The Axe Forgets

Another slow burn episode. Lots of character development, but not much plot development. And for me, I am still really enjoying it. I am absolutely loving the interpersonal conversations. This show has been such a breath of fresh air for Star Wars.

You can argue that the story is too slow and it could have been told in 3 episodes up to this point, but I'm really invested. I will say though that I was expecting the dinner party and the job to be shown in this episode, but now I have to wait another week. But alas. They should have released the episodes on a daily basis, or all at once.

Overall, I'm excited for more. And we got space Captain Crunch!

8.5/10.

This is a really intriguing show.

I love the slow pace, it gives weight to the story.

It's not a rush. It's not full of messy CGI and galactic level threats. The multiple streams of storylines work together well and will intersect well further along the storyline.

The tension from a single tie fighter was so well done. Each character feels unique and not shoehorned into the story.

The cinematography is beautiful. The score is fantastic - NB has done extremely well. It feels and sounds almost analogue. The music is crafted to the story unlike Holt's Kenobi score which was a total disgrace and utterly dreadful.

Really enjoying this show so far.

The Catalyst book then Rogue One have been my favourite Starwars stories. This show taps into that same sense of character driven insight that is behind the larger events of the universe. It's so refreshing to have something with a more depth to it than boba or mando (I love those too just in a different way). Can't wait to see where it all leads.

This episode while still a slow burn really builds the anticipation for the coming events. The characters are all solid and well directed. All decent actors too.

The visual of the Tie Fighter swooping down was awesome too. Really get a feeling of the power the contain.

After this episode I truly believe that Andor is one of the best story tellings in the entire Star Wars universe (only movies and shows; not games and books).

The writing relies heavily on show don't tell. The stakes feel real. In just one episode the show managed to make me care about a group of entirely new characters, made me interested in where they came from and what their motivations are.

This show diverts entirely from the Star Wars we know and focuses on the little people. We get to see the workings of the empire and not just have them as a luring evil that functions mostly in the background or appears when our heroes need a bit of resistance. They are people doing their jobs and believing in what they do. They, just like the rebells, are driven and have their motivations. We rarely get to see that side of the empire and it is so fascinating to see it.

Andor is (and probably will remain as) one of my favorite story from the Star Wars universe. The story telling is masterful and I cannot wait for more.

This episode is a perfect calm before the storm. We watch as Cassian gets implemented into the rebel group, and everyone in the group is characterized so well.

Nemik is a stand-out character. Despite his young age, his firm belief that the empire has brainwashed and oppressed everyone shows his knowledge and awareness of his surroundings. He's extremely admirable, though I have a strong feeling he will die in the next episode.

I like how Gorn is an imperial who learned to respect the people of Aldhani, as well as how snarky and mysterious Skeen is. His background is really dark and tragic.

The only character I think isn't characterized super well is Cinta. Her performance comes off a bit lifeless, but I'm sure there will be an opportunity for that to change as the series goes on.

I like how Cassian struggles to trust this group and the group struggles to trust him. It makes Cassian the perfect vessel for the audience to be introduced to this hodge-podge of a group. The hostility between them comes off naturally and showcases the stress they're all under.

We also catch up more with Syril here, who seems to be starting his own personal rebellion out of anger over his defeat on Ferrix. It's nice to see the parallels between both him and Cassian adapting to new environments.

Once again, this is a great episode. No surprise at this point!