Collette’s Non-Spoiler Review: Andor – “Disney’s most sophisticated series yet.”

The prequel to the beloved Star Wars story Rogue One is Disney’s most sophisticated series yet. 

From its opening scene, Andor will have you enamored. Diego Luna reprises his role as Cassian Andor. The show follows him in the events leading up to and creating the rebellion.

Andor is a spy thriller set in the Star Wars universe. Honestly, if it weren’t for the aliens, spaceships, or blasters, you wouldn’t know this series belonged to the franchise. But that’s what makes it so interesting. The episodes are short, but each one packs a punch with only 30 to 40 minutes.

Much like every series to hit the streaming service, Andor takes a deep dive into its characters. Of course, it focuses on its essential character and does a beautiful job telling his story. But what’s surprising is the care the show gives to the supporting cast. I was only given four episodes out of twelve, and I feel like I know everyone well. Creator Tony Gilroy does a spectacular job at making you care for every single person on screen. He’s able to humanize each character, including the ones associated with the empire. Everyone is fully developed, and everyone has an interesting backstory.

Andor definitely has a more serious tone in comparison to the other Star Wars shows and films. The humor feels more adult, along with the actual story. As a fan, I find this quite refreshing. The dialogue also feels sophisticated. An issue I constantly find within science fiction television is that the dialogue often sounds like it’s for a video game. The writing in Andor is absolutely magnificent. It’s one thing to create great characters; it’s another to make them sound good. Yes, most of the time, an actor can sell terrible dialogue, but when you have great actors with a stunning script, you have something that’s truly magical.

Can Kids watch?

Is it kid friendly? The show does feel geared toward an older audience. The dialogue is very adult, and surprisingly, there’s even an implied sex scene. There is more violence than I expected to see, but it is Star Wars, so never fear; everything is still clean.

The Conclusion

From the first four episodes, it feels like Andor is going to be one of the top Star Wars series. The plot is captivating, the characters are rich, and the music is spectacular. It has one of the most well-written scripts out of any series currently streaming on the service, and it’s also gorgeous to look at. If you’re a star wars fan, you will love this show. If you are a casual fan, that’s okay too. The fantastic thing about this series is it doesn’t require you to view everything related to Star Wars to understand it. And that’s so smart because it will attract more viewers.

When and Where to Watch

Catch the first three episodes of Andor on September 21st on Disney Plus. There will be new episodes every Wednesday and twelve episodes in this season.