As one of the oldest and most popular franchises in Hollywood right now, there’s a lot ofStar Warscontent out there for fans to eat up. Whether it be the original trilogy of the ‘70s and ‘80s, the numerous animated series, the various live-action films and series that Disney has produced, or the countless comics, video games and novels that have be released over the years, there’s certainly no shortage ofStar Warsmaterial, new or old. With so many differentStar Warsstories and adventures having already been told in one way or another, the series has established itself as one of the largest and most well-defined connected universes in all of fiction.
Having this much content under the umbrella of one brand can be a double-edged sword, though. While it certainly keeps die-hard fans of the series fed and satisfied, after a while, it risks overexposure. Every new addition to the canon can easily start to feel like everything else that came before. This is an issue that is currently facing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which contributed to the consistentdisappointment with Phase Four. It’s a danger for any major series, and it’s one thatStar Warshas also experienced already with shows likeThe Book of Boba Fett.
However, while it can be easy to fall into this problem, it’s not impossible to avoid it. With new, fresh ideas that push the series forward instead of continuing to idle where the story has been, long-term franchises likeStar Warscan continue to bring the same excitement they once did. It takes a really strong story with a new approach to the series and interesting characters to match. It takes a show likeAndor.
Telling Unexpected Stories
Andormight not be the kind of story that someone would initially consider when they think ofStar Wars, but that’s a key reason why it has managed to be so compelling. It’s not a light-hearted space adventure like the original film from 1977, nor is ita grand-scale epic space opera likeRevenge of the Sith.Andoris something entirely new for the series. It’s a smaller, more ground-level story that is more concerned with how people are living their lives on poverty-stricken streets than it is with building up legendary heroes and battles. There are no traditional or mythological heroes inAndor, just people doing what they can to resist fascist suppression.
The titular protagonist, Cassian Andor, is not a new face toStar Wars. The character, played by the immensely talented Diego Luna, was first introduced inRogue One: A Star Wars Storyback in 2016. In many ways,Rogue Onelaid the groundwork for whatAndorwould become. That film was also a story about the unsung heroes that set in motion the events of the originalStar Warsfilm and trilogy. However, that film balanced out its new approach toStar Warswith many inclusions of classic characters and ideas. With the inclusion of Darth Vader and Princess Leia (briefly) and references to other characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi,Rogue Onewas a film thoroughly tied into and interwoven with the overallStar Warscanon. And that’s not even to mention the fact that it literally builds toward and then seamlessly connects with the opening scene ofA New Hope.
Andorisn’t like that. The series, which was created byRogue Oneco-writer Tony Gilroy, takes the same tone as that anthology film and then charges firmly in the opposite direction with it. Instead of taking every opportunity to reference or include outside characters and events from the overallStar Warscanon,Andordoesn’t bother. While there are certainly blink-and-you-miss-it Easter eggs to excite die-hard fans, there are no Jedi, no references to the Force, and no lightsabers. It’s a political story that is almost entirely disconnected from anything we’ve seen before. It stands on its own two legs, consistently and utterly refusing to rely on the familiar ideas and approaches thatStar Warshas used to tell its stories before. Even Andor, as the lead character, is not someone fans ever expected to see on-screen again. When a spin-off prequel story about theRogue Onecharacter was announced, many fans were confused as to why and were easily more excited about the newObi-Wan Kenobiseries. However, in an unexpected turn of events,Obi-Wan Kenobidisappointed many fans upon its release this past summer, and now many fans and critics alike are proclaimingAndorto be some of the bestStar Warsmaterial in years.
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A Newfound Maturity
Andorproves that there is room in the galaxy for all kinds of stories. While the franchise has delved into some darker material in the past, on the whole it has largely been an overtly kid-friendly series. Even the franchise’s creator, the legendary George Lucas, has stated time and time again thatStar Warsis a series for 12-year-olds. Prior toAndor, the closest the series had gotten to telling an adult story was withRogue One, but even that film steered away from going too far into an adult-oriented direction.Andoris an open embracing of the dark side, meaning that the show doesn’t even attempt to be kid-friendly. While the show doesn’t quite earn the TV-MA rating given to shows likeHouse of the Dragon, it’s still a hard TV-14 that weaves a politically and morally complex story that we’ll just say isn’t going to appeal to the average 12-year-old. It’s not a show made to entertain children nor to excite your inner child.
While the story and concept ofStar Warshas always been inherently political,Andoris the most the series has ever openly embraced that side of itself. The series is a damning indictment of the oppressive nature of empirical, fascist, and nationalist ideology. Several early reviews for the series stated that the series felt as ifHBO had been allowed to make aStar Warsseries, and that couldn’t be more accurate. Through the numerous storylines thatAndorbalances, the show builds a world defined by its injustice, cruelty, oppression, and disregard for the people that inhabit it. This sense of maturity separatesAndorfrom pretty much everythingStar Warshas done before, at least on-screen. While there have certainly been adult-orientedStar Warsstories told through novels and other mediums,Andormarks the first occasion that the franchise has embraced this tone on a stage that appeals to the public at large.
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A Refreshing Tone
There’s no debating thatAndorhas not been the same immense breakout hit as other Disney+Star Warsseries likeObi-Wan KenobiandThe Mandalorian. However, it’s not really trying to be. In a new approach to the nearly half-century-old series,Andoris aStar Warsseries that is purposefully not for everyone. It is actively trying not to cast a wide net in the hopes of drawing in as many viewers as possible. Instead, the show tells a much smaller and more niche story that has slowly garnered more and more interest.
Through its heavy drama and overtly political story,Andorhas shown thatStar Warscan be so much more than just wacky aliens and lightsabers. While it might not be drawing in as large of an audience as the shows and films that have preceded it, the series has still proven to be a resounding success for the series. It has improved the overall health of theStar Warsbrand by bringing a new sense of vibrancy and just generally being a necessary breath of fresh air for the series. It has shown to its audience that there is plenty of life left in the franchise, and that there are fresh and new stories still to be told within the galaxy far, far away.With a confined two-season storyas well,Andorillustrates that there is more motivation behind the creatives at Lucasfilm than just making content that will bring in the biggest crowds. There’s a set creative plan for the series that is determined not by how many viewers Disney thinks they can squeeze out of it, but rather by what genuinely makes sense for the story.
This new adult-oriented approach toStar Warshas brought a new flavor to the franchise that it has been almost entirely devoid of until this point. Even in instances likeRogue OneandRevenge of the Sith, where the series delves into immensely dark ideas and themes, it still maintained a vaguely child-friendly tone at its core.Andormarks the first occasion thatStar Warshas thoroughly abandoned that approach to its storytelling. The result of which is a new kind of story for the series that has proven thatStar Warscan successfully exist beyond the confines of what has defined it in the past.Star Warscan be more than just cool laser swords and spaceships; it can be a compelling and sophisticated tale of rebellion and the gray areas that are explored within it.
