‘Andor’ Reviews Call It a Unique Star Wars Series
We are officially spoiled with Star Wars TV shows. The last one, Obi-Wan Kenobi, just ended on Disney+ three months ago, and the new one, Andor, is already here. This latest show is a prequel to a prequel; set five years before the events of Rogue One it shows how Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) became a pivotal figure in the early days of the Rebel Alliance.
The show was created by Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy who aims to tell an ambitious story with the show; charting the evolution of Andor and his Rebel compatriots over the course of several years. Season 1 of the show will supposedly chronicle a year in Andor’s life, with the second season then detailing the next four years leading up to the events of Rogue One. So it’s not a show about Jedi or Sith or extremely cool bounty hunters with jet packs. It’s a totally different thing for Star Wars.
And so far, the reviews for this totally different thing are very positive, mostly because the show feels so unique amidst the rest of the Disney+ Star Wars series. Instead of tons of mythology and cameos appearances, the show focuses on characters and their dilemmas. Some critics do warn that the beginning is “slow” and a few suspect the first couple episodes may turn off impatient viewers. But for the most part, the reviews say those who stick with the show will be rewarded.
Here’s a sample of the Andor reviews so far:
Patrick Cavanaugh, ComicBook.com:
It doesn’t give us what we think Star Wars is, it gives us what Star Wars has the potential to be.
Caroline Framke, Variety:
A huge, and hugely welcome, departure from Disney+’s typical ‘Star Wars model
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter:
A Star Wars origin story that’s not for the Baby Yoda crowd.
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine:
Takes its time in establishing its own world and a medium-stakes situation, gradually steering its imperfect hero toward an unplanned destiny.
Maggie Lovitt, Collider:
Across the board, Andor feels like a Star Wars series for a more mature audience.
Tom Beasley, Yahoo! Movies:
Despite taking its name from a single title character, Andor is a true ensemble piece in the way that the best Star Wars material tends to be.
Ryden Scarnato, Heroic Hollywood:
“By far the most mature Star Wars story Lucasfilm has ever presented.“
Lindsey, Nerds and Beyond:
The gritty, grounded story that Star Wars has been missing.
Terry Terrones, Paste:
Amazingly, Gilroy manages to keep viewers intrigued through two easy-to-think-up-but-hard-to-pull-off methods: building incredible worlds and layered characters.
David Craig, Radio Times:
For everything the show gets right, it can't escape a sense of redundancy.
Andor premieres tomorrow on Disney+. Work is already underway on the show’s second season, which will also be its last.
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