Andor first impressions: Star Wars inches toward the best of modern adult TV

At its worst, Star Wars: Andor is a sanded-off, PG-13 version of some of the best TV dramas of the past decade. It’s easy to see traces of The Wire, Lost, and Breaking Bad in this story of Star Wars-adjacent scum and villainy. However, as you might suspect, such nuanced TV inspirations can only go so far in a franchise that regularly features chirping droids and action figure tie-ins.

At its best, though, Andor plays out like no other Star Wars film or TV entry to date, and it bodes well for the series’ post-Skywalker future. Andor flexes its adult-ish aspirations to better resemble the gritty content that has made series sidebars like comics, novels, and video games beloved. While its momentum takes a little too long to kick in, enough quality coalesces by the end of the series’ first 100 minutes to make it a worthy recommendation for fans of compelling sci-fi television, let alone Star Wars loyalists.

At Disney+, an initial release of three episodes says a lot

This series “follows” the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story the only way Lucasfilm really could: by building a prequel out of its likable anti-hero Cassian Andor. (Spoiler alert: If this series had been a direct timeline sequel to that film, it would, uh, include far fewer characters.) Since his name’s in the title, Andor features as the star, and the events rewind to both his biggest adult and childhood adventures.

Disney+ typically debuts new TV episodes on a once-a-week basis, and while a few series exceptions have launched with a bonus episode (most notably Marvel’s WandaVision), Andor is the first to approach a “binge” on launch week. Wednesday’s three-episode debut feels like a major admission from Lucasfilm: ‘Hey fans, pretty please watch all three episodes before rushing to judgment.’

Andor, but new droid B2EMO has a few key moments.”>

Enlarge / You won’t see a lot of droid antics on Andor, but new droid B2EMO has a few key moments.

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I am thankful that I did. Andor needs this much time to get its bearings, mostly because its opening episodes plow ahead with an entirely new cast of characters surrounding the familiar face of lead actor Diego Luna. Trailers have suggested that we’ll eventually see characters from Rogue One, Star Wars: Rebels, and other entries, but first, we have to watch Andor embrace his destiny.

At least one portion of the series thus far has Lost its way

If your preferred Star Wars adventures feature shady deals in alleyways, dubious-sounding no-questions-asked favors, and cold-blooded killings, Andor wastes no time bearing its dark heart. Andor begins the first episode on a fact-finding mission, and while he’s clearly been on his search for a while, this TV series opens with his quest going awry. Within minutes, Andor returns to Ferrix, his veritable home base where he typically picks up and sells scrap to get by. It’s time to run one last deal, he tells his few accomplices, and they need to tighten their alibis about it, just in case.

And he would’ve gotten away with his scheme, too, if it weren’t for a meddling middle manager inside an Imperial operations outpost. Deputy Inspector Karn (Kyle Soller) is the series’ first standout new character, as he bristles with impotent rage while trying to make a name for himself inside an otherwise bureaucratically restrained Empire. Karn alternates between obnoxious smugness and chest-puffing BS as appropriate, and his resulting unlikability is magnetic to watch as he bears down on Andor’s escape plan. His place in the story is probably as close as the Star Wars universe will ever get to resembling the broken law enforcement ecosystem of some of modern TV’s biggest hits.