Why Andor Is the Best Disney Star Wars Show Yet
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- Опубліковано 27 лис 2022
- Star Wars: Andor, the least hyped Disney+ show so far, ended up being the best of the bunch. I break down what makes it better than its predecessors and why it's Star Wars at its best.
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Isn’t the show named “Andor”, not “Cassian”? Fitting then, that the mother who loved and adopted him - and gave him her surname - plays a crucial story role in inspiring everyone at the end of the season. The rebellion is people.
Hell yeah
just like soylent green
I love how adult and realistic it is. It make sense someone won't join a rebellion until they have a reason to join. Finally a Disney plus show with a season length
12 episodes but not all 60 minutes long. A step in the right direction though.
This is what a lot of us OS fans were expecting from the prequels and the Vader origin story. Instead, we got a sad emo PTSD mama's boy, crappy special effects (well some scenes in Episode III were pretty awesome!), Jar Jar and three really long and forgettable toy commercials. If it weren't for TCW fixing Anakin's badass Uberchad image and filling in holes, the prequel story would just be terrible fan fiction at best.
literally the opposite of star wars which is probably what makes it great.
Not only how a person might want to join the rebels, but it shows the motivation to join the imperial side too.
It’s not adult or realistic. It’s boring.
I’m literally telling all my friends to watch this series. It’s a shame they don’t even know it’s even out.
Same here!
Snap.
I’ve been doing the same thing, this is the first time I have been excited for SW since the last Jedi broke my heart 😂
Just heard of it about 5 min ago. Here I am. I'm gonna need some snacks .. !!!
@@markyrowe3624 you can binge all 12 episodes! Lol
“The Eye” and “One way out” were two of the best episodes I’ve seen of any show in so many years.
So agreed, the build up to the eye, and the finally seeing the effects, it did not disappoint. But few scenes can measure up to Maarva's funeral dirge and procession , even the band warming up was just a master stroke of storytelling, I got chills and leaky eyes from that. Then the speech she gave at her own funeral, oh my! Between HotD and Andor I don't know which one was more surprising to me this year!
Yet the important thing is the build up. Where would either ep be without what came before? Point is nothing is filler, it’s all a great part of the entire story.
I cant even point to single episodes. I just see it as a whole. As a masterpiece.
Don't be sleep on Rix Road
2 things they've done very well amongst many are having real stakes for the characters and making you care for them,even side characters.
The tension leading up to the heist, prison break and the funeral with the marching band was very well done.
People die unceremoniously and you care about them because good writing has done it job, and the story moves on.
What really distinguishes Andor (and to some extent, Rogue One) is how it emphasizes the size and scope of the rebellion, the "countless acts of defiance" as Nemik puts it. For a couple decades now, the franchise has been looping on the Chosen One narrative, the idea that only certain special people and bloodlines matter, over and over. And sure, that's the Hero with a Thousand Faces thing, "you are secretly a prince," I get it. But maybe it's time for a different theme. I feel like Andor is pointing a way towards that.
Agreed. The whole franchise is called Star Wars. Multiple wars. The prerequisite to wars are political struggles. The prerequisite to political struggles are the struggles of people on the ground. To me, Andor brought to light what Star Wars has been missing for a long time: the fight between good and evil isn't restricted to fancy space wizards with laser swords and telekinesis, the wars are fought by foot soldiers (in the case of the Rebellion, ordinary people) who have a stake in the fight too.
In a weird way, The Last Jedi was starting to pivot to that, but then it went back to Abrams and he threw all of that out the window to make Rey part of a ruling family tree.
rogue one still suffers from too many stupid and distracting references
Well.... In the end it's a thousand faces after all.... The struggle of the archetypical hero is seen in this series as well. Maybe that essence was lost in the prequels after Campbell died in 1987.
Absolutely. Andor and Rogue One send the message that you don't have to be done mystical chosen one to be a hero. You just have to open your eyes and be willing to take a stand.
So good. No fluff. Nothing immature or easy or trite. There's ruthlessness and death, but also so much humanity. It feels very adult, competent, natural, and credible. The dialogue isn't pretentious, try-hard, corny, boring, clunky, or on-the-nose. That's 88% of the battle right there because nothing is more important than good dialogue. Every actor is solid or great. The characters are well-developed and drive the story forward. The visuals and music were flawless and immersive.
Overall, it was really well done.
I disagree on everything…. Terrible pacing, sulking teenagers as characters (minus Mothma), endless dull dialogue, drab palette… Awful
@@kevinjohnson6331 Just say you have bad taste and go. 🙏 bros too used to Marvel writing
@@kevinjohnson6331 it’s definitely for mature audiences. When you’re older and have more experience in life you should come back and rewatch it.
@@kevinjohnson6331 did you get older and rewatched it?
I love how Cassian's arrest wasn't directly tied to his part in the heist, but actually, was an indirect result of the heist.
How the imperials still had a manhunt going for a guy they already had locked up in their prison was also really good, showing just how bloated the empire's bureaucracy was.
@@snakeman830 comedic irony.
@@mattah don't think there was anything comedic about it. Definitely well done irony, though.
Really great series, it's amazing how 1 episode has more emotions than the whole new trilogy.
Just re-watched the first trilogy. An episode beat that trilogy too
And prequels.
@@anydaynow01 Did you watch Revenge of the Sith?
@@DoremiFasolatido1979 Not so sure about that...
It has been both a reminder of what Star Wars can be and just how badly Kennedy and the rest have bungled this entire thing...... after Lucas bungled the prequel trilogy. Thank you Tony Gilroy.
What I loved about the show in addition to the story/actors/etc was how it taught us how to watch...the 3-part arcs were simply set the mission, get the pieces together, run the mission. It allowed for tension, world building, character development and made us care. Even if I had NO idea what was coming next I knew "Ok, ok, ok....this is important...ahhh...the plan unfolds....OMG I hope they make it" . Awesome, awesome story-telling.
What a brilliant way to format the season!
I like the show, but for me it's not as good as most people are making it out to be.
@@Hellsing7747 When you watched it, did you give it your full attention, or was it a pop in and out viewing for you
@@Smokey1419 great question! Episode 1 made me become fully engaged because the visuals were so important. Show-don't-tell cinematic filmmaking!
@@Hellsing7747 It's nearly a year and a half since I watched episode one and I would say Andor is actually better 'as most people are making it out to be'.
I got to the show late, I just binged it all over the last few days. I wasn't spoiled but went in hearing people sing it's praises and hyping it up. It's a pleasant surprise when something so hyped actually meets that high bar.
Shockingly good
Syril is the most dangerous character imo. He so unpredictable compared to the other characters and his conviction that he is the hero of this story unsettling but also incredibly realistic. I’m so curious to see his story unfold in season 2!
the whole show I was expecting him to snap and kill himself, dedra, some other side character, or a bunch of children or something and it had me on edge every time I saw him
Syril represents the fans of the Empire, who think they'd be stormtroopers or officers but would irl be petty corporate middlemen or data entry workers.
I don’t think he’s unpredictable at all. I think that he’s very impressionistic with a tendency to lean towards authority.
For instance, on his Impressionism, his superior at his first job correctly deduced what happened to the two officers based solely on their character and the interpersonal “splashes” they made with other officers. He also correctly predicts what would happen if the empire gets involved. So his superior has excellent judgement and foresight, based on tendency to lean toward interpersonal and falsifiable data collected first hand.
Karn only needs the semblance of an outer image to act on and against the world, needs minimal knowledge on the character of others to act for or against them. Most people develop an idea, turning it from a crude image to something with resolution. He acts on ideas without adding resolution, acting on this myopic view of an image, with little personal or indirect knowledge of all the pieces involved. This leads to poor judgement and foresight, especially if he cannot perceive his own involvement in negative outcomes.
Dedra is Banksy’s “banality of the banality of evil.” She is a determined and goal orientated character that doesn’t really care about anything else, doesn’t object to the character of the psychotic animal noise interrogator, doesn’t object to one of her officers wanting to hang one of the Aldhani citizens.
Yet Karn seems to love her. Though he doesn’t share any of her attributes besides being career driven.
So his arc is quite predictable. Whether it’s a positive or negative arc isn’t so predictable (because of his inability to break free from his mother) but I’ll make a prediction. He will see exactly who Dedra is based on her rather apathetic and morally unjust choices. But only after seeing it first hand. Presumably choices involving the injury and murder of innocent people. The use of harsh interrogation practices. Allowing her superiors to do morally unjust activities. He will see who she is and either learn not to lean toward authority for the sake of leaning toward it, collect more information on people before he moves, in a positive arc. Or he’ll continually lean toward authority, never wanting to be an authority figure, even if he disagrees with their methods. This is a negative arc.
I believe that Dedra dies by the hands of Karn. His positive arc will read its head in a conversation with his mother as he finally starts to break from her authority. He will first do this when he notices who Dedra really is, and Dedra’s moral image will continuously be reinforced by several heinous examples.
Yes nothing is as dangerous as man assured of his own righteousness despite all realitu and then puts all his inadequacies into a box of delusion that futher fuels his action
Andor is beautiful in its thematic visual storytelling, using the Star Wars galaxy as a vehicle to say something gradual throughout each arc. I love how "The Eye" episode is about a miraculous event that neither the Empire nor regular folk could look away from. This goes for both the meteor shower AND the heist itself (figuratively).
The prison arc is also a microcosm of Imperial pressure reaching a "boiling point" for otherwise-complacent oppressed people like Kino, to the point where the one & only way out is "up".
Luthen says he shares his "dreams with ghosts" and then later observes the posthumous Maarva speech from afar. Not exactly a "Force ghost", but definitely a force to be reckoned with, as she'd have wanted. It's all fantastic!
Agreed! I love the recurring themes (and even wording) as you move through the series. And yet it doesn’t feel like they’re hitting you over the head with the themes…I feel like the writers are trusting the audience to make their own connections both to the current series, previous movies and shows, and our real world.
The coolest part of The Eye is that they use it to escape. The empire wants to remove This piece of culture from the Aldhani people only for the rebels to use that exact thing as means to escape. The empire is defeated by the very cultures they want to erase.
It is a Masterpiece...
hard to believe we had such potential, never explored so far
"Andor" was simply FANTASTIC!!! Marva's speech in the last episode brought tears to my eyes.
Because what she said can be applied to our current situation, it made me feel like fighting all the systematic oppression were born into
The realisation that Andor isn't just representative of Cassian Andor, but the sacrifices of Clem Andor and Maarva Andor as well.
Andor was the Star Wars show I didn't even know I needed. The show is exquisitely put together with everyone both in front and behind the camera putting in 100%. This sets the bar very high for future projects. I will be rooting for this show come awards season. Watching Brosso taking down Imperials and busting one upside the head with Marva's brick made me cheer. That's what a reckoning looks like.
I loved Andor, specially after the last two other shows, I had to convince my bf over a couple of days to give it a chance, again, because he didn’t enjoy the last two shows, but once he watched the first three episodes, he wanted more. I liked Andor for the stories and the emotions it brought. The heist episode was so tense, the prison break intense and hopeful, the finale felt rewarding and all of that thanks to well constructed stories. Sad to wait two years for the next season, but good stories take time 😊
I had a similar situation with the girl I was dating. She caught me right after I had watched the prison break episode in near tears with stars in my eyes and asked me what was going on. So I was tasked with articulating the beauty and artistic mastery that this show had employeed up to that point to incite so many emotions. Its hard to get people invested in this series because it does start slow but she was eventually greatful because she is a film nerd like myself. I don't think this show ever really got the flowers it deserves but I hope word of mouth eventually trickles down and this thing at some point is fully appreciated. Its just such a high quality top notch production that even if you don't necessarily like it or star wars that you still have to admire the craftmanship of this series...sound, acting, costumes, sets, story, all the little details..and done so with rarely seen subtlety.
Of all the big budget prequel IP shows recently I'm shocked to say that Andor is my favorite!
Shows you the difference between people who turns gold to sh*t with a touch and vice versa.
As time goes on and more people get caught up in this show, season 2 hype is gonna go to insane levels
Is funny that, we've got Genevive O'reilly before with not much to do, not knowing she was capable of delivering this level of acting. She was incredible in this series and I hope we get way more from her character.
So underrated, loved seeing her story amongst the elites on coruscant contrasted with the hoi polloi on the edge of the empire
Out of every actor in the show, I am most impressed with Genevieve, for precisely this reason. Others were renowned character actors or complete unknowns who presumably aced their auditions. But Genevieve was a preexisting casting. Essentially an extra from 20 years prior. And she rolls in and nails it, totally holding her own against Stellan freaking Skarsgard. It must have been the greatest thrill to get to revisit the character and really show what she could do with amazing material. I don't think I have seen her in anything else but I really look forward to where she goes in the future. Same goes for so many others, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Joplin Sibtain, Elizabeth Dulau, Kyle Soller etc.
@@franciscopozoleYou should check out the movie "The Dry", starring Eric Bana, where Genevieve plays a pivotal supporting role.
I praise the editors too. SPOILERS: They allowed us to have our moments of shock (Xan's death in Episode 12), moments of grief (B2emo staring at Maarva's body through a dirty window), our moments of extasis (bird's eye view of prisoners swimming away from 2 gates, not one), the "yeah!" moments (Time Grappler kicking a stormtrooper down the tower) and even our moments of absolute horror (Dr. Gorst...). Fantastic editing in every scene!
Yessss. Was waiting for this. Agreed it's the best Disney Star Wars show by far! Mesmerized by every episode, even the slow setup ones. Everything about the production was superb.
Andor is such a great surprise; easily my favorite of any Star Wars show. Total agreement with Dan. So refreshing to see a show do its own thing while respecting and elevating its source material. To see characters with depth and complexity who make bold and understandable choices, rather than be confined to formulaic trappings. And to my shock, it also didn't rely on nostalgia and cameos for its bigger moments. Everything from the writing, score, acting, cinematography, set design, were all done very well. The prison break and the Aldhani conflict were amazing. So excited for S2.
With the integration of deep lore but also adding details to color in the galaxy (like the traditions of the worshippers in Aldahni and the funeral rituals of Ferrix), you can tell the writers actually deeply know and love Star Wars. I absolutely loved how careful they were to tell a story that “fits” while at the same time being new.
@@ellicel Well said.
This show was so rich. It was like sitting in a comfy chair and reading one of the best novels ever written with rich characters all on sides and scales, beautiful dialogue, a complex and intelligent plot and good rising actions and wonderfully detailed tangible worlds and feelings and a strong ending. It has great re-read value, because you can go back and see more each time and appreciate what you might have overlooked the first time. This is my favorite show in a long time.
Loved it. It feels like the first time we've actually seen how evil The Empire is. They're dangerous, efficient, and cruel - not just the bumbling cartoonish idiots Disney had gone out of its way to portray them as. With a strong antagonist we can finally feel tension and, you know... care.
The fact we had the increasing levels of Imperial presence, from local security, then to the regular army, and finally to the use of the elite stormtroopers really helped rehabilitate the damage done by literally every other Disney show so far. I know everyone loves The Mandalorian, but it was essentially a superhero show with absolutely no tension because the villains were shown to be entirely incompetent.
The mando s2 episode with bill bur had an andor like feeling. Also the villains werent shown as entirely incompetent. Mando also lost plenty times. I think bobf and kenobi has caused people to forget how good mando actually was. The serious feeling Andor gave me was also similar to the tone i got from mando series, only difference is Andor goes a lot further in that direction.
It's the Star Wars story that 50 year old me desperately needed to keep me engaged in Star Wars at all. I loved Rogue One and Andor was even better. So tense. So much detail. And the kind of characters I had always imagined in that world but never got from the movies or shows (with the exception of Rogue One). I've watched every episode three times. It never gets old. I notice something new every time. Agree with all your points. Just amazing work and something Disney had to let happen in spite of themselves. Cheers
Very happy for this. I was well into the show when I saw your She-Hulk review and you didn't seem too thrilled about it. Glad to see you ended up liking it as much as I did. So annoying that people say its slow and boring, I feel like modern movies have just destroyed people's attention spans so much that they think something is boring if there isn't an explosion every 5 minutes.
Andor is like the DS9 of Star Wars. I would say that Andor is like Babylon 5, DS9, or the Battlestar Galactica reboot if they had big budgets and more than a week to film each episode.
Nailed it…
Good comparison.
As someone watching Babylon 5 right now. Couldn't agree more. However, if you put out any of these type of shows today on a kids platform. Expect backlash. The modern star wars audience hates this show and it's sad. Noticeably short attention spans to the point that they legitimately tune out characters when they start talking then get upset when there isn't action every other second
Which even when DS9 came out it got backlash from the Star Trek audience and Babylon 5 is a niche show. They've only achieved cult classic status with lots of time passing. Arguably it's a fluck the Battlestar Galactica remake even happened. Those shows got backlash when the bar of quality was much higher. Nowadays, people who are watching Andor and don't like it immediately are being super vitriolic about it
Another good comparison would probably be The Expanse and that show went through rolling cancellations for years
i love the 3 episode mini series within a series model. So often now with streaming shows you get 8, hour long episodes which are really just a 2 hour movie stretched out, so often they are slow and boring as a result. whereas Andor fits like 3 movies into 1 single season, more show should follow this approach.
Agreed, Arcane had the same format where it felt like 3 movies in one season.
I'm a SuperFan too. The title should be Andor and SO MUCH MORE!!! There are fascinating story elements here that only loosely align with Cassian Andor. It's that whole new world you mention being introduced to. I'm so depressed about the 2 year wait. If Bob Iger ever sees this, he has to recognize how great this show is, and increase it's budget regardless of what the pencil pushers say.
no B2EMO love? this character was so good too and had such great moments of empathy for Cassian and Maarva and as a droid that spoke a language we understand, it didn't come across as silly sounding or ridiculous. loved this season (and show so far) and i hope they don't drop the ball going forward.
He praised Bee in his review of episodes 1-4 :)
@@Dr_Pachacamac thanks! i didn't think he disliked B2 i was just surprised he wasn't mentioned!
So nice they didn't make the robot cute or the comedic relief!
I read how veteran puppeteer for B2EMO's voice was kept as they could not find better dubbing. All for the better.
@@ubersc00ber Not cute? I mean I get it but B2 was endearing! I love how his fairly simple design gave him such a range of expression.
The sets, the costumes, the cinematography. Everything.
Had to make a comment on what you said about Luthen when he 1st tried to recruit Cassian. He wasn't lying to Cassian to get what he wants. Luthen meant what he said. But when Cassian decided to not be a part of the rebellion (after the heist) and ran that's when Luthen decided he was a loose end. But to Cassian's credit he kept telling Luthen "You don't know me.". What mattered to Cass at that time was finding his sister and taking care of his mother. But Luthen was happy when Cassian was ready in the end. 3 things Cass cared about the most...his lost sister, mother, and his deceased dad. Once he lost the 3 he was ready to follow thru with his mother's wishes.
This was definitely the best show on TV when it was on. Not just the story, but even the stage craft, the costumes, the look, the special effects... all awesome. The worst part is having to wait 2 years for the the next season :(
One thing you lightly touch upon that was especially prominent in my mind was that Andor was masterful at seeding, sustaining and slowly ratcheting tension. There were whole episodes that were significantly just a prelude to action (five, nine) but by the end of which the tension was so tightly wound that it was a relief to have a week break before the climax. To immediately have to sit through the tension of the action episode without that breather would have been overwhelming. Epic cathartic battles are not the only way to get adrenaline pumping; raising the guillotine slowly to the top to hang by a thread can do so just as effectively. The use of mini-arcs nourished that ebb and flow and made the pacing of the season as a whole feel like the series was breathing.
I loved how adult it was. Complex issues. Not dumbed down. No cutsey stuff.
I’ve just finished watching over several days (that’s binging for me) was taken back by how good it is. I’ve skipped most Star Wars things recently so was watching this as a stand-alone, I absolutely loved it. Going to rewatch to see what I missed the first time through. I never rewatch new shows - so this is special.
Also I like how they gave their chances to actors we didn't know too much. Actors of great quality. Dedra Mero, Kino Loy, Mon Mothma, Syril Karn (even if I am polarized on him) are great characters also due to the talent of the actors behind them. And I hope their career will see a rise up from that, cause they are truly skilled.
Stellan Skarsgard and Diego Luna are great actors too. For them the spot light as started to shine upon them already prior to that.
Stellan Skarsgard and Andy Serkis gave me goosebumps, for real. This show has really good storytelling.
Hands down this is the best Star Wars property I have ever watched. Never have I watched a Star Wars show where I was so moved by the story, the characters, and the writing. It felt more like an HBO show more than a Disney+ show because the quality of storytelling was at a high level.
This series just felt so real compared to the other star wars series we've gotten. From the characters to their conversations and everything that happened just felt like it actually happened for a reason. Just a really well written and thought out story, with well written, intresting and real characters.
This show deserves all the awards. One of the best story crafting I’ve seen. I just wish they would release the 3 part arc together in S2. I know they are going to do time skips which will probably ramp up the action and quiet those critics who think it’s too slow and boring but I wish they would slow it down so we have 2 more seasons. I loved all the characters and world building that I want more of it in this timeframe.
Even though there wasn’t any action in episode 7, it was one of my favorites. Seeing Mon Mothma dealing with the funding of the rebellion, the conversation Andor had with Maarva about her joining the rebellion, and seeing the inner workings of the Emprire, were all insanely well written and filmed. Also, seeing the injustices handed out by the empire with Cassian’s arrest. Just brilliant! All of it
Syril is a creep in this season, but I think there is potentially something more going on with him that is still to come. In corporate security he redesigns his uniform, and the way he goes over his supervisor's head both tell us that he is driven and ambitious and he wants to stand out, because he thinks that's how he'll move up the ranks. He's naive. After getting transferred to data analysis, he's still trying to to redeem himself and break in to the imperial officer track. When he hears that he has a chance of helping capture Andor, he goes personally to do it. He wants to standout and be praised for his efforts. We are shown why he's like this through the scenes of him and his mother. What Syril hasn't figured out yet is that within the culture of the Empire, there is no room for people to standout and be special. It seems like he genuinely believes that if he just works hard enough, it will eventually payoff. It won't. He comes from a family that isn't of extravagant means, and he doesn't have the naturally gifted abilities that someone like Thrawn has. Imagine how Syril would react to witnessing Darth Vader Force choke admiral Ozzel to death, a clear depiction of just how much the Empire cares about human life. I think that through working for Meero, he's going to figure out the real way people rise up the ranks in the Imperial officer corps; being completely ruthless and taking advantage of their underling's hardwork.
Mon Mothma is starting to realize what she is going to have to be willing to lose to see the overthrow of the Empire.
Everything.
I agree here, and mildly disagree with Dan M. on Syril. Yes, he is a bit naive, but he was correct during his "conversation" in the interrogation cell that he is a good detective; he was able to find Andor after only a few days with limited resources, he is competent and driven, and while that may be misguided (and obsessive), he might very well come to his senses and join the Rebellion. And by being bold enough to go over his superior to pursue Andor, he saved the galaxy! Without Syril, Andor wouldn't have been pushed to get off Ferrix, and would have laid low at home, never having the experiences that led him to ultimately help with stealing the Death Star plans, allowing Luke to take the shot and changing the course of history.
"being completely ruthless and taking advantage of their underling's hardwork" -- like Krennic? Maybe Syril will get "promoted" to Scarif or even the Death Star.
I'm totally conflicted about a potential Syril and Dedra "ship". That's a good thing in a show like this. The levels of discomfort it invites the audience to explore and lines it is willing to blur is really refreshing. Even if it's creepy I know that it's intentional and not a cringe mistake.
I love what this adds to Mon Mothma; the way she talks in Return of the Jedi now implies disbelief in the possibility it may all be drawing to an end, and possibly the Bothan spies might be the last of the sacrifices she has to offer up for the greater good. This shows why retcons can be a good thing, they can add depth to things in hindsight.
I have gotten three friends to watch it, who initially asked "why", and then loved it. I loved the message that no single entity will fix an overwhelming problem. Instead it takes mass of individual efforts to do something about it, even if they are uncoordinated and whether they succeed or not. Everyone just needs to try. Now I just have to find a copy Nemik's manifesto to help fuel my own inspiration.
Andor is quite underestimated. Hope that the fandom and the audience in general catches up and give this series tha love it deserves.
Not a whole lot of either actually are either anymore, because they no longer care.
I tried to watch but didn't even finish. It was just terrible, the worst Disney Plus SW show to date.
How people keep on praising it is a mystery.
@@fundhund62 there's really no mystery to it at all. some people simply prefer intelligent, well written work that requires an at least average attention span instead of lots of flashing lights and "remember this thing that we showed you last time". sincerely not judging, just calling it how i see it.
@@davidperkins6752 Yeah. Some people prefer well written, intelligent work, others like Andor. It's ok, though.
There is unfortunately a large contingent of the modern fanbase who actively hates this show. They are too used to the modern star wars. They even get kind of vitriolic about it like the fundhund guy just did
I agree, I thought it was outstanding. Definitely the best series this year by far. The writing is top-notch; so many great monologues throughout the series. I was brought to tears numerous times, just feeling the passion of the rebels. My favorite thing about the series was the amazing character development. Even seemingly minor characters were so well fleshed-out. You find yourself so invested in the characters. So many great performances. Everything felt so grounded, so real. Absolutely incredible television.
Shout out to the kid who played Nemik.
Spoilers!
I was expecting the character to be sort of all talk due to how clearly soft he was in comparison to the situation but he held it together and the actor portrayed that struggle beautifully to the end.
He is a Rebel Nerd. Loved him. With us for far too short a time.
Great review Dan! You missed Forest Whitaker’s Saw. He provides us with a brief look at other rebel groups; that the rebels also have a spectrum of beliefs in spite of being against the empire. His scenes with Luthen have been brilliant as well. This show has brilliant writing as its base, and I think that spurred on everyone involved to give us a great show, not just the best Star Wars show. Appreciate your insights, Dan-it has enhanced my viewing experience and I cannot wait to binge rewatch the show! 👍
I think a good path for Karn and Meero is to not "ship" them but keep them together in a toxic semi-professional, semi-creepy relationship that gradually demonstrates the flaws of Imperial mindsets and leads to their own respective destructions in Season 2
Thank you very much Dan!!! Awesome review of Andor season one!!! Andor is a 10/10 for me. Absolutely love the show and will be rewatching the series soon!!! Hope you have a great week!!! 🙂 👍
Watching Andor, you'd almost think the writers had an actual PLAN for the characters and the story... Crazy, huh?
My thoughts exactly! This review is 100% on point! Andor is my favourite to date. Fantastic production value, great story, superbly acted. Soooo great! bring on Season 2!
What I love about this show is that it’s so layered. On the surface it might not look like anything special but once you start looking you’ll find so much meaning in every single thing and it’s so relatable!
Yes finally! Was beginning to think you skipped this!
The finale only aired five days ago and there was a holiday weekend! Can’t a guy take a break sometimes, haha?
@@DanMurrellMovies i humbly apologize for my lack of faith Lord Master Murrel. I shall spread word of your word as my penance.
Adria as Bix was amazing! The torture scene was one of the best scene from the whole season.
I totally agree.
The grin on Dr. Gorst' face when he is first introduced to us is as evil as any ever filmed.
@topgrain he's a direct reference to Josef Mengele.
When that guy flipped over Bee, I screamed NO and then the fight that ensued was so cathartic for me
Amazing storytelling. It started slow for me, but kept building and building.... When I finally got to the conclusion I was left feeling like this was the best Star Wars we've had since Empire.
There's a lot of fantastic novels. This make me want those adopted to the small screen.
There hasn’t been a piece of Star Wars content made that I haven’t enjoyed. But I’m not blind to the various levels of quality in the franchise; that being said, I think Andor is pretty objectively the best Star Wars content we have gotten since Empire in 1980.
100% agree
It really was a wonderful treat to watch each week. Looking forward to the video
One of my favorite scenes of the show is that they do give us our lovely space battle where Luthen absolutely destroys the empire ship and it seems random but it serves the story by showing how powerful and prepared Luthen is. He’s not just a man who cowers in the shadows and orders people around. He is ready to fight if needed and knows how to survive. And on top of that it gives us a stunning space battle to connect us to regular Star Wars :> it’s so exciting
Brilliant review. I love how you can pinpoint so many different small elements of the series and identify it as a contributing factor to the rebellions uprising and the eventual downfall of the empire. From Nimmicks manifesto and Maarvas speech to witnessing the cruel reality of the empire on Narkina 5 and the community spirit of Ferrix led by the daughters of it. Just so good, everything is important, everything is taken seriously. All for a 12 episode series about a character that we know eventually dies. Spectacular
Glad to hear you loved this series as much as I did. I'm hoping other of my favorite youtubers will catch up with full season reviews. This series can't be ignored by serious critics. It's become a litmus test for me.
Critical Drinker agrees, too. Great litmus test.
Andor just got nominated for critics choice awards.
I've always been baffled (and more than a little annoyed, to be honest) with the dismissal of Rogue One and Diego Luna's part in it in critics' circles. It did a lot of grounding for the OT and was a brilliantly acted, largely very well-written, beautifully scored and visually gorgeous entry into the canon. I was actually very concerned about this show being superfluous BECAUSE I thought so highly of the character and of Rogue One in general and was worried too much backstory could ruin a good thing for me. But I think they very cleverly constructed the main narrative AROUND Cassian without having to give too much of his inner life away to create a story or make him too much of a hero figure.
I was very neutral on Rogue One: for me I found the characters and themes paper thin, the storytelling basic, and dialog cheesy: nothing all that new for Star Wars unfortunately. Worse, it's about one of the most boring possible stories you could tell in Star Wars, something that's been told and retold a half dozen times in various forms since the original movie. The only things I could hang on was good cinematography, acting, cgi and other technical factors, which were good and fresh enough it averaged out for me.
I was coming into Andor with not only the increasingly stale Disney plus series before, but also not thinking much of Gilroy from that. What I got was one of the best TV shows. Full stop. It's far too new for me to put it up against shows like Breaking Bad, but damn, it really nails everything. I have to assume he got studio noted to death in Rogue One, because it's night and day!
This could have been horrible if they spent all their time just backfilling plot points, like where Cassian got his trusty blaster. But even when they showed things like how Cassian and Melshi met and became friends, it has so much meaning that it truly enhances the movie.
100% agree with everything you said!
I think a lot of the hate towards Rogue One is the filler content in Rogue One. It has all the same hallmarks of the movie that just came before it The Last Jedi. The Last Jedi also disgruntled the fanbase as a whole and anything that followed it was going to get panned.
Rogue One's broader plot was great but it would have worked better as a thirty minute movie with a more competent director
@@TNTspaz R1 came out before Last Jedi, and it had the same writer/director as the (correctly) beloved Andor.
I enjoyed the beginning of the series, I thought the heist plot was done well and when Cassian then ended up in prison, I started to check out a little.
The second episode in the prison that started with him asking Kino "how many guards?" and Kino not answering and then basically ended with him asking the same question and Kino responding truthfully was the one that won me over. I couldn't help but be in awe of the writing and the execution. Yes, they did take their time, but it all made sense and for me, all the pieces had fallen into place at that point.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the show and am now looking forward to more. So I hadn't been won over right away, but the show got me to root for it and I have to agree that it's superb. 🙂
Gawtdamn, Dan, you nailed most of feelings as a formerly exhausted & jaded Star Wars fan. Andor has reawakened me. From Andor’s trauma of his youth tribal group failing to act/losing their leader shot from the back, to desperation in every actor, the weathering on both landscapes & the faces of people living at this time, the quietude & wind/waves when Andor is processing Maarva’s death to the dialogue that contains layer upon layer. This series will stand the test of time & will only gain potency & relevancy over time, I wager. It is going to be a long wait till next season, no doubt. Unlike you, I was that rare Cassian Andor fan who was stoked to hear about a street level series regarding our man & the birth of the Rebel Alliance.
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.
It's not just the best Disney Star Wars, it's the best Star Wars, period.
What I love is that one of the first blows that starts the fighting is big man wacking a guard with marvas stone. Not only did she spark the fight but she was apart of it even after death. Seems like such a small thing but the poetry wasn’t lost on me
I actually thought on rewatch Luthen wasn't lying to Cassian to recruit him. He was bitter about the sacrifices he had to make and was stating a truth--he would rather have given it all at once. His soul is dying piece by piece from all the brutal choices.
Totally agree with you; Andor was exceptional in so many ways. About Karn though, I actually viewed him as an idealistic character that wants order and justice, and therefore is an Empire fanboy, but in all actuality has no idea how ruthless and skewed the empire really is. I don't think he has any idea about places like Narkina 5 or how no one is safe from the empire. We'll see how they handle his character in the future but I don't see it going great for him... or Dedra Meero. Great characters nevertheless and wonderful acting performances all around.
Some of the best we have seen from Star Wars so far, and I want more!
So glad you enjoyed it! This is easily my favourite Star Wars since Empire. It might be the best thing Star Wars has ever done. I loved the writing, the performances, the sets/locations, and the pace. In a lesser Star Wars series Andor would have been arrested and escaped in one episode. Instead we got to experience the hopelessness. This series also introduced me to my new favourite Star Wars character: Luthen! Stellan Skarsgård was brilliant. His monologue was chilling.
As a kid watching Episode IV, the thing that fascinated me the most about SW was the grittiness of the towns and homes on Tatooine (and Leia’s shiny lipgloss, but nvm that). It made me want to explore the “ordinary” world of SW and, I suddenly realise just this moment, had a huge influence on my eventual academic path (history with a focus on daily life of ordinary folks). Cloud City gave some of that, and glimpses of Coruscant from the movies, but very little in SW since then felt like a real and complete place I want to go explore like the design/culture/people/details of Ferrix.
Andor is up there with my favourite SW characters, and I’m so glad the series only made the character richer, but also gave us so many additional characters. Cast excellent actors, and they’ll spin gold, but thank goodness they have such thoughtfully crafted material to work with.
Best piece of SW since 1980. Best show of the year.
I 100% agree
It was amazing. I loved it from beginning to end.
I think another great parallel is the contrast between Cassian's first appearance in Andor vs Rogue One where he executes the bad guys to serve his own needs vs executing one of his own/a good guy to serve the rebellion. It speaks to the impact Luthen has had on him in the intervening time.
I'm a simple man. I see a UA-cam creator giving praise to Andor, I hit like and subscribe.
This show reminded me why i loved Star Wars.
I was compelled to immediately rewatch Luthen's monologue and him escaping the star destroyer.
But what I really want to know is, did Keeno escape the prison? I hope so.
He’s too good of a character to not reappear imo. They didn’t show him die so..
@@Seacai150 There must be stuff in the prison that floats. Just keep chucking furniture out the side
@@Seacai150 I doubt we’ll get an answer. If anything that reinforces how the people who start the rebellion are ruining their own lives for a better world they will never live in. The “sunrise I’ll never se “ as Luthen puts it. Keeno probably knew the prison was surrounded by water but went along with the plan knowing that he would almost certainly die. Glad this great actor was brought back to play a good character after frickin snoke.
Thanks for this!!! I have been waiting weeks for your take on Andor after you first released your review of the first four episodes! It was so good and I loved hearing your opinion on the show and the characters.
I waited till all eps were out and binged it on a Saturday, like a long movie, and boy oh boy it did not disappoint. at first I was wondering why we were searching for the sister (maguffin, really) and then it all started to tie together in a perfect bow. Well written characters, interweaved storylines, BALLER COSTUMES, and a moving score.
Its incredibly compelling, character driven story telling. Its what so many shows claim to want to be, but fail miserably at.
The show first came to my attention about 10 days ago. An old gaming grognard (I'm 45, I think he's 55-65 whereabouts) dropped a link to a UA-cam of one of the speeches in it -- Can't remember if it was Axis' What Do I Sacrifice speech, or if it was the One Way Out speech near the end of the prison break. The hair went up on my arm, and I remember thinking , "Wait, -- what? This is... ...a Star Wars show?" I could. not. believe it. Then I found the other speech. And I thought, "OK, I need to seriously look at this." I watched the first three episodes with my lover, and then we promptly watched all of the rest of them as well. It's really, really good. Poor Ayden though -- her son -- he couldn't survive the "Down-down-up" pacing of the show. The "downs" were too slow for him, and he couldn't follow it -- only the "up" episodes. So I understand it not being everybody's cup of tea. But: Yeah, I was deeply blown away, and I've been promoting it out loud every chance I get.
Your new lighting looks great!
Yes, spot on as always, sir. Knew you were going to love this series. Absolutely brilliant storytelling. Like you said, not just the best SW show, but one of the best shows of the year, period. Can't wait for Season two!
I loved it. I wrote this show off the moment it was announced, and after Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi, I wasn’t holding my breath for anything even half decent.
Lucky me, because I couldn’t catch my breath while watching, it was so well made, so well acted. I can’t wait for season 2.
This was a great review. I've been so disenchanted with Star Wars since the Rise of Skywalker but this show reminded me why I love it. You put my thoughts into words perfectly. Also, nice hat. Go Noles!
Man that marching band scene gave me the chills
I really look forward to watching the show again without interruption. While I enjoyed Andor I have to say I hated how the momentum would come to a sudden halt and I had to wait til next week just for it to happen all over again. This show felt so cinematic and I just wanted to keep going.
I totally agree. I was fully engaged and then... I probably memorized the credits? I have to admit I watched episodes multiple times. But now we have the whole Season 1.
I think it would work a lot better if they released it in parts. The show is super obviously broken up into parts that I don't see why it wouldn't work
Andor is tied with Mandalorian for best live action SW show. (Though it could overtake it with a couple more rewatchs.)
Brilliant review Dan 🙏
I was looking forward on your commentary on the show. Finally!
I saw a tweet that said “I genuinely liked the show despite trying not to. It’s not canon and NEVER will be canon but I can’t deny it’s excellent in the writing and the overall story. 9/10 for me. It lost a point because there was a TLJ reference.”
I don’t know what that means: the fact that this show was so good that even The Fandom Menace can’t talk shit against this show or the anti-SW fandom is simply that pathetic. (Probably both)
This should be more canon than anything else, because it doesn't contradict the events that follow, is more coherent than the trilogies, and it enriches them so much, with a new perspective.
“No they said Canto Bight so I can’t fully enjoy this show!”
The hate people have for the sequels is almost childish. Guys, they’re just bad movies, they can’t hurt you. Lmao
@@rakoonshampoo2608 I know this’ll be controversial but I only think one of the sequels are bad movies (that being Rise of Skywalker). Other two are perfectly fine imo (TLJ is even my favorite SW film in the Disney era thus far).
But yeah, if a reference to that movie is gonna trigger you, you need to get a life. Lol
@@JediMasterIsaac
I’m kinda with you. I actually rather enjoy TLJ. But I think TFA was a bit bland for my tastes.
@@rakoonshampoo2608 I understand. The repeating from ANH is a bit much and the mystery box way of storytelling just doesn’t work as well now as it did when it came out. I still think it is well executed but I definitely get why some people might not get into it.
Yes, some of the best Star Wars we've ever gotten. For all of the reasons you mention, Dan, I think it might actually be the best. I think The Mandalorian is the first show we've gotten since the original trilogy that has the same feel as those movies, and it's great. But Andor almost feels like something else beyond that, and I am here for it. I was absolutely fascinated by every aspect of the show, and especially how competent it felt about the way it was telling the story that it wanted to tell.
I agree, it's the best Star Wars has ever been. The last episode finally toppled Empire Strikes Back for me.
Thanks for doing this all at once at the end and not week by week
Fully onboard with you, Andor was phenomenal! Awesome review on the first season!
The trailer was telling how different possibly great it will be.
Did I miss something about the house or dragon and rings of power review, was looking forward to dans thoughts
Def want his thoughts on Rings of Power.
I've been waiting all weekend for this review! 🤗
Amazing series. They took the series seriously. The other shows give characters no personality or rest on tropes and are based on fanservice moments. I hope the show can make it through the strikes!
I disagree that Luthen was always going to kill Cassian. He told him to do something great for the galaxy and Cassian didn’t budge in that direction. They were forced off planet onto his ship and later on one of his other recruits died mysteriously. Only then does Luthen label him as a loose end. Because remember, he’s not trying to kill the other ones that survived. They’re actively acting in the rebellion. Even when they get to Aldani, Luthen doesn’t look at Cassian as a sell sword as of yet. Cassian sells it that way to further hide his identity.
Oh and the series isn’t named after Cassian, it’s named after his adoptive mother and father.
No one else knew Luthen except Vel, and she is both too important to the rebellion (a squad leader) and too connected (Mons cousin. Who is the money and has Senate clout) to be eliminated. No Cassian was always an expendable mercenary from the moment Luthen failed to recruit him at the exchange.
@@franciscopozole which is an extension of exactly what I said. Luthen didn’t feel the need to kill him at first. Whether or not he is expendable is up for debate and is ambiguous at this point. Send him off to die on a red herring to distract away from bigger fish, sure. Never said that was or wasn’t possible. Was specifically pinpointing when Luthen made the decision to kill him it was quoted to “tie up loose ends.” It was because he didn’t trust him.
@@VonJay Right. But I disagree, Luthen made the decision to kill Cassian, long before he stated his intention to kill him by "tying up loose ends." Obviously it wasn't the moment he met him. But pretty much the moment Cassian declined to join the rebellion, there was no other way, Cassian knew too much. And Luthen wouldn't be around to try to convince him otherwise, he also doesn't have the motivation to do so. Andor is no different to a billion other people, he is expendable and the rebellion has to burn people to function at this stage. Luthen gave him the crystal as a way to let down Andors guard, but also to bring him back to Luthen for disposal, a shiny trinket that can be exchanged with Luthen for more than it is worth on the open market. Cunning and cold.
@@austynhartfree-bright You’re saying exactly what I said.