I'll be honest: I have pretty much zero interest in the Star Wars franchise. Not just in its present form, but in its potential to be a future decent one. I think for the most part I have just grown up a little and come to terms with the fact that Star Wars was more a technical achievement and not necessarily a great narrative one. It isn't much surprise that a little spark in the pan back in the 70s was something that just can't be replicated with today's finances and creative efforts. Especially at the hands of a soulless corporation such as Disney. While the franchise as a whole doesn't really interest me much, I do check up on it from time to time just to see if there is anything that might stand out. I think we can all agree that the feature length films that were thrown out were nothing to speak of, let alone really watch. But the television series side of things is a manner in which the universe the films take place in does have potential. We are talking about a universe, after all. A space (no pun intended) in which stories of all sorts are capable of being explored, with varying characters and planets that each hold their own weight, somewhat disconnected from the more narrow idea of what Star Wars is and should be. To expand makes sense, in my opinion. To branch off and see what more can be done, to create something new rather than relying on the nostalgia factor with existing creations.
I went into Andor with no knowledge of what it was about. I expected the worst. Though it feels like a refreshing take on what Star Wars can offer. Despite what I said previously regarding branching off, unfortunately it does still rely on the existing themes of the Star Wars franchise, which keeps it still relatively within that general idea. But this is a show that has that quality to it, a budget that goes decently into a television series, where the directing and cinematography, as well as general world building. Therefore it still manages to do a lot well. And that is from the very first episode, catching your attention quite quickly with a more serious take on it all, more adult in its themes as the gore and general darkness of this world comes through. I think this is what Star Wars misses sometimes. That inability to pursue more darker themes as the originals felt too tame, and Disney naturally wants to pursue a wider demographic that doesn't alienate its more younger audiences. Andor doesn't feel like that, and I'm quite pleased to be able to say it. I'm sure I'm the late one to this show, though I will quickly add that this may feature the odd spoiler regarding its earlier episodes. This is a first impressions post, after all!
Andor
The Star Wars franchise seems to love the idea of bounty hunters and rogue nomads that roam through vast sums of space and planets in search of their own benefits. Though rarely does it seem like it's capable of giving these characters much depth. Sometimes that's a great thing, as we learn little about intentionally very secretive characters that, well, naturally would want to remain quite hidden. Though, in the case of Star Wars, the idea of the rebellion is something that we the audience are supposed to be rooting for (Can we get a series on the bad guys? That sounds kind of fun). For now it seems as if the franchise is fixated on giving us backstories to the many characters that already exist, exploring their younger days before having any sort of importance. Their struggles before becoming something of a higher ranking. I like stories that focus on the nobodies, the people that are struggling and forced into a corner, they're really effective and hold a lot of potential in giving us great character development. The question often sits in whether the company conducting it all can really pull it off.
In the case of Andor, the show focuses itself around, you guessed it, Andor! A series that remains deeply connected to the original franchise, as well as Disney's own titles. Cassian Andor is your typical thief that roams around collecting items to make a living. I think as a protagonist he's pretty interesting. A character that you wouldn't really support given his easy ability to take advantage of people and sway things into his agenda. He has a bit of a villainous nature to himself, a person that doesn't really have any values and thinks purely in his own interests. Within the first episode we see how he is willing to kill in order to find some answers about his missing sister. To be honest, I don't think the average person really cares all that much for the main story of a Star Wars entry, for the most part it really is about the characters and the world building, and I think that's generally the case here too. Seeing a different perspective as well as some events that led to something far greater within the general story. In the case of Andor, it seems to be quite reliant on the political sphere as well as the character growth that comes with a rather poor figure that ends up being part of something that is in fact very good for many people.
Though one thing I have always been quite bothered by regarding the main narrative of Star Wars is how the build-up of the Empire is actually a bad thing. We get these snippets of ideologies but most of the time those within the Empire seem to be comically evil. Even in appearance. I think some of the more political sphere in Andor helps contribute to some of the reasons as to why the Empire is considered a threat to people and something that justifies some sort of rebellion against. It's clear much of it is oriented around greed and the idea of supremacy; something that is certainly a tricky problem in a universe that is riddled with aliens of varying looks and abilities. But still, I do think we need more compelling reasons to understand why the rebellion is something that is necessary, and I just haven't quite seen it yet. Perhaps the story goes more into this aspect as it progresses, but for now it seems like it focuses more on Andor's development rather than giving foundation to the negatives of the Empire. There seems to be more of a perspective on the rebel side, and I think I'd just like to see more of the arguments of the Empire's side to get more context.
But the world building here is genuinely quite good. There's a lot more attention to detail in this show. The surroundings feel more true. The sets are built with a believability to them that certainly make the streets and towns look more like actual places that are utilised and well-lived in. I quite like the lighting in the episodes so far, especially the night scenes in which there's a stronger aesthetic to the environment. The daytime ones vary a bit more, looking a bit more natural under a daylight setting that tends to pursue a more dry, dull environment more than anything else. Seeing the characters interact with such spaces definitely helps with the immersion though, it's quite nice to see how these spaces are often packed with characters going about their days even if it's just using extras. I think the lack of civilians in Star Wars has always been a lacking component. Needing to give more life to the world beyond the characters, and ultimately making the whole story a bit more believable in the process. To add to this is a nice combination of interesting costume design for humans and aliens. There appears to be less reliance on special effects for these, and I appreciate it quite a lot.
I'll be sticking with the show for now, but I'm cautiously optimistic. As is the case with something from Disney, especially Star Wars, I expect the worst to come at any moment. I'm hoping that isn't going to be the case.
