When Andor (Tony Gilroy, 2022 – 2025) first came out, I dismissed it as another run-of-the-mill Star Wars show and didn’t touch it. It was only after some convincing that I picked up the show. Once I started watching, I binged the two seasons and capped it off with Rogue One (Gareth Edwards, 2016) as the thrilling finale. I promise that no review I write is going to do Andor justice; this is just a shameless plug for the show. Rogue One was also good, but the subject matter of Andor is quite relevant to current events and offers powerful commentary on our political climate.
The events of Andor are set five years before the events of Rogue One. The show follows one of the side characters from Rogue One, Cassian Andor, and reveals how he became part of the Rebellion. No prior knowledge of the Star Wars universe is needed to watch it, which works to the story’s benefit and allows the general audience to connect and engage with the characters and world.
On a technical level, both seasons of Andor are beautifully done, with the framing, costuming, and editing all working together to make the worlds come alive. The depth and worldbuilding of the different planets featured throughout the show is astonishing for how little screentime they get. All of the props, clothing, and makeup lend themselves to make the artifice of these fake planets a reality.
Documentary techniques were considered in multiple scenes of season two specifically (being vague to avoid spoilers but its episode 8). Janus Metz, a documentary filmmaker, directed that particular episode and relied on his own experience and other documentary films to inform the cinematography.
Season one of Andor is definitely a more fleshed out narrative, both in themes and character development. It offers up a tumultuous political thriller in a sci- fi world with minimal space wizard magic. The dialogue is amazing and character-driven story is masterfully done. Plot doesn’t matter so much as Andor’s moral journey from an indifferent bystander to someone who has found their life’s purpose.
Season two is a little more rushed, and the characters are a little under-utilized because the creators wanted to make more seasons. As a result, every three episodes chronicle a year in the Star Wars universe leading up to the events of Rogue One. Season two has a more involved plot and a more ambitious agenda, but continues to be extremely well done with impactful moments and some incredible monologues. The show ends right at the beginning of the events of Rogue One.
Rogue One was also a good watch, but the writing was not a good. The score, however, was phenomenal and the final climax was a spectacle to watch. Both Andor and Rogue One do such a good job of fleshing out the Star Wars universe and create striking parallels to reality. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend watching Andor and Rogue One.
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