Too much Star Wars and most of it is just sort of a live action cartoon designed to sell merchandise. That’s a mash-up of some of the most common criticisms of the current iteration of the Star Wars Universe as helmed by Mickey Mouse. I certainly get that.
The Book of Boba Fett was objectively pretty terrible until Mando showed up.
It’s not Boba Fett’s fault, really. When The Mandalorian beat it to the starting gate, Din Djarin stole every single character trait that fans had attributed to Boba for years. Hard. Austere. Laconic. Actions over words. Solitary. Realistic. Then, with the addition of lightning-in-a-bottle Grogu, it allowed Mando to soften in some of those areas. Nevertheless, The Mandalorian still had some gritty reality to it. It still felt like the stakes were real. No such thing with The Book of Boba Fett, where stakes seemed to go out the window. Thanks to Mando usurping his persona, the mercenary killer we’ve known for thirty-odd years became Wyatt Earp and the most feared assassin in the galaxy that he partnered with wore unkillable plot armor.
Even so, it was still almost redeemed by Mando and Baby Yoda kicking ass at the end of it.
Obi Wan Kenobi was even less believable. Someday I’m going to pontificate on that duel but in general, the relative shoulder shrug that was that show ended up being a terrible lead-in for Andor.
Because Andor is different.
If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that there isn’t ONE type of Star Wars fan. Fans are all over the place, wanting different things, liking different things and wildly divided on just about every topic. In my youth, I could never imagine that there would be racist Star Wars fans because growing up with that cantina scene in the original, I imagined that it painted a picture of a world where it was commonplace for beings of all kinds to tip a stein together. Nevertheless, thanks to social media and the ubiquitousness of rampant stupidity, even something as wonderful as Star Wars is rife with bigots who, with their tiny fucking brains, can’t imagine a Black stormtrooper or an Asian rebel.
As with every former bastion of relief from modern society in this deeply troubling era where fascists are taking root not just in America but in places like Italy and Sweden, it’s exhausting. Andor creator Tony Gilroy knows this. All of this division and uncertainty and the constant thrum of the imperial boot is reflected in Andor. I’d really love to go into specifics, but the point of this piece isn’t to do that – it’s just to say that I know you might be burned out by Star Wars, on both the film and television sides, but you should make an exception for this show. For some, it can feel like a slow burn to start, but the writing and the acting and the directing and the visuals and the intelligence of the show is second to none in the Star Wars world. The cinematography is so sharp and unlike other shows in The Volume, they understand how to build a sense of scale that makes the watcher feel oppressed. I was always a little worried watching Andor, which is how so many people feel in the modern world these days.
I’ve absolutely LONGED for a more gritty look at the Star Wars world and this show succeeds in that. If you enjoyed Rogue One, you’ll love Andor. If you hated Rogue One, I’m guessing you’ll still find a way to like Andor. I’ll write more about it in the future, but for now let’s just say that hiring truly gifted storytellers and people who understand character building and motivations is a winning strategy for this franchise.
