What’s crazy is that the details aren’t all visible on screen the actors describe looking in cabinets like in Maarva’s apartment and finding utensils inside. They gave the actors sets that they could immerse themselves as their characters.
Part of it is because the physically built Ferrix so they could have more extras on set. additionally there isn't a lot of top down expositional shooting, its filmed with much lower and longer shots. somewhat reminiscent of Peter Bergs & Tobias A. Schliessler work (Patriots Day, Lone Survivor). It's a style of filmmaking which feels more grounded, it feels like you are there with them, it feels real. Additionally again there's the sound too, everything has a tactile feel to it. It really is an absolute masterclass in film making. It all aids in the feeling of real and grounded
I think it's because they made it more... well, British. Half the cast are British, so are most of the locations and there's a much greater feeling of things going on under the surface rather than bold brash and colourful stuff. It's subtle, people live in grey cloudy locations and try to do their best (on both sides) despite an increasingly repressive and corrupt system. Feels like home!
I hope that instead of learning the wrong lesson ("people like Andor, let's copy it") they learn the right lesson ("let's hire great writers and put resources into their work").
Andor is, imo, the best Star Wars series Disney has created. It's great Star Wars. It's great television. The writing, the acting, the directing, the production value...everything about this is quality!
@@darrengordon-hill True, unfair, but true. Though it wasn't really "Disney" who made it at all, they seem to be goin more Netflix where they just pitch a bunch of shows and give people the agency to make whatever they want on Disney+. A lot is mediocre without anything to keep it in check, but can be amazing on the cases you get a really talented and dedicated team of writers and producer/director.
It’s incredible how a show about that guy who died in Rogue One (no, the other guy) (no, the other OTHER guy) ended up being one of the best shows out there.
Given that Rogue One was a breath of fresh air in SW, more of the same was expected. It succeeded. Beyond expectations. Maybe a little heavy handed at times, maybe a little slow to get going, but very much TV worth watching.
In 12 episodes they turned a character I have never thought twice about since Rogue One into probably the most complex and intriguing Star Wars protagonist we've ever had.
It's funny how common this perspective is. Know who else dies in the same movie they first appear? Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Emporer Palpatine (as a full bodied character), and General Grevious, to name a few. The problem is that Cassian doesn't have Force powers, so viewers just don't care about him. THAT'S the problem which feeds the Disney machine to just burn out ever-more-powerful, ever-more-ridiculous characters and content. If one actually stops and thinks about what Rogue One sets up about Cassian's character, they would see how much potential has been there the whole time. "We've all done terrible thing for the Rebellion", "It's just more real for some of us", "Rebellions are BUILT on hope ", and so on. He has a LOT of rapport with a custom-programmed Imperial enforcer droid, which is a very curious scenario. He's a laser-focused, duty-bound, specialist operative who has an extensive network of contacts and information - a 007 type without the cheesy sauve. It reflects the whole point of Rogue One (further explored in Andor): That every person matters, no matter whether or not you're a space wizard. Anybody who thinks Cassian was only useful as a dead-end, one-off character in Rogue One (especially because "he dies"...???) doesn't understand the point of the movie or the potential of nuanced, non-wizard characters
@@underscore_5450Always has been! If you go back and watch Rogue One again you'll see that while there are dots to connect between Andor season 1 and then, he's still a compelling character. People were used to movies with space wizards at that point and gave little regard to nuanced characters without super powers. Rogue One stands out as the best modern star wars movie!
I'm seeing reports that the final episode had a significant spike in viewership, and I'm also seeing videos about Andor like this one pop up all over UA-cam. I think word is getting out about this amazing show, despite Disney's dismal marketing efforts.
It did have an uptick as many people out there ended up bingeing the season. Flash forward a week later and its not even on the charts and the 10th place bar wasnt very high. Andor is a good show but its pacing is 💩and draw is poor. I hope for S2 they take these critiques to heart and fix the issue so that viewership numbers go up.
@@Chuckakhan I may have misread your comment but do you genuinely think that the purpose of its viewership not being up to standards was because of the slow burn? How do you think someone the other shows do so well? Game of thrones was definitely a slow burn and that's one of the most successful shows on the planet. So is breaking bad and Better call Saul
After the disastrous sequels, couldn't be bothered anymore. Couldn't help seeing the good headlines Andor was generating, so one day I started watching it. It's not just a good Star Wars TV show, it's a very good TV Show as it is. Watched the wholes thing 3 x times, so much of storyline to it.
Agree 100% - strip the star wars away and it's still a good TV show. I don't know that I can say that about most other star wars shows out there right now!
yeah same, I didn't bother finishing boba fett or even starting on the Obi Wan show, I was going to skip Andor but people were talking about how good it was on livestreams bashing Rings of Power, so I decided to watch it to avoid spoilers, and it turned out to be really really good. It totally stands on it's own, especially the first few episodes, and it integrates itself well into the SW universe. Really reminds me of the first movie with the imperial scenes.
Same boat. Disney Star Wars is shit. I gave up entirely. Rogue One was actually decent. The Mandalorian was relatively watchable... Andor was legit just good.
When we finished watching the prison break episode in andor we went and watched some clone wars right after.. the difference was... jarring... very jarring. And we watched the siege of mandalore. After andor its going to be very hard to watch the filoni stuff. Pandora's box has been opened. Edit: with "we" i mean my family
For every person who's watched Andor, three have watched "Filoni playing with action figures". Expect season 2 to have more "action figures". Maybe will see Lt. Piet or Major Veers.
The actress who played Bix would spend hours walking around Ferrix so she could have a feeling for what routes Bix would take to get to different places like going to work or maarvas house etc
"I felt feelings" Exactly! I remember the end of Luthen's epic speech at the end of episode 10. It ends on Andor and his fellow prisoner running to freedom on an alien beach at night while the music swells. I felt ...chills. I felt inspired, I felt MOVED. And all of a sudden, "Oh, wow, THIS is what good Star Wars is like." Hopefully Disney will see how much praise this is getting through word of mouth and finally stop treating the fandom as the enemy.
Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I've given up all chance at inner peace; I've made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote fifteen years ago for which there's only one conclusion: I'm damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight. They've set me on a path from which there's no escape. I yearned to be a saviour against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down, there was no longer any ground beneath my feet. What is my sacrifice? I'm condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude. So what do I sacrifice? Everything! You'll stay with me, Lonni. I need all the heroes I can get.
I’m literally on my 3rd watch of Andor now, and not only is it amazing the first and second times, it is still holding up in rewatchability for this 3rd viewing. Can’t say enough good things about it, and I can’t wait for season 2, and I also really hope Disney can make more shows and/ or movies like Andor!!!!
Totally agree. Andor is great. Just a straight up amazing show. It's more akin to the early seasons of Game of Thrones than to any of the other Disney+ shows. The acting, the story, and the visual (the cinematography) are all amazing. Also, Andor feels like it's crafted with a very particular creative viewpoint. It feels like the opposite of a corporate show. Watch Andor and then watch Michael Clayton and you can see the through line. Just an amazing show.
One of the most important part is that it is about revolution: why people revolt, what the sacrifice, how revolutions are painful and brutal, how fascism commits atrocities to preserve its power. It's a deep show.
First time viewing of this channel and I am absolutely delighted by your humour and animation. As someone whose job is gradually threatened by these awesome advances in technology, a big THANK-YOU for your effort in making this video and for your deep appreciation in the creative craft. I love ANDOR for all the same reasons and let’s hope in the future your son will also join the fan club.
Thanks man that's much appreciated. Me and my friend are in the creative industry but in the commercial side of things so this is our creative output of things we want to talk about and make. So far, we have had a massive burst of support which Is really nice to see and hopefully we can turn this into something one day!
I only discovered this show two days ago after not watching Star Wars since 2016 and binged watched it all in one sitting. I thank UA-cam for helping me discover the same passion I had for Star Wars in 2015
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 Well, you have to give some credit to the original, otherwise the franchise would have never existed. Besides Alec Guiness, and Peter Cushing acting were delightful.
It’s the most perfectly consistent written and directed Star Wars content since 1980 yes, the prequels aren’t perfect all the way through, I love return of the Jedi but it’s definitely flawed, empire and a new hope feel completely perfect the more I watch it, mando has so many inconsistencies, and don’t get me started in the sequels but andor is constantly great and doesn’t dip like other shows
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 If the original Star Wars would have been on the level of Andor, not only would it not have become a cultural phenomenon, there would probably be no one remembering it. Let alone rewatching.
I got worried about Andor being underappreciated and forgotten too, but realized that those who did appreciate it like me, you and others just keep coming back to it and slowly bringing the attention it deserves. I realized that the appreciation of Andor is meant to be as a slow burn as it's plot, and as with the plot it's not a bad thing, but the natural course. So I think Andor can still get it's glory moment and be accounted for what it's worth, I just hope the Disney won't ruin it and lets the creators pull it off again in season 2.
You definitely did a great job articulating how exhausting the popcorn thoughtless media of Disney as worn down excitement for their properties. Andor was like a breath of fresh air after so much banality. Loved seen Star wars get political, the prequels and the world left such fertile ground even if they didn't do a great job exploring it themselves.
(perceived as off topic) *-* a few years back smirking ex starters on nfl network decided to challenge that evening's host (likely a Northwestern communications major) to spell the 'biig word' "wizardry" . . . no slipups occurred. Some at whatever early age 'adhere' to basic , consistent vocabulary lessons (sometimes merely to state thoughts in a bit of a different manner ~ *not* to elevate any perception about themselves) Older sports shows on radio had "callers" "calling" in ~ that readily available Thesaurus exists for at least one reason (anyone can have a look) Indeed the wordplay whimsy went over this here head (far , far too many statements are identical) ~ ignore this fan of Director David Lynch. . . . *Andor* remains a triumph (the Witwer shoretrooper unwittingly brought the key Narkina5 personnel together) soO many ideas are looked upon as pretentious ~ that is not the aim here a great discussion vid cheers.
Andor is the first time to me since the clone wars that Star Wars has made something that really feels like it stands alone and builds it own narrative within the Star Wars universe, it doesn’t rely on nostalgia or the familiar but the unfamiliar and believes in it self, that’s why to me mando went down hill in s2 cause it started introducing way to much familiar and stops feeling like it had its own identity, I still love it, but after rewatching andor ttwice, it’s truly quality and something that is worth putting up there with the original 6 and clone wars as part of George Lucas story
This was exactly my problem with Mandalorian S2. Season 1 felt fresh and exciting, it played at the edges of the setting in interesting ways. It made storm troopers scary. It made the rebels into potential enemies. It told small, self-contained stories that weren't tied up in all the Skywalker family drama bullshit. Then season 2 decided that the heroes were just gunning their way through hordes of goons now, and every episode was another opportunity to shove some bit of "fan service" down our throats. "Hey look its Ashoka. Hey look it's Boba Fett. Hey look it's Dark Troopers. Hey look, it's Luke. Look at all these things you recognise! Isn't that great that you recognise so many things???!" No, it's not great. I don't want familiarity, I want something fresh and different. I want to discover all the exciting possibilities in this science fiction world, not just retread the same ground over and over.
The only problem I have with Andor is that it’s set my standards too high. I just can’t watch the Mandalorian anymore because I now know what Disney can and doesn’t do.
Part of why Mon Mothma steps beyond references is due to the fact that if the character had not existed in any capacity *before* Andor, she would still work as a stand alone character. Her introductory scenes stand all on their own without needing a single wasted word trying her existence to prior creations.
Andor is by far the best Star Wars installment, and probably one of the best TV shows made! Every aspect of the filmmaking here operates in the highest category: Script, Cinematography, Casting Performance, Narrative, Editing, Set Design, Costume Design, on and on. Every aspect of the world building here has conviction.
I think Andor is the best Star Wars ever. Better than the original trilogy, if maybe not iconic enough to launch a massive franchise like the originals did. But it's absolutely what Star Wars should always have been since the end of the original trilogy, and I'm glad they finally made it. And I really hope they're going to make a lot more like this. Well, not exactly like this, but new and fresh and different every time.
Good lord 🙈 People have such low standards, today. Andor was a terrible show, the worst of the Disney SW shows to date. If people praise crap like this, there is no chance we will ever get decent Star Wars, again.
@@fundhund62 "The worst of the Disney shows to date"? Have you seen any of them? Like The Book of Boba Fett, or Kenobi? Andor is a breath of fresh air.
I still don't understand how people think Andor was slow. I was hooked from the very first scene and was drawn into the wonderful world and character building, amazing writing and acting, cinematography etc, oh!, and incredible soundtrack. Easily one of the best seasons of TV I've watched in my 60 years.
@@CameroNxM omg you're in love after 3 episodes??? Wait till you watch episode 6 and 9 you're gonna hand deliver it to National Archives for inclusion in the 100 greatest artworks of all time lol
Please, please watch this show, for me personally it's the only good live-action Star Wars show so far and it's brilliant. I really hope they have this level of writing and acting in shows going forward. Thank you for making this video, I think you summed up what makes Andor so good really well. Hopefully enough people will watch it and Star Wars shows/films can finally start looking up.
Why? They have been shitting on the fans since they bought the company. This show deserved to fail, theres nothing that can fix the mess that were the sequels
This show is excellent! It looked like it had potential and it turned out to better than I had even expected. It is gritty, raw, intense, sometimes brutal, and down to earth (so to speak). It just shows you what you need to see and doesn't hold your hand. This is the kind of Star Wars series I've always wanted. It's definitely a slow burn but it's worth the time.
I really loved this show, it blew me away. It's not for everyone and I understand that, but there is so much to love about this show - excellent writing, a strong conceptual foundation that poses interesting philosophical questions about our society, amazing world building and detail, a great soundtrack, and, best of all, absolutely top quality performances from a seriously talented set of actors. I was bored of Star Wars, but I can't wait to watch season 2 of this.
Your comments regarding the nuanced way this show handles "good" and "bad" characters reminds me of why I love A Series of Unfortunate Events. In A Series of Unfortunate Events, our main characters start out as either clearly evil or obviously good, much as Andor and Cyril and Luthen are "good" and Dedra is "evil" (yes, I consider Cyril to be "good", at least at the beginning of the show). But as the story progresses, the "good" characters make choices that result in "evil" things, much as Luthen uses the Empire's own tactics and methods against itself. And the motivations and experiences of our "evil" characters are exposed, causing us to second-guess our opinions of them. Our "evil" characters even do some "good" things, further complicating our feelings. Eventually, the characters themselves are forced to confront the consequences and implications of their actions, asking themselves if they have become the very thing they were fighting against. There are no easy answers, but I applaud both the writers of Andor and the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events for writing complicated, nuanced, self-aware characters with realistic motivations and ever-changing goals.
40 years of star wars, and this is the first on screen entry that properly justifies its foundational premise of rebellion against oppression. for my money, it's the highest quality franchise entry *ever*, and will stand the test of time better than everything short of the OT itself. straight up, this show is a masterpiece.
Stellan Skarsgård's monologue in Episode 10 is possibly the best piece of acting and writing in the entire franchise. It stands out in a show filled with amazing performances and terrific writing.
It’s all in the little cinematic attention to detail that improve the suspension of disbelief: things like watching TIE pilots clamber into their cockpits instead of just cutting to the all-CGI takeoff or Nemik’s manifesto being on an honest-to-god datapad instead of a pencil and paper journal. Things that show that the writers and filmmakers are respecting how the era of Star Wars would have felt in the late 1970s, same as why the game Alien: Isolation feels like such a love letter to the original “Alien” film. If you do the homework and respect both the rules of the universe and the intelligence of the audience, you can create excellent work.
By the end of the last episode, I was actually cheering at the screen with tears in my eyes. The emotional investment in this story was real and satisfying. I've had trouble even bothering watching any other show at the moment because it won't rise to Andor's quality. I agree with most of this commentary, though there was no reference to the exceptional soundtrack. Percussion in the soundtrack doesn't just drive this show, it actually becomes a character and plot point and is central to the emotional weight of certain episodes. The first three episodes seem slow (emphasis on seem), though there is so much character and world building embedded in those episodes. It all pays off in that third episode, which ends with seven minutes with virtually no dialog...just music...and extraordinary emotional weight. Andor is 12 episodes, but there are four or five seasons embedded: the opening season, the heist season, and the jail season. But the Star Wars Rebellion season is threaded across all of them. The final two episodes bring it all together. It is brilliant and really innovative story telling.
I don´t understand why so many people didn´t give a crap about Andor because it was about a character that died in Rogue One. I mean, so was Kenobi (who died probably less than a month after Cassian Andor in the timeline) And Vader also died and we watched a whole prequel trilogy based on him AND Kenobi.
Luthen's monologue was fantastic, and his scene with Saw in episode 11 was great too. Great stuff all around. Let's all hope season 2 keeps up with the greatness.
It’s a brilliant piece of work. Great commentary by the way. Watched it twice now. Everything you said is FACT. I’m a lifelong fan, born 73’, SW has been educating me since i was 4. Teamwork, never giving in, resisting evil. Andor has saved the day, literally. Well done, everyone should see it.
Andor is truly a spacial show. I can't believe it was made by Disney and was that good! The cast and characters are all great but Luthen. Luthen one of my favorite Star Wars characters. Chefs kiss to all involved in the making because we need more content like this! I'm a burned out Star Wars fan and didn't make any plan to Watch Andor because way should I? So glad I ended up watching it.Watched twice and try to tell others to watch it. Nice video. Spread the good word. Also. I would love a KOTOR show with the same writers as Andor.
Dude perfectly described I feel like you were able to communicate what I look for in shows, music, art... it's the authentic human experience. Our story told with art, archetypes, beautiful scenery and stunning music. This show... if anything I've ever seen is pure art in my eyes
I just wish those decribing Andor would stop saying that- "its not without its flaws" before almost unanimously commenting on the "slowness" of episodes 1 & 2 because "they don't have 'a lot happening." OK, I get that SW fans may not be used to this concept but just because there aren't big fight scenes, doesn't mean stuff isn't "Happening" - I am sure kids watching 'Gandhi', or 'Lawrence of Arabia' would say that for long periods 'nothing "happens" at all'. - and in Andor Episodes 1& 2 that applies too. - but that is the problem - with US. We've been conditioned to think this way. In fact lots 'happens' - we get time to get to know the people, the environments, the backstories, the way of life [to such an extent that these episodes have become my favourite in the series]. Even though Mandalorian & Ahsoka episodes are the same length as Andor I found THEM way more boring. in between the 'action' scenes there is just "content" in fact whereas Mando has a lot of slow walking to try and fill out a 30 minute episode [but from which we learn nothing] even this is better than Ahsoka - which doesn't even do THAT! For long periods she just STANDS, arms folded and looks slowly around and nods because the writers are desperately trying to pad out each episode. With Andor, these 'slow parts' in the first arc are actually packed full of information -every bit of which- contributes to our immersion into the world of Ferrix and enriches our emotional attachment to even its 'minor' characters, so that what happens to them -often many episodes later- has far more meaningfulness than say a fight scene with Cad Bane or the pathetically emotionless re-uniting of Sabine and long lost friend Ezra. Take for example the minor characters of Timmmm, Nurchi and Xan. Each one dies in violent circumstances, the latter two, in the last few minutes of the final Episode, and yet because of the time spent on each in the first 2 episodes their deaths carry real weight. - far more so than would be the case if the same were to happen to much more central characters in other Star Wars shows. Disney - this IRONICALLY- IS the only way to have a long term future from Star Wars. To expand its fan base -far beyond the current sci-fi / action fans [Many of whom are tired and bored of SW] to mainstream intelligent, character driven, drama. People who enjoy political, mystery, war or thriller, movies & TV series will watch good quality shows EVEN if set in space.
In literally everything you have articulated in this video, I am categorically right there with you! This is genuinely a masterpiece in terms of taking a well versed sci-fi children's IP to an entirely new dimension of art and storytelling.
Cameron,, Thanks for taking the time to create this video. You do have a unique style (and enjoyable). There has been many UA-cam Content Creators, such as you, who have come out of the woodwork (from there usual video topics) to support Andor. The more positive reviews helps. Thanks.
Wow thanks man that means a lot! It's a team effort. My colleague makes scripts and I edit the videos. If I like the idea of something I'll write and voice some myself but we're enjoying what we're doing so we'll be continuing for the foreseeable future!
Disney is so arrogant that they could never imagine that someone like the Andor writers could be among them. Be in their production studio, take their funding, and use their marketing machine. All to produce something with a message so fervently against their own interests with their own tools.
1 day was rewatching Rogue 1 and realized the other guy was Andor, so i was curious about Andor. After the 1st episode, I immediately felt the dark serious undertones and was intrigued, because previously somehow palpatine returned and killed the framchise altogether..but this was soo different and was just as good as The Mandalorian, so I had to binge-watch the rest. A good 9/10
Haven't been much of a consumer of SW content in a long time now. Was excited about Mando for two seasons, then.... Tried Fett for three episodes and then.... I saw clips from Andor when it was new and would have tried it then, but wasn't going to pay D+ for it. But having watched many reviews, I gave it a try and am very, very glad I did. It is indeed excellent. I will finish watching Sn1 in a couple of days and will cancel D+ immediately thereafter. But I am so glad I gave this a shot. Thanks for the video.
What I find fascinating about Andor is how it contrasts with the other shows in continuity. Every single Disney Star Wars project except for Rebels and Mando have done something inconsistent that hurts the continuity of the franchise. These shows were all made by people who say they love SW and fan-favorite Dave Filoni who wrote the prologue of the book “A New Dawn” vowing that intermedium consistency would be a focal point in the Disney Era. In contrast to this, Tony Gilroy, a man who says that he isn’t really a Star Wars fan and doesn’t care that much created a show that directly deals with extremely important characters and factions that have been explored endlessly, created one of the few Star Wars shows that stays fully consistent AND expands the story of the SW Galaxy in a meaningful way. I truly like Dave Filoni and much of what he’s made, but the type of care Gilroy and his team put into Andor is unprecedented. Beautiful show.
Dope video. It was very well put together. Subbed. As for Andor, it's a masterpiece compared to the Obi Wan and Boba Fett shows. It feels like a completely different universe. The bad guys in those shows and much of Star Wars media are comically evil and dumb. In Andor, everything from the characters to the set pieces feel real and gritty. Definitely an amazing show.
Thanks man that's much appreciated! It was my colleague that scripted this one but I have just started to watch it and I have to day I agree with everything he said!
Appreciate your nod to Dedra and Syril's motivations - they showcase how the Empire could appeal to ordinary citizens of the galaxy. The ambiguity of who is good and bad was strongly featured by Gilroy in Rogue One and he hammers it with Luthen's speech.
Thanks for picking up on that point, I've always felt the Empire has lacked any grounding in the real world. For something to truly get that powerful it needs the support of the people to some degree!
@@glenharris9366 it's also important to note that the empire probably used most of the people who worked for the republic, but just expanded the bureaucracy and military. If you were in the government for a career, why would you leave it just because the government changed?
Andor really bring joy for someone that watch rogue one. The rebellion story is really brought in this episode series without telling any jedi or sith. It only tell about some people that against emperor and sacrifice their private life just to see emperor destroy.
Contrast the sequels' "Somehow... Palpatine returned," with Andor's "Tyranny requires constant effort." Hard to believe they come from the same franchise. Andor is the absolute best Star Wars has been since 1977.
Andor stands out to me as a masterpiece in the StarWars universe. It wasn't a gimmick to churn our cute little toys for holiday sales like the Mandolorian.
What a brilliant essay! Insightful and entertaining. Thank you for covering what I think is one of the best written shows (of any genre) in the past few years.
I think Andor has, what we call in the mmo scene, a long tail. It may not be a blockbuster at release, but it will live on for a very... long... time...
As noted, it takes three episodes to get clicked in. I watched the first three and almost didn't come back. But it really does have excellent writing, characters, acting, and stands on its own
Really refreshing and fittingly geeky overview of the show that we’ve all been asking for but haven’t apparently watched in sufficient numbers… yet. Loved it. Thanks
You did a great job explaining what makes this show good. Admittedly, after I finished it, I thought it was a little slow for my liking but I knew there was something about it I liked more than the other Star Wars shows to come out in recent time. The main stand outs to me where the set locations and the acting. Like you said, they feel like real people. I hope Disney catches on to this and continues to write their shows in this way, just with a tad more action.
I would comment a more deep reply on this but this was a video made by my colleague and I haven't watched it yet but I plan on watching...after all 10,000 other tv shows I need to watch XD
Series 2 will be more action .. not that I think it needed it.. but series one there is no real rebellion but there will be in series 2 ... Series 1 was PERFECT
@@wilkowilkins363 Yeah I understand after finishing it that this was the build up to the rebellion, I guess I wasn't aware of that going in, I assumed it was going to be like right before Rouge One. But I do appreciate a slow build up to a big pay off, similar to Better Call Saul and I am really excited for Season 2
“Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I’ve given up all chance at inner peace. I’ve made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote 15 years ago from which there’s only one conclusion, I’m damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight, they’ve set me on a path from which there is no escape. I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down there was no longer any ground beneath my feet. What is my sacrifice? I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else’s future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude. So what do I sacrifice? Everything!”
Got this video recommended a few times before clicking and I must say I'm glad I did. A very well made video essay and I will know joyfully go through your back catalogue for my morning shifts. Thanks man.
Thanks for your kind words man! It's our pleasure to be making content for you guys. As you can probably see, we don't have too much of a library, but hopefully that will change with this coming year!
@@CameroNxM you have joined my list of UA-camrs that have the 'All Notification' Bell on my man. You don't expect such high quality audio and effort from the smaller UA-camrs, and it's a damn pleasure to have found you.
I absolutely loved Andor, and totally agree with your points, both good and bad for the show. It's so good that I feel like it enhances Rogue One, adds to the themes that movie was trying to make (about the greyness of rebellion, about sacrifice, etc), and perhaps, I'd even say enhances A New Hope, by laying some context for which the rebellion's first enormous success against the Empire stands upon when you have Maarva's speech and Nemik's manifesto backing up the event. You can feel the gravitas of change in the show, the almost inevitability of rebellion, and you can see the weakness of the Empire despite its awesome power. I cannot wait for season 2, and I hope it continues succeeding where season 1 did, and finish telling Cassian's story well!
I was feeling fatigue during book of boba, after the highs of mando it was a boring letdown, and then obiwan killed any enthusiasm that mando had brought back. I watched the first ep of andor and it was so slow I couldn’t keep going, but after all the good reviews I went back and binged the first 4 episodes and by then I could see what the fuss was about, and it kept getting better, it truly is leading to a new hope for star wars
After the sequels and obi wan, boba fett and parts of Visions caused me to almost hate star wars. But Andor shocked me and was way better than I expected. Its not perfect but its a step in a better direction.
Good breakdown. I really love Andor for giving us an adult SW adventure. Nothing else compares. I still love Mando, but if you are old enough to have seen Ep 4 in 77, we need some content that is fitting to our "maturity". THIS IS THE ONE WAY OUT.
@@CameroNxM They need to remember us 50 year old kids now and again. We do have the money... I'm still waiting for Tarantino's StarTrek. Probably never going to happen. 🖖
@@CameroNxM Actually, Tarantino wanted to do it for years. It's the producers who are afraid of what might happen. Honestly, I would rather let Quentin break my toys than sit through another JJ flick. I'm not trying to be a hater, but let somebody else have a try.
@@TheMetahedron Not fond of JJ Abrahams myself. Made a mess of 2 franchises by giving them the same look and tone. I prefer to know what I am watching, SW or ST, although I like both.
So...I just marathoned it in 2 days because I enjoyed it that much. I'm one those that got to watch the magic of Star Wars in the 1970/80's. It was magic...at least the first 2 movies were. I couldn't watch the subsequent movies. I felt like they were made for teenage boys and just couldn't get into them. Actually...nothing has interested me since the original movies until Andor. And now I can't wait for the 2nd season. What was great? It's a series that made me feel for them...even the music captured my attention...as it did in 1977. I cared about the characters and for me that's what storytelling is all about.
Over the past few years I've been asking myself if Star Wars really was as good as I remembered or if it was just nostalgia making me think it had so much potential. Maybe it wasn't just the sequels and TV shows being poorly written, maybe the well had really run dry and I should be happy that we had the OT. Andor proved that I was right all along; this universe has so much potential for storytelling, it just needs passionate and competent people to do the work. This show reignited my love for Star Wars, but it also makes me a bit sad because I know it's foolish to believe this is the direction the franchise will move towards.
I appreciate that it's the first time the canon has approached the idea of rebellion seriously. It's for Star Wars what Deep Space 9 was for Star Trek. They hit on the big points of a Marxist anti-imperial critique and illustrated the real mechanisms of fascism. There's a sense of the societal contradictions, nobody goes into the revolution wearing white gloves, and the ways those various revolutionaries are portrayed properly handles the morality of the subject. The original trilogy was a fun staple as a kid but everything after was lost on me because it was a celebrity cowboy soap opera. The rebellion was as one-dimensional and politically stagnant as medieval peasant rebellions. Here, especially directly expressed through Nemik, they've got a great sense of alienation and rupture.
I liked this show more than any other Star Wars property since Disney took over. Maybe excepting the core episodes of Rebels but that show had too much filler for my liking. I appreciated that it didn’t shove a bunch of “real world” politics and social agendas down our throats like too many shows and films made by Disney have been doing recently. I watch as a form of escapism. Andor handled itself so well in this regard. Plus the old school character monologues are a lost art in screenwriting.
I love star wars and agree with everything you said. I gave it a shot and was so pleasantly surprised by how actually good it was, not just star wars good.
you're like the 89th content creator I've seen make a positive video about this show. people are talking😊 to be clear I LOVED the show and I have also liked/subbed to everyone I've seen make these videos 🙏🏼
You've got to make more review videos like this, you have a great insight into the show and despite being a 22 minute video you covered interesting points throughout, also Andor was fantastic!
Andor was the show I've wanted to watch since I became a fan of the original trilogy when I was a kid. I unironically think the only good Star Wars now is the Original Trilogy and Andor.
Immediately liked, subscribed and hit that bell for even showing The Expanse in here. Criminally underrated show, even more than Andor as it doesn't have StarWars' massive IP backing it.
I agree with pretty much everything you said in this video. I was just about done with Star Wars after Kenobi. Have not watched Mando season 3 and had no intention of watching Andor. I finally gave in and watched it last week after hearing enough fans basically beg for people to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. This is easily the best Star Wars content Disney has made, and if you like Rogue One, you'll love it.
Andor is amazing, it is mature and it is honest to its audience. Feels like the right movie series for those times we live in.... to reflect upon the concept of freedom.
I had the fatigue. So many of the Marvel and Star Wars shows started great, but few were good all the way through. I didn't like Rogue One, so had no investment in this character I had forgotten about. But some coworkers and people on Twitter were raving, so I gave Andor a chance, and I'm so glad I did. It has been the best of ANY of them. The best Star Wars since the original trilogy, frankly. I compare it to Blake's 7, the old BBC sci-fi set in a gritty universe, with morally ambiguous protagonists, and amazing dialogue. This is the Blake's 7 of Star Wars properties, and that's high praise, IMO. If you haven't seen it (how, after watching this video?), go do it. I'm gushing here, but I'm going to rewatch it. I've never rewatched any of these Disney shows (except Tron: Uprising -- I want more! 😖)
The world feels so lived in Andor, all small details that you never will find on a green screen
Exactly :')
What’s crazy is that the details aren’t all visible on screen the actors describe looking in cabinets like in Maarva’s apartment and finding utensils inside. They gave the actors sets that they could immerse themselves as their characters.
Part of it is because the physically built Ferrix so they could have more extras on set. additionally there isn't a lot of top down expositional shooting, its filmed with much lower and longer shots. somewhat reminiscent of Peter Bergs & Tobias A. Schliessler work (Patriots Day, Lone Survivor). It's a style of filmmaking which feels more grounded, it feels like you are there with them, it feels real. Additionally again there's the sound too, everything has a tactile feel to it. It really is an absolute masterclass in film making. It all aids in the feeling of real and grounded
I think it's because they made it more... well, British. Half the cast are British, so are most of the locations and there's a much greater feeling of things going on under the surface rather than bold brash and colourful stuff. It's subtle, people live in grey cloudy locations and try to do their best (on both sides) despite an increasingly repressive and corrupt system. Feels like home!
@@tSp289 British too ey? definitely grey and corrupt here
I hope that instead of learning the wrong lesson ("people like Andor, let's copy it") they learn the right lesson ("let's hire great writers and put resources into their work").
Hollywood's been failing to learn that lesson since the first star wars... well probably before then.
Can't do, Hollywood wants to hire cheap inexperienced writers to generate as many filler shows as possible.
@@thegrunbeld6876 Or give the writers no time or resources, or not hire writers at all...
Andor is, imo, the best Star Wars series Disney has created. It's great Star Wars. It's great television. The writing, the acting, the directing, the production value...everything about this is quality!
Mandalorian is still better to me but not by much
It's not just "best SW Disney created", but the best tv show Disney created
@@dmytrosoboliev935 STILL A LOW BAR
Andor is the best SHOW Disney has created. Hands down.
@@darrengordon-hill True, unfair, but true. Though it wasn't really "Disney" who made it at all, they seem to be goin more Netflix where they just pitch a bunch of shows and give people the agency to make whatever they want on Disney+. A lot is mediocre without anything to keep it in check, but can be amazing on the cases you get a really talented and dedicated team of writers and producer/director.
It’s incredible how a show about that guy who died in Rogue One (no, the other guy) (no, the other OTHER guy) ended up being one of the best shows out there.
Who'd have thought right!?
Given that Rogue One was a breath of fresh air in SW, more of the same was expected.
It succeeded. Beyond expectations.
Maybe a little heavy handed at times, maybe a little slow to get going, but very much TV worth watching.
In 12 episodes they turned a character I have never thought twice about since Rogue One into probably the most complex and intriguing Star Wars protagonist we've ever had.
It's funny how common this perspective is. Know who else dies in the same movie they first appear? Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Emporer Palpatine (as a full bodied character), and General Grevious, to name a few. The problem is that Cassian doesn't have Force powers, so viewers just don't care about him. THAT'S the problem which feeds the Disney machine to just burn out ever-more-powerful, ever-more-ridiculous characters and content. If one actually stops and thinks about what Rogue One sets up about Cassian's character, they would see how much potential has been there the whole time. "We've all done terrible thing for the Rebellion", "It's just more real for some of us", "Rebellions are BUILT on hope ", and so on. He has a LOT of rapport with a custom-programmed Imperial enforcer droid, which is a very curious scenario. He's a laser-focused, duty-bound, specialist operative who has an extensive network of contacts and information - a 007 type without the cheesy sauve. It reflects the whole point of Rogue One (further explored in Andor): That every person matters, no matter whether or not you're a space wizard. Anybody who thinks Cassian was only useful as a dead-end, one-off character in Rogue One (especially because "he dies"...???) doesn't understand the point of the movie or the potential of nuanced, non-wizard characters
@@underscore_5450Always has been! If you go back and watch Rogue One again you'll see that while there are dots to connect between Andor season 1 and then, he's still a compelling character. People were used to movies with space wizards at that point and gave little regard to nuanced characters without super powers. Rogue One stands out as the best modern star wars movie!
I'm seeing reports that the final episode had a significant spike in viewership, and I'm also seeing videos about Andor like this one pop up all over UA-cam. I think word is getting out about this amazing show, despite Disney's dismal marketing efforts.
That is correct I think because it’s such a slow burn it wouldn’t have been helped by a sustained marketing campus
First season of Breaking Bad had weak viewership but the word got around. Hopefully it will be this way with Andor.
It did have an uptick as many people out there ended up bingeing the season. Flash forward a week later and its not even on the charts and the 10th place bar wasnt very high.
Andor is a good show but its pacing is 💩and draw is poor. I hope for S2 they take these critiques to heart and fix the issue so that viewership numbers go up.
@@ICU1337 The pacing is perfect. I really hope it doesn't change.
Slow-burn shows aren't for everybody, and that's okay.
@@Chuckakhan I may have misread your comment but do you genuinely think that the purpose of its viewership not being up to standards was because of the slow burn? How do you think someone the other shows do so well? Game of thrones was definitely a slow burn and that's one of the most successful shows on the planet. So is breaking bad and Better call Saul
After the disastrous sequels, couldn't be bothered anymore. Couldn't help seeing the good headlines Andor was generating, so one day I started watching it. It's not just a good Star Wars TV show, it's a very good TV Show as it is. Watched the wholes thing 3 x times, so much of storyline to it.
Agree 100% - strip the star wars away and it's still a good TV show. I don't know that I can say that about most other star wars shows out there right now!
rogue one was good and its made buy the same people so ...
yeah same, I didn't bother finishing boba fett or even starting on the Obi Wan show, I was going to skip Andor but people were talking about how good it was on livestreams bashing Rings of Power, so I decided to watch it to avoid spoilers, and it turned out to be really really good. It totally stands on it's own, especially the first few episodes, and it integrates itself well into the SW universe. Really reminds me of the first movie with the imperial scenes.
It's a great show that can be said in the same conversation as The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Watchmen.
Same boat. Disney Star Wars is shit. I gave up entirely. Rogue One was actually decent. The Mandalorian was relatively watchable... Andor was legit just good.
Andor has raised the bar. Not going to be easy to go back to the "Filoni playing with action figures" style of show after this.
My thoughts too!
When we finished watching the prison break episode in andor we went and watched some clone wars right after.. the difference was... jarring... very jarring. And we watched the siege of mandalore.
After andor its going to be very hard to watch the filoni stuff.
Pandora's box has been opened.
Edit: with "we" i mean my family
For every person who's watched Andor, three have watched "Filoni playing with action figures". Expect season 2 to have more "action figures". Maybe will see Lt. Piet or Major Veers.
Pretty much how I feel.
@@TheMrPeteChannel Season 2 is being filmed right now by Tony Gilroy and it's final.
andor is so amazing, I love how the scenery is all physically built.
It's surprising how big a difference it can make!
The actress who played Bix would spend hours walking around Ferrix so she could have a feeling for what routes Bix would take to get to different places like going to work or maarvas house etc
I’ve waited so long for a Star Wars show to finally leave me satisfied again. But, at long last, here we are.
Likewise man, likewise...
Terminally dissatisfied star wars "fans" are so precious.
@@accesscrimea whar
"I felt feelings" Exactly! I remember the end of Luthen's epic speech at the end of episode 10. It ends on Andor and his fellow prisoner running to freedom on an alien beach at night while the music swells. I felt ...chills. I felt inspired, I felt MOVED. And all of a sudden, "Oh, wow, THIS is what good Star Wars is like."
Hopefully Disney will see how much praise this is getting through word of mouth and finally stop treating the fandom as the enemy.
Yes!!
Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I've given up all chance at inner peace; I've made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote fifteen years ago for which there's only one conclusion: I'm damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight. They've set me on a path from which there's no escape. I yearned to be a saviour against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down, there was no longer any ground beneath my feet. What is my sacrifice? I'm condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude. So what do I sacrifice? Everything! You'll stay with me, Lonni. I need all the heroes I can get.
Yes, this!!
Goosebumps.
The best monologue in all of Star Wars!
What a piece of writing this is!
I can hear Luthen's voice in my head
It’s twice as good the second time you watch it
Agree. I caught a ton of stuff second watch that I had missed. Eg. The signs that he was floor zapped twice on the first day.
I’m literally on my 3rd watch of Andor now, and not only is it amazing the first and second times, it is still holding up in rewatchability for this 3rd viewing. Can’t say enough good things about it, and I can’t wait for season 2, and I also really hope Disney can make more shows and/ or movies like Andor!!!!
Totally agree. Andor is great. Just a straight up amazing show. It's more akin to the early seasons of Game of Thrones than to any of the other Disney+ shows. The acting, the story, and the visual (the cinematography) are all amazing.
Also, Andor feels like it's crafted with a very particular creative viewpoint. It feels like the opposite of a corporate show. Watch Andor and then watch Michael Clayton and you can see the through line. Just an amazing show.
One of the most important part is that it is about revolution: why people revolt, what the sacrifice, how revolutions are painful and brutal, how fascism commits atrocities to preserve its power.
It's a deep show.
this is true
First time viewing of this channel and I am absolutely delighted by your humour and animation.
As someone whose job is gradually threatened by these awesome advances in technology, a big THANK-YOU for your effort in making this video and for your deep appreciation in the creative craft.
I love ANDOR for all the same reasons and let’s hope in the future your son will also join the fan club.
Thanks man that's much appreciated. Me and my friend are in the creative industry but in the commercial side of things so this is our creative output of things we want to talk about and make. So far, we have had a massive burst of support which Is really nice to see and hopefully we can turn this into something one day!
I only discovered this show two days ago after not watching Star Wars since 2016 and binged watched it all in one sitting. I thank UA-cam for helping me discover the same passion I had for Star Wars in 2015
Andor is such a great show. Thank you for talking about it
You're most welcome
You know what I cannot wait for?
The day Andor is concluded and I get to watch Rogue One in a completely new light.
Same! I actually avoided Rogue One since I watched Andor because I wanted to wait for the second season to conclude later on.
Andor ROCKS! Best Star Wars content since 1980!
But ANH came out in '77...so it's the best since before 1977. Because Andor is better than the originals.
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 Well, you have to give some credit to the original, otherwise the franchise would have never existed. Besides Alec Guiness, and Peter Cushing acting were delightful.
It’s the most perfectly consistent written and directed Star Wars content since 1980 yes, the prequels aren’t perfect all the way through, I love return of the Jedi but it’s definitely flawed, empire and a new hope feel completely perfect the more I watch it, mando has so many inconsistencies, and don’t get me started in the sequels but andor is constantly great and doesn’t dip like other shows
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 If the original Star Wars would have been on the level of Andor, not only would it not have become a cultural phenomenon, there would probably be no one remembering it.
Let alone rewatching.
I dunno, SWG, KOTOR II, and Republic Commando have come out since then :L
You forgot to mention how great the music is.
Fantastically subtle !!! Every TV Show that has a unique theme soundtrack often tells you that they are putting in the efforts at the small details!!
You're right I totally did!! My bad 😅
@@glenharris9366 It's like Requiem for a dream.
It makes me so sad just knowing that so many Star Wars’ fans haven’t given Andor a chance.
I got worried about Andor being underappreciated and forgotten too, but realized that those who did appreciate it like me, you and others just keep coming back to it and slowly bringing the attention it deserves. I realized that the appreciation of Andor is meant to be as a slow burn as it's plot, and as with the plot it's not a bad thing, but the natural course.
So I think Andor can still get it's glory moment and be accounted for what it's worth, I just hope the Disney won't ruin it and lets the creators pull it off again in season 2.
You definitely did a great job articulating how exhausting the popcorn thoughtless media of Disney as worn down excitement for their properties. Andor was like a breath of fresh air after so much banality. Loved seen Star wars get political, the prequels and the world left such fertile ground even if they didn't do a great job exploring it themselves.
Much appreciated! Agreed, there is still so much untapped potential just waiting to be explored...
Getting the most out of that word-a-day calendar, eh?
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 And...which was the word of the day?
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 Doin my darndist!
(perceived as off topic)
*-* a few years back smirking ex starters on nfl network
decided to challenge that evening's host (likely a Northwestern communications major) to spell the 'biig word' "wizardry" . . .
no slipups occurred.
Some at whatever early age 'adhere' to basic , consistent vocabulary lessons (sometimes merely to state thoughts in a bit of a different manner ~ *not* to elevate any perception about themselves) Older sports shows on radio had "callers" "calling" in ~ that readily available Thesaurus exists for at least one reason (anyone can have a look) Indeed the wordplay whimsy went over this here head (far , far too many statements are identical) ~ ignore this fan of Director David Lynch.
. . . *Andor* remains a triumph (the Witwer shoretrooper unwittingly brought the key Narkina5 personnel together) soO many ideas are looked upon as pretentious ~ that is not the aim here
a great discussion vid cheers.
Andor is the first time to me since the clone wars that Star Wars has made something that really feels like it stands alone and builds it own narrative within the Star Wars universe, it doesn’t rely on nostalgia or the familiar but the unfamiliar and believes in it self, that’s why to me mando went down hill in s2 cause it started introducing way to much familiar and stops feeling like it had its own identity, I still love it, but after rewatching andor ttwice, it’s truly quality and something that is worth putting up there with the original 6 and clone wars as part of George Lucas story
This was exactly my problem with Mandalorian S2. Season 1 felt fresh and exciting, it played at the edges of the setting in interesting ways. It made storm troopers scary. It made the rebels into potential enemies. It told small, self-contained stories that weren't tied up in all the Skywalker family drama bullshit. Then season 2 decided that the heroes were just gunning their way through hordes of goons now, and every episode was another opportunity to shove some bit of "fan service" down our throats. "Hey look its Ashoka. Hey look it's Boba Fett. Hey look it's Dark Troopers. Hey look, it's Luke. Look at all these things you recognise! Isn't that great that you recognise so many things???!"
No, it's not great. I don't want familiarity, I want something fresh and different. I want to discover all the exciting possibilities in this science fiction world, not just retread the same ground over and over.
The only problem I have with Andor is that it’s set my standards too high. I just can’t watch the Mandalorian anymore because I now know what Disney can and doesn’t do.
How do you feel abt the Season 3 finale of Mando?
@@daniaaal I didn’t even make it past episode 1, let alone to season 3. Maybe I should give it another chance
Part of why Mon Mothma steps beyond references is due to the fact that if the character had not existed in any capacity *before* Andor, she would still work as a stand alone character. Her introductory scenes stand all on their own without needing a single wasted word trying her existence to prior creations.
Andor is by far the best Star Wars installment, and probably one of the best TV shows made! Every aspect of the filmmaking here operates in the highest category: Script, Cinematography, Casting Performance, Narrative, Editing, Set Design, Costume Design, on and on. Every aspect of the world building here has conviction.
I think Andor is the best Star Wars ever. Better than the original trilogy, if maybe not iconic enough to launch a massive franchise like the originals did. But it's absolutely what Star Wars should always have been since the end of the original trilogy, and I'm glad they finally made it. And I really hope they're going to make a lot more like this. Well, not exactly like this, but new and fresh and different every time.
Good lord 🙈 People have such low standards, today.
Andor was a terrible show, the worst of the Disney SW shows to date.
If people praise crap like this, there is no chance we will ever get decent Star Wars, again.
@@fundhund62 "The worst of the Disney shows to date"? Have you seen any of them? Like The Book of Boba Fett, or Kenobi? Andor is a breath of fresh air.
i loved every minute of it,real sets with real actors that could actually act!
I still don't understand how people think Andor was slow. I was hooked from the very first scene and was drawn into the wonderful world and character building, amazing writing and acting, cinematography etc, oh!, and incredible soundtrack. Easily one of the best seasons of TV I've watched in my 60 years.
The same people that cannot have a conversation with someone without getting bored or distracted
Personally I prefer slow burn stories to instant hook ones, generally more satisfying overall.
I love that people are still discovering ANDOR 1 month later!!! Awesome. Can't wait for season 2
I have personally just come to the end of episode 3 and all I can say is that ny college was right!
@@CameroNxM omg you're in love after 3 episodes??? Wait till you watch episode 6 and 9 you're gonna hand deliver it to National Archives for inclusion in the 100 greatest artworks of all time lol
Mate I literally discovered it two days ago after not watching any Star Wars since 2017
And a month after that, and presumably in the months going onward. The spark has lit a fire.
@@in4mal_baker270 Remember this: try.
Please, please watch this show, for me personally it's the only good live-action Star Wars show so far and it's brilliant. I really hope they have this level of writing and acting in shows going forward. Thank you for making this video, I think you summed up what makes Andor so good really well. Hopefully enough people will watch it and Star Wars shows/films can finally start looking up.
Thanks man. It's always nice to get comments like this!
Why? They have been shitting on the fans since they bought the company. This show deserved to fail, theres nothing that can fix the mess that were the sequels
This show is excellent! It looked like it had potential and it turned out to better than I had even expected. It is gritty, raw, intense, sometimes brutal, and down to earth (so to speak). It just shows you what you need to see and doesn't hold your hand. This is the kind of Star Wars series I've always wanted. It's definitely a slow burn but it's worth the time.
I really loved this show, it blew me away. It's not for everyone and I understand that, but there is so much to love about this show - excellent writing, a strong conceptual foundation that poses interesting philosophical questions about our society, amazing world building and detail, a great soundtrack, and, best of all, absolutely top quality performances from a seriously talented set of actors. I was bored of Star Wars, but I can't wait to watch season 2 of this.
Exactly, not for everyone but undeniably well made!
Your comments regarding the nuanced way this show handles "good" and "bad" characters reminds me of why I love A Series of Unfortunate Events. In A Series of Unfortunate Events, our main characters start out as either clearly evil or obviously good, much as Andor and Cyril and Luthen are "good" and Dedra is "evil" (yes, I consider Cyril to be "good", at least at the beginning of the show). But as the story progresses, the "good" characters make choices that result in "evil" things, much as Luthen uses the Empire's own tactics and methods against itself. And the motivations and experiences of our "evil" characters are exposed, causing us to second-guess our opinions of them. Our "evil" characters even do some "good" things, further complicating our feelings. Eventually, the characters themselves are forced to confront the consequences and implications of their actions, asking themselves if they have become the very thing they were fighting against. There are no easy answers, but I applaud both the writers of Andor and the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events for writing complicated, nuanced, self-aware characters with realistic motivations and ever-changing goals.
40 years of star wars, and this is the first on screen entry that properly justifies its foundational premise of rebellion against oppression. for my money, it's the highest quality franchise entry *ever*, and will stand the test of time better than everything short of the OT itself. straight up, this show is a masterpiece.
Stellan Skarsgård's monologue in Episode 10 is possibly the best piece of acting and writing in the entire franchise. It stands out in a show filled with amazing performances and terrific writing.
It’s all in the little cinematic attention to detail that improve the suspension of disbelief: things like watching TIE pilots clamber into their cockpits instead of just cutting to the all-CGI takeoff or Nemik’s manifesto being on an honest-to-god datapad instead of a pencil and paper journal. Things that show that the writers and filmmakers are respecting how the era of Star Wars would have felt in the late 1970s, same as why the game Alien: Isolation feels like such a love letter to the original “Alien” film.
If you do the homework and respect both the rules of the universe and the intelligence of the audience, you can create excellent work.
Greatly put. It is realistic and authentic within its own confines.
By the end of the last episode, I was actually cheering at the screen with tears in my eyes. The emotional investment in this story was real and satisfying. I've had trouble even bothering watching any other show at the moment because it won't rise to Andor's quality. I agree with most of this commentary, though there was no reference to the exceptional soundtrack. Percussion in the soundtrack doesn't just drive this show, it actually becomes a character and plot point and is central to the emotional weight of certain episodes. The first three episodes seem slow (emphasis on seem), though there is so much character and world building embedded in those episodes. It all pays off in that third episode, which ends with seven minutes with virtually no dialog...just music...and extraordinary emotional weight. Andor is 12 episodes, but there are four or five seasons embedded: the opening season, the heist season, and the jail season. But the Star Wars Rebellion season is threaded across all of them. The final two episodes bring it all together. It is brilliant and really innovative story telling.
Andor was great, it showed what is possible in Star Wars, we've been fed garbage for so long we didnt even know it was possible
I don´t understand why so many people didn´t give a crap about Andor because it was about a character that died in Rogue One.
I mean, so was Kenobi (who died probably less than a month after Cassian Andor in the timeline)
And Vader also died and we watched a whole prequel trilogy based on him AND Kenobi.
Luthen's monologue was fantastic, and his scene with Saw in episode 11 was great too. Great stuff all around. Let's all hope season 2 keeps up with the greatness.
It’s a brilliant piece of work. Great commentary by the way. Watched it twice now. Everything you said is FACT. I’m a lifelong fan, born 73’, SW has been educating me since i was 4. Teamwork, never giving in, resisting evil. Andor has saved the day, literally. Well done, everyone should see it.
Andor is truly a spacial show. I can't believe it was made by Disney and was that good! The cast and characters are all great but Luthen. Luthen one of my favorite Star Wars characters. Chefs kiss to all involved in the making because we need more content like this!
I'm a burned out Star Wars fan and didn't make any plan to Watch Andor because way should I? So glad I ended up watching it.Watched twice and try to tell others to watch it.
Nice video. Spread the good word.
Also. I would love a KOTOR show with the same writers as Andor.
Dude perfectly described I feel like you were able to communicate what I look for in shows, music, art... it's the authentic human experience. Our story told with art, archetypes, beautiful scenery and stunning music.
This show... if anything I've ever seen is pure art in my eyes
Thank you, glad you liked the video ☺️
Awesome video. This show definitely deserves more attention
Thanks man much appreciated :)
I just wish those decribing Andor would stop saying that- "its not without its flaws" before almost unanimously commenting on the "slowness" of episodes 1 & 2 because "they don't have 'a lot happening."
OK, I get that SW fans may not be used to this concept but just because there aren't big fight scenes, doesn't mean stuff isn't "Happening" - I am sure kids watching 'Gandhi', or 'Lawrence of Arabia' would say that for long periods 'nothing "happens" at all'. - and in Andor Episodes 1& 2 that applies too. - but that is the problem - with US. We've been conditioned to think this way.
In fact lots 'happens' - we get time to get to know the people, the environments, the backstories, the way of life [to such an extent that these episodes have become my favourite in the series].
Even though Mandalorian & Ahsoka episodes are the same length as Andor I found THEM way more boring. in between the 'action' scenes there is just "content" in fact whereas Mando has a lot of slow walking to try and fill out a 30 minute episode [but from which we learn nothing] even this is better than Ahsoka - which doesn't even do THAT! For long periods she just STANDS, arms folded and looks slowly around and nods because the writers are desperately trying to pad out each episode.
With Andor, these 'slow parts' in the first arc are actually packed full of information -every bit of which- contributes to our immersion into the world of Ferrix and enriches our emotional attachment to even its 'minor' characters, so that what happens to them -often many episodes later- has far more meaningfulness than say a fight scene with Cad Bane or the pathetically emotionless re-uniting of Sabine and long lost friend Ezra.
Take for example the minor characters of Timmmm, Nurchi and Xan.
Each one dies in violent circumstances, the latter two, in the last few minutes of the final Episode, and yet because of the time spent on each in the first 2 episodes their deaths carry real weight. - far more so than would be the case if the same were to happen to much more central characters in other Star Wars shows.
Disney - this IRONICALLY- IS the only way to have a long term future from Star Wars.
To expand its fan base -far beyond the current sci-fi / action fans [Many of whom are tired and bored of SW] to mainstream intelligent, character driven, drama. People who enjoy political, mystery, war or thriller, movies & TV series will watch good quality shows EVEN if set in space.
In literally everything you have articulated in this video, I am categorically right there with you! This is genuinely a masterpiece in terms of taking a well versed sci-fi children's IP to an entirely new dimension of art and storytelling.
Thank you!!
Cameron,, Thanks for taking the time to create this video. You do have a unique style (and enjoyable). There has been many UA-cam Content Creators, such as you, who have come out of the woodwork (from there usual video topics) to support Andor. The more positive reviews helps. Thanks.
Wow thanks man that means a lot! It's a team effort. My colleague makes scripts and I edit the videos. If I like the idea of something I'll write and voice some myself but we're enjoying what we're doing so we'll be continuing for the foreseeable future!
As Cam's right-hand man, I also thank you sir, it means a lot!
Disney is so arrogant that they could never imagine that someone like the Andor writers could be among them. Be in their production studio, take their funding, and use their marketing machine. All to produce something with a message so fervently against their own interests with their own tools.
That one scene you showed of the emperor getting thrown down into the reactor made me upset all over again about the last trilogy
Somehow... Palpatine returned 👀
1 day was rewatching Rogue 1 and realized the other guy was Andor, so i was curious about Andor. After the 1st episode, I immediately felt the dark serious undertones and was intrigued, because previously somehow palpatine returned and killed the framchise altogether..but this was soo different and was just as good as The Mandalorian, so I had to binge-watch the rest. A good 9/10
WATCH ANDOR!
Haven't been much of a consumer of SW content in a long time now. Was excited about Mando for two seasons, then.... Tried Fett for three episodes and then.... I saw clips from Andor when it was new and would have tried it then, but wasn't going to pay D+ for it. But having watched many reviews, I gave it a try and am very, very glad I did. It is indeed excellent. I will finish watching Sn1 in a couple of days and will cancel D+ immediately thereafter. But I am so glad I gave this a shot. Thanks for the video.
What I find fascinating about Andor is how it contrasts with the other shows in continuity. Every single Disney Star Wars project except for Rebels and Mando have done something inconsistent that hurts the continuity of the franchise. These shows were all made by people who say they love SW and fan-favorite Dave Filoni who wrote the prologue of the book “A New Dawn” vowing that intermedium consistency would be a focal point in the Disney Era. In contrast to this, Tony Gilroy, a man who says that he isn’t really a Star Wars fan and doesn’t care that much created a show that directly deals with extremely important characters and factions that have been explored endlessly, created one of the few Star Wars shows that stays fully consistent AND expands the story of the SW Galaxy in a meaningful way. I truly like Dave Filoni and much of what he’s made, but the type of care Gilroy and his team put into Andor is unprecedented. Beautiful show.
It's a truly interesting contrast as you say! I very much agree with this.
Dope video. It was very well put together. Subbed.
As for Andor, it's a masterpiece compared to the Obi Wan and Boba Fett shows. It feels like a completely different universe. The bad guys in those shows and much of Star Wars media are comically evil and dumb. In Andor, everything from the characters to the set pieces feel real and gritty. Definitely an amazing show.
Thanks man that's much appreciated! It was my colleague that scripted this one but I have just started to watch it and I have to day I agree with everything he said!
From Cam's colleague, a big thank you ❤️
Appreciate your nod to Dedra and Syril's motivations - they showcase how the Empire could appeal to ordinary citizens of the galaxy. The ambiguity of who is good and bad was strongly featured by Gilroy in Rogue One and he hammers it with Luthen's speech.
Thanks for picking up on that point, I've always felt the Empire has lacked any grounding in the real world. For something to truly get that powerful it needs the support of the people to some degree!
@@glenharris9366 it's also important to note that the empire probably used most of the people who worked for the republic, but just expanded the bureaucracy and military. If you were in the government for a career, why would you leave it just because the government changed?
Andor really bring joy for someone that watch rogue one. The rebellion story is really brought in this episode series without telling any jedi or sith. It only tell about some people that against emperor and sacrifice their private life just to see emperor destroy.
Contrast the sequels' "Somehow... Palpatine returned," with Andor's "Tyranny requires constant effort." Hard to believe they come from the same franchise.
Andor is the absolute best Star Wars has been since 1977.
You think it is better than the Luke Skywalker scene at the end of season 1 of the mandalorian?
@@slayerdeth0705 uhhhh yes of course
Andor stands out to me as a masterpiece in the StarWars universe. It wasn't a gimmick to churn our cute little toys for holiday sales like the Mandolorian.
What a brilliant essay! Insightful and entertaining. Thank you for covering what I think is one of the best written shows (of any genre) in the past few years.
Much appreciated, good sir!
I think Andor has, what we call in the mmo scene, a long tail. It may not be a blockbuster at release, but it will live on for a very... long... time...
This show deserves all the praise
As noted, it takes three episodes to get clicked in. I watched the first three and almost didn't come back. But it really does have excellent writing, characters, acting, and stands on its own
Really refreshing and fittingly geeky overview of the show that we’ve all been asking for but haven’t apparently watched in sufficient numbers… yet. Loved it. Thanks
You did a great job explaining what makes this show good. Admittedly, after I finished it, I thought it was a little slow for my liking but I knew there was something about it I liked more than the other Star Wars shows to come out in recent time. The main stand outs to me where the set locations and the acting. Like you said, they feel like real people. I hope Disney catches on to this and continues to write their shows in this way, just with a tad more action.
I would comment a more deep reply on this but this was a video made by my colleague and I haven't watched it yet but I plan on watching...after all 10,000 other tv shows I need to watch XD
Glad that the message came through! Hopefully the showrunners at Disney can see they're onto something here 🤞
Series 2 will be more action .. not that I think it needed it.. but series one there is no real rebellion but there will be in series 2 ... Series 1 was PERFECT
@@wilkowilkins363 Yeah I understand after finishing it that this was the build up to the rebellion, I guess I wasn't aware of that going in, I assumed it was going to be like right before Rouge One. But I do appreciate a slow build up to a big pay off, similar to Better Call Saul and I am really excited for Season 2
@@glenharris9366 We can only hope, hopefully they see some the UA-cam videos praising it so they know this is what the fans want
“Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I’ve given up all chance at inner peace. I’ve made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts. I wake up every day to an equation I wrote 15 years ago from which there’s only one conclusion, I’m damned for what I do. My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight, they’ve set me on a path from which there is no escape. I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down there was no longer any ground beneath my feet.
What is my sacrifice?
I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else’s future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude.
So what do I sacrifice?
Everything!”
Short of one unnecessary work element, this show is nearly perfect. Can’t wait for season 2! And I pray they stick to what’s working.
Andor blew me away because my expectations were pretty mundane.
Got this video recommended a few times before clicking and I must say I'm glad I did. A very well made video essay and I will know joyfully go through your back catalogue for my morning shifts. Thanks man.
Thanks for your kind words man! It's our pleasure to be making content for you guys. As you can probably see, we don't have too much of a library, but hopefully that will change with this coming year!
@@CameroNxM you have joined my list of UA-camrs that have the 'All Notification' Bell on my man. You don't expect such high quality audio and effort from the smaller UA-camrs, and it's a damn pleasure to have found you.
The same, Andor isn't the only undiscovered gem
@@aglazeddoughnut5250 your too kind man. You don't understand how much that means to us and just fuels our want to post this stuff for you guys!
It's a great show. Definitely looking forward to S2.
I absolutely loved Andor, and totally agree with your points, both good and bad for the show. It's so good that I feel like it enhances Rogue One, adds to the themes that movie was trying to make (about the greyness of rebellion, about sacrifice, etc), and perhaps, I'd even say enhances A New Hope, by laying some context for which the rebellion's first enormous success against the Empire stands upon when you have Maarva's speech and Nemik's manifesto backing up the event. You can feel the gravitas of change in the show, the almost inevitability of rebellion, and you can see the weakness of the Empire despite its awesome power. I cannot wait for season 2, and I hope it continues succeeding where season 1 did, and finish telling Cassian's story well!
Good points. Andor makes me care even more for Rogue One and A New Hope!
As someone who grew up with the original trilogy, this show feels like the Star Wars I remember, but improved.
Great video
Andor feels like star wars is finally being made with the love and production value of lotr
Thank you 😊
Thoughtful and well argued points on a truly excellent show. Well done
Thanks man!
I was feeling fatigue during book of boba, after the highs of mando it was a boring letdown, and then obiwan killed any enthusiasm that mando had brought back. I watched the first ep of andor and it was so slow I couldn’t keep going, but after all the good reviews I went back and binged the first 4 episodes and by then I could see what the fuss was about, and it kept getting better, it truly is leading to a new hope for star wars
Glad you gave it a chance, and that you didn't regret it 😊
After the sequels and obi wan, boba fett and parts of Visions caused me to almost hate star wars. But Andor shocked me and was way better than I expected. Its not perfect but its a step in a better direction.
I didn't think much of Andor when I first heard it was being made. As soon as I heard it was it was made by the same team as Rogue One, I was sold.
Good breakdown. I really love Andor for giving us an adult SW adventure. Nothing else compares. I still love Mando, but if you are old enough to have seen Ep 4 in 77, we need some content that is fitting to our "maturity". THIS IS THE ONE WAY OUT.
'Maturity' XD agreeded!
@@CameroNxM They need to remember us 50 year old kids now and again. We do have the money... I'm still waiting for Tarantino's StarTrek. Probably never going to happen. 🖖
@@TheMetahedron omg that would actually be amazing! But yeah I doubt he would pick up the project but omg that would be so good...
@@CameroNxM Actually, Tarantino wanted to do it for years. It's the producers who are afraid of what might happen. Honestly, I would rather let Quentin break my toys than sit through another JJ flick. I'm not trying to be a hater, but let somebody else have a try.
@@TheMetahedron Not fond of JJ Abrahams myself. Made a mess of 2 franchises by giving them the same look and tone. I prefer to know what I am watching, SW or ST, although I like both.
So...I just marathoned it in 2 days because I enjoyed it that much. I'm one those that got to watch the magic of Star Wars in the 1970/80's. It was magic...at least the first 2 movies were. I couldn't watch the subsequent movies. I felt like they were made for teenage boys and just couldn't get into them. Actually...nothing has interested me since the original movies until Andor. And now I can't wait for the 2nd season. What was great? It's a series that made me feel for them...even the music captured my attention...as it did in 1977. I cared about the characters and for me that's what storytelling is all about.
Over the past few years I've been asking myself if Star Wars really was as good as I remembered or if it was just nostalgia making me think it had so much potential. Maybe it wasn't just the sequels and TV shows being poorly written, maybe the well had really run dry and I should be happy that we had the OT.
Andor proved that I was right all along; this universe has so much potential for storytelling, it just needs passionate and competent people to do the work. This show reignited my love for Star Wars, but it also makes me a bit sad because I know it's foolish to believe this is the direction the franchise will move towards.
Luke would NEVER consider giving up and letting the Dark Side win. "The Last Jedi" was a travesty.
it took 3 decades but Star Wars finally grew up
I appreciate that it's the first time the canon has approached the idea of rebellion seriously. It's for Star Wars what Deep Space 9 was for Star Trek. They hit on the big points of a Marxist anti-imperial critique and illustrated the real mechanisms of fascism. There's a sense of the societal contradictions, nobody goes into the revolution wearing white gloves, and the ways those various revolutionaries are portrayed properly handles the morality of the subject. The original trilogy was a fun staple as a kid but everything after was lost on me because it was a celebrity cowboy soap opera. The rebellion was as one-dimensional and politically stagnant as medieval peasant rebellions. Here, especially directly expressed through Nemik, they've got a great sense of alienation and rupture.
Yes, exactly! I wish I had you helping me write my script ,😂
I liked this show more than any other Star Wars property since Disney took over. Maybe excepting the core episodes of Rebels but that show had too much filler for my liking. I appreciated that it didn’t shove a bunch of “real world” politics and social agendas down our throats like too many shows and films made by Disney have been doing recently. I watch as a form of escapism. Andor handled itself so well in this regard. Plus the old school character monologues are a lost art in screenwriting.
I love star wars and agree with everything you said. I gave it a shot and was so pleasantly surprised by how actually good it was, not just star wars good.
Yeah we started rooting for Dedra but after the torture seen I think most of us stopped 😅
That's fair 😅😂
you're like the 89th content creator I've seen make a positive video about this show. people are talking😊
to be clear I LOVED the show and I have also liked/subbed to everyone I've seen make these videos 🙏🏼
Thank you very much from both me and Cam 💞
You've got to make more review videos like this, you have a great insight into the show and despite being a 22 minute video you covered interesting points throughout, also Andor was fantastic!
From both me and Cam, thank you, this comment means a great deal ☺️
Andor was the show I've wanted to watch since I became a fan of the original trilogy when I was a kid. I unironically think the only good Star Wars now is the Original Trilogy and Andor.
Immediately liked, subscribed and hit that bell for even showing The Expanse in here. Criminally underrated show, even more than Andor as it doesn't have StarWars' massive IP backing it.
Belters Revolution !!!
The Expanse scene drop was pretty awesome
Thanks man that's much appreciated! We'll try and keep the content you like coming!
Maarva shouting Beltalowda! would not be out of character.
Mon might learn a thing or two from Our Lady Of Perpetual Swearing too:
@@Justanotherconsumer Andor could learn a thing or two from our favourite poly hard bitch as well :) BETLA LOWDA!
I agree with pretty much everything you said in this video. I was just about done with Star Wars after Kenobi. Have not watched Mando season 3 and had no intention of watching Andor. I finally gave in and watched it last week after hearing enough fans basically beg for people to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. This is easily the best Star Wars content Disney has made, and if you like Rogue One, you'll love it.
Andor is amazing, it is mature and it is honest to its audience. Feels like the right movie series for those times we live in.... to reflect upon the concept of freedom.
I get why people are skeptical of new Star Wars, but Andor is actually very good. Give it a chance.
I love this show. Such a pity that it hasn't had the audience it deserves. Great review, BTW. Keep up the good work.
It has exactly the audience it deserved because for more than half a decade, Disney has done nothing but shit on the franchise and the fans
Thank you very much, from me and Cam ☺️
I'm not a big Star Wars fan, but Andor is a great show 👍🏻
Excellent video. Andor is next level. I was on the edge of my seat for many of the episodes. Can't wait for the next season!
I like that you mentioned how Werewolf By Night was liked by most who watched it because it's the best thing that Marvel did in 2022 by far!
Best Star Wars show yet 🙌 great vid 💯
I had the fatigue. So many of the Marvel and Star Wars shows started great, but few were good all the way through. I didn't like Rogue One, so had no investment in this character I had forgotten about.
But some coworkers and people on Twitter were raving, so I gave Andor a chance, and I'm so glad I did. It has been the best of ANY of them. The best Star Wars since the original trilogy, frankly.
I compare it to Blake's 7, the old BBC sci-fi set in a gritty universe, with morally ambiguous protagonists, and amazing dialogue. This is the Blake's 7 of Star Wars properties, and that's high praise, IMO.
If you haven't seen it (how, after watching this video?), go do it.
I'm gushing here, but I'm going to rewatch it. I've never rewatched any of these Disney shows (except Tron: Uprising -- I want more! 😖)
Love this man, we went on a very similar journey it seems 😁