Long ago in a galaxy far, far away we can experience the adventures of Andor. Behold a non-Star Wars-esque Star Wars series. In an age of danger, deceit and intrigue, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna, Narcos: Mexico) discovers that he can play a decisive role in the fight against the tyrannical Galactic Empire. He embarks on a journey in which he grows into a rebellious hero.
Andor is a prequel to the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Cassian resides on the planet Ferrix and is looking for his sister. For those who know the film, it is not very surprising that he is also involved in deception and stealing. In the search for his sister, he gets himself into trouble by coming into contact with two guards. He has to deal with them. After these events, he unleashes a manhunt on himself and is continuously on the run.
In addition to the above, as a viewer, you are also taken into Cassian's youthful years. He resides in a place called Kenari along with his sister. They are part of a community that seems to consist only of children. In this past, Cassian has acquired a special part that he wants to sell to Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl) in the present. After their introduction, they suspiciously team up to hurt the Empire.
This collaboration results in exciting and spectacular ventures and ultimately lands Cassian in serious trouble. During the series, his actions land him in an impenetrable prison where he meets Kino Loy (Andy Serkis, Once Upon a Time in Iraq). Together they must devise an almost impossible plan to escape.
Andor works in layers and this does not always benefit the pace of the series. I read a response to the review of the first episode that I fully agree with. The creators have been wise to launch the premiere of Andor with the first three episodes. In the first two episodes, very little happens and as a viewer, you would know enough if you were to watch the summary prior to the third episode.
This finding has continued a bit throughout the rest of the series. You sometimes have the idea that you are watching a series within a series. Always two episodes with few events, but with long dialogues. Then follows a third episode that is very well put together and a pleasure to watch.
The visually beautiful planets, a droid that provides the necessary humor and a bar with all kinds of special creatures provide that real Star Wars feeling at certain times
I call Andor a non-Star Wars-esque series because the lightsabers and the Force are not present. That does not alter the fact that there are indeed recognizable elements to admire. The visually beautiful planets, a droid that provides the necessary humor, and a bar with all kinds of special creatures provide that real Star Wars feeling at certain times.
Since the announcement of Andor, it has been known that a second season is also coming. I'm in favor of this as the series feels refreshing from other Star Wars series. Hopefully, they'll make the second season a little more unified and spread the action-packed moments a bit more across the episodes.
