Andor

So what’s the odds Luthen is a Jedi?

Let’s see:
- Doesn’t want anybody to know about him at all costs
- Has a Kyber crystal, and knows it’s exact value. Also it’s blue which means it’s been attuned I believe. Normally the crystals don’t have much color
- Has lots of Jedi relics in his shop

Idk could be a big red herring, but also could be true. I don’t think he would have been a significant Jedi. Maybe even something dumb like an archivist, but a lot of stuff seems to be lining up.

After 9 episodes I think the prison stuff is what's grabbed me the most. I kinda wish that was the whole show and it was its own IP because it's still not very Star Wars-y.

The Bix scenes felt too drawn out and I was waiting for them to end tbh. Keep thinking in these interrogation scenes they should bring in the ANH Death Star droid or the sparks machine thing used on Han in TESB or some other familiar torture method. Even classic electrocution. Being forced to listen to kids crying was sorta lame lol

Anyone have any favorite characters? Apart from Mon Mothma since she's not new, I think the only remotely interesting person on screen is Andy Serkis. Maybe Luthen. I think Serkis' character will die in the prison break but if he doesn't I doubt we will see him again.

Also what ever happened to Cassian's sister lol?

I saw a somewhat interesting theory that Leia (or Leah?) is Cassians sister. The shop assistant for Luthen. It would make sense as to why Luthen knew lots about Cassian I suppose. I don’t think it’s a forgotten plot point though because Cassians adopted mom mentioned it a couple episodes ago. I think the mom definitely knows where the sister is, she probably looked into it at some point after taking Cassian on.

There’s also speculation it’s Dedra, but I think that’s honestly a little stupid and too cliche. And I guess at this point it wouldn’t even make sense given the interrogation stuff and trying to find Andor.


My favorite character is Major Partagaz tbh, I love the actor from GoT. I like Luthen, Serkis character and Dedra as well though.

Favorite episode I think. No boring moments in this one. The monologues from Andy Serkis and Luthen were quite good.

I actually thought they would steal a shuttle or something to escape the prison, didn't expect them to jump in the water. From the aerial shots in the first prison episode, it didn't look like there was any land nearby so that would be quite the swim lol

It was kind of far, but I remember the land around the prison. Although there was also multiple different prison buildings I think?

Honestly I get feeling that only less than 10% of the prisoners will actually escape... Between some not being able to swim, many will die during the swim or the fall and a lot will just get recaptured or killed when the Empire shows up. Andor will escape, Kind of surprised the one guy is still with him, Did not feel like they were all that close. Sad we likely wont see Kino again, and tbh he probably did not survive.

I think we'll see more of the guy he escaped with. That's Melshi who we actually see as part of the Scarif landing party in RO

So what's the deal with Andor's sister... 💀Like I don't think they've forgotten about it but it's very weird it hasn't been revisited at all since like episode 2 or something. The progression of some of these storylines is really wack to me. Mon Mothma has spent literally the entire season trying to figure out how checking accounts work. And I do not get the point of cereal guy. I just cannot see how all these things will tie together in the finale.

They're also not following the show don't tell rule. There's so much going on in the ISB like they're always talking about active operations but it's very confusing to differentiate between throwaway lines and something actually relevant to the plot. Like the stuff with the pilot and Kreegyr. Why aren't they showing us that? They're playing up this Kreegyr character for some reason when we haven't even seen him and don't know anything about him.

I think GOT/HOTD has had similar moments of mentioning significant new characters and other cast's reaction to them. Crabfeeder for example. But we also see what their deal is relatively soon after that.

Since I've somehow not yet seen any of it yet, what's the general consensus on it so far? I've heard it's good, but a slow burn and Andy Serkis good in it (I mean, is he ever not? ), though I've struggled to find time and drive to see it lol

I mean a case could be made for Mando, it really does capture the Star Wars space adventure. The rest, nah.

I think Star Wars content often ends up being at least somewhat divisive because Star Wars means something different to everyone. But here's my take on it:

Similar to the sequel trilogy and Visions, I don't consider Andor to be Star Wars. Unlike the former two things, Andor does fit into canon a lot better, however, since it has so far contributed next to nothing worthwhile to the lore, I don't think its canon status really matters. If you skip Andor, I don't think you miss a single thing in terms of lore.

The show is competently made for sure. It follows its own logic and there isn't idiotic writing like recent entries. The acting is good. Skarsgard and Serkis give phenomenal performances. The direction and camera work is also good. No annoying shaky cam and there have been some scenes where I've thought the blocking was rather impressive. But honestly I don't know how much praise these things deserve because they are rather basic for film production aren't they? Guess the bar for Disney Star Wars is just that low lol

But beyond that stuff, I think Andor fails in these areas:

Capturing the essence of Star Wars:

Again I think this is different for everyone but for me, Star Wars at its core is a fantastical and fun adventure. The characters are larger than life heroes or are based on different archetypes/mythos. The story isn't always an epic but there is still a sense of adventure. There is usually a mystical element present with the Force and the Jedi/Sith. Or some quirky sci fi element such as clones or crazy weapons of mass destruction. Andor doesn't have any of this.

There is a unique aesthetic to Star Wars which Andor hasn't captured either. There is a jarring lack of aliens. Designs for sets, buildings, weapons, and other props don't match the aesthetic. There are brick buildings which feel out of place. And most of the time you can tell they're on Earth. Which makes me confused on why the Volume became so hated and why the visuals for Andor get so much praise. The Volume seemed to help make locations feel a little more exotic. Remember those low budget feeling episodes like the Boba Tython episode in Mando or the when they went to the quarry in OWK? Those felt like cheap fan film-y locations. Andor is a whole series filled with such locations.

Also there is no memorable music. The soundtrack feels like just ambience for certain scenes.

The plot/characters:

Simply put, it's all boring. Tony Gilroy had the bright idea to show the average joe's perspective during the rise of the Empire period. Naturally this is very boring. None of the characters are that interesting or charismatic. There's no cool or iconic costume designs either like what Boba Fett had. If I pretend this isn't Star Wars and just treat it as a sci fi drama, it's still pretty mediocre. There is very little intrigue or suspense plus slow pacing. Cliff hangers are not used effectively to make you want to keep watching. Maybe some action scenes, which are rare, would help make things a little more engaging. But unlike what condescending fans insist on spouting, action is not necessary for everyone to enjoy a drama.

Basically there's little reason to watch this over some other show. If you want to watch Star Wars, you don't watch Andor. If you want to watch a sci fi drama, there are better options. And this is reflected by low viewership numbers. Gilroy has even admitted they are still "chasing their audience". So it's kinda crazy they are still going ahead with a season 2. I think any other studio would've cancelled it after one.

Wow, I didn't realize you'd come to dislike the show so much Kenbo lol

It's funny because I honestly feel the exact opposite in just about every regard. I went into Andor with low expectations and if not for the exciting trailer, I might've waited til it was fully released to give it a go. Yet I've been amazed with everything so far from the writing and acting to the production value and music.

The writing in particular is a stand out for me because it feels more nuanced and mature than nearly all other content in Star Wars. I'm not going to compare it to other dramas on tv like Better Call Saul, True Detective, Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, and so on. That doesn't seem fair to me. This is a Star Wars series, and among all content in the franchise, Andor seems more developed and coherent. I mean honestly Star Wars never has been extremely complex with its stories, so I think it's cool to see this show try and produce something more narratively intricate.

I like most of the characters but agree that they're not all super memorable. Andor is good, but largely because we know him from Rouge One. Besides him, Luthen, Mothma, Kino, and Saw are standouts for me. That doesn't mean the other characters are bad. In fact, I think the show does a great job making most of the characters feel grounded in reality, which is a neat departure from Star Wars content consistently trying to create larger than life characters. And that right there is likely a big factor for character memorability, but I think it's a consequence of Andor's stylistic choices.

For me, I guess a lot of my enjoyment comes down to Andor NOT feeling like traditional Star Wars. It breaks with some of the franchise's tropes to produce more realistic and gritty content. The lack of Force sensitive people is refreshing. While that's an integral part of the universe, I view Star Wars as something that can be more than solely that. With so many new shows coming, I like how Andor presented a grounded spy thriller focused more so on "nobodies" and the very real dangers linked with forming a Rebellion against the all-powerful Galactic Empire.

It's different, but still connects/builds on existing lore. I appreciate its uniqueness. It doesn't try to lean too much on existing things like BoBF/OWK did, which can limit storytelling and make it nearly impossible to live up to expectations. Part of what makes a good franchise in my opinion is its ability to continually grow, rather than rehashing the same concepts with a new look. Andor does that in a way that works for me. Given how massive the Star Wars universe is, I personally can't complain that something doesn't "look like" or "feel like" Star Wars simply because it doesn't fit within the confines of a specific aesthetic from 3-6 movies or 1-2 shows. There's so many new things to see and explore. I understand how that might be frustrating for people who do want that same feel, but I prefer the breath of fresh air that Andor's given us.

Alright finale. I wish the Spellhaus stuff didn't happen off screen though. Actually imagine if they set up Kreegyr at the beginning as a likeable character and then we saw Luthen being forced to send him to his death. Now that would've been some good drama.

They are pretty good at giving us catharsis moments of rebellion. I think every time we see people fight back against the imperials like in episode 3, Aldhani heist, prison breakout, and now the Ferrix riot, it has been pretty satisfying. I actually found myself wanting Dedra to get clapped she kinda sucks lol. So it was a bit annoying when cereal guy saved her.

Speaking of, kinda odd she rates a death trooper escort. Feel like they are assigned to the likes of Thrawn and Krennic and other top level people. Also Cassian killed the one way too easily... But whatever.

Post credits scene was sorta lame/unnecessary imo. I think most people assumed they were building Death Star components so it wasn't much of a shock.

So judging from the viewpoints, it's agreed upon it's very well made somewhat? I do feel disappointed it's so human centric though. I much prefer it when they lean further into the alien quirky weirdness of Star Wars as otherwise it can seem too sterile. Really though, before even watching it I'm really getting bored of the Empire era they keep making content for. Just feels like it's been mined out to hell and back. Which leads to me ask another question, if they did a film and/or series based before the saga, what time period should it be? Judging from Obi's views, I'm guessing anything High Republic is not on his list lol

Just got home from work and it’s 1AM but I watched the finale yesterday and will say I found the last episode to be really good, honestly I wasn’t certain what was gonna happen to a few of the characters…

I’m gonna make some longer posts tomorrow and respond to some others here, but yeah just wanted to pop in.