My immediate reaction to the opening moments of the “Andor” season premiere was to wonder how many racist “Star Wars” fans just screamed at their screens over the sight of the Black woman inside the spaceship.
“Andor,” based on the events following the only good “Star Wars” prequel of the bunch, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” features Diego Luna reprising his role as rebel Cassian Andor.
That Black woman, named Niya on the show and portrayed by Rachelle Diedericks, is also a rebel.
“If I die tonight, was it worth it?” she contemplates, understandably nervous about her defection.
“The empire cannot win,” Cassian tells her. “You will never feel right unless you are doing what you can to stop them. You’re coming home to yourself. You’ve become more than you fear. Let that protect you.”
On a separate episode, Cassian, wrestling with how aggressive to get with other rebels, says, “People die rushing,” to which he is told in response, “It’s hard to be patient when your world is falling apart.”
“Andor” is a thoughtful and increasingly timely examination of how imperialistic empires are built and maintained — and what prompts the revolutions to stop them. The Disney+ project is the best of the “Star Wars”-themed TV series, and frankly, it is the best overall post-original trilogy product. All episodes of the first two seasons are available on Disney+.
Given America’s current state, it’s easy to take much of the dialogue and subject matter from the show and wonder to yourself, “Should I be taking notes since America might be a wrap by its 250th birthday?”
For the sake of viewers sensitive to certain imagery, on Season 2’s second episode, an Imperial officer tries to violently rape a rebel fugitive, Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), who is hiding out in a farming settlement as other Imperial troops are rounding up “undocumented” citizens.
Tony Gilroy, creator of “Andor,” has defended his choice to include the scene amid some pushback from fans.
“I get one shot to tell everything I know — or can discover, or that I’ve learned — about revolution, about battles, with as many incidents and as many colors as I can get in there, without having [the story] tip over,” Gilroy told The Hollywood Reporter. “I mean, let’s be honest, man: The history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s rape.”
Wherever one falls on that inclusion, overall, Gilroy understandably has bragging rights for his work: “Andor” currently has the highest rating of any “Star Wars” TV show or movie on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series is less about mysticism and religion, and more about the intricacies and painful minutiae of war and revolution. As much as I would love to see a light saber or Jedi mind trick, “Andor” presents a cohesive story that’s well acted, well written and well directed. It has a point of view that is not simply repurposing old “Star Wars” lore for nostalgic fans like me to boost a conglomerate’s bottom line.
That’s an impressive feat for any project from Hollywood, much less one built from established IP.
I still appreciate the original “Star Wars” trilogy, but it has been a mixed experience watching the prequel films — Episodes I, II and III — that started more than 25 years ago. Not only because of the bigoted fans who have spoiled the experience for many of the nonwhite actors who took roles in the various “Star Wars”-themed projects. It’s also because none of the other projects have quite captured any of the magic of Episodes IV, V and VI. The prequels have ranged in quality — from promising to solid karaoke cover to damn terrible.
Jar Jar Binks didn’t annoy me as much as he did others in “The Phantom Menace,” but it was mid.
As much as the fight scenes were top-notch in “Revenge of the Sith,” I don’t find Best of the Worst to be all that commendable a feat. I have since learned that it is a bit of a generational thing, as those who grew up as children watching the prequel films have a different level of appreciation. The film recently grossed more than $42 million globally at the box office for a special release marking its 20th anniversary.
I will not get all off my lawn on Gen Zers about their preferred trio of “Star Wars” films, but I’d like to believe we can at least reach an agreement when it comes to the sequel films. “The Force Awakens” was OK cosplay; “The Rise of Skywalker” was an under-appreciated gem from director Rian Johnson, and “The Last Jedi” is so terrible that it should be forgotten if not formally stricken from the record.
As for the TV shows, I have found them to range in terms of quality and entertainment value. As a collective, however, they are much better post-original works than the films.
I might be biased because Pedro Pascal is my preference, but “The Mandalorian,” helmed by Jon Favreau, was the perfect introduction to “Star Wars” in the form of a live-action series. It was a space Western with a Yoda-like character in Grogu, which made for good storytelling and merchandising. That’s effectively why “The Mandalorian” is now becoming a film in the form of “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which is set for release next May.
“The Book of Boba Fett,” set up as a sequel to “The Mandalorian,” didn’t perform well, and having watched it, probably shouldn’t have ever happened or, at least, not as a TV show.
I didn’t mind the Ewan McGregor-led “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” but that was a limited series. Another “Mandalorian”-spinoff, “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson, had a promising start, but like many shows has seen its subsequent season delayed amid the last few years of chaos in Hollywood.
I like “Skeleton Crew” for kids, but “Andor,” by far, is the best of the “Star Wars” TV shows.
Disney has shifted course on many of the previously announced “Star Wars” projects. But here’s hoping that whatever is next from its universe, it follows the lead of “Andor.”
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