there is one scene episode 7 of Andor It made me stagger.
It starts off weird. Cassian Andor, our titular anti-hero, pulled off the impossible heist in the Galactic Empire, but then did what any reasonable criminal would do: “Space Ibiza.” We had a party at a place that can only be described as . The strange atmosphere of space usually dialed in space wizards defeating it with laser swords.
While lounging around, Cassian, an all-new and different crime passer-by he wasn’t involved in, is hauled up by Stormtroopers, interrogated on the spot, and accused of involvement in the crime he only witnessed. .
Anyone watching that scene being interviewed by a rogue cop almost certainly had a knot in their stomach. Since he will be imprisoned for a crime he does not commit, he desperately tries to avoid trouble. It’s a scene that’s brutal and baffling in its veracity. The consequences feel depressingly inevitable. This is what happens when you let fascism thrive without help.
It’s funny, but Andor, a spin-off show focused on characters from spin-off movies, is literally the first Star Wars “thing.” This shows that the Galactic Empire is a true fascist regime. terribleIt’s kind of weird in a universe where the villain is supposed to be a space Nazi.
But it’s also why Andor remains an amazingly good TV show. If you haven’t watched it yet, you absolutely must. it rules.
Because it’s a show obsessed with the little things in that universe that Andor rules. Star Wars has traditionally been about gigantic events, gigantic space battles with galaxy-altering consequences. I never realized I was fighting for Or what the rebels were rebelling against.
Darth Vader was a bad guy because he wore black clothes and strangled himself. that’s it. The emperor, on the other hand, had a pale, pasty face and an eerie laugh. Sure, these guys blew up planets and slaughtered young people, but that’s pantomime villains. Since then, it has become one of the most captivating works Disney has produced.
It’s a show obsessed with details, grind details. You can see apartment buildings, broken robots, and dejected mothers having dinner with their adult children. We see the effects of bureaucracy, crappy little work meetings, office bitch sessions. We see families bickering over breakfast, agonizing over guest lists, and generally participating in the mundane of everyday life.
I’ve often criticized Star Wars for its relentless bridging of gaps in its own timeline and dwarfing the once-great universe.Andor’s universe building is different. We dial in the tiniest details to make the Star Wars universe feel real. Weaving the stories of these less important characters into an epic narrative gives us a sense of the sheer scale of the broader conflict. It’s a little story. It’s great.
But beyond these top-line concepts, Andor is an excellent show in nearly every aspect of its production. There is not a single line of his that feels awkward or awkward. It is full of first-class performances.
Dennis Gough, who plays Imperial Security Service member Dedora Milo, brilliantly captures the corporate anxiety of a high-risk meeting where the wrong word can cost you your job. When, As this tweet statesif Stellan Skarsgård curtly asks me, “Do you really want to fight these bastards?”, there’s no crime I wouldn’t commit.
Andor takes Star Wars like never before. Rather than a space opera, he feels more like a John le Carré novel with blasters.And literally as someone who used to be Ended the Star Wars rant/article with the words“That’s enough Star Wars, thank you” is a welcome change.
If you, like me, find yourself exhausted by the exploits of Luke Skywalker and company, I suggest you reconsider. One of the best shows. I am as amazed as anyone else.