Andor is Star Wars At Its Very Best

A mature, complex, and dark origin story about the rebellion against the empire. Andor is as timely as it is poignant.

Wow. They made a sequel to Andor and Rogue One in 1977? Such a weird release schedule!

Lucasfilm’s second and final season of Andor cements itself as one of the best Star Wars projects ever made and one of the most important pieces of science fiction media produced in the last decade.

I know that may come as a surprise given Lucasfilm’s ongoing struggle to find an identity for its flagship IP, but it is true. Tony Gilroy’s sci-fi thriller is outstanding from start to finish.

Andor is a mature story about the origins of the rebellion against the empire that explores complex real-world dynamics about politics, war, family, and sacrifice. It is a captivating depiction of how advanced societies can so easily decline into fascism and oppression and the immense amount of effort it takes to recover. Andor excels in creating timely, relatable drama that will keep you glued to the screen from start to finish.

The tone, pacing, depth, and scope exceed the lofty standards set by season 1 and are complemented by award-worthy acting, gorgeous cinematography, and an incredibly moving score. The story shines in its ability to portray a galaxy in decline, subjugated to oppression, war, and fascism. These tropes are contrasted by emotionally charged acts of rebellion and personal sacrifice that detail the origin of the Rebel Alliance we all know and love.

Andor leads directly into Rogue One, my favorite Star Wars film of the Disney era, and impressively elevates that experience with added depth and a stronger connection to its main characters. All of this precedes A New Hope, making for a fantastic trilogy in its own right. I can even see an argument for the makeshift trilogy of Andor, Rogue One, and A New Hope being more important to watch as a trio than the original trilogy.

If you have understandingly grown frustrated with the galaxy far, far away in recent years, Andor will bring you back and then proceed to impress and entertain in ways you never thought Star Wars could. Nothing will ever make up for the injudicious works that are The Rise of Skywalker and The Book of Boba Fett, but this series highlights the power of good stories in this universe when they are in the right hands.

Andor is Star Wars without unnecessary lightsaber duels, half-baked cameos, or mindless fan service. Showrunner Tony Gilroy instead takes the often overlooked but intriguing geopolitics of the galaxy and expertly crafts a deeply satisfying origin story that is eerily similar to the world in 2025.

It has been quite some time since Star Wars was must-watch programming, but that changes with Andor in all the right ways.

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Star Wars is Political

If you spent some time reading comment sections on the internet, you’d learn there are real small-brained individuals out there that think Star Wars has become too political or “woke.” Yes, the franchise with the word “wars” it is name, according to these folks, is too political.

Besides the inherent ridiculousness of that and the shocking lack of media literacy from a certain group of self-proclaimed Star Wars fans, Andor succeeds because of Tony Gilroy’s awareness for the inspiration behind the subject matter.

“The story being told in Star Wars is a classic one. Every few hundred years, the story is retold because we have a tendency to do the same things over and over again. Power corrupts, and when you’re in charge, you start doing things that you think are right, but they’re actually not.” - George Lucas

Gilroy masterfully takes the themes and messages George Lucas has been preaching for decades and applies them to this show, which takes place in some of the darkest and hopeless days in the Star Wars timeline. It is one of the few times in the galaxy where there aren’t fantastical Jedi and force-using heroes at the helm of the fight against evil. Instead, the heroes are believable and relatable, often failing far more than they succeed. Andor is a grounded story about the power of solidarity and resistance rather than the magnificence of a few.

“That’s the issue that I’ve been exploring: How did the Republic turn into the Empire? That’s paralleled with: How did Anakin turn into Darth Vader? How does a good person go bad, and how does a democracy become a dictatorship? It isn’t that the Empire conquered the Republic, it’s that the Empire is the Republic.” - George Lucas

I find it remarkable that one of the leading pieces of modern media that accurately depicts acts of oppression as oppression and calls out acts of genocide as genocide is a fictional television show from the galaxy far, far away.

Andor is as bold as it is brave because it accurately demonstrates the blight and human suffering fascist regimes have exploited for thousands of years. These are real issues and tactics that modern media and politicians are often afraid to cover because they fear it will be dismissed as propagandistic or taboo despite the suffering present in our very society.

Star Wars may be set in a fictional universe that predates our own, but its central message has never been more relevant. Andor’s brilliance stems from its willingness to explore those motifs rather than gloss over them.

A Welcome Departure from The Volume

Perhaps Andor’s greatest accomplishment is the sense of grandeur and scale its set design and accompanying blocking achieve. This effect is watermarked all across the show and makes even the smallest of moments feel important and worthy of our attention.

You may also notice that things just look different compared to other Star Wars television hits, like The Mandalorian or Ahsoka. That is because Andor does not use Industrial Light and Magic’s StageCraft technology, also known as The Volume. Sets are entirely handcrafted and are designed for shots and moments that can follow actors and extras on foot for much longer than a constrained environment.

This does not make or break a show, but for a story such as Andor’s, it is a welcome decision by Lucasfilm. Consider pivotal moments in the season, such as the Ghorman Massacre, the Chandrila wedding, or Mon Mothma’s exit from the senate building. All of those scenes are emotional, yes, but what really makes them effective is the use of space as a way to convey tension. Mundane things such as a walk, dance, fight, or conversation can be filmed using establishing shots or tracking shots that keep your eye focused on the subject matter without any distracting cuts.

Besides the obvious beauty in the cinematography, none more evident than the infamous Mon Mothma dance sequence, allowing the audience to look at the large crowds in the large sets from a distance creates an almost visceral experience. You are meant to survey the cities and rooms and feel immersed in the world.

The culminating effect takes Andor, which is based off a literal footnote in the larger history of the galaxy, and gives its story blockbuster treatment. Even the most mundane people and most insignificant places in the galaxy feel widely important.

Andor and Rogue One were inspired by one sentence from 1977’s A New Hope’s opening title crawl.

And that is the point! Andor is about the nameless and how their sacrifice, no matter how small, inspired something as momentous as blowing up the Death Star. Luke Skywalker will rightfully be remembered as the hero and the man who ultimately lead the charge to destroy the empire, but the attention to detail of all the little moments that lead up to that point are what make Andor and its contribution to Star Wars as a whole so impactful.

Benchmark for the Future

On the back of Andor’s success, Star Wars finds itself at an interesting moment in time. Since the Disney acquisition, Lucasfilm has had some very high highs and some shockingly low lows. I still find it hard to believe that the same studio that created Andor and Rogue One greenlit The Rise of Skywalker. President and industry legend, Kathleen Kennedy, is also retiring soon.

Fortunately, Tony Gilroy’s exceptional work over the past decade highlights just how wonderful Star Wars can be when done right. That doesn’t mean every film and show needs to be a dark drama series for mature audiences, but it does suggest that the future of Star Wars lies in the unexplored corners of George Lucas’ vast galaxy.

I would move away from the Skywalker Saga and legacy character spinoffs and dive head-first into fresh ideas featuring new characters and stories that passionate filmmakers, like Tony Gilroy, are willing to devote their time to. As evidenced by Andor’s reception and critical acclaim, entrusting your storytellers with ample resources and time yields the best results. Massive IPs like Star Wars are at their best when corporate greed and needless timelines don’t get in the way of creatives. No fan will ever be upset about waiting slightly longer for a good product than feeling let down by a rushed one.

Final Thoughts

When Andor was announced, I’ll admit I was not intrigued. A television spin-off about a protagonist that we already knew the fate of (from a spin-off film in its own right, mind you) just seemed inconsequential.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Andor is one of the best Star Wars projects ever made. Hands down. It is a beautiful story about personal sacrifice and rebellion in the darkest of times. Tony Gilroy masterfully examines the origins of political uprising and the dangerous, dark truth to that fight. The underlying message, however, rings true to the central themes George Lucas always worked so hard to portray. Rebellions are build on hope, after all. Andor is Star Wars at its very best.

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Additional Reading

What I am watching, listening, reading, and playing this week.

The Two Popes

I’ve been obsessed with pope stuff since the conclave appointed Pope Leo XIV. I am not Catholic, but I find the process fascinating. I also really enjoyed Conclave last year.

The Two Popes is an endearing portrayal of two people that, despite overwhelmingly different world-views, learn to come together for the benefit of the masses rather than self-preservation. These are important narratives in today’s climate and I appreciate that. The film itself suffers from some odd directorial decisions and a 2nd act that is far too drawn-out. That said, I was emotional by the end and found both Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins‘ performances very moving.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

I am a Big Bang Theory stan! I love it and everything in its little universe. Sometimes you need mindless fun in the background and season 1 of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage takes beloved characters from Young Sheldon and satisfies that itch.

GNX

Since his Super Bowl halftime performance, I haven’t been able to get enough of Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. It is an album that listens like a story with a tremendous amount of symbolism and meaning.

Sunrise on the Reaping

The Hunger Games prequel about my favorite character Haymitch has been a very fun read. I do not think this is nearly as good as the original books, but fans of the series will enjoy this and all its callbacks. The upcoming film has great potential considering The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a better film than read!

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

The best Indiana Jones story of the last few decades comes in video game form. The Great Circle features a captivating story full of the same emotion and action the original Indiana Jones films executed so well. I have been loving this single-player experience!

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