Easily the best Star Wars show they have put out. Sorry Mandolorian fans.

Andor is not a great Star Wars show. It is an EXCELLENT show, period. Even if you hate Star Wars, you'll probably like Andor. It is that good.

You're all quite right... but I can't shake the feeling that _Andor_ may simply be too good for _Star Wars._

Its the best show and the one I personally watched 4 times. Hope they can keep it up on the next season even though its the last one.

@@charlesr3351 The first two seasons of Mandalorian were good, especially the series 2 finale. The third season, however, was a real disappointment for me.

Yeah, for folks who haven't seen it, that monologue may seem over-the-top and maybe just weird... In context it is basically brutal. There's a guy who has been passing info to the rebels who wants to stop (just had a kid and wants to just walk away and have a normal life). The guy who is talking tells him "no" and this monologue is basically explaining that he understands that it is horrible to force him to keep spying... But he's going to do it anyway. This is immediately following the spy informing him that the plan for a raid was uncovered, and being told that it won't be called off so those raiders (50 people) are just going to walk into a trap and be killed to keep from risking the spy's cover. Yeah, and these are the good guys. Also, 100% agree about everyone being the "hero of their own story", though would word it differently. Everyone is doing what they think is best/reasonable from their POV. Even the high level managers / beauracts actually make sense... They are quite good at their jobs.

@@kennycodes Oh my god, Rogue One paints A New Hope in such a different, more dramatic and substantial light, and Andor does exactly the same for Rogue One but even more profoundly.

@@kennycodes I heard that too. On the one hand I'm sad that's all we get. On the other hand, I'm glad they have landed on a finite story arc. You know, like they actually have a plan. And I too am excited to see how they bring us up to that point in only 10 episodes. Could be a faster pace than season one?

why?

@@JustinWillisDevil240Z Because it almost exactly mirrors the rise of fascism in most of our countries today ... and the terrifying results in terms of torture and incarceration, and enforced labour. It is a dismal view of the Star Wars universe, mirroring our own ... unchallenged fascism leads to the Death Star at worst, and widespread poverty, hunger and death at best. It's about Cassian Andor, a survivor who has stolen and cheated just to stay alive ... the bare minimum any working class person must do today to survive, in a system with no social safety net. And NO workers' rights. Extreme high rents. And low wages. Those who cross the line get put in "Narkina 5" - one of the most terrifying prisons ever seen on screen. It is out in the ocean, and the prisoners are made to walk barefoot on an electrified metal floor. Young or old, they are worked to death in 12 hour shifts every day, with only the promise of something good happening at the end of their sentence... it's almost as bad as an Amazon warehouse. [I want to put Jeff Bezos "On Program"] But the show ultimately demonstrates what you would need to do today, to even start a revolution against a fascist power - and it isn't pretty.

Yes, sadly the US Empire are too often the baddies around the world. Rather than occupy they destabilise anyone who might become a danger, and then the new regime becomes very 'willing' to allow US corporations to take natural resources out. Sadly most Americans don't know this, but much of the world looks at the US with suspicion. US citizens get all this propaganda about being the freest country. The USA isn't, by far. And that is tragic. Only the very rich are free, the rest has to work too hard to be free, or are too long in prison for minor offences. And too many daily fear gun violence, or coming out.

As a Filipino, I felt it too

I bet you did ... stay safe.

Not exactly a high bar, given that the three "sequel" movies are absolute garbage. They're so bad that they shouldn't even be considered canon.

​@@Tessmage_Tessera No, they're not.

{Only-&-only to "the OP" & those who "👍" their parent-comment till the time of successful-posting of this reply: }So ‘episodes’ are dubbed “segments”, now?

the last 6 movies being: rise of sky walker, solo, last jedi, rogue one, force awaken, the clone wars. yeah

​@@Tessmage_Tessera Well it's as good as the Empire Strikes Back. Perhaps better. Season 2 will decide if I can put it as the all time best Star Wars production.

and i love how its all a nod to George Lucas's first film THX-1138

"clean and organized nightmare' That's a very good description. And if it was a movie review I'd be very curious. But the Prison arc; yeah. Very apt description.

yes, as somebody from the Philippines, it hits close home. My god, how a government can just take away someone's freedom on a whim

Deep cut! Few people remember him, or Japan.

originally part of the title of a book by Hannah Arendt on the trial of Adolf Eichmann

The prison industrial complex.

@@topgrain yes

You can't serve in the military if you're diabetic?

Rogue One is OK, but it isn't particularly well written. Andor is phenomenal, though.

Ultimately, it's always writing and acting that make a movie great.

@@davidjones272 Rouge One does certainly have flaws, but most of them seem to come from the Star Wars franchise managers/producers insisting on putting in elements they think will appeal to "kids". Rogue One and Andor are stories where there is absolutely no doubt "Cass shot first". Heck, he straight up murders a contact/spy in Rouge One to keep him from getting caught. I'm not saying it should be grim-dark super serious all the time, the juxtaposition between humor and drama makes both hit harder IMO... But silly and fantastical stuff, no.

absolutely agree with you, Id say rogue 1 and andor were the only decent star wars content that disney came out with since GL sold the franchize.

You're forgetting Babylon 5, which really changed how storytellling in done in tv series.

First to say "Firefly"!

Even the Clone Wars series has some good political arcs. Sure, they're surface level, but they really help show the fall of a democracy that was already corrupt leading into a death spiral to become an empire.

@@kennycodes It's hard to start, but once you get through the beginning, it's hard to stop. The first thing is, that some people have found the pilot to be a slog: it's long, and it's heavy on exposition. But after you get through that, S1E1, titled: "33" , is one of the best episodes of anything I've ever seen. That episode won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. The other thing that's a little confusing in the beginning, is that what I'm calling the pilot here, is officially called the miniseries (two-part, 2003), and what I call S1E1 here, they call the series pilot (2004). The miniseries (pilot; 2003) has the building blocks of the story; you can't miss it, or nothing will make sense later.

I, sadly, haven't seen the show, but if Fiona Shaw is in it, I have to see it! She out is an amazing actress! The other actors I saw in the clips are favorites, too. I watch as much Brit/Scot/Irish/Aussie movies and tv as I can get my hands on! I'll hope to see this at my library one day!

Am not a Star Wars fan, but I'm thrilled to hear ANYONE is DEPICTING and teaching about the creeping perils of authoritarianism. I sometimes watch tv shows from the 80s like Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel, Kung Fu, as they show and teach equality, gun control (sheriff collecting strangers guns), fair treatment for Native Americans and immigrants...and I wonder,...WHAT HAPPENED ? How did we FORGET all that? Seriously, ANYONE KNOW? 😒

I will simply say. One way out.

@@bonniebreckenridge5236 She's not in it much, but her character is absolutely *crucial* to the show, and there are a number of moments when her delivery is exceptionally natural, leading up to a spinetingling piece in the series finale which is one of the most mesmerising bits of TV I've ever seen, in my 50-plus years. Great stuff. The other two Irish actresses are also superb; one as the driven, determined face of authoritarianism and order, the other as a multifaceted, hidden Rebel. Anyway, watch Andor - whatever the next series will be like, the first was one of the best TV series I've ever seen, with several outstanding moments of dialogue, setpieces and emotional resonance.

The reaction of the Empire to her speech from the dead tells you everything about Authoritarian governments: words of freedom scares them. See the current book banning by Republicans

That depends.

Both shows released earlier than the one being talked about here, for starters - Mr @@kennycodes?

Which means it's going to be cancelled soon.

@@jondunmore4268 It was always planned to be two seasons, with the final season ending where Rogue One begins, so no chances of cancellation.

​@@noelwym123 ​​True, but there's still plenty of time for Disney to reach into that cookie jar without permission. Seems Disney can't help the urge these days... I hope they let the creative talents from season one continue to work their magic for season 2. Leave Andor alone!!

Why watching anything Star Wars then?

​@@stardust6840 because it's entertaining.

​@@stardust6840 Star Wars is so much more than the force, the Jedi, the Sith, lightsabers, Skywalkers, and Palpatines. The vast majority of citizens in the Star Wars universe are just regular people. They have stories to tell as well! If you can't see that, or if you prefer the flashy action and camp, that's fine. Of course, we all love that aspect of Star Wars, but sometimes it's nice to examine what's going on "behind the scenes", so to speak. Star Wars has always been about fighting oppression. The force and the Jedi/Sith is essentially just a religion. Seeing the formation of the rebellion is incredibly interesting, and the show is just so well made! Have you watched it?

​@@HEARTS-OF-SPACE yes, I have, and my problem is that this show gave birth to a movement of pseudo-intellectuals talking down every other SW content and every traditional aspect of it. There is a ton of sci-fi with a message, this show is not groundbreaking, nor it anywhere near to being perfect, as claimed by the fans. Nobody here seems to have a problem with the show having pretty much no non-human characters' presence, and Gilroy's explanation regarding it is just wack. The main character has zero memorable lines, all those belong to white characters surrounding him, with some of them "teaching" him. (A large part of his storyline, also, is a recycled story of Jyn Erso from the supplementary materials and books, and this newly invented storyline also pretty much assassinates his character in Rogue One, but that's not important - nobody cares about him among this show's following, really.) His adoptive white savior mother drugged and kidnapped him (him being coded as an indigenous kid) - nobody seems to have a problem with that too. Clem? No problem. I can go on and on, the problem is not in the lack of Force, lightsabers, and other stuff. The problem is this reformed part of audience who seems to think that they acquired a refined taste, stepped on a higher ground, and now have to actively put down traditional elements of a space opera that is SW.

@@stardust6840 Well, I didn't say or imply any of the things you just said, so thanks for the all inclusive broad stroke, but I don't really want to be in your painting. You're free to think what you want about the show and its fans, but why are you so bitter about it? Of course it's not perfect, but I don't recall hearing anyone claiming it was. You mentioned a few "problems", and I respect your views on many of them, but I see them as positives. I don't have the will or the time to debate each one with someone as passionately opposed to the show as you are, and I know that you'll interpret that as a concession, and that's fine. I'll just touch on a couple of them. Did you know that 80% of the Star Wars universe is made up of humans? I'm not sure if you knew that. Andor's alien representation was completely appropriate, especially when you consider the fact that the Galactic Empire is a xenophobic, human centric organization. Also, did you miss the line where Maarva said young Cassian would die if she left him on his planet? That site was about to be torched, hence their urgency. It's very likely that his sister died on that day, but his search for her as an adult illustrated his resolve, even if misplaced. Yeah, Maarva's white. So what? Not everything is so symbolic or suggestive, some people are white, get over it. Why do you believe Andor fans to be "pseudo-intellectuals"? How dare they enjoy a Star Wars story! A movement?! Did you see Andor's viewership? I just don't understand gatekeepers like you who seem to think Star Wars was specifically written for them. I've been a fan since I was a kid in the 80s, and if you want my honest opinion, Andor is leagues better than any other live action Star Wars show at this point. You don't have to like it, but don't disparage those who do. I can't get further into this because neither of us are likely to listen to the other and I haven't got the time. Im out. Take care.

And Clone Wars bred Rogue One.

Even Han Solo's plot arc in the original trilogy. All stories centered on non-magical people in very difficult situations doing what is reasonable from their POVs. Funny how that tends to actually be more compelling that super powerful characters doing inexplicably stupid things ;) Heck, I tend to even like stories of super powerful characters doing what is reasonable from their POV. It is stupidity which really turns me off.

You meant to say.. Spirituality is "stupidity​," Mr "@@travcollier"?

@@kamsolusar8529 The final Seasons. Especially the last two episodes that literally gave the Revenge of the Sith even more weight with Ashoka feeling her Master becoming Darth Vader

@@travcollier Han Solo's character arc is literally him going from non-believer to believer...

Yes. And it's slow, organic, water-cooler, spread is making it even greater.

The issue with the sequels will always be who made them. Put those projects in the hands of Dave Feloni or Tony Gilroy this would be a different conversation. JJ Abrams...then you have the mess those films were.

You notice that anytime a movie or show is written in a way to reflect our stories that is currently happening that it seems to connect with us better and more personal. Battlestar Galactica did that for me and the issues regarding the Gulf Wars snf the issues and political at that time. Also, the good guys were not portrayed as saints or clean as we think. Also, that series was so well written. It is highly recommended. I can't wait for Season 2 of Andor. One of the best shows on TV now.

The ends do not justify the means, the means are dictated by the circumstances, In a fascist regime all and any resistance is terrorism

Well... I mean, we could be dealing with the Borg, so maybe we should count our blessings? 😆

He probably gets paid way more in the US.

Lol yeah it was so adorable when he pretended not a understand how per capita average crime statistics work in conjunction with population demographic percentages as opposed to net figures.....my heart nearly melted 😐

@@davidatkinson5858 You do what you can to penetrate the iron curtain of the MAGA mind. Unfortunately I don't view Al Jazeera where I found Medhi nearly as much since his MSNBC move. He's always interesting. Love him.

@@cindypomerleau950 what does that have to do with my point about him being a lying race grifter? Of course you love him because he will say anything to support your own biased narratives 👍

Look to your friends and see what they're cheering and saying, and you shall know whom side you have been placed upon.

@@CoreyANeal2000 some people (like adults) can have friends with different political views

@@DeltaTango2024 That's true, but depending on the context what I'm saying applies.

@@strangeworldmasterjack143 no I'm conservative...I have friends that are liberal

It’s great, best StarWars show I watched

It's actually the only Disney sw worth your time and probably the best sw as been since empire.

Watch and appreciate _Rogue One_ by all means, it turned out to be a good movie in the end. But if you didn't like the prequels, I wouldn't recommend a "return to Star Wars" generally, you'll only be disappointed.

I felt the same way (especially after having grown up with the originals). Andor is spectacular full stop. What saved Star Wars for me after the prequels, however, was The Clone Wars animated series. Rough first season, though it improves gradually over the season. After that, it gets really good. The animation is really solid by the end. The last four episodes (Siege of Mandalore) is up there with Andor for the best Star Wars story-telling of all time. The only catch (?) is you really have to watch all (or at least a good bit) of the Clone Wars series. Personally, I think it's worth it. It's not a "cartoon for children."

Wait for S2 of Andor for chronological fidelity, I say! May have greater impact for you.

@@scatteredstones Some of the scenes and stories of The Clone Wars are definitely 'way too dark for children.

This is profound! Thank you for putting my feelings into words. Good to know that it's normal for people like me.

Children in K-12 education are often indoctrinated against patriotism.

👍Yip, I zoom in to see what is behind the guests etc. It gives an understanding of the person.👍

I agree. It’s interesting.

Mise en scene is French for all the parts of a movie you see but are not acted -- all those things are parts of the story too

Yep, anybody level-headed oughta comprehend that the definition of ’politics’ encompasses far more much more electoral-front. And therefore.. A neurotypical person cannot be truly ‘apolitical’ and/or ‘centrist’ beyond the realm of theory - while continuing to exist without a single-hitch.

Took them long enough. Asia already see USA as the imperial force.

Yet another security state stenographer, it makes sense.

Mehdi would fill Rachel’s spot better than most, always has a broader perspective on the news & is great with interviews.

Luke was a farm boy with no education about history and politics. Han and Chewie were criminals on the outskirts of polite society. Anakin was a slave. C-3P0 and R2-D2 were sentient beings treated as second class citizens.

bro preach stop preaching religion. your god is killing so many people

"Andor" is miles better than "Kenobi". This is a true work of art, not a simple piece of entertainment. It's closer to "Game of Thrones" than to any of the other Disney shows.

Andor is many times better than Obi Want Kenobi. They don't even appear to be from the same franchise.

I'm not in the like=good, dislike=bad crowd, so all I'll say is that I prefer Andor because it's in my wheelhouse but the two series are very different in tone.

Andor blows obi wan out of the water

Kenobi feels directionless. Andor is well written and has amazing actors. Just a bit of a alow start. About 3 eps till its on.