• Most new users don't bother reading our rules. Here's the one that is ignored almost immediately upon signup: DO NOT ASK FOR FANEDIT LINKS PUBLICLY. First, read the FAQ. Seriously. What you want is there. You can also send a message to the editor. If that doesn't work THEN post in the Trade & Request forum. Anywhere else and it will be deleted and an infraction will be issued.
  • If this is your first time here please read our FAQ and Rules pages. They have some useful information that will get us all off on the right foot, especially our Own the Source rule. If you do not understand any of these rules send a private message to one of our staff for further details.
  • Please read our Rules & Guidelines

Star Wars: Andor

Last Impressions

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
792
Reaction score
383
Trophy Points
83
Another great episode. While Cassian's storyline wasn't the greatest, Mon Mothma's arena was fantastic. This show continues to blow all other Star Wars productions out of the water. Excellent story telling.
The Mon Mothma storyline is the one i'm most ingrained in and once again I'm loving the Dedra Meero character played by Denise Gough.

I loved seeing the Brutalist architecture of the Barbican Centre in London used as a location of the street level of Coruscant where Kleya and Vel meet. I love the fact i will now be in Coruscant when i am walking through there. ;)
 
Last edited:

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,451
Reaction score
1,161
Trophy Points
118
I really liked this most recent episode, though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea as it is light on action. Without getting into spoiler territory, I thought it was great to really start to see all the different characters and storylines start to intersect. And nothing seems like it isn’t thoroughly thought out story-wise. It’s thematic without beating you over the head with it. And all the sets, politics, and motivations feel real and earned. My only fear with the show now is that they feel the need to do some grand cameo in the homestretch (I’m looking at you Mandalorian s2). I really hope they maintain the confidence they’ve had with the story so far and stick the landing on its own terms.
 

Last Impressions

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
792
Reaction score
383
Trophy Points
83
So it turns out Snoke started out as a foreman in the prison system. :D

What do you think the prisoners are manufacturing ? Pieces of the Death Star? Was the Death Star fully constructed in BBY5?
 

Last Impressions

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
792
Reaction score
383
Trophy Points
83
I really liked this most recent episode, though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea as it is light on action. Without getting into spoiler territory, I thought it was great to really start to see all the different characters and storylines start to intersect. And nothing seems like it isn’t thoroughly thought out story-wise. It’s thematic without beating you over the head with it. And all the sets, politics, and motivations feel real and earned. My only fear with the show now is that they feel the need to do some grand cameo in the homestretch (I’m looking at you Mandalorian s2). I really hope they maintain the confidence they’ve had with the story so far and stick the landing on its own terms.
I would eventually like to see Krennick and Tarkin or even Palpatine. We don't necessarily need to see Vader
 

DigModiFicaTion

DᴉმWoqᴉԷᴉcɑꓕᴉou
Staff member
Faneditor
Messages
8,609
Reaction score
3,508
Trophy Points
168
Just finished episode 8. For me this was the weakest episode so far. Lots of set up happening here, but little actual movement. This episode had too many stories and players for anything to really happen. The production value continues to be top notch, just a bit of a breather episode. Hoping this upcoming 3rd episode in act 3 kicks as hard as the other act closers. It still boggles my mind that this show captures the fear, terror, and power of the empire in its political scenes while Episode II & III were so horrible at it. You can feel the weight of the situation in the performances. And that is what I think is one of the key components here. These actors are flat out killing it. Good dialogue and fantastic acting = a great production.
 

Bobson Dugnutt

Well-known member
Faneditor
Messages
1,612
Reaction score
1,088
Trophy Points
133
So it turns out Snoke started out as a foreman in the prison system. :D

What do you think the prisoners are manufacturing ? Pieces of the Death Star? Was the Death Star fully constructed in BBY5?

if they really wanted to make the empire appear as horrible and dehumanising, I think those parts should go to another room, where they are disassembled, before being sent back and continuing the cycle.
 

Last Impressions

Well-known member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
792
Reaction score
383
Trophy Points
83
if they really wanted to make the empire appear as horrible and dehumanising, I think those parts should go to another room, where they are disassembled, before being sent back and continuing the cycle.
Apparently they are making

370
 

mnkykungfu

Well-known member
Donor
Messages
2,279
Reaction score
747
Trophy Points
123
I just love the GUTS that this series has. It says "haven't you had enough of the Fantasy? What if we dropped that element entirely and showed you the Star Wars universe without it?"

The same place, but with no magical farmboy to come along and save the day. If you want salvation, you'll have to claw and weasel and hide and connive for every inch of it. A whole storyline about tracing inventory sheets of warehouse parts. A whole subplot about how to get funding for arms, and then how to transport those arms to actual guerillas.

These are the bones of a revolution. Not petty family drama, laser swords, and magical forest creatures. I mean, I love old Star Wars, but there are strong elements of pitching it to a child's understanding of what fighting an evil empire is. From the very beginning, long before teddy bears, the movies were simplistic. That's part of the charm, but also part of what makes them easy for adults to roll their eyes at.

Andor is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's The Americans. It's The Sympathizer. There are a hundred moments of Show-Don't-Tell in every episode, lettting you see all the thoughts in the characters' heads, all the tension building for the options they're weighing, knowing that one bad choice will start the snowball that leads to their deaths... this is frankly a series that's far more intricate and subtle than anything Star Wars fans have ever gotten. There are no grandiose speeches, no opera in this space story...

To take Star Wars and tell stories of espionage, of intrigue, to try a thriller and a drama rather than something accessible to a 6-year old? That takes GUTS.
 

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,451
Reaction score
1,161
Trophy Points
118
I just love the GUTS that this series has. It says "haven't you had enough of the Fantasy? What if we dropped that element entirely and showed you the Star Wars universe without it?"

The same place, but with no magical farmboy to come along and save the day. If you want salvation, you'll have to claw and weasel and hide and connive for every inch of it. A whole storyline about tracing inventory sheets of warehouse parts. A whole subplot about how to get funding for arms, and then how to transport those arms to actual guerillas.

These are the bones of a revolution. Not petty family drama, laser swords, and magical forest creatures. I mean, I love old Star Wars, but there are strong elements of pitching it to a child's understanding of what fighting an evil empire is. From the very beginning, long before teddy bears, the movies were simplistic. That's part of the charm, but also part of what makes them easy for adults to roll their eyes at.

Andor is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's The Americans. It's The Sympathizer. There are a hundred moments of Show-Don't-Tell in every episode, lettting you see all the thoughts in the characters' heads, all the tension building for the options they're weighing, knowing that one bad choice will start the snowball that leads to their deaths... this is frankly a series that's far more intricate and subtle than anything Star Wars fans have ever gotten. There are no grandiose speeches, no opera in this space story...

To take Star Wars and tell stories of espionage, of intrigue, to try a thriller and a drama rather than something accessible to a 6-year old? That takes GUTS.
I agree 100%. I love what this show is doing. I hope it is doing well for Disney because I want more of this. I am concerned, however, since if I understand the production of Rogue One correctly, it was Gilroy who added the Vader coda. And while I was fine with that for that movie, I don’t want that sort of thing here. This show has made the Star Wars world feel so much bigger while so much of Star Wars recently has made it feel smaller by constantly feeding the audience Easter eggs and familiar connections. I’m hoping for the strong finale I crave, but I’m already so happy with the series so far that I’ll only be a little disappointed if I don’t get it.
 

DigModiFicaTion

DᴉმWoqᴉԷᴉcɑꓕᴉou
Staff member
Faneditor
Messages
8,609
Reaction score
3,508
Trophy Points
168
Episode 9, the fear and anger is rising. That scene of Mon Mothma alone in the entry way spoke louder than any political dialogue or talking scene in the whole of the prequels. Disaster is on the brink. Another episode of tension building. Casian's hate for the Empire is beginning to be realized.
 

HonestAbe

Well-known member
Messages
57
Reaction score
65
Trophy Points
18
I just love the GUTS that this series has. It says "haven't you had enough of the Fantasy? What if we dropped that element entirely and showed you the Star Wars universe without it?"

The same place, but with no magical farmboy to come along and save the day. If you want salvation, you'll have to claw and weasel and hide and connive for every inch of it. A whole storyline about tracing inventory sheets of warehouse parts. A whole subplot about how to get funding for arms, and then how to transport those arms to actual guerillas.

These are the bones of a revolution. Not petty family drama, laser swords, and magical forest creatures. I mean, I love old Star Wars, but there are strong elements of pitching it to a child's understanding of what fighting an evil empire is. From the very beginning, long before teddy bears, the movies were simplistic. That's part of the charm, but also part of what makes them easy for adults to roll their eyes at.

Andor is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's The Americans. It's The Sympathizer. There are a hundred moments of Show-Don't-Tell in every episode, lettting you see all the thoughts in the characters' heads, all the tension building for the options they're weighing, knowing that one bad choice will start the snowball that leads to their deaths... this is frankly a series that's far more intricate and subtle than anything Star Wars fans have ever gotten. There are no grandiose speeches, no opera in this space story...

To take Star Wars and tell stories of espionage, of intrigue, to try a thriller and a drama rather than something accessible to a 6-year old? That takes GUTS.

Disney should hire you for advertising. Your description of the show means I now have to check it out. I was waiting to see how others viewed the show, and it looks like people are liking this much more than the other Star Wars series produced by Disney.

I am wondering if I should watch it now or wait around for fan editors to trim out some of the excess based upon the criticisms. Your description does tempt me to start right now.
 

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,451
Reaction score
1,161
Trophy Points
118
Disney should hire you for advertising. Your description of the show means I now have to check it out. I was waiting to see how others viewed the show, and it looks like people are liking this much more than the other Star Wars series produced by Disney.

I am wondering if I should watch it now or wait around for fan editors to trim out some of the excess based upon the criticisms. Your description does tempt me to start right now.
I would recommend watching in its original form. I won’t say it’s perfect. I have specific criticisms that I’ll wait for the season to conclude to voice. But, IMO, the show works because it gives the characters room to grow. You’ll either like the show on its own terms or you won’t. I don’t think “tightening it up” is any sort of fix for this show. Is it slower than most (all) Star Wars? Yes. But that’s the point and I believe part of why it is so lauded. I do not think it is stretched to fill more episodes (Kenobi) nor do I think it is lacking in story and rich character to justify its existence (Book of Fett). We care about what’s happening here precisely because we’re given time to care. If anything I want more time with many of the characters. And look, it’s totally understandable if some don’t want this sort of storytelling from Star Wars. It’s definitely very different from what has come before. But I don’t think a fan edit will change that.
 

mnkykungfu

Well-known member
Donor
Messages
2,279
Reaction score
747
Trophy Points
123
I am wondering if I should watch it now or wait around for fan editors to trim out some of the excess based upon the criticisms. Your description does tempt me to start right now.
Ha! Cheers.
You’ll either like the show on its own terms or you won’t. I don’t think “tightening it up” is any sort of fix for this show.
I have to say I'm in agreement on this. I wouldn't say that the show is organized quite so neatly as to fit into specific 3 episode "arcs", as for example we're on episode 9 now and it feels like there might be a big "payoff" moment coming in the next episode. Whereas there are other things seeded early on that have been coming back round in this and the last episode. If we compare this to, say, a garden: it's not that the series is an unwieldy bush needing to be pruned away to show the beauty. It's more of an old-growth tree...slower to see develop, but the beauty is in the branch that curves oddly outward, the slight knots and gnarls along the way.

This is a series for someone who can take a walk through nature, observing all the details and appreciating how they contribute to the whole. If someone is that kind of person that visits the Grand Canyon and goes "yeah, that's big!" and that's about all they have to say about it, best to just stick with the lightsaber fight movies. This doesn't have that kind of flash very often. But it will be, if they let it keep growing, like a tall, impressive Redwood, I think.

Alright, I'll put away my Walden and Emerson now, promise.
 

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,451
Reaction score
1,161
Trophy Points
118
I need to add that it seems a lot of reviewers say that kids would be bored by this show. My son is 10 and it’s his favorite Star Wars show so far. I asked him to rank his favorites and he said: 1. Andor, 2. Kenobi, 3. Fett, 4. Mandalorian. I admit I was surprised Mandalorian is so far down as he is obsessed with Baby Yoda.
 

hothstation

Well-known member
Messages
250
Reaction score
77
Trophy Points
33
Episode 9 was great... This show has some of the very best dialogue I have ever seen in Star Wars. I am still cautiously optimistic due to the last few released projects, however.
 

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,451
Reaction score
1,161
Trophy Points
118
Okay, I have some pure speculation. I know nothing; have heard no rumors; have no inside information; and base this solely on watching the show and conversations about it here and with my son. That said, I’ll put it in spoiler text in case anyone doesn’t want to read anything that has even an extremely outside chance of coming to fruition.

Ever since Luthen gave that laugh after hearing that the heist had indeed happened, I’ve been wondering about him. Something about that scene didn’t sit right. Then I started thinking more about him. Why did he give Cassian that crystal? Why does he seem to be manipulating his “assistant”? My speculation? He is a double agent. He is behind these early Rebel attacks so that the Galaxy can see this organized Rebel activity. Why would the Empire want to stoke the Rebellion? Why, to justify the creation of a super weapon of mass destruction. I think (well not really; I doubt any of this will actually happen 🤣) we’ll see that Luthen works for Krennic, which would be a better big baddie for this show than Tarkin, Vader, or the Emperor , IMO). And I think Cassian being used like that and then literally used to make parts for the weapon (which is obviously the most likely thing the prisoners are making) will solidify his hatred for the Empire. Now, I’m not sure what previous stories say about Mon Mothma. Was she still a senator in Ep4 or was she a full on Rebel? If it’s the former, I doubt this theory has merit because Luthen obviously knows her for what she is.

Anyway, I just wanted to speculate in the off chance any of that is remotely correct. In some ways I hope I’m very wrong. I think I’d actually prefer there to be no big twists.
 

The Scribbling Man

Tenant of the Tower of Flints
Staff member
Donor
Faneditor
Messages
4,644
Reaction score
2,416
Trophy Points
148
I've got to be honest. I've really not been impressed with Andor. IMO the hype has been blown out of proportion and I feel like a lot of people have been caught up in the aesthetic and the fact that SW is finally doing 'real drama'. But I've found much of the dialogue to be pretty poor and story elements and sequences dragged out way more than necessary. Meero and Syril have easily been the most interesting characters for me, but the latter has been neglected a fair bit and the former's scenes can be a bit repetitive.

However, today's episode (10) was actually enjoyable and the first one I've really liked since Ep 3. Not just because something significant was happening, but it was also the first time that I actually felt something for Mothma's character. Sirkis' character also has a satisfying arc, we get a decent twist towards the end and Luthen's speech felt like a completely different writer (in a good way).
 

Moe_Syzlak

Well-known member
Messages
3,451
Reaction score
1,161
Trophy Points
118
My son walked in the door from school and immediately went and turned on Andor. So we just finished the latest episode. I respectfully disagree with @The Scribbling Man, this show has exceeded all hype for me. I’m happy that my above hypothesis was seemingly wrong. It still very much feels like Star Wars to me, but with time to see characters grow and for themes to develop organically rather than have them foisted on you. I do agree with @The Scribbling Man in that I thought Syril was one of the most promising characters and he has been far too absent. But each episode just flies by for me and I feel for so many characters. And not just the “good guys.” The Empire as a system is the real villain here. Many of our character antagonists we actually care for and sympathize with, while also questioning the actions and ethics of our protagonists. I think the plotting, scripting, dialogue, cinematography, set design, direction, and performances have all been top notch. I can’t wait for the next two episodes and I can’t wait for the next season. And I hope LF takes note and makes more Star Wars of this quality.
 
Top Bottom