Why you should watch ‘Andor’ even if you don’t like Star Wars

‘Andor’ arrives at the catalog of Disney+ willing not only to dazzle the acolytes of the saga of George Lucas, but to attract to the galactic universe the disbelievers of Star Wars, a complex but not entirely impossible task, as demonstrated by the approach of many neophytes to the franchise thanks to the benefits of ‘The Mandalorian’.

Thanks to what was seen in the first half of its season, we already know that this title will occupy one of the places of honor in our ranking of the best Star Wars series but, for those who still do not believe it, we are going to try to explain why what This Isn’t Just ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Movie Spinoff (Gareth Edwards, 2016). But also.

Andor: a police thriller

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Great sagas tend to seek homogeneity while desperately trying to distance themselves from it.. This is the case of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that, having achieved success thanks to the mold dictated by Kevin Feige, desperately tries to get closer to the charisma of other worlds with authorial signings that, in the end, succumb to the rules. No, there is not going to be a horror movie at the UCM no matter how well Sam Raimi made us have a good time with the hooligan ‘Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness’ (2022).

“The series will show us the adventures of the rebel spy Cassian Andor during his formative years in the Rebellion, just before the events of ‘Rogue One'”, sentenced the first synopsis. “This heartwarming spy thriller will explore stories filled with espionage and dangerous missions to restore hope to a galaxy under the yoke of the ruthless Empire.”

The promise of a thriller with the fantastic setting of Star Wars as an excuse could have stayed there but, luckily, the gossip between imperial officials, the incipient revolutionary plot and the harsh presentation of its protagonist (double homicide included), makes us dream of a plot that really takes its proposal seriouslymuch as ‘The Mandalorian’ took on the adventure series or ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ treated the western in its early stages.

“It is the journey of an immigrant, that feeling of having to move is behind this story“, advanced Diego Luna on how, in addition to launching into the police genre, ‘Andor’ would address the drama of someone who has had to leave his planet behind in a universe full of inhabited worlds. “That shapes you as a person. It defines you in so many ways and what you’re willing to do.”

The Great Rebel Heist

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“Above all, Vel Sartha is a survivor“Reads its description on the official Star Wars page. “Rebel operative always on the move, Vel is willing to sacrifice comforts, personal relationships and even her life for one last mission: infiltrate the Empire in Aldhani.”

Vel Sartha is the leader of the rebels willing to give the Empire a big blow who, in episodes 4, 5 and 6, has given us a plot of planning and robbery that she would like to have included in ‘Han Solo: A Story of Star Wars’ (Ron Howard, 2018).

Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) is a mysterious man with an eye for valuable finds he goes to great lengths to locate the parts he needs to accomplish his goals. Chameleon in his dress and his identity, Luthen is able to hide behind countless faces and identities when she needs to. He has all sorts of exotic tools at his disposal, including his cleverly modified transport ship Fondor.

Tony Gilroy: Galactic Director

Des Willie

At the command of ‘Andor’ we find ourselves Tony Gilroy, screenwriter of the brilliant ‘The Bourne Affair’ (Doug Liman, 2002), ‘The Bourne Myth’ (Paul Greengrass, 2004) and ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (Paul Greengrass, 2007) and that, in 2007, achieved a double Oscar nomination with his directorial debut for ‘Michael Clayton’a film in which George Clooney played a protagonist as gray and determined as the one played by Diego Luna in the series.

Gilroy, who later directed ‘Duplicity’ (2009) and ‘The Bourne Legacy’ (2012), came to the Disney family when he was hired to film new scenes for ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, Gareth’s film Edwards from which the character of ‘Andor’ starts and that, what is said, had a totally different last third before the arrival of the new director.

That summer of 2016, Tony Gilroy was hired to “help” Gareth Edwards shoot some extra scenes. After that, we received a film in which several moments of its trailers disappeared, increasing rumors about the importance of Gilroy’s changes, which finally ended up being credited as a screenwriter in the final credits.

“I have never been interested in Star Wars, ever. I didn’t feel pressured by it, I wasn’t afraid,” he commented on The Moment With Brian Koppelman podcast (via THR). “They were in a quagmire. They had such a terrible problem that all you could do was improve their position.”

According to Gilroy, poor Edwards, who at the time had only shot the curious ‘monsters‘ (2010) and the disappointing ‘Godzilla‘ (2014), had lost control. “I came in after the director’s cut, but my writing credit was easily earned.”, explains the filmmaker. “With all the difficulty that there was with Rogue One, all the confusion from all these smart people and all the mess, and in the end, when you get there, it’s actually very, very simple to figure out. Because in the end you stand up and say: ‘Friends, look. Everyone is going to die.’ So it’s a movie about sacrifice.”

With this last sentence, it seems clear that he was in charge of changing an ending that, before his arrival, did fulfill that motto of “the dead do not sell dolls”.

Diego Luna: this time yes

Lucasfilm Ltd.

“All the strength and chemistry that Daisy Ridley and John Boyega knew how to convey to the public in ‘The Force Awakens’ seems to have vanished with some clueless Felicity Jones and Diego Luna”, pointed out our review of ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ‘ in which, in addition, it is indicated the lack of hook between its protagonists as the worst of the production.

And it is that if on that occasion Diego Luna passed through the screen in an apparent automatic pilot, the Mexican actor seems to be fully involved in his return as Cassian Andora desperate protagonist for desperate times.

Willing for anything, Luna conveys in ‘Andor’ the agony of a man tormented by the situation in which he lives but willing to do anything to improve things, even if it means getting his hands dirty along the way. Ideal to crown the most circumspect Star Wars series to date. Will it manage to sneak into the best police series?

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