Star Wars: Andor (September 21st, 2022)

[JAWS]

Finally got around to watching the last 3 episodes.

So weird to finally watch good Star Wars again. Can someone please put Tony Gilroy in charge at Lucasfilm.

I would have liked an extended space battle or chase at some point in the show and maybe a bit more action but those are my only real complaint. Hopefully we get some of that in season 2.

I wonder why this show was the one that finally looked cinematic. One would think Obi Wan would have looked great but that show at times looked like the cheapest of the SW shows.

Dedra was a highlight for me. The SW shows have lacked great villains (not counting Vader) but this show delivered with Dedra as well as the other Imperials.

Loved Cassian but Luthen Rael stole the show. Loved his speech about sacrifice. Stellen Skarsgard was great in the role and added a real level of class to the show.

Andor has set the bar high.

So far I would rate the D+ SW seasons like this

Andor season 1 - A-
Mando season 2 - B
Mando season 1 - C+
Obi Wan season 1 - C-
Book of Boba Fett - F



I really wish the Disney SW Sound effects crew would get their heads out of their ass and use the original laser FX sounds for the Stormtrooper blasters. Ben Burtt is the master and his sound FX mean as much to everything SW as anything else. Bring back the pew pew

 

[JAWS]

It actually sucks not having more Andor I could watch 100 more episodes

Maybe Wednesday or Willow will fill that Andor spot for me…

View attachment 610581

When are we getting season 2 ????

 

[jye4ever]

Finally got around to watching the last 3 episodes.

So weird to finally watch good Star Wars again. Can someone please put Tony Gilroy in charge at Lucasfilm.

I would have liked an extended space battle or chase at some point in the show and maybe a bit more action but those are my only real complaint. Hopefully we get some of that in season 2.

I wonder why this show was the one that finally looked cinematic. One would think Obi Wan would have looked great but that show at times looked like the cheapest of the SW shows.

Dedra was a highlight for me. The SW shows have lacked great villains (not counting Vader) but this show delivered with Dedra as well as the other Imperials.

Loved Cassian but Luthen Rael stole the show. Loved his speech about sacrifice. Stellen Skarsgard was great in the role and added a real level of class to the show.

Andor has set the bar high.

So far I would rate the D+ SW seasons like this

Andor season 1 - A-
Mando season 2 - B
Mando season 1 - C+
Obi Wan season 1 - C-
Book of Boba Fett - F



I really wish the Disney SW Sound effects crew would get their heads out of their ass and use the original laser FX sounds for the Stormtrooper blasters. Ben Burtt is the master and his sound FX mean as much to everything SW as anything else. Bring back the pew pew

It almost makes sense that OW looked like crap it perfectly matches the PT lol

For me it’s:

Andor = A -
Mando = S1/S2 A
OW = C + (Vader kept it from scoring lower)
BOBF = Z

 

[jaztermareal]

Andor: A- (very very good bar some nitpicks like pacing and too many earthlike elements. Actually world builds and improves RO/OT)
Mando S2: B+ (OK, some of the highest highs in Disney Star Wars with a lot of filler and cringe mixed in)
Mando S1: B- (equal parts awesome, meh and cringe)
OWK: D- (mostly terrible with some good elements)
BOBF: F (very little to salvage from this mess, it even diminished Mandalorian S2 finale)

Movies:
Rogue One: B+ (pretty good though flawed, actually fixes old plot holes and builds more appreciation for OT)
Solo: B- (underrated decent movie though perhaps unnecessary)
TFA: C (entertaining but derivative to a fault and undoes the achievements of the previous trilogies)
TLJ: F (absolute insult that breaks the lore in multiple ways and creates retroactive plot holes)
ROS: F- (inexcusably bad in almost every way)

Disney has had a lot of misses. More Hits please

 

[chrisstbh]

It actually sucks not having more Andor I could watch 100 more episodes

Maybe Wednesday or Willow will fill that Andor spot for me…

View attachment 610581

Only probably 2 years give or take (probably give) to get our next Andor hit.

 

[choombaz]

ESB - the gold standard, it transcends SW
ANH - nuff said
Andor - the most consistently great show so far, and like ESB, it transcends its origins
Mando S2 - up and down but more consistent than S1 and at it’s best, is incredible
RO - flawed but the relationship between Jyn and her father really got to me and the last 30m are staggering
ROJ - underrated
Clone Wars - wildly inconsistent but the depth of the storytelling especially with Ahsoka, Dooku, Maul etc is exceptional
ROTS - a bit overrated and very flawed but the drama of Anakin and OW is undeniable
Rebels - really warmed to the characters over the seasons
TFA - still say this was a great new set up but …
TLJ - wildly inconsistent, flawed and at times insulting but visually incredible
TPM - awful except for the lightsaber fight
Mando S1 - a decent start, mixed quality though
TotJ - decent, the development of Dooku is great
Solo - underrated and very entertaining I put this on when I want something light and fun
Bad Batch - again, a lot of fun
BOBF - truly awful except for the Mando episodes and the finale is exploitation fun
OW - awful and massively disappointing I struggle to find anything to recommend it
TROS - embarrassingly bad, staggering it came from the director of TFA.
Resistance - awful but some nice animation
AOTC - truly the worst SW ever, the mind just boggles and the constantly stupid things that happen in this film.

 

[choombaz]

Really terrific collection of interviews with Tony Gilroy (i think i have posted just the first one previously). An absolutely brilliant filmmaker, brilliant mind, brilliant talker!

 

[The Buffinator]

ESB - the gold standard, it transcends SW
ANH - nuff said
Andor - the most consistently great show so far, and like ESB, it transcends its origins
Mando S2 - up and down but more consistent than S1 and at it’s best, is incredible
RO - flawed but the relationship between Jyn and her father really got to me and the last 30m are staggering
ROJ - underrated
Clone Wars - wildly inconsistent but the depth of the storytelling especially with Ahsoka, Dooku, Maul etc is exceptional
ROTS - a bit overrated and very flawed but the drama of Anakin and OW is undeniable
Rebels - really warmed to the characters over the seasons
TFA - still say this was a great new set up but …
TLJ - wildly inconsistent, flawed and at times insulting but visually incredible
TPM - awful except for the lightsaber fight
Mando S1 - a decent start, mixed quality though
TotJ - decent, the development of Dooku is great
Solo - underrated and very entertaining I put this on when I want something light and fun
Bad Batch - again, a lot of fun
BOBF - truly awful except for the Mando episodes and the finale is exploitation fun
OW - awful and massively disappointing I struggle to find anything to recommend it
Resistance - awful but some nice animation
AOTC - truly the worst SW ever, the mind just boggles and the constantly stupid things that happen in this film.

I don't see TROS. I guess you rate it above AOTC at the very least lol...

 

[choombaz]

I don't see TROS. I guess you rate it above AOTC at the very least lol...

Oops, fixed, thanks. Obviously must have erased it from my mind for some reason lol.

 

[Prime Clone]

 

[jaztermareal]

what was it??

 

[Prime Clone]

what was it??

Sorry, the forum doesn't seem to embed Tumblr anymore...

The cinematography of Andor

 

[jaztermareal]

Sorry, the forum doesn't seem to embed Tumblr anymore...

The cinematography of Andor

Nice

 

[Alatar]

I initially lost interest after the first 2 episodes, but some friends encouraged me to keep watching. It definitely picked up the pace by the fourth episode and engaged me much more. I binge watched the remaining 10 episodes on Sunday night because I‘d come down with sun upper respiratory bug and it helped distract me.

It felt like the TV series analog to Rogue One in terms of tone. Dark, gritty, grounded, i.e., if it was real what might that realism look like?, etc. And normally I do prefer that sort of fiction to more mainstream, lighter toned, popcorn fantasy escapism. Usually for me the more grounded the approach, the more I instinctively buy-in and enjoy it. My favorite MCU flick is Winter Soldier for example. So given that, what I find curious here is that oddly enough for the Star Wars universe I‘ve enjoyed Mandolorian, Book of Boba Fett, and Obi Wan Kenobi the most of any movies or shows.…

Honorable mention to TLJ which had the balls to shake up our expectations about Luke’s basic character, and his revelation about how the light and dark sides of the Force interact. At the end of the day I didn’t love TLJ but I appreciated that it had the balls to explore it.

Anyway, I like Andor. I rank it at fourth place after the other three shows I mentioned.

 

[Khev]

 

[Johnny Utah]

The show and Diego Luna were nominated for Critic's Choice awards.

 

[Mondragon]

The show and Diego Luna were nominated for Critic's Choice awards.

Would easily add Skarsgård and O'Reilly there with him, well deserved nom. Him and the show as a whole deserve it.

As the anticipated wait between series sets in, it has me wanting the main trio; Andor, Rael and Mothma represented as 1/6 figures all the more.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Stellan was by far the MVP of the season.

 

[jye4ever]

I seriously miss this show

 

[LoveMinusZero]

I have a hard time coming to terms that this show exists in the same galaxy as BoBF.

I know a lot of people are praising Diego Luna's performance, and he was good no doubt, but Genevieve O'Reilly's performance as Mon Mothma blew him out of the water. Every scene with her was full of so many little emotions and nuance, you could feel the agony and stress of everything that character is going through. Denise Gough as the Imperial Debra Meero is another standout. One thing this show gets, is that, if you make the Empire incompetent bumblers, like the other Disney shows have done, your remove any threat or risk the characters have to face. The other Disney shows just make you wonder why anyone was every afraid of the Empire to begin with. This show reminds you of the terrifying power and reach of the Empire. It's an oppressive shadow looming over everything and everyone, even those working within it. And that's without giant space battles and war scenes.