SPOILERS: Star Wars' ANDOR Seasons 1 & 2

[cookiee_munster]

I didn't love Andor, and I didn't hate it either. I carried on watching out of interest, because compared to most of the Star Wars related media, this seemed very "grown up and serious" It reminded me a lot of all the political stuff that went on in the prequels that as a kid I'd completely switch off to. Back then, all I wanted was to see battles and lightsabers.

Season 1 has set the series up nicely to lead into something far more interesting for series 2. At least that's what I'm hoping for.

 

[MisterPenguin]

 

[Phroobar]

That is pretty much how I feel about Andor after a second viewing and some fast forward.

 

[jeangreyforever]

I loved Andor. I wish it would come back with more than just a second season. It felt like a breath of fresh air after Mando, Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan which I didn't even bother with after hearing the plotline and reviews. Disney needs to realize that there can be actual storytelling without shoehorning in fanservice which is what Obi-Wan was basically all about.

 

[Disney Irish]

I loved Andor. I wish it would come back with more than just a second season. It felt like a breath of fresh air after Mando, Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan which I didn't even bother with after hearing the plotline and reviews. Disney needs to realize that there can be actual storytelling without shoehorning in fanservice which is what Obi-Wan was basically all about.

Problem is that according to what I've gathered from most Andor detractors in this thread most Star Wars watchers just want pew pew and laser sword fights, as that is what Star Wars is to most people.

 

[jeangreyforever]

Problem is that according to what I've gathered from most Andor detractors in this thread most Star Wars watchers just want pew pew and laser sword fights, as that is what Star Wars is to most people.

The Skywalker movies exist for that reason. For fans who want the laser swords, they can rewatch those. But there's only so many stories you can tell about the same few characters especially when one of the actors has passed away and another is already 80. CGI reconstructions should not be relied on to keep these legacy characters going for another few decades.

 

[Disney Irish]

The Skywalker movies exist for that reason. For fans who want the laser swords, they can rewatch those. But there's only so many stories you can tell about the same few characters especially when one of the actors has passed away and another is already 80. CGI reconstructions should not be relied on to keep these legacy characters going for another few decades.

I agree with you, there are many stories from different genres that can be told in the Star Wars Universe. Personally I like stories about political intrigue and spies, its why I like Andor.

 

[erasure fan1]

Problem is that according to what I've gathered from most Andor detractors in this thread most Star Wars watchers just want pew pew and laser sword fights, as that is what Star Wars is to most people.

That's a bit of an oversimplified analysis in my opinion. Personally I do believe the average fan will expect a more action adventure format from star wars. Does that mean Andor is bad? Absolutely not. Do I think it would have benefited from a bit more action to break up the slower parts? Of course. But that doesn't mean just pew pew laser swords. There's ways of creating that great character interaction without them just sitting around talking to each other. They could have broke up the time before the heist with a scout mission and had the same good dialogue. No pew pew needed but you create some excitement, suspense. And I get it, it's hard to create suspense and tension when just about everyone knows how Andor ends up anyway. And maybe that factored in to how the show played out from a pacing standpoint.

 

[doctornick]

The Skywalker movies exist for that reason. For fans who want the laser swords, they can rewatch those. But there's only so many stories you can tell about the same few characters especially when one of the actors has passed away and another is already 80. CGI reconstructions should not be relied on to keep these legacy characters going for another few decades.

I think the argument is more "why not Jedi stories unconnected to the main movies?" - stuff like a Knights of the Old Republic era or such. Light sabers and the Force are pretty much the things that make Star wars distinct from other sci fi franchises. I liked Andor, but there's nothing about it that couldn't be done for a new unrelated IP to tell a similar story.

Also, I think the argument is that there needed to be more action in general, not that it had to be specifically light saber fights.

 

[Disney Irish]

That's a bit of an oversimplified analysis in my opinion. Personally I do believe the average fan will expect a more action adventure format from star wars. Does that mean Andor is bad? Absolutely not. Do I think it would have benefited from a bit more action to break up the slower parts? Of course. But that doesn't mean just pew pew laser swords. There's ways of creating that great character interaction without them just sitting around talking to each other. They could have broke up the time before the heist with a scout mission and had the same good dialogue. No pew pew needed but you create some excitement, suspense. And I get it, it's hard to create suspense and tension when just about everyone knows how Andor ends up anyway. And maybe that factored in to how the show played out from a pacing standpoint.

As I said in my follow-up post is that there can be many stories from different genres told in Star Wars. It doesn't have to be all action packed to be a good story. Political intrigue and spies are one aspect of the Star Wars Universe that hasn't really been delved into, and I believe Andor gives us that. Yes its not as action packed as some would like, but its still an area that can tell great stories. Its just too bad that so many want more pew pew and laser sword fights.

 

[erasure fan1]

Light sabers and the Force are pretty much the things that make Star wars distinct from other sci fi franchises. I liked Andor, but there's nothing about it that couldn't be done for a new unrelated IP to tell a similar story.

Agreed. The other thing that separates star wars is its classic aliens and imagery. When you see certain things, it screams star wars. It's a combination of things really.

Also, I think the argument is that there needed to be more action in general, not that it had to be specifically light saber fights.

Exactly. There were stretches of 2 episodes + that had zero action. It was supposed to be part spy thriller. There was plenty of opportunities to add some thrilling elements without all the pew pews.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think the argument is more "why not Jedi stories unconnected to the main movies?" - stuff like a Knights of the Old Republic era or such. Light sabers and the Force are pretty much the things that make Star wars distinct from other sci fi franchises. I liked Andor, but there's nothing about it that couldn't be done for a new unrelated IP to tell a similar story.

Also, I think the argument is that there needed to be more action in general, not that it had to be specifically light saber fights.

Star Wars shouldn't have to be "ALL JEDI ALL THE TIME" type stories. Its a huge universe that holds many stories, not just Jedi.

After getting the ending to the Skywalker Saga I like that other stories are being told away from Jedi's for awhile.

 

[erasure fan1]

As I said in my follow-up post is that there can be many stories from different genres told in Star Wars. It doesn't have to be all action packed to be a good story. Political intrigue and spies are one aspect of the Star Wars Universe that hasn't really been delved into, and I believe Andor gives us that. Yes its not as action packed as some would like, but its still an area that can tell great stories. Its just too bad that so many want more pew pew and laser sword fights.

Of course there's room for more types of stories. Bring on some Bothan spies stories. That said, it's not unfair to want a better mix of action, not just pew pew laser swords as action comes in more types than just fighting. Andor was really good. Could it have been a water cooler show that everyone was talking about? I think yes, with better pacing on the action side of things. So I just think it's a bit unfair to say so many only want pew pew. They can have both and still have a more serious cerebral tone.

 

[jeangreyforever]

I think the argument is more "why not Jedi stories unconnected to the main movies?" - stuff like a Knights of the Old Republic era or such. Light sabers and the Force are pretty much the things that make Star wars distinct from other sci fi franchises. I liked Andor, but there's nothing about it that couldn't be done for a new unrelated IP to tell a similar story.

Also, I think the argument is that there needed to be more action in general, not that it had to be specifically light saber fights.

There are entire eras in Star Wars which feature no Jedi. The era leading up to the original trilogy and the entire fight between the Rebellion vs the Empire is devoid of Jedi until Luke becomes one. Yet, that's still the time period most people associate with Star Wars. They can make other Jedi or Sith related projects but that shouldn't preclude them from not making content without Force-related characters. The Star Wars galaxy is huge but most of its inhabitants are not force sensitive.

 

[Disney Irish]

Of course there's room for more types of stories. Bring on some Bothan spies stories. That said, it's not unfair to want a better mix of action, not just pew pew laser swords as action comes in more types than just fighting. Andor was really good. Could it have been a water cooler show that everyone was talking about? I think yes, with better pacing on the action side of things. So I just think it's a bit unfair to say so many only want pew pew. They can have both and still have a more serious cerebral tone.

I guess your definition and my definition of "action" are two different things. As I thought that Andor was full of action, as there was always something happening. Were there some lull points in the 1st season, sure, just like there are lull points in life. Its what rounds out a story in my opinion, makes it more grounded and more relatable.

So when I hear someone say they want more action in something Star Wars, it come across as just wanting more pew pew and laser swords.

 

[DKampy]

As I said in my follow-up post is that there can be many stories from different genres told in Star Wars. It doesn't have to be all action packed to be a good story. Political intrigue and spies are one aspect of the Star Wars Universe that hasn't really been delved into, and I believe Andor gives us that. Yes its not as action packed as some would like, but its still an area that can tell great stories. Its just too bad that so many want more pew pew and laser sword fights.

Agreed…to me it is the best thing we got from Star Wars since the original trilogy. I think because it feels vastly original from the usual fan bait… finally delving into different stories… the universe should be huge enough for many different genres… just as some of the best original marvel stuff has done

IMO I feel it is the best show I have seen this year and I am hoping it gets some Emmy love

 

[Movielover]

I'm really late to this party, just want to say that in my own personal opinion Andor is the best thing Star Wars related since The Last Jedi. The writing, direction, and cinematography weave together so well and are truly spectacular. Not only is it a great Star Wars show but it's just a fantastic show hands down.

 

[jeangreyforever]

I'm really late to this party, just want to say that in my own personal opinion Andor is the best thing Star Wars related since The Last Jedi. The writing, direction, and cinematography weave together so well and are truly spectacular. Not only is it a great Star Wars show but it's just a fantastic show hands down.

So far the Star Wars projects Disney has made that I've loved most have been Rogue One, The Last Jedi, and Andor so I wholeheartedly agree with you.

 

[Movielover]

So far the Star Wars projects Disney has made that I've loved most have been Rogue One, The Last Jedi, and Andor so I wholeheartedly agree with you.

It's because those 3 projects took risks with their story and characters. As much as I enjoyed Obi Wan it was really more for Ewen and Hayden than anything else in that series. Mando is fantastic but I feel that Andor and The Last Jedi took things a step further with character and story choices.

 

[jeangreyforever]

It's because those 3 projects took risks with their story and characters. As much as I enjoyed Obi Wan it was really more for Ewen and Hayden than anything else in that series. Mando is fantastic but I feel that Andor and The Last Jedi took things a step further with character and story choices.

When The Force Awakens came out, I had been in a Star Wars lull for a while because I was never a huge fan of the prequels, especially the Clone Wars, and all the new Star Wars content prior to the Disney buyout was Clone Wars related. While I enjoyed The Force Awakens, I wouldn't say it made me a Star Wars fan again. I watched it more as a casual fan. Rogue One was the movie that reignited my love for the franchise and The Last Jedi further cemented that.

Mando was okay but imo highly overrated. Season 1 I enjoyed but I do think a lot of the general public's fascination with the show was more because of Baby Yoda. Take him out of the equation and the charm is missing. Season 2 was a disappointment to me because every episode seemed like its purpose was in establishing a spin-off show for a new character and the finale proved that Star Wars wasn't ready to break away from the Skywalkers after all. Boba Fett I got bored with a few episodes in and stopped watching. I didn't even bother with Obi-Wan because I never felt there needed to be a story there, particularly one that would inevitably break or stretch canon by having him fight Vader and involving Luke and Leia. All the reviews and comments I read just confirmed to me that Obi-Wan was high on fanservice and basically null in substance. Andor in comparison has been a breath of fresh air and a nice reminder that you don't need a Skywalker for Star Wars to be compelling.