Spoiler Free Review Of ‘Star Wars: Andor’ Episode 7 ‘Announcement’

Star Wars

Oct 19

Andor continues to be one of the most interesting Star Wars properties that have aired in recent years. With the conclusion of the previous episode, the show moves away from a plotline that is essentially Ocean's 11 in space. This week, again, slowed down the show's speed in favor of worldbuilding and storytelling. Announcement sets the stage for a plot rarely seen in the heist genre. What happens after the big score?

Although, it is also worth noting that the narrative beats in this episode aren't paced in quite the same way as in earlier episodes. Whereas before, fans might wonder when the narrative would kick into high gear. Now the real question is when will the other shoe drop for Cassian. The story has all the tension of a spy thriller in this episode. And we see that the back half of the first season will likely focus on bringing all of these characters' stories together for a riveting conclusion.

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By focusing on telling the story of how Cassian becomes a part of something bigger than himself, as opposed to fan service or cameos, Tony Gilroy has given fans a show that is less about Star Wars and more a character study of the Rebel Alliance. Andor may, on its face, be about the titular character but, peel away the title, and you might be surprised that the show uses Cassian as a tool to explore his surroundings, even if he is not a willing participant. Allowing Andor to get out of its own way; is a feat that many shows today can struggle to accomplish.

One of the more interesting aspects of the show is how Tony Gilroy uses the characters to build the world around them. Most characters that have aligned themselves on the side of the Rebels seem to exist to highlight a particular aspect of what it takes to build a revolution. Fans get introduced to financial backers, politicians, partisans, and spies working in unison to build up the Rebel Alliance. The show allows a certain degree of life and character into the Rebellion that was sorely missing in the original trilogy.

On the other hand, characters aligned with the Empire focus on how cruel and bureaucratic every level of Palpatine's rule is at this point. Viewers also see how the Rebellion takes advantage of the bureaucracy within the Empire for maximum effect. When fans follow the Imperials the show focuses on, their plots consist of long meetings or walk and talks. Andor builds up the aspects of political thrillers that embed themselves in certain plotlines throughout the season. Or the scenes around the Imperials will focus on brutality and overreach when dealing with the Empire's citizenry.

It will be interesting to see where Tony Gilroy chooses to take fans next in Star Wars: Andor. By letting the show stand on its own two feet and not relying on either fan service or cameos, Gilroy allows Andor to tell its story compellingly. Not worrying about the weight of self-referential quips or constant nods to other parts of the Star Wars universe is something that Lucasfilm should try more often.