A Simple Thief Becomes a Revolutionary
In 2016, fans were introduced to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This movie told the story of a group of rebels brave enough to steal the plans to the Death Star. That set-in motion the entire Skywalker trilogy. In 2022, showrunner Tony Gilroy returns to the Star Wars universe to tell the origin story of one of those rebels, Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor.
Andor is a two-season series published on Disney+. Season 1 was released in 2022 and fans have praised the continuation of the grounded storytelling. This is not the high-flying space battle between X-Wings and TIE Fighters. There are no magic space powers, mind reading, telekinesis or blue force ghosts. (There is blue milk, however.)
This is Andor’s story, but it is also the birth of the rebellion. Luna is a street rat, scrounging to make a credit where he can. A dangerous run-in with a pair of corporate security forces catches the attention of local authorities. This soon escalates as he agrees to meet with a mysterious buyer for a piece of Empire tech. He is recruited on to a heist gang. The plan is to steal the payroll for an entire Imperial Garrison.
This is where Andor leans heavily into the gravity and high stakes while deeply developing several key characters. If The Mandalorian is A Fistful of Dollars, Andor is The Bridge on the River Kwai. The focus is on a tiny group of desperate freedom fighters against incredible odds. Gilroy taps into his Rogue One vibe and adds talented writers Beau Willimon (House of Cards) and Stephen Schiff (The Americans) to ramp up the political intrigue.
While Luna is on the ground, the show also follows Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’ Reilly) fighting for votes against the Empire’s tyrannical overreach. Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting) is the two-faced Luthen Rael who fronts as an art dealer on the Empire’s home world, while meeting with rebel leaders on the side. Denise Gough (Robin Hood) plays Dedra Meero, an Imperial officer seeking opportunity to advance her career.
Andor’s most promising aspect is that it is set in the Star Wars universe, but it is never dependent on it. This is the story of civilians who have finally had enough of the 1%. The 12-episode Season One never feels rushed or too slow, despite covering several concurrent story lines. Characters are introduced and the story marches ahead to the inevitable conclusion. (Yes, there is a droid who will pull all the heartstrings along the way.)
Andor is one of those shows that seems to be hyped by everyone who has watched it. The good news is that it lives up even with expectations set that high. Season One is available now on Disney+.