This post includes spoilers up to Andor episode 8, “Narkina 5.” Alongside the more high-profile reintroduction of Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), Andor just brought back another figure from Rogue One: Ruescott Melshi. Played by Duncan Pow, Melshi later becomes a Rebel fighter and friend to Cassian Andor. But since Andor takes place several years before Rogue One, …
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‘Andor’ episode 8 illustrates why this show is so divisive, exploring the psychological strategy of the Empire’s prison system
This post includes spoilers for Andor episode 8, “Narkina 5.” As the ISB investigation into Cassian Andor grinds ahead, Cassian himself has already been arrested under an assumed name, caught up in the galaxy-wide Imperial crackdown. Episode 8 takes him to an prison on the planet Narkina 5; a gleaming paragon of dystopian efficiency, plucked …
After Watching ‘Andor,’ ‘Veep’ Creator Armando Iannucci Wouldn’t Mind Doing A ‘Star Wars’ Comedy
Lucasfilm Andor has been widely described as a different kind of Star Wars show — a grittier, more complicated affair that isn’t as beholden to nostalgia and Easter Eggs as the others. What else would you expect from Tony Gilroy, the guy who made Michael Clayton? But it’s done more than get strong reviews. It’s …
Who is Bix in ‘Andor’? Inside Adria Arjona’s Star Wars Role
Before playing Bix in Andor, Adria appeared in several projects you my have heard of. She portrayed Anathema Device in Good Omens and Dorothy Gale in Emerald City. She also voiced a Fortnite character! But that was after portraying Emily in True Detective. Even if we’ve seen the last of Bix in Andor, she remains …
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‘Andor’ episode 7: A chillingly realistic depiction of life under fascism
This recap includes spoilers for Andor episode 7, “Announcement.” Andor never takes any shortcuts. Described in the terms of a typical franchise spinoff, it’s an origin story for Cassian’s role as a Rebel spy. But Tony Gilroy’s writers tease out every possible angle of what that actually means. From law-and-order crackdowns to the threats against Cassian’s …
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Rebels Stole 80 Million Credits in Andor Ep 6. What Does That Mean?
For example, in ‘A New Hope’, Luke gets excited when he hears a valuation of 10,000 credits, exclaiming that he could buy a new ship for that. He eventually sells his own land speeder for 2,000 when they leave Tattooine, the equivalent of an old beat-up used car. So, if a new starship is worth …
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‘Andor’, the Empire, and cultural erasure
This post includes spoilers up to episode 6 of Andor. In A New Hope, we know the Jedi existed within living memory. Yet the main characters make it sound like the Jedi belong to a long-dead era, referring to them as an “ancient religion.” Luke Skywalker and Han Solo seem to think of them as …
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‘Andor’ episode 5: Of course the Rebellion includes a Theory Guy
This post includes spoilers for Andor episode 5. What’s life like inside the Rebellion? The main Star Wars movies don’t have time to go into it, but Andor picks up the slack. Preparing for an undercover mission on the planet Aldhani (aka Scotland), Cassian disrupts an already-tense atmosphere among his new Rebel allies. The resulting …
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Visiting Imperial Coruscant, ‘Andor’ deftly illustrates the banality of evil
This post includes spoilers up to episode 4 of Andor. Often overshadowed by complaints about bad dialogue and Jar Jar Binks, the Star Wars prequels offer some deceptively smart political worldbuilding. Not just in their depiction of a slowly-encroaching authoritarian takeover, but in the visual contrast between the Republic and Imperial eras. Andor provides an intriguing bridge …
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‘Star Wars’ comes to Scotland in ‘Andor’ episode 4
This post includes spoilers for episode 4 of Andor, “Aldhani.” Emulating the best of the Star Wars movies, Andor prioritizes visual worldbuilding, leaning into IRL allegories. The forests of Cassian’s homeworld, for instance, were strip-mined by a colonizing force. Episode 4 introduces another intriguing location with the planet Aldhani, where Cassian joins a team of …
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‘Andor’ is the antidote to copaganda TV, skewering its law-enforcement villains
This post includes spoilers for the first three episodes of Andor. In most TV dramas, Andor’s villain would be the hero. Deputy Inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) wants to solve a pair of murders, launching an investigation against direct orders from his corrupt boss. He’s young and ambitious, tracking a mysterious criminal who goes on …
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‘Andor’ Creator Tony Gilroy Needed Everyone (Even Seasoned Actors) To Let Go Of Their ‘Star Wars’ Reverence
Lucasfilm As Andor continues to rack up rave reviews following its premiere, creator Tony Gilroy is opening up about the filmmaking process for the Star Wars series that takes a markedly different approach to the galaxy than previous streaming entries like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. According to Gilroy, the trick is capturing a real …