Andor: Series Review
Andor is a prequel to 2016’s Rogue One and follows Cassian as he finds his way to the Rebellion, even if he wasn’t looking for it. Disclaimer for any non Star Wars fans who are interested in seeing the show, you don’t have to know anything about Star Wars to connect and understand the show. The show runner, Tony Gilroy, masterfully created a story of the road to rebellion, that just happens to be in the Star Wars universe.
Pros: Star Wars has long followed the Skywalker family and Jedi as they wage a war between good versus evil. And while their exploits are the things of legend, people often forget that without the Rebellion, the Skywalkers would be nothing. Andor however follows the people who made the Rebellion possible. While technically a space western, the Star Wars universe has often felt too clean, similar to how the Jedi are considered morally good, the world they live in seems a little better than everyone else. In this story however, everything feels gritty, dirty, and lived in. The audience feels as if these people have been living and working this life, which helps the audience to both identify and root for these non force wielding people.
The twelve episode series is broken up into three, four episode arcs. Each arch follows Cassian (Diego Luna) as he moves from being apathetic to anything other than his survival, to becoming ready to fight for the Rebellion. The first arch has him being paid by the Rebellion to steal from the Empire. In this arc he meets Karis Nemik (Alex Lawther), an idealist who is completely sold on the Rebellion and writes what will become their manifesto. It’s here the audience sees Cassian get his first glimpse at what ideals the Rebellion is fighting for. The second arc sees Cassian being thrown in prison on false charges. It is in this arc he understands how cruel the Empire really is, and how they not only have no problem throwing thousands of innocent people in prison so they have free labor but also killing a hundred men who step too far out of line. Here he meets Kino Loy (Andy Serkis), the shift manager who keeps everyone on task. Cassian has to be the one to motivate Loy to rebel against the prison so they can all escape, a role Cassian has never had to play before. The final arc sees Cassian returning home to Ferrix for his mother’s funeral. This arc sees a mass activation of the population at the funeral. Cassian’s mother, Maarva (Fiona Shaw), recorded a funeral message to motivate her people to act. This speech is one of the top speeches in all of Star Wars lore. The language and delivery conveyed the hurt of a generation of people trampled upon by the Empire. A speech moving people to wake up and fight for what is theirs, no matter the cost. This is the final activation of Cassian Andor. These arcs are effective because they so clearly show the journey of Cassian while also showing the audience a part of the galaxy they had never seen. The little people who work and build, and come home at the end of the night to a loved one they would fight and die for.
Diego Luna and Andy Serkis as Cassian Andor and Kino Loy in Andor (2022)
Best Performance: Filmed in the Covid-Era in England, Tony Gilroy hired many local theater actors for more minor or side characters. England has long held the reputation of having amazing stage actors who steal the screen, and this trend continues. While all the cast members were incredible, one stood out in particular in Stellen Skarsgard as the underground leader of the Rebellion, Luthen Rael. Luthen is a very well written character in someone who is ruthless, cunning, and embodies moral grayness. Skarsgard brings his over fifty years of acting to this character and makes him someone the audience both loves and fears. Skarsgard is also given easily the best speech in all of Star Wars. While Maarva’s funeral speech is a top five, Luthen’s is the gold standard. In this speech, Luthen explains to an operative exactly what he has sacrificed for the Rebellion. This speech is poetic and almost Shakespearean. As Luthen outlines his sacrifices he speaks of how his mind is a “sunless place”, how he “shares his dreams with ghosts”, and how he has had to use “the tools of [his] enemies” to defeat them. This speech is that of a man who knows he lives in the moral gray and will continue so that future generations will not have to see the loss and defeat he so clearly has. Skarsgard’s delivery is masterful. His voice is gruff, as someone who has lost a thousand times over, his eyes hold the stare of someone who has looked into the face of evil and did not blink. There are few actors in the world who can deliver a speech like this and hold that weight and sorrow, and Skarsgard does it as easily as breathing.
Season 2: The first season has been a masterclass in what much of the Star Wars fandom has been looking for. A new story apart from the Skywalkers and Jedi and a closer look at what the galaxy has to offer. While The Madalorian was close, it still brought in the Skywalkers, detracting from what was making it unique. If Andor can continue with the “in the weeds” storytelling, keep the Jedi and Skywalkers out of the narrative,and continue with a more mature storytelling, then this show has the potential to be the model of what future shows will need to imitate.
Stellen Skarsgard and Luthen Rael in Andor (2022)