wars toon was also pretty good.
I would say since Clone Wars and Rogue One
@@prmachinegunner ROgue One was a surprisingly decent movie, truth.
To me, Andor is the best thing in Star Wars period.
The passing of authority of Ferrix from Morlana to the Empire was handled exceptionally well in Episode 4 because the level of authority kept ramping up and up, and credit to the show for not resorting to Vader and Palpatine.
They made the best Star Wars in decades without cheap marketing. Kudos
Andor is a 10/10 for me. The stakes are high and the empire FEELS ominous/imposing. Hell there was a scene where the robot was giving off such emotion I felt so bad for it... a Star Wars robot had more emotion than all of Obi Wan and Book of Boba combined.
A exhaled through my nose a little harder at your comment. 10/10 show for sure
I think Nemik's Manfesto is such an underrated monologue on the show.
"The pace of oppression outstrips our ability to understand it. …Freedom is a pure idea it occurs spontaneously without instruction…Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks. It leaks. For it is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it’s so unnatural.. …Rebellions are built on hope. Remember this. Try."
Do or do not
Their is no try
@@kp-legacy-5477that’s easy for Jedi to do; people without telekinetic Force powers have to work hard to achieve their goals. When Yoda says that, he’s telling Luke to believe in himself and the Force to lift his X-Wing out of the swamp; for a normal person, they’d have to build things and try different means and keep trying and trying until they got it done. Luke just needed to let go of his doubts.
The parellels and intersections between Andor and SW are great. Do or do not vs. try then you got Leah: I love you Han: I know vs. Diedre: I should thank you. Syril: You don't have to.
@@deanthemachine7489 Ahh but it is not easy and it is not just for the jedi
dont get me wrong i understand the subtext behind the andor seen and i think its lovely and im not being critical of it
just felt yodas words hold a lot of weight because at the end of it all the rebellion did rather than did not inspite of the failures
thats what the phrase means
you either fail or you dont but you always get back up you arent trying you are doing or not
the rebellion did.
i hope i made sense english isnt my strong suit
Took 8 episodes to pay it off..
Dude it's not just good star wars, it's good writing, good directing, good acting... good everything. Take the star wars part out and you still have an amazing show. That's how every one of these disney+ shows should be. Andor set a bar!
NGL I don’t like how they - so far - only have one show that sounds different and that’s andor s2.. and the rest is Filoni and Favreau garbage
Gotta say I disagree. I think the license did most of the heavy lifting for me. If it wasn't the fact it was star wars, I'd have checked out by episode 3 or 4.
Thankfully I stuck with it, and from episode 6 onwards it was generally good or great (depending on the episodes).
Overall it's been the weakest star wars show for me. Still the end of the season won me over so I'm gonna give season 2 a shot. I hope it's not as slow starting as this one though.
Actually, Syril Karn works very well and probably my favourite villain in the show because he is totally a "loser" as a person, he wants to show off, but it wants to do it for the Empire. He is unable to discern good from evil what he does is just self serving, no matter what. He is the incarnation of the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". That character is right from the book "The Banality of Evil" by Hannah Arendt.
I think Syril's story is a sympathetic one.
I’m not sure how much of a looser he is, what I do know is that he’s looking for a sense of purpose and trying to find his place in the galaxy.
That’s why the empire appeals to him, he’s obsessed with „law and order“ because by enforcing it he feels he is an important part of something bigger than him.
When he sees two police men having been murdered it’s his perfect opportunity to prove his honor by solving the case.
It perfectly illustrates how fascism appeals to so many people, it makes people attached to a social and political order they can feel meaningful in, while completely missing how they’re individuality is being completely eroded and replaced with a sense of pride for the system that only exploits them, to themselves they’re an honest and productive citizens while to the system they’re just a cog in a machine meant to serve only a few.
@@zuckergolf4442also doesn’t help that his mother is a social climber who lives vicariously through the titles given to her relatives/progeny.
@@zuckergolf4442 I agree with everything and you wrote it out so nicely, except I think he is definitely a loser; he didn't hesitate to shoot at unarmed citizens after breaking into their own house...and he still missed! Loser behavior.
Agree... he's a baby fascist. Compelling when you start putting together how he was made. I mean... his mother! How could you NOT grow into a mess of a person with a mother like that.
he's an analog for many young men adrift in a system
Luthen has become one of the most interesting characters in the entire saga.
I would like to see a series focusing on his backstory and what we're the events that made him set his sights on fighting the empire..you know there is a story there. But it would to be written by the Gilroy team. Can't let the folks who had their hands on Obi-Wan touch that.
The acting in this show is leagues above anything else in all of Star Wars. So many scenes that are genuine acting masterclasses. My favourite is the scene at the party between Mon and Tay, everything about it is *chefs kiss* brilliant
acting AND writing... that party conversation between Mon and her childhood friend in one of the early episodes... how the hell do you make a simple conversation so tense??? amazing stuff
EVERYONE brought their A game
I understand that most people are focussed on the main protagonists and their acting, but for me the real diamnds were the night shift manager during the prison break as he stepped on the floor, not knowing if it would kill him or not. Such a small scene barely 2 seconds but he expressed so much in that short frame of time. Or Pak´s son during Martha´s eulogy. Every actor brought so much to it.
Every time she says “smile” I looked at his face and could see the terror, doubt, concerns. So great!
@@yomerito3320 Right! This is a result of excellent writing, top notch acting and directing. I really hope more people will warm up to this series, it really is amazing.
Andor made me care about Mon Mothma's backstory. That alone is astounding.
Andor has some of the best writing to ever exist in a Star Wars product. If Andor isn't Awesometacular, then nothing is.
Didn’t even mention Andy Serkis. Such an amazing side character. He put so much into that role.
Andor, in conjunction with Rogue One, are perfect companion pieces to the overall Star Wars story. It fills in gaps and adds to something that was sorely missing in the bigger picture: why the Empire was so feared. Sure, episodes 1-6 showed how the Galactic Empire was formed and how they fell, as well as showing us that the _Emperor_ was evil, but we never got the sense of what the Empire did to solidify its rule. If Good and Evil were the two main characters of the Original trilogy, and Temptation was the main character of the prequels, Andor and Rogue one do a perfect job of making Fea, Oppression, and Hope characters as well.
Perfect feedback here
Andor/rogue one are perfect middle pieces that bridge 1-3 and 4-6. Outside of this, you don’t need anything besides clone wars.
Now I know I have to watch Andor because Rogue one was the the only recent Star Wars movie/show that I actually liked
@@IwhowasdatXD960 don't go in expecting a ton of flashy action sequences. The show takes a much slower, more grounded approach which is what I feel turned off a bunch of people. But if you go in with the mindset of a slower show, it's REALLY good
@@jedibob4346 Then thats good because i enjoy a good story,thanks
Andor benefits greatly from the absence of Vader or Sidious. The Empire is scary specifically because it's realistic. The show connects heavily to the lessons learned from the Nuremberg trials. The greatest evils wrought by humanity are conducted by seemingly normal people that develop a casual cruelty and distance from the evils they're a part of. To them they're just doing their job and climbing the latter, just like Deedra is.
Don't forget the complicity of the corporate cops putting lipstick on a pig and trade oligarchs that put them into power
Well said
I wouldn't complain if Palps were to appear in Mon Mothma's storyline in season 2, though. Something is going to have to happen for her to go completely guerilla from where she is .
I think the 'I'm looking for my sister'-plot was Cassian's way of escapism and represented his aimless searching for a purpose in his life. His constant refusal to ignore the empire but beaten down and oppressed to a point when he finally joined the rebellion.
It took me months to get through the first episode after watching Kenobi but once I did, I finished it in a few days. I was blown away by its complexity, tough decisions, the work that goes beyond to make it all work and get into place. It was amazing and I hope it continues
It’s getting a season 2!🔥
"I can't swim..."
What a gut punch that was.
It took the full three episodes to get going but when Luthen says, "Don't you want to fight these bastards for real?" I was all in. That's where we said, "OK, so THIS is a show!"
Skarsgard and Serkis both deserve Emmys for their work in Andor.
absolutely loved the guy who was deedras boss, think he was in game of thrones too, my fave character on the andor show, could listen to him all day
Lol me too! Honestly the one liners really pump up the show
That line was superb. Still gives me a chill
@@James_MacX Every time I watch it... Again... also "What do I sacrifice?....EVERYTHING!" What great writing.
for me it was the line where he says he'll fight even if he'll never see the sunset or something of that kind. took a while but when it did, it got me. easily one of the best Star Wars shows.
Andor getting the recognition it deserves is always so satisfying. 😊
Andor is literally the best Star Wars live action ever made. Cinematic Masterpiece.
It was the most realistic and immersive Star Wars of ALL . Best character development, best cinematography, best sound design, best acting, best stories, specially using real locations makes it look so much better more real and expansive, best monologues of all, literally everything is 5/5.
Fully concur, the ot was a nice fairytale, but this is the first product in the series suitable for adults.
I absolutely loved this show. The dialogue and acting were all amazing, the production values were top notch. The characters felt and acted like real people. The stakes were well crafted and threatening, it was just an incredibly well crafted show. Andor managed to make a SINGLE TIE Fighter feel threatening. By far the best thing Disney has put out Star Wars wise
Watching Disney Star Wars is like swimming in a porta potty but occasionally you find a diamond. It’s still not worth swimming through all the poo. But those diamonds are pretty sweet
Watch Severance if you liked this show
didnt feel like real star wars tho lol... They put more into a side character that weve already seen die then the Obi show and Boba Show.. Mando season 3 was lack luster to say the least. Disney hates all the George Lucas characters and only wants their new dumb shit to shine
Give me 5 things about andor that were well done in your opinion. Not generalizations, specific details about it. Thanks
you talked about acting and other bs but nothing about starwars related topic except for "well crafted and threatening". lol
"So what do I sacrifice?.... EVERYTHING"
That line alone gave me so many chills. That entire episodes was full of amazing moments, but that monologue was the icing on the cake.
I think Andor was worth watching purely for Luthen's and Andors monologues at the end... They gave me goosebumps! Fight the Empire!
The takeaway I have from Andor is that the very best television in the world... Andor, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, you name it... doesn't always hook you from the first episode, but often needs 2-3 eps to do some worldbuilding before it gets its hooks in you. But then when it does... wow.
And the hardest thing in the world can be trying to get that friend who you know will love it if they gave it a chance to give it a chance after they got bored with the first episode.
It's amazing how Tony Gilroy saved Star Wars twice. From Rogue One's extensive reshoots (that includes the Darth Vader scene at the end) to creating Andor, i'd say Lucasfilm should give him more Star Wars projects
Agree I think he really gets Star Wars
You said it.
@@Skyebright1 he’s a good storyteller, it has nothing to do with his understanding of Star Wars. He’s consistently said he doesn’t care about Star Wars
I think he said he doesn't want to stick with Star Wars. Cause it takes too much time as a commitment.
Maybe he will change his mind after completing season 2.
@@fellowkrieger457 I mean, I don't expect him to do everything for Star Wars. Just take his time properly, I'm sure he's gonna do great. Most of Star Wars' problems are just them rushing out to get things done
To me, I felt like I was watching a good World War 2 Spy series. It felt grounded, believable, with giant stakes, excellent acting. It is slow and there's a lot of dialogue, but I enjoyed it all, like a good WW2 series/movie. It is definitely the most sophisticated writing in star wars, that's for sure.
Yea, Andor didn't insult my intelligence that was surprising from Disney to allow
I cant even begin to tell you how my heart broke for Andy Serkis's character(Kino). They FINALLY had freedom, just for it to be taken away from him at the very last, literal, step. Been years since I gave a shit about any character in any movie or show but that right there done pissed me off. In a good way, of course.
Andy Serkis is apparently returning for season 2.
Some people said that for a smart man like Kino, jumping 100 feet into the ocean and trying to swim to the shore when he can't swim is the worst decision he can make. He would better off ambushing whatever aircraft comes to inspect the prison, so he's not hopeless.
I've been waiting for Star Wars content that didn't feel like fan-fiction trying to emulate Star Wars and that didn't include a ton of "wink at the camera" cameos and references.
Andor is absolutely incredible, in my opinion. Everything feels so well thought-out, and all the characters feel real.
As for the creepy stalker, I actually loved how weird he got. It felt like his arc highlights some of the types of people that become true believers in fascist governments like the Empire. He's unsettling and creepy, and I think it works particularly with how even Dedra seems perturbed by his tenacity.
1. Andor was weird because sometimes it felt nothing like Star Wars, and sometimes it felt more like Star Wars than anything I've seen since ROTJ. The consoles, switches, buttons, costumes, etc. REALLY nailed the aesthetic and it made me feel like I was in the SW universe.
2. I absolutely loved Syril's arc. He's the contrast to Dedra. Syril is lawful good. He has bought 100% into the law of the society he lives in. He's a true believer in what the Empire represents on paper, but I think his obsession with Andor will cause him to ultimately realize that the Empire is evil. He is enamored with Dedra because she appears to represent everything he loves about order and justice, but hanging out with her going forward will probably help make him realize the truth.
Dedra is lawful evil. She COMPLETELY understands what the Empire is and how it works and she is 100% on board. I loved how the show left that as something of a question mark until the torture scene when you realize she doesn't just use it as a tool, she likes it. She is evil. Her darkness will be the catalyst to push Syril to the rebellion.
A very interesting perspective, and I think a worthy prediction for S2.
I wish people would stop using D&D Alignment to describe people, lol. There's a reason no other modern system uses alignments because it's a ridiculous way to classify human behavior.
That and you got it wrong anyway. Syril isn't Good by any measure. He believes in the system of law and order, but is not concerned with the pursuit of justice or truth. He sees the oppression and the brutality and does nothing, because he's obsessed with the Law, and not with notions of Good or Evil. He seems quite content with Evil so long as Law and Order are maintained.
IF we were to try to pigeonhole him in D&D with an alignment that would fit him, he would either be lawful neutral or lawful evil.
This show was the best piece of Star Wars material we’ve had in well over a decade! A show for an older audience who don’t get bored without an explosion every 5 minutes
I think there’s some room for improvement in the pacing. I’m a movie guy, tv shows frustrate me when I have to watch 4+ hours of content to finish a story arc. The payoff was very good though.
It’s honestly my favorite Star Wars thing period, it’s like if the writers of breaking bad made Star Wars and it’s amazing
definitely the best piece of star wars since 1983 lol
That's a stretch. Episode 2 and 4 were so slow. Nothing happened except boring exposition. If the exposition was interesting or set in an interesting landscape then it would of been awesome. Episodes 1,3, and 6 were the best.
@@buchananunderwood9646 I think the show format is better for immersion as it gets more time to develop. Assuming said time is capitalized on.
Best bit of Star Wars media since....Empire?!? Loved the characters, loved the tone, loved how they portrayed the Empire.
Andor reminded me of the old Tales of the Bounty Hunters/Mos Eisley Cantina/Jabba's Palace novels. Real, gritty, lived-in Star Wars.
I totally understand what Jeremy means by the story with Syril (Imperial who looks like young Kyle McLachlan). However, I do think it works when you think about it given the context in which the show frames the Empire. They have not only never been scarier and more threatening, but they’ve also never felt more real and human. Both Syril and Dedra are shown to actually be kinda relatable in certain ways. Dedra is introduced by giving her an office rivalry with a superior where you weirdly want to root for her in a way, but then you see her torture Bix and you remember “Oh right, she’s with the Empire…”. We’re softened to her at first, before she’s hardened by the end of the season. And with Syril, he might be introduced as a vengeful Imperial, but even he’s still a human who eats cereal at his mom’s house.
His story works enough for me, and no doubt he will play a pivotal role in the future either for empire or rebellion.
And I also appreciate that Syril is Andors counterpart, Parallel Lives style. We see their contrast. We see their interactions with their respective mothers, we see that Andor doesn't care about anything, while Syril is obsessive. Andor had no goals, Syril is ambitious. Both went to a prison of a different kind, and both are oppressed by the same system, but in different ways. At the end I feel sympathy for both. The real villain of the show is the Empire.
I think the idea is to show that the Empire didn't rule just with brute force - there were actually regular people who supported the Empire and what it stood for.
@@badideabearcub2747 Without the empire, their lives would've been the same. Such is life.
To add to this, I think Syril’s story shows how mundane real fascism can look and how people that think they’re doing the right thing can fall in with a fascist regime. It makes the Empire even more terrifying, to me, because it grounds them and makes it feel “real”.
What I liked about this show was how they made the galaxy feel more transparent and believable, showing that things aren’t so black and white like the movies portray. We see our heroes hold a family hostage early in the story and later in the finale one of the villains being afraid and vulnerable when a raging crowd tried to murder her. Everyone feels like normal people, victims formed by circumstance from someone else’s war.
I think we still need good and evil. What I don't like is trying to force the who universe into being a shade of grey. Some people are evil, some people are good, most people will lean either way depending on the situation or their personality. Saying the world are shades of grey is to say that Luke will blow up a building with kids. I know that's not what they are saying, but I fear they mess with the good guy Rebels.
Like I hate what they are doing with the Republic. Just have them be good, not some other extreme of something.
@@Mord12gp Bro does not understand how the world works and that media, even if fictional, can still be grounded in a moral realism as opposed to being cartoonishly polarized 💀
@@saji.2874 right, most people really truly believe they are the heroes in their own sorry.
@@saji.2874 We have enough Sunday morning cartoons telling us Blue = Good and Red = Bad.
We also need media for adults that understand the world isn't so simple.
@@Mord12gp Yeahhhhhh sorry, but the world is indeed NOT in black and white. It is made up of greys. To think of it in terms of black and white, good or evil, or just one extreme to the other, is very naive and over-simplistic. People are much more nuanced. This line of flawed thinking can be can be attributed to how things are going in our society today. Everyone tries to fall to one extreme or the other....when it just doesn't work that way.
As the Critical Drinker said, "it's the best show at the worst time". Which is really heartbreaking. This show got absolutely screwed being thrown in after two crappy shows were released. I really hope that season 2 is just as. If not better than the first season.
If it's just as good, I would be happy 😊
Took me until ep4, when Luthen and Mon Mothma’s conversation takes a 180° turn on a dime, to realize “oh, shit - this is gonna be something special!!” I actually laughed in shock
That "LOOK AT ME!" was great, eh?
Syril works for me as a character for a couple reasons:
1. He'd be the hero in most stories. He pursues Andor because Andor killed two men.
2. He's goal is never revenge or personal animosity. He believes he's on the side of justice.
3. He's closer to being a rebel than Andor for most of the run. He can see the flaws in the Empire, but thinks they're fixable with a few adjustments to Imperial bureaucracy--not outright armed rebellion.
4. Just like Andor helped build the Death Star, Syril is also a good man unwittingly helping build the Death Star. He sees what he's doing as sensible and even virtuous but needs to pan out to see the big picture.
I have no doubt his season 2 arc will include a widening of his perspective. I think it would be cheesy if he went full Rebel, but I definitely think he'll at least start to sympathize (hints of which are in season 1).
You know, at first I kinda felt the same about Dedra. Here was a character that had risen through the ranks despite the odds being against her, and was shown to be a competent, intelligent officer and leader who saw dangers that those around her that others were not seeing. She had those hallmarks of one of those underdog main characters...and then we see that she is a monster.
I don't think Syril is a good person. Episode 3 shows just how much he looks down on the people he views as below him, happy to threaten them and put a boot on their neck. He spends the whole show going after Andor, but doesn't give a shit about the unarmed man one of his own soldiers gunned down without cause.
i thought he was a creepy weirdo lol, good character tho
@@Cameleonbates Dedra is my Cersei. Everyone was all on about how amazing Cersei was during GOT but all she ever really did was sit in her high tower and sip wine and look sinister. I didn't get it. Dedra though...... for all the reasons you just mentioned. Immediately was like "I fkin LOVE how much I fkin HATE this woman!!". Yes, she's a monster. But she's exemplifying how someone who's just "good at their job" can be such a problem rising in the ranks of a Fascistic regime. These characters have existed in history. We are at a weird time in feminism where we can't seem to figure out how to tell those stories yet.... but Andor did it. Dedra is that character.
I can't wait for season 2 so we can see how it all goes horribly for her lol
ANDOR is arguably the best written/directed/acted piece of Star Wars media since Empire Strikes Back. I adored this genius show so much, glad you watched it!
Is it bad that I think Andor is better written??? 😅
@@thewadz5878No, it definitely is. I don’t think the OT will ever be topped in terms of pure craftsmanship and iconography, but I think people need to look past the nostalgia. Narratively and thematically, it’s by far the best thing Star Wars has ever done.
What made Andor stand out is the lack of green screen, or whatever they’re using in The Mandalorian. Also the fact that the people behind this show was behind Rogue One, which to me is the best Disney Star Wars movie. Like you said, it’s not a show meant to serve the fanboys, it’s a show meant for everyone. But sadly not even the fanboys wanna see it
I totally love it, it's like if HBO decided to do SW, great writing, great acting, awesome production value. It feels real, because they made the best out of every dollar in their budget, shooting on locations and building entire prop town for filming instead of volume. They also get composer from Succession to write music, so tunes are quirky and memorable. Every other SW show now look so cheap and childish in comparison.
Despite a slow start this show was the best thing they've done on D+
So many really top quality moments, very well written and acted.
Luthens monologue, the crescendo of the marching band leading to the ending, the prison break and tension leading up to it.
How did it come from the same studio as that pish Obi wan Kenobi 😅
What I loved about this show is the politics, The grayness of both sides and the realistic approach of showing the rebellion.
And people were allowed to act!
Andor is an absolute masterpiece. Every character in this series is at their best. Stellan and Diego, my gosh it doesn't get better when you have such great dialogue and two behomeths in the craft delivering this beautiful film. This is the best Star Wars side story.
The best thing about Andor is it doesn't feel anything like normal Star Wars. It was just an awesome show. You can love it even without ever seeing a single Star Wars Movie or Show Prior. And the best character is the dude that hammered on that "Bell" as needed. The way he smashed those hammers on the "Bell" with such intensity was awesome. Talk about taking your job seriously, regardless of meaningless it seems.
Dude, I said same thing. You don’t have to know Star Wars. It’s just a great show period.
When I saw Beau Willimon’s name in the credits of Andor, I was so thrilled. It makes sense to have the writer for House of Cards to handle the plotlines.
I can assume Beau's involvement was because creator Tony Gilroy asked him to do it since Gilroy serves as a creative consultant for House of Cards season 3 and 4
Gilroy helping Willimon to do House of Cards and now Willimon helping Gilroy to do Andor, that's amazing creative partner right there
I've never seen House of Cards but I did think all the cloak and dagger political intrigue was one of my favourite aspects of the show. Like the prequels, but for adults
Except they didn’t get anywhere near the dark that house of cards did and I understand that because it’s Disney i don’t care either way
@@Chi11monger Uh yes he did, just search for his IMDB. You'll see House of Cards there, he's just involved in season 3 and 4 as a consultant meaning that he just give suggestions and input to the scripts
@@Chi11monger you can literally just google it
The low-level security dude is the best character on the show. You can slowly see his life grinding down to a pathetic halt and the hate in him slowly start to build.
On my first watch of Andor coming off the kenobi show my brain was already in that half asleep action blockbuster mode that happens on auto pilot for star wars and marvel content. After getting to the end and realizing it wasn't the usual Disney slop I decided to re-watch paying far more attention to details/dialogue and after doing so I'm pretty confident in calling Andor a Masterpiece. It's not just the best starwars or Disney series I've seen in a while but probably the best TV show I've seen in over 5 years, easily on par with the likes of early Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a good series regardless of how they feel about the Star Wars franchise
I had exactly the same experience. I realised towards the end of episode 1 that I couldn’t follow the story, and that that was because I simply hadn’t anticipated such nuanced dialogue and characterisation. I started again, gave it the attention it deserved, and was blown away. The scene with Syril and his boss is especially delicious. I’m sure some of the people who found it boring either couldn’t or wouldn’t concentrate. I’m not huge Star Wars fan, although I had admired Rogue One… but this is in a league of its own in terms of quality. Great to see the Emmy nominations in recognition of that.
With Andor’s sister plot, it comes full circle with Bix. He’s able to at least save her by the end and save his “sister” in a sense. But if that’s the weakest part of the series, I’ll take it. This series is far and away the best SW series we ever got
The sister subplot may be resolved in Season 2, though.
I think the sister story comes around with Jyn Erso in Rouge 1
It's literally the best Star Wars has ever been. At 39-years-old and a staunch "Star Wars peaked at Empire" sort of fan, I was shocked, awed, and more than pleasantly surprised. More of this please!
So glad you finally watched it. It deserves so much more attention and love.
ETA: On feeling like Star Wars-the very first movie (IV) was a world that felt lived-in and independently alive to me as a kid; Andor’s worlds feel the same to me now as a grown-up. To me, it’s the most Star Wars Stars Wars in a while.
No it doesn’t… it may be good but seriously Disney can F off. They need to fail miserably because a dead clock being right twice a day isn’t good enough. Disney destroys
@@Elatenl yah
@@Elatenl you must be young, you'll grow up and learn Andor is top tier content.
@@SPQRKlio Definitely!
Andor is the best Star Wars product since clone wars or rebels
Andor is not just one of the best Star Wars things that Disney has put out it's one of the best Star Wars things ever. I'd say that only the original trilogy can be said to be above it since Andor being competently written, directed and acted makes it clearly better than the prequels, even though I still like the latter despite all their flaws.
Andor is one of the best things that has happened in the galaxy far far away. Its very relatable and yet works perfectly as space fantasy.
Andor has been my favorite Star Wars on Disney +, and this is coming from someone who LOVES the Mandalorian. It gave us some great world building, showed us the everyman characters who got caught up in the growing rebellion. It showed us WHY the Empire was to be feared and abhorred, not just some 7' dude wielding a lightsaber. It gave us some of the greatest speeches, and not just for Star Wars. We got to see a heist, a jail break, and so much politics that was INTERESTING. One Way Out is one of the best episodes of a show, ever.
I cannot wait for S2.
Season 2 definitely won't be boring as shit.
Andor really deserves more love. It’s fantastic. It doesn’t look or sound low-budget.
It may not have felt like stereotypical Star Wars at times but its the only Star Wars that brought emotion out of me on a level of the original trilogy.
Excellent writing and story building, when Maarva was giving the funeral speech I was so amped I wanted to join the rebellion myself 😅
So since Babylon 5 ended, I have longed for more shows that had character development and long-term structure. Andor could be my fix. My wife saw it and she was so right on about how good it was. I loved Rouge One and knowing the end of the character made me care to know how he started.
It’s honestly difficult to go back and get excited anything else Disney produces for Star Wars knowing they can create something like Andor
Exactly my thoughts. Before Andor, my standards were so low that I had actually tricked myself into thinking Book of Boba was good. Even Mando seasons 1 and 2 don’t seem as good as they used to after watching Andor
Would just stick to the games (Fallen Order and Survivor) and animation (Visions, Tales of the Jedi, even Bad Batch). Most things they've made live action, they seem hellbent on messing up. At least with Andor you get the sense these writers have a plan, especially with it confirmed that the next season will be it's last and lead to Rogue One.
@@thelegend_doggo1062OK let's be real here, mandalorian season 1 was genuinely good... unlike its following seasons it actually did something fresh and new, it was fun, well written and executed with heart and soul trying to emulate specifically the western theme of star wars and focus specifically on it. The thing Is, cuz it worked Disney got a lil too greedy too quickly and decided to use these shows as marketing for more content rather than letting them stand on their own like the mandalorian season 1 did, that's when the problems arose, they jumped the gun just as the first season of their first original star wars show was released which is just such a shame.
me watching Mando S3 tbh, the bar is set too high.
Sadly. I feel the same. Mando season 3 was so weak and pointless with only a few real story moments.
Andor feels the most like George Lucas’ Star Wars BECAUSE it’s different from everything else we’ve seen before. George Lucas has been saying for years that he’s always tried to make each of his films different than the last. Different planets, ships, creatures, cultures etc… Andor finally gives us new means of introducing characters, locations through great dialogue and storytelling that feels wholly unique in the Star Wars universe. Which is why it will last compared to most things released by Disney Star Wars.
George is the antithesis of Andor. The only reason the first two films were genius is because he ddn't have full control, and all his ideas were vetted and whipped into genius by talented creators, editors, and uncredited writers. From Jedi onwards you see the real George star wars appearing due to have total control: childish, corny, and with an eye on toy sales more than the scripts. This myth about himself that george spent a long time manufacturing needs to thrown out.
@@davidcauley9400it seems childish and corny. Because it was made for children and based heavily on Saturday matinee serials. Star Wars is meant to be a Saturday morning serial. It’s meant to be campy.
its the locations that did it. after the trainwreck that was obi wan and the book of fett. it was great to see shots on location not on a green screen. towns that looked lived in and open. the bridge where the meeting takes place is a real bridge. just interposed on a different cityscape.
@@gregorturner9421 absolutely, finally a Star Wars thing with no Tatooine or just other versions of Tatooine
@@davidcauley9400Ah yes, more of the "George didn't make Star Wars great" urban legend that has mountains of counter evidence but people keep spewing because they hate Lucas.
It's like you people selectively figured out that films are made by more than one person and are a collective team effort, and choose to negatively apply it here.
Even though Lucas was absolutely, definitively the primary author and generator of the story, worlds, and ideas of SW there's this hardon to try to take all credit from the man for his own work.
The sequels are even more infuriating after you watch this show.
Andor was amazing, really deep, well written and well acted. Its the most Star Wars and the best, without the cheese or insanity. Its wonderful. They made it feel so real and down to earth believable.
This show was just fantastic. I honestly wasn't expecting much going in and it just ended up as a mind-blowing creation. The galaxy felt big and dangerous again in a good way. I wish that every Star Wars property took this kind of time and attention to detail to craft a really good story.
Andor has raised my standards for Star Wars shows. After the dumpster fires that were Kenobi and Boba Fett, I wasn't really looking forward to Andor, but I'm so glad I watched it. Everything about was amazing, the writing, directing, chracters, dialogue, cinematography. Ferrix feels like a fully fleshed out world. This show made the Empire actually scary.
Someone took the Obi-Wan show and turned it into a super tight movie. It's worth seeking out.
the female isb agent. wow the face twitch during the interrogation makes her so much more terrifying. Sarkis in the prison and skar in general, these two acting should be held up as an example of how to make your characters real, flaws and all
Oh NOW people say Obi Wan TV show is bad...just like TFA, late on the pickup.
@@MithrilSludge6541 Ok, you have a point about TFA but I knew that Kenobi was going to be hot garbage during the stupid Leia chase scene...
I knew the show was going to be bad before it released, when hearing that obi wan was not going to stay in tatooine
Andor captured the feeling that a lot of my favorite star wars novels capture. It is a fantastic story driven by the characters, with stakes that feels high in the moment but in the grand scheme of things are footnotes, and it offers a wider view of the galaxy without trying to hit me over the head about it.... That's probably my favorite thing is the phenomenal world building. I love the fact that you really get a sense for how the empire struggles to control these small outer rim worlds but at the same time the planets are still chafing under there control. I love seeing the inner workings of the ISB and hearing about the politics of the Senate... So much world building and every part of it felt organic to learn about.
I truly hope that they take as much care with all the projects that have Thrawn in it because they have arguably the single most compelling character in all of star wars and there is a potential for it go really well or really poorly.
Andor is the future of SW.
For me, Andor fulfils the tone that Empire promised me, when back when. Dark, people really die, rebellion feels underfounded. Empire was pretty realistic, before Ewoks were capable of killing storm troopers with rocks. This show is a treat.
If Gary Kurtz had his way, Jedi would have been closer to that.
except it's completely funless and humorless. Other than that I guess it's kind of like Empire.
This show is FANTASTIC!! I always bring this show up when people say Star Wars is dead. Because really, this was the best thing to come out of Disney
by. a. mile!
100% Agree. Best Writing/Directing in anything STAR WARS since Empire Strikes Back. Absolutely BRILLIANT show. Tony Gilroy is a Genius.
Great show 👍👌😺👍
As a kid who grew up with star wars and gradually growing out of it in my adult years, Andor is the perfect take on Star Wars for me to grow back into it.
Andor is the best spin-off. Period.
I actually really liked Cyril (the low level Imperial/corporate investigator) as a character and thought the transfer to Dedra made sense. It started out with him refusing to essentially cover up the murders, because he's all gung-ho for justice and whatnot, but he got in over his head and people died as a result, drawing the attention of the ISB and thus introducing Dedra as the new antagonist.
@GiRayne well put. evil is more bottom-up than it is top-down. it's when every-day normal people are complicit in the lies that tyranny and totalitarianism reigns.
Cyril is a very important point-of-view character on the imperial side as well. He's the young impressionable kid who grew up within a messed up system and brain washed by the system to the point of developing this warped sense of justice, he genuinely believes that he's doing the right thing, that he represents the "good". Same cannot be said with Dedra, she's actively aware that she's doing evil.
Protagonist
Andor made the star wars lore feel alive. It's what I thought The Mandalorian was going to be, but this is much more grounded and gritty. We got used to seeing characters shoot their way out, but never really struggle under this world.
I said a comment on another video as to what makes Andor a bit more engaging than the Mandalorian. The first season of The Mandalorian was quite a bit isolated from the other stories occuring in Star Wars, which was great it made it feel like Din Djarin had to abide by the rules of others, because he had very little control within his actions and the effects he causes.
By season 2 through BoBF, and Season 3, Din Djarin becomes a driving cause for the balance of power and action in the storylines told. Now characters seek Din Djarin out to turn the tide of their own greater plot. He sets the rules, instead of abiding by them. He manipulates the cause and changes within the galaxy. People seek him out to make these changes. He is a greater part of the story, greater than the rules applied.
Andor shows an isolated version of the world. Each character can only make so many changes in the story and affect each other based on what they're allowed to get away with. Cassian throughout the story has shown that he has been manipulated by the rules given to him. From childhood all the way to the final episode.
In childhood, he could not join his tribes warparty, because he was too young, but he was given a leeway by the tribal leader, because that leader dictated his actions. As a teenager he was taken by the Stormtroopers, into prison. Because the Stormtroopers dictated his actions. In episode 1, he murders two people and is now on the run, because the Corpos in that sector dictated that he could not just shoot his way out and get away with it.
People suffered and died because of his actions, because he could not bend the rules. Each action he took, people suffered for it, because he could not change the outcome to suit his intended purpose.
I liked that Andor brought nuance to Star Wars' good vs evil conflict. There are people in the empire who are competent, though misguided. You have rebels who are fighting against the Empire's tyranny, but they have to make some horrible choices.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but that last episode, man it was good!
Andor is an incredible show.
I'm soooo happy you decided to watch Andor!
Not a moment wasted, excellent set ups and payoffs, meaningful subtle writing, and it just looks so good
What Andor did so well was its representation of infighting within the political movements. Saw Guerrera refusing to work with Anton Kreiger because although both want to overthrow the empire, one is a republic loyalist whilst the other a former seperatist, meanwhile within the empire, specifically the ISB you see the clash of careerists who want to impress the above more than operate as a cohesive team, yet masquerade around such fact. Then, you have Andor and Syril Karn who are not politically driven but serve their respective factions for ulterior reasons. Andor is just trying to protect himself and his family and avoid capture after being labeled as something he wasnt truly guilty of, which led him into the rabbit hole, meanwhile Karn has his great desire to capture his enemy, and the empire is his means of doing so, and through that we see his infatuation with Dedra to the point of unhealthy obsession. Everything *feels* like a realistic representation of what it is supposed to be
This song, just like it’s main theme, is just one big crescendo. And it absolutely delivers.
Andor gets back to what makes Star Wars interesting to me. Small groups of characters who's interactions are personal against a larger backdrop. It doesn't get lost in scope creep; trying to craft this overly grand structure on a massive scale that demands even the scenes to be of gargantuan proportions. These actions do have larger stakes. There is a bigger picture being affected by the ripples of activity... which in turn affect the characters. But we don't have to zoom out so far that we lose the characters and plot.
I'm so glad that more CZcamsrs are starting to watch Andor! Hopefully season 2 will reach new highs for Star Wars viewership, but even if it isn't, I'll still be watching!
Loved Stellans portrayal for sure. I agree with you and greatly enjoyed the show
Andor is what you get when you get passionate writers who actually care about and respect the series and franchise. Andor is peak and can't wait for season 2
if i’m not mistaken it’s the opposite for andor. i think it was made by people who didn’t know a lot about star wars.
@@yuuriuu it literally made by the guy who made rogue 1
@@yuuriuu its not entirely done by die-hard fans. Tony Gilroy said he is not that much into SW - he had seen the George Lucas movies and was reading about some lore on Wookiepedia during productions (even some fan theorys during the Andor releases). For him it was more like trying to do a good story in a existing universe with established lore without disrespecting the source-material but anyway giving it a own touch.
But he also had SW fans in his team - if i remember correctly either he or some set-designer talked about how Gilroy had no idea what to place into Luthens shop since he didnt knew much about "ancient" SW lore - so he gave the writers and set-designers more or less completly freedoms to fill the shop with all items they want - in the end some neat easter-eggs were put there.
Tony Gilroy, the showrunner, is pretty public about the fact that he's NOT a Star Wars fan. He's said in interviews how he's never seen any of the movies more than once other than the original trilogy, and he had to work really closely with the story group for Andor and Rogue One to make sure everything worked out in the story.
You don’t have to be a fan of a franchise to be passionate about the content they create in that universe. It just shows the people Tony gilroy surrounds himself with people who know how to make Star Wars feel like Star Wars
Easily the best thing Disney has released since the acquisition. The Mandalorian has squandered its position. Just imagine what we could have had if these guys were in charge of the sequel trilogy.
Great point 👍🏾
'Just imagine what we could have had if these guys were in charge of the sequel trilogy' - this simultaneously makes me ecstatic for what we might have got, and deeply frustrated for what we received instead. Maybe in a parallel universe these guys were in charge of the sequel trilogy and it was absolutely fantastic.
Andor transcends standard IP fare. It is truly a work of ART alongside Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Wire etc… also the prison was more an homage to THX 1138
One of the best shows that I have seen in a long time! From the writing, to the acting, the scenery, and music, Andor stands as one of the best shows to date. This show was passionately crafted.
Andor actually made the empire feel like a dystopia
Andor finally gets the “political drama” side of Star Wars and does it right, but also has a “phycological thriller” aspect to it which works so well, the writing is on a level we have never seen in Star Wars and I understand why a lot of people didn’t tune in, Star Wars has always pulled people in with the Skywalker family and light saber fights, but Andor shows that this series can be so much more than that, this is exactly the level of dedication every project needs, he said it perfect this wasn’t pushed out it was CRAFTED and had a purpose other than cameos.
I finally watched it and was blown away at how good at was. This will go down as one of my favorite shows.
I live in Poland. We were a totalitarian country until 1989, and when I made my Dad watch Andor, he told me it gave him flashbacks.
That's how good is the portrayal of the Empire as an actual oppressive, totalitarian country.