Unlike the single episode premiere of Book of Boba Fett or The Mandalorian, Disney dropped the first 3 episodes of Andor all at the same time. This was a smart call, because without getting into spoilers, the end of episode 3 is a perfect cutoff point, somewhat resolving the first story arc while promising more intrigue. Also, like Obi-Wan, Andor takes its time setting up the pieces. However, while it was clear that Obi-Wan was a movie screenplay stretched into a TV show, Andor (at least so far) feels like it’s ready to give us a solid 12 episodes of drama and tension. Its more deliberate pace might not hold the attention of the kiddos, but these first couple of hours are a breath of fresh air for older Star Wars fans, mostly thanks to how different Disney is allowing the show to be.
For starters, yes, Andor is written for a more mature audience. Remember when The Book of Boba Fett’s teaser made it look like we were going to see some gritty crime drama with Star Wars’ legendary badass villain, but it ended up being about a sanitized nice guy helping people and saving a town? Of course, that’s an oversimplification (and I really enjoyed parts of the show), but the first episode of Andor already has more dark elements than Boba’s entire run. Don’t expect anything as ruthless as Daredevil, but we do see the seedier side of Morlana One, from a brothel district to corruption and murderin’. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is a welcome return after his appearance in Rogue One, and he’s even more morally questionable here as a somewhat lost soul who does anything he deems necessary. Besides the grayer lines, the overall feel and dialogue of the show make it clear that this is a drama for Star Wars fans who have grown up and are OK with meatier drama and fewer pew-pews in their stories.
Since this is a prequel to Rogue One (my favorite surprise of 2016), we already know how Cassian’s story ends, but the showrunners have also deviated from other Star Wars media by leaving out cameos bordering on fan service (something that Rogue One actually stumbled at doing). Tatooine is nowhere to be seen, and that already differentiates Andor from every other Disney Star Wars show. So far, every character besides Cassian is original, meaning we don’t know their motivations and whether they’ll survive (and some already haven’t). We’ve been promised no Jedi or Sith, and it looks like the show is fully committed to that. Even though the world itself is smaller in scope, the show somehow looks more expensive. Part of this could be the use of giant physical sets that created Morlana One vs. the Volume background screens utilized by other Star Wars shows. It just feels more real.
The first three episodes tell a story of intrigue and tension, but so far the stakes only relate to Cassian and his immediate relationships. They’re all common people who just happen to live in the world of Star Wars- mechanics and workers instead of bounty hunters and assassins. Heck, the main antagonist so far is just a low-level deputy inspector named Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), who’s not even part of the Empire. He’s annoying and ambitious to be sure, but not fully villainous considering the circumstances. Everyone on the show would essentially be background extras in the Skywalker Saga, so having their story be compelling is an impressive feat that further sets Andor apart from the crowd.
Would I be as invested if only the first two episodes were released? Probably not, as it is a slow burn. However, the third episode is an absolute standout, a pressure-cooker entry that builds tension over 40 minutes, and it also introduces us to Stellan Skarsgard’s mysterious character Luthen Rael. It’s the perfect mini-payoff for the first two episodes and gives us a taste of even more intrigue and thrills coming up. There may be no Skywalkers, bounty hunters, or Baby Yoda, but Andor is already a welcome change for Disney+.
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