Kassa

Terrific opening episode. Star Wars has never felt as real as it does now, not even in 'Rogue One'. It's relatively slow, yes, but it's not a problem at all. I like it when shows take the time to establish their characters, so when the stakes get elevated, it's all the more rewarding and suspenseful. This is clearly going to be a deep character study, so we must get to understand the characters first and see the world from their perspective. The first two episodes aren't boring at all, and if they would have been mashed into one episode along with the third one, as some have wished, everything that comes down in the third would not be even nearly as intriguing or satisfying. This is going to be one hell of a show. Bravo Toby!

This episode was not a bad way to set up rhis show and the overall premise!

From the opening scene you can tell that this is gonna be a different Star Wars experience than you are used to! You feel like this is shot with so much love and care compared to many of the other shows!

The production value is really good already in this first episode! So many of the scenes just hooks you in with their identity, plus it looks good most of the time! It felt like that experience kn Star Wars i aleays wanted!

It might be a slow burn, but trust me when I say that you will be rewarded if you invest yourself in this story and journey!

...But also, the only D+ show that actually feels like a real TV Show and not a 2-hour movie split into parts, and not bound by the weird 6-episode-only formula of MCU shows that surprisingly makes the writers both drag the first half of the show and also rush the ending with lots of lost potential.

This episode is the opener of the season and is obviously gonna be an introduction with fewer big events or explosions and action and all that, and I think that's why they released 3 episodes first and I'm assuming the 3rd is gonna end on a cliffhanger or something. The point I'm trying to make is that the show seems a slow burn and I actually like they're going this route and laying their plot this way instead of rushing or giving us pointless action just to keep the kids' attention span on the screen.

And that's also why I'm giving it a 7 because it is a competent start but nothing mindblowing or amazing yet.

This show's writing also continues the way of Rogue One's character building and giving characters backstory which I really liked about Rogue One as opposed to the Sequels. Even though this is like the simplest and most clichéd way of characterization, doesn't mean it's not gonna work and is definitely better than wasting 3 big movie budgets and +6 hours of our lives on a character with no name of family or backstory. And I am in no way trying to say that a character without flashbacks and backstory about his/her parents/siblings doesn't work at all, it's just that they went out of their way to find the most horrible way to implement this point about that character. This was the reason why many people liked Jyn and not Rey, cause her story was personal and she had the least amount of characterization and something that made us care about her character.

So like I said, they actually give backstory to the protagonist here and make the story personal just like Rogue One. One of the main reasons Star Wars became so huge was because of this personal storytelling and characters being each other's sons and sisters. It's space family soap opera after all.

So it's a competent start and did a good job of reintroducing Cassian Andor and giving him a competent backstory. Though I am getting a little tired of seeing flashbacks all the time in these shows. So let's hope these were the only ones or at least.

And also here's hoping the show is actually what it's looking to be and won't be incompetently written like every MCU show so far or the horrible Obi-Wan show written by a 5-year-old, and isn't rushed in the last few episodes, which by the looks of the number of episodes, it doesn't seem that way.

So with the long stream of Disney star wars titles and spin offs you start to develop an expectation for these shows. What we have come to expect is on full display in the sequel trilogy:

Fast paced, light on plot. Explosions, light sabres. Useless storm troopers, more explosions. Character development...nah don't need that. More explosions. New light sabre. Floating rocks. Callbacks callbacks callbacks.

With that In mind I set my expectations pretty low for Andor. But wow. This is completely different, in fact it's good, very good...

Andor sets the tone right out the gate. It's gritty and dark, it has a sense of desperation. This is achieved through the visuals but also through the very natural dialogue. (This is a massive step up for star wars) the characters in this show talk like real people. They seem to have real problems and motives. In terms of tone It sits somewhere between the original trilogy and bladerunner. The result of solid dialogue is that it grounds the show in a sense of realism. Real world, real characters, real consequences. This is a recipe for real tension! Which is great for fans. One of the pitfalls here though is we already know the main character survives. Which is difficult to work with as a director when your job is to put the audience on the edge of their seat. It will be interesting to see how they work with this.

In terms of story we get a basic introduction to a few of the characters. (New droid is pretty cool) Some will argue it's "boring" but that's not the case. What the sequel trilogy and many of the spin off shows lack in the extreme is proper character development. And that's what this show is building. It respects the audience's intelligence and it's taking it's time with a more mature approach. It shows a different side to the star wars universe. Something "Solo" touched on but was never fully realised.

Overall I'm very pleased to see them produce something with this level of care. The practical effects, the slick dialog and believable characters sure there are easter eggs mixed in there but it seems for once the characters and the story are front and centre.

It really is a massive step in the right direction. I look forward to more.

Good and refreshing start to an original Star Wars Story. Although it starts fairly slow, it is a good start to a 12 episode adventure.

"Andor" is a thrilling spy series that takes us into the heart of the rebels' resistance against the powerful and brutal Empire.

Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy) proves to be a great fit for this show and the main character played by Diego Luna hits the mark as a rebel.

It is a good first episode to build characters and introduce us to the story. No bs/cringe stuff, - good actors and production quality seems to be top notch - I am excited to see how this story develops.

First 3 episodes - 8/10.