Another fantastic episode even if it was "just" a set-up episode. I especially loved the stark contrasts of switching back and forth between the sweeping, natural beauty of Aldhani and the sterilized blankness of Coruscant, a disparity stronger than the differences in livelihoods of Mon Mothma and Syril Karn's mother. Also...Faye Marsay! I only just found out last week she was going to appear on this show so I'm thrilled she has such a strong, important role. Even if, as others have predicted, the heist goes very badly next week. I've been a huge fan of hers for years between Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and Black Mirror (the only episode of the show I watch repeatedly!). Maybe we'll get lucky and she survives along with Cassian.
She was in The Twelfth Doctor episode "Last Christmas," the one with the dream crabs and Nick Frost as Santa. And should've been Clara's final episode. She plays Vel, the Rebel leader on Aldhani.
Maybe that's what was intended based on the birth year previously put out for Cassian, but that's no longer valid if we go by his age in the flashbacks ( where he's clearly not four or less ). So it doesn't look like it's even the same Mimban engagement.
I went to get a drink and went to settle down for the heist and it was over, lol. I had similar thoughts watching it. Not so much that it doesn't belong but that you could change the setting and it would work pretty well as a contemporary thriller type series. Even the end credit music is atypical for Star Wars. Of course! Knew she was familiar, I've seen the others but this is what I was remembering.
It must be so much fun to be a set dresser in this universe. A poster on Reddit took (or found) some stills from Luthen's shop. Mandalorian armor, a Twi'lek kalikori, what looks to be an armor based on the dark side Starkiller from The Force Unleashed, Indiana Jones whip encased in a block of carbonite, and a pair of holocrons (one Jedi, one Sith). Plus I saw what looked like the frame of a Gungan energy shield at the front of the shop. So many great little nods and callouts hiding in there. Good stuff!
Well, we got the reveal of the female character that an upcoming Vintage Collection action figure will represent. Vel is getting a figure in the first wave that will contain Andor characters.
I mean, obviously you can have adult-focused Star Wars stories, because that's what's happening. But I would argue that when you do that, you take away the thing that probably defines Star Wars the most and makes it special -- I'm not aware of any other major space opera that's designed for children. And the story you end up with ends up feeling itself more like a generic adult political space opera -- Andor feels very much like The Expanse. So you end up with a franchise that feels less special, and an installment that feels generic. Which is not to say that this can't be executed well. It can. But there's a point where it just feels... pointless. A secondary thing is just that I'm tired of adults trying to appropriate children's adventure stories for themselves. Like the kids have settings of their own that don't belong to us.
I think children are doing just fine and can handle some stories better than adults give them credit for. More than that, but the idea that STar Wars is only for kids is something I push hard against after Empire Strikes Back. ROTJ moved the other direction, but I think that Lucas keeps trying to have it both ways. In my opinion, having shows like Resistance and Andor are a better idea of allowing different flavors with Star Wars. And, as far as pointlessness goes, well Star Wars and Star Trek are at the height of that so I'm less concerned about that. Next on my list.
Again, it's not a matter of what they can "handle." My critique isn't based on the idea that Andor is "too much" for kids. But, like, look at this latest episode: the major stakes are, members of the rebel cell don't trust Cassian; ISB agents having intra-office feuds over jurisdiction over crime investigations; Rael needs funding from Mon Motha but she's not sure how to launder it for him; and Motha being upset her husband invited her political rivals for dinner. These are not the kinds of conflicts whose stakes the majority of children connect to. I think The Empire Strikes Back is a brilliant example of how a story designed for children can have universal appeal, depth, and sophistication. But the emotional stakes of that film are still very much designed with children in mind. Sure, but in the process what really makes Star Wars meaningfully different from Star Trek? In the past, Star Wars was distinct because it was basically one story (or three sets of closely-related stories) whose conflicts and emotional stakes were always designed to be accessible to children in addition to adults. That's what made it an enduring classic. But now? Well, it's not just one thing or a few sets of closely-related things anymore. Instead of having a distinct audience, its numerous parts have lots of audiences. Instead of producing something distinct, it's producing works that feel kind of generic. It's losing what made it special and homogenizing with the rest of the sci-fi/space opera market.
I've always believed that at its core, the Star Wars saga has always been for adults - with elements for children to understand and enjoy. The one film that seemed the closest for kids might be the first, "A New Hope". Right now, I can say that this series is solid. But I'm not blown away by it. Not yet. I think it's too early to judge it as the best Star Wars production from DisneyPlus. Right now, my main problem with "Andor" is the way each episode has ended. With the exception of the third episode, I've found the other episode endings - including the fourth one - a bit anti-climactic and flat. Did anyone else recognize Anton Lesser from "Game of Thrones"?
It's nice to finally see some natural scenery in televised live-action Star Wars besides deserts. Kor
I do believe that very same site was used in the opening scene of Rob Roy, with Liam Neeson. Check it out.
This is what makes it so good. As I said, when you can substitute everything substantial in this story for contempoary props / settings and it still works, you are writing on the next level. SW has had enough Disney Princesses and kiddy bombs.This shit is good for the franchise. The Mandalorian hits the 8-year old chord in me that saw SW for the first time, and the 12-year old that saw ESB. Andor hits the adult SW chord for me now that I'm in my 50's and have watched shows like SEAL Team and Justified. There's room for it all.
Does anyone else love how Stellan Skarsgard poses in front of the mirror after donning his disguise, and like an actor, 'assumes the role' he plays on Coruscant?