ARDOR for ANDOR

I'm not seeing much conversation about Andor although it has been my favorite show of the fall.  There's definitely not a lot of fan service for people who like that sort of thing but I'm not one of those- I like work that can stand on its own.  Andor is certainly that.  Less than any other prior Star Wars vehicle, there's not no Jedi, no lightsabers, no Force, no alien characters, barely any aliens period (I think I've counted three).  This series is written and directed by the guy who did the Bourne screenplays (with which I have some beef), Michael Clayton, etc and this series is much more like that- a thief running from one desperate circumstance to another, a massive Kafka-esque Bureaucracy trying to track him down.  Nobody's really good or evil, everybody is compromised, terrified, tense, miserable- I love it.  The Empire is the real character here- controlling, expansionist, cold.  We are finally given good reasons why the empire should fall even as the how it will fall unfolds around us.  

The writing and acting are superior to any other Star Wars work- Stellan Skaarsgaard and DIego Luna are great. Terrific character actors come and go with every episode- Andy Serkis is great, Fiona Shaw, Forretst Whitakker, etc.  If you're looking for princesses and sword fights and ewoks this is not your Star Wars.  If you like suspenseful spy thrillers like 3 Days of the Condor or Munich, this series might be for you even if you don't like Star Wars or any other fantasy series.

Highly recommend.

I’ve enjoyed the show so far, really shows what is possible when they work within this universe without being tied down to the central plot of the movies (since it’s a prequel to Rogue One, it’s technically only tied down by having certain characters change their mentalities to fit where they were at the start of that movie) or being restricted to a super short series run. I think it also helps that there’s a sharper focus on the series plot as opposed to a focus on set pieces or single episodes, which have largely typified Star Wars TV series so far, as well as a stronger emphasis on organic character development. Particularly love Stellan Skaarsgaard‘s performance in this one.

It’s definitely a worthwhile watch.