Spoiler-Free Review Of ‘Star Wars: Andor’ Episodes 1-3
Image source: Wallpapersden.com
Tony Gilroy is at it again. In the same way, he brought several storylines together at a crucial moment to propel the second act of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Gilroy is putting on a clinic of masterclass writing with the first three episodes of Andor, the highly anticipated new Star Wars show that takes place five years before Rogue One.
In the final act of Episode 3 (the episodes don’t have fancy titles), it becomes clear why releasing the first three episodes all at once was a brilliant idea. The first three episodes serve as a strong, well-paced backdrop and give us the setting, character motivations, and a bit of mystery to propel the story forward. The parallels to Cassian’s experiences as a child and journey as a migrant flawlessly connect to where he ends up as he begins his journey to joining the rebellion. While there isn’t much time spent with a couple of the supporting characters, a couple of mini twists still feel relevant enough to matter at the moment.
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While we know the events of Andor will set up Rogue One eventually, make no mistake that this show isn’t relying on that movie to create high stakes and conflicting feelings towards the characters, namely the lead, Cassian Andor. The show doesn’t rely on Easter eggs making references to tiny, obscure pockets of the Star Wars universe that often feel contrived and non-essential to the current story (some Easter eggs are handled better than others). Instead, the show relies on passing moments that remind us we are in the Star Wars universe. Aliens speak different languages. Computers and shop signs are written in Star Wars languages. Other moments like the mention of drinking caf or spotting a Bantha doll on a small table are more subdued but feel like Star Wars without being overbearing and “fan-servicey,” something Gilroy set out to do from the beginning.
The show also feels more mature in tone, even if it isn’t fully explicit. The series’ opening scene takes place in a brothel. Later, a woman visits her boyfriend late at night and stays over. But the darker, more mature tone conveys that this show means business. The pacing is more mature, as well. Stories are given time to develop. This isn’t a twitchy show that appeals to a broad audience, and it’s better for it.
Reports prior to the release of Andor suggested there would be flashbacks, and we got a healthy dose of those. Watching Cassian and his tribe of people on their home world of Kenari was alluring on its own. But their key discovery - a discovery that undoubtedly will serve as a story reveal later on - successfully puts in context how small their knowledge of the outside universe really is. Remember Cassian’s line in Rogue One when he says, “I’ve been in this war since I was 6 years old”? The flashbacks throughout the first three episodes fill that gap and give his sentiment in the movie a lot more punch and weight. As a side note, Cassian is older than 6 years old during the flashbacks in Andor, a disappointing detail they seem to have fudged a little. We may go further back at some point to rectify that, but I doubt it.
While Rogue One showed us an uglier side of the rebellion we didn’t really expect to see at the time, Andor gives us a glimpse of Corporate Security or Pre-Mor that, at times, felt the opposite in the same manner. Sure, the Pre-Mor feels very much like the Empire that doesn’t care about intruding anywhere it wants to go. But for Officer Karn (played by Kyle Soller), at least, his motivations to hunt down the man who killed two fellow guards felt unexpectedly patriotic. He even gets an emotional rise out of his fellow Imperials at one point, though his youthfulness shows during an uninspiring speech.
The biggest source of humor and levity comes from the same place it did in Rogue One: a droid. In Andor, B2EMO (no, I don’t think the droid’s lettering spelling out “Emo” is a coincidence) slips in a couple of snarky comments, and his “Pausing for data log” line could turn into a great meme. The droid sounds an awful lot like K-2SO, so it’ll be curious if there’s some foreshadowing going on with this droid’s future.
From a cinematic standpoint, the show matches the grit and darker color palette of Rogue One. While the action scenes are somewhat scarce in these episodes, the directing and camerawork are on par with the movie. A reliance on practical effects and minimal CG work give Andor a far more authentic feel. The camerawork stays grounded most of the time. The storytelling and cinematography feel married together in the sense that neither broaden the scope of the big picture too much. This show feels like it’ll turn into a slow burn, and that’s a good thing.
The acting through the three episodes was stellar, but one scene stood above the rest. Stellan Skarsgard and Diego Luna play incredibly well off each other in the final act of Episode 3. We get an idea of where the show is heading at the end of Episode 3, so it’s not clear if we’ll see some of the supporting characters return, and even if they do, their screen time may be minor. Still, if the first three episodes of Andor indicate the series’ quality, and with a wide amount of possibilities, Star Wars fans are in for an incredible treat.
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Source(s): Disney+