How Andor Solves Disney’s Biggest Problem 

Wow Hello, this has been a really sweet response :) do y’all want more video essays, more star wars, or other movies, topics, etc? Let me know what you'd like to see!

It’s very refreshing to have a show that doesn’t rely on nostalgia, cameos and the force and Jedi to tell its story.

Andor absolutely outclasses any StarWars content ever made by Disney... It is a masterpiece

I wish the execs at Star Wars would watch this video! Andor tells an unfamiliar story that we know must have happened, using the familiar elements like the Stormtroopers and an aesthetic that fits right in with the original trilogy, but tells a story of someone we're barely familiar with. This is the nostalgia we've been looking for! It's disheartening that this show really isn't pulling down the numbers that the other Star Wars crap that Disney has squatted out have been getting.

So. i just finished Andor two days ago, and i'm devouring every review i can get my hands on. lol. love yours. thank you!

One of the best things about Andor is that the displacement that the commenter talks about deepens and enriches the Star Wars saga by showing how the Empire oppresses and brutalizes its possessions, and how the Rebellion is sparked by ordinary beings. But nostalgia is not just a Disney problem. Fans of Star Wars, Star Trek and various comic book franchises make a fetish of Canon and lore because they want the simple pleasures of nostalgia and fan service and legacy characters delivering the same old thrills. This is in part why Andor is a more modest success compared to more traditional fan favorite productions. The irony is that some fans complain about Disney owning Star Wars, but they want Disney to do what it often does so well, use its production expertise to churn out glossy, pre-packaged and pre-approved audience tested, safe product. Hopefully, the wide positive reaction to Andor will inspire Disney and Star Wars fans to want better and more creative stories.

I have always believed after Lucas sold the rights, that the true future of Star Wars lies in telling new stories, in new ways, in new settings, within the Galaxy far far away. Andor is the first live-action show to actually set out to do that, in animation I felt much the same about Rebels. What happens is that these two feel (to me that is) more like Star Wars than many of the other outputs. I enjoyed watching the other outputs a lot, but in terms of freshness and engaging one to feel 'within that universe' rather than just watching another event from it, Andor stands out. Book of Bobe Fett had an interesting tale to tell but abandoned it after 2 episodes in favour of nostalgia service to the old EU and to the fans of The Mandalorian. Mandalorian had a story to tell but it never felt very compelling apart from the adorable Baby Yoda and the investment most felt into its relationship with Mando. 2 of the 3 Sequels were pussy-footing around what to do with the legacy of Anakin in the 3rd generation, and largely failed to answer the question and divulged into fan and nostalgia service despite the fact they were treading non-canonized ground. Andor gets everything important right.

This essay is like the show ANDOR: well written with good production value and raises points that are food for thought. Glad to have come across it. You are right in that there’s definitely a discrepancy in how big studios define nostalgia. Instead of a feeling, an essence, that can be captured through good writing, they seem to only want to grasp the superficial familiarity (that the cynical me understand it to be the more profitable approach) of a beloved franchise. I don’t consider myself a fan but I’ve always enjoyed the richness of Lucas’ universe. It baffles me when some people say that ANDOR does not feel like Star Wars because, to me, fighting oppression is the core message of this creation. Thanks for making this video.

Disney doesn't know how to do Nostalgia properly. Corporate media is tabloid minded and nuance is beyond them. Andor has some Nostalgia but it's mostly peripheral which feels natural. IMO Andor feels like very much like SW, just what SW was suppose to grow up to be.

It's funny how Andor doesn't even try to be a Star Wars show. Yet it is also the most Star Wars thing Disney has put out yet (in terms of Lucas his vision.) It's filled with themes about family, revolution, oppression, (the force even albeit in a very different way than we're used to.), sacrifice, selflessness vs selfishness, and leaving your family their home to explore the world.

I truly believe this is some of the greatest Star Wars we’ve ever had.

Great essay! My biggest complaint about SW has always been the unrelenting reliance on nostalgia at the expense of literally everything else. I read another article somewhere along the way, and the author said something along the lines of "Andor's greatest weakness may be that it's attached to the Star Wars universe." I'm praying that it lights a fire under the asses of whoever is making the decisions so we start seeing more excellent work like this show.

This is exactly why Rogue One worked so well. ‘Everything in moderation’ as they say. Great review, from a fellow realist 👍

Excellent video essay. Andor is my favorite series in many, many years. I felt like not a word was wasted. Every line was packed with meaning; every line counted. Even the smallest character had weight and one felt invested in everyone's fate. It was never over the top, but still dripped with drama. And the lessons were many. Please, please tell me there will be a season 2.

I have a theory that there is a misunderstanding in the order of priorities of "what makes a Star Wars". Where they appear to get things wrong is in the lived in setting, it's never convincing enough but Andor nailed it. The Star Wars universe is built in that, everything comes from it. You can have the creatures, aliens, Jedi and ship designes but if the world isn't a bit worn, it's not Star Warsy enough anymore.

Very thoughtful video, I hope your channel blows up soon, you deserve it!

Your ending statement was so perfect! Andor just happened to take place a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away. That's the magic of Star Wars, the far far and long long away-ness of it all!! But it needs a good story. What doesn't need a good story?? Classic themes like family, balance, and power struggles are important. But they're best when they come out naturally. Through the story, and the long-far away place..

Great analysis ty 🙏 Its a hallmark of great storytelling when there is a wellspring of unique perspectives and insights. There's lots of enlightening essays on this show on YT because the writers, showrunners and entire production are at the top of their craft, know wtf they are doing and execute beautifully. Its rare! You know it when you experience it because it sticks in memory, and the more you go back over it / view it the more there is to appreciate. As far as the core of your thesis: another angle on this - is simply that there is a certain very common type of person that likes their burger a certain way .... like the first time they ate one that way, it was so emotionally satisfying it becomes part of their identity ... and they will keep eating it that way for the rest of their life. AND any alternative burger configurations feel strange. Its leaves them feeling bored and dis-satisfied, Because its not 'that familiar burger experience'. AND ALSO a subset within this type (honestly, deep down) really decided this was the best, most *normal* burger ... simply because people around them were and are still already eating it. So it must be good. They feel validated by the "tribe", and would feel ashamed and rejected if they thought others would think they were not acceptable if they were caught munching mustard burger with double pickles. Its really that way, strange as it is so this is a huuuuge financial pressure on studios and creators to give what they *think* the people want. Just like Lukas did with EP IV: Laser Moon vs EP VI: Laser Moon 2. That *is* what a big part of the market thinks *they* want. But as you say, they (honestly, deep down) are never quite as immersed and transported by Laser Moon 2, or Ultra Mega Laser Moom as they were by the first one.

Trying to fit the cannon was absolutely not the problem with Kenobi since Kenobi absolutely doesn't fit the cannon.

"It does not prioritize fitting in the canon". True! But it still cares for it and does not step on the toes of canon. So it does not destroy nostalgia, it goes on from there without rejecting was has been before or perverting it like RJ did.

Maybe it's because I've never had to deal with a major writing project, but I've never really understood why existing canon is viewed as so restricting. As if authors can't write stories unless they're working with a completely blank canvas? The mere idea of a character or event that didn't come from their imaginations is paralyzing? I view it like the artistic exercise where you start with a few random squiggles on the paper, and draw a creature or a scene that uses, works with and incorporates those lines. Or like the "Yes, and..." mentality of Improv theater. Hundreds of episodes of Star Trek that have given you a rich trove of worldbuilding? SOOO CONFINING!!! Let me write a generic action movie instead. Dozens of beloved Star Wars novels that you can pick and glean characters and inspiration from? EW! Throw THAT in the garbage. Let's make up brand new characters that we won't develop because we also bring back famous ones that we have no idea what to do with.

Great essay. Agree with lots of points. Ultimately a good story and less reliance on nostalgia which includes slower character development has turned some 'fans' off which is a pity but it's their loss. Indeed this is a top show, happens to be in Star Wars universe.

I’ll be nostalgic for Andor 10 years from now.

Brilliant essay, nails one of the biggest flaws of Disney's projects failures: the treatment of nostalgia. Expanding the lore, creating and exploring new characters and their stories is what The Clone Wars animated series got right, these are star wars stories of peripheral characters that had no development in the movies, yet their struggle in the conflict is what makes it an excellent product, and why fans now love Ahsoka, after introducing her as a new and annoying character on the CW

As someone who tends to have an explicit dislike for nostalgia and anything related to it...Andor is the first Star Wars I've liked in a long time. Before that, it was Rogue One (which makes sense, in this case). The Mandalorian was fun most of the time, but various instances kept it from being especially good for me (those being the excessive references to fan favorite characters and events from prior shows and movies). But Andor is a whole other beast, and I loved it. I loved it so much, that what I want now most of all...is just a show about Brasso hopping from world to world on the run from the Empire, just being a good person and helping people by doing odd jobs and just being there for anyone. Maybe knocking some Imperial or pirate heads once in a great while. Just a genuinely good person who knows when and how to throw down, and doesn't have any space magic or anything. Just making his way in the galaxy the way certain others always say they do, but who are really just more assholes causing problems.

Andor is just as constrained by canon. If they fucked with canon to the extent the Obi Wan series did, there would've been just as big a backlash. The reality is that Andor found an unexplored area of the Star Wars canon that had been revealed by Rogue One: the necessities of resistance movements. We don't see the meat and bone of the Rebel Alliance or how it came together in the main movies. Andor gives us that in a competent way.

You are my favourite RU-vid story teller. You tell the story with joy and passion. Amazing content.!!! If you plan to monetize your videos in the future, be careful how you use contents from others, it may cause copyright strike. Thank you

Excellent video.... one can only pray the one person left at Disney sees this, learns something, and is in a position to change the Disney outlook. Either that or just let Tony Gilroy make all the Star Wars shows for the next 5 years. But imagine how intrusive Disney management will be once the start changing his work and ruining it.

all we can hope is that more shows like Andor can be made.

A well structured video essay that articulates exactly why Andor works and everything else just falls flat. The explanation of nostalgia works so well. You should check out the scene from the season one finale of Mad Men where Don Draper explains nostalgia and how to use it.

Superb - congratulations to you! That is most excellent analysis !

the way andor was written reminds me of the way logan was written.

I would recommend Andor to be seen first to someone who has never seen Star Wars.

This video essay is so on point!! I've been an SF fan since my teenage years and I've always loved stories that have complex world-building. When reading (or watching) these kinds of stories, I would always find myself wanting to know more about how the society being presented works. All too often, big budget and well established franchises - like Star Wars or Star Trek - pander to the kind of flawed approach to nostalgia that you highlighted in your video (unfortunately, too often producers of these SF franchises seem to think that just throwing together a bunch of familiar fan references padded with a few formulaic action scenes is all that is needed to tell a story). It's really refreshing to watch a show like Andor that is avoiding these lazy shortcuts on the story telling and world-building fronts. The characters in Andor are not just "cardboard cutouts" thrown in for fan service, i.e. they have backstories and believable motivations that dictate their actions. Even the background characters that don't have much screen time (eg Cassien's friend Brasso or Syril's colleague Sgt Mosk) feel "real". You also get to see a more nuanced (and less morally clear) picture of the Rebel Alliance when the latter takes actions to manipulate the Empire to crack-down which in turn results with innocent people (or even whole populations) being placed in harms way. I wish this kind of complex narrative was more common in big SF franchises. I remember back in the 90s being pleasantly surprised by similar complexity in a couple of episodes from the last two "Dominion War" seasons of Star Trek DS9 where - instead of re-treading themes/tropes that had been visited dozens of times before in TNG or the Original Series - the DS9 Dominion War seasons served us episodes like "In the Pale Moonlight" and "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" which presented what I thought was a more grounded/realistic view of how Star Fleet and the Federation might react to an enemy that could not be negotiated with. What these 2 DS9 episodes and the entire Andor series does so well is give us characters and situations that seem "real" and believable....i.e. characters and situations that sometimes cannot always be perfectly split between "right and wrong".

This is an extremely well assembled analysis, and you're spot on! Thanks for this!

Love that YT suggested your channel. Great video essay, and I agree that Andor is an excellent story that happens to take place in the SW universe. A new bar has been set for SW, let's hope they can meet it and not keep us waiting for Andor Season II.

Andor is the first content that actually feels like Star Wars. At least for the people who read the novels.

Great video essay. Loved the simple, yet profound insight. I had been trying to put my finger on why it worked so well and I think you nailed it. Cheers

Given that it’s the least watched series, I wouldn’t say it’s solved that problem. Unless viewership really picks up, there will probably not be more shows and movies like it. I love that it doesn’t rely on cameos, references and previously established characters, but it would probably help the numbers if it looked and felt more like previous Star Wars.

Errant was here

The thing with nostalgia is that it gets your foot in the door. Prequel and original trilogy nostalgia got Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi’s foots in the door, but the story failed to make us stay. Andor’s source material didn’t hold much nostalgia in the first place, and therefore had to put all the stock into making us believe in its story. Also, I remember a lot of people wondering why Cassian of all people was chosen as the main character, as there was little to build upon from his appearance in Rouge One. Personally, I believe that was 100% intentional. Using a character that the audience isn’t extremely familiar with limits Disney’s power to meddle with the series, (no riding the nostalgia train and changing scripts based on appeal for the good old days). And as you said, they can do anything with Cassian’s character. All that matters is that he’s a passionate rebel by the end of the series. There’s so much to be told before that point, and it seems like most are staying for that ride till the end.

I love your definition and breakdown of nostalgia

Andor succeeded where the sequels failed, it built upon an already established lore, while doing something completely different, without overusing nostalgia nor disrespecting the source material. Taking risks without sacrificing the integrity of the original works. It might be "the least" Star Wars show when it comes to key elements like The Force, The Jedi, lightsabers etc, but it nails the og Star Wars feel spiritually (at least imo). There's something I disagree with thought, and that's suggesting Disney cares about canon, the Obi Wan series is so far the biggest canon breaker and largest retcon after Luke Skywalker's character assassination on epVIII, and most fans criticized Obi Wan based on that, it butchered pre stablished lore while also trying to have as much fanservice as possible, but somehow at the same time trying to be as anti-fan as possible, the same paradox that murdered the sequels. Andor just does its own thing, and focuses on delivering a good story that ads something new that fits the lore without disturbing it in a significant way.

You totally mailed Andor at 5:48 - it doesn't pander to fans, it finds clever connections to exist beside. The writing gives added detail and nuance to established events - doesn't revisit them (displaced but rewarded with new information). IMO Andor is the best of all Disney Star Wars so far with Rogue One 2nd. Rogue gave a bit of fan service - super cool Vader going ham fan service - but didn't beat you over the head with it. Coincidence?

How to know people really don't care about most Disney live-action remakes, and even Disney themselves don't care much: I genuinely didn't know they remade Lady and the Tramp, one of my favorite niche Disney films from my childhood.

In the end, Andor felt the most Star Wars out of any of the Disney shows thus far. I believe 80% of that is the English accents.

Doesn't surprise me Andor works. This is the direction Disney should have gone from the start. Rogue One really fit the bill for me for that reason

I agree with you...being saddled by canon restricts creativeness for the writers. I think this is also why The Mandalorian is successful, too. Not just because of Jon and Dave, but because they've taken us OUT of the typical Star Wars backstory. They've given us enough "Easter Eggs" to let us know the story takes place is the SW universe, but we get new heroes, villains, planets and plot lines to love/hate, and anticipate the next episode/season.

if Luthen turns out to be a former Jedi I will set fire to an orphanage

Brilliant essay. I’ve been trying to put my finger on the success of Andor. It’s adjacent and somehow at the core of the original trilogy. A neutralized nostalgia, if you will. Thx for the insights!

yes, pretty much spot on - add to which, you had scriptwriters who knew how to tell a story, how to tell a nuanced story arc over 12 episodes, and make it all count. Imagine what these guys could have done with Kenobi, which was a crushing disappointment, just overflowing with illogic and wrong notes and storytelling blunders of all kinds

When I was watching the sennet scenes I was expecting to see Palpatine and I was so glad I didn't.

I'm always afraid of clicking Star Wars content because of the fan base attached to it lol You've got a good thing going though and I thoroughly enjoyed this video and the reflection on nostalgia!

I feel like anyone who's engaged in star wars outside of the main movies could tell you that star wars isn't defined by the Jedi but by it's world building. In fact I think a series of movies completely divorced from Jedi could be fantastic if written well in a well built setting. I also think the idea of something not feeling star wars is reductive as each movie is different and iteration is the future not repetition.

I genuenly dont get what people are talking about when they say this does not feel like Star Wars. It feels in tune with both Clone Wars, and the prequels ...

Love it. The only piece of Star Wars than Andor relied on is what the empire is and how far reaching it is. It saved some time that would have been spent on world building and got right in to creating something new. But if you strip out star wars completely you could still have just as good of a story with a little bit of extra time to establish the world.

This show is proof that Disney had the potential to make an actually good sequel trilogy but squandered it.

Great Essay. How I long for the original 5 seasons of Andor instead of craming in 4 years into a single season. Even if they introduced new characters that die at the end of the season, I just want continue the richness of the story telling Tony and his writers can give us.

Yep- if the issue were neutralizing nostalgia in the sense of putting the OT or even the prequels to bed permanently and just focusing on the current era, I'd say no. A large body of work exists spanning 5 decades and any part can be compared to any other part by any criteria people want. But THIS is spot on. There are many flaws in the current era product that are not about nostalgia- it should have been possible to carry forward the story of the Jedi and Sith and the Skywalker lineage in the latest films, and that WAS the epic through line of events after all. Anything else would be like telling the aftermath of the Trojan war without focusing on any of its participants. On the other hand, it didn't have to be a mere mirror of the OT arc, nor did it have to be a mirror of the OT arc that happened to be less well written and performed, or just full of bigger and badder and less plausible imitation elements. That's poor writing and thinking fuelled by some nostalgia and assuming only nostalgia would sell tickets. And maybe it was right, for the big movies. But Andor does what some of the other series like Mandalorian and Boba should also have done- take us away into the universe and tell other stories. And make no reference to the main movie characters. That is what SW TV should be able to do more of.

Andor kind of pissed me off. Earlier this year, the moment young Leia learned Obi-Wan's name, I finally had closure. I had finally gotten to the point where I realized I just don't need to care about Star Wars anymore. The creators certainly don't. Then Andor came along and reminded me there is actually a story going on here. One that actually matters and can be engaged with.

Andor was a Star wars story, just told from the perspective of the ordinary person, not the heroes or the villains, but those that are the cogs in the machine, and those ground into the dust under that machine. To those fans that want light sabers and the force, you can keep Obi-Wan, I'll take Andor any day.

Simple. Smart. Effective and wise. I've watched quite a lot of videos about reviews of Andor. Yours is what I just wrote. Refreshing too.

Playing it Safe... The Achilles Heal of Creativity.

I intuitively knew that this was why I thoroughly enjoyed Andor. I just never could've put it in such a succinct and poignant way that so descriptive, it seems poetic almost. Great essay man. 🙏

if andor had been released after mandalorian season 1 for example, and not after 2 series that massively disapointed, it could have been a Hit

Excellent explanation, and brilliant hook at the end 👏👏 👏

Amen. Perfectly said.

Andor is so good that when I'm watching it I forget that it's a Star Wars show lol.

Your summary at the end of the video is exactly what I’ve been thinking when trying to put my finger on why the show was so good. My wife is a Star Wars fan but not a card carrying member like myself 😂. And as these Disney+ ST shows started coming out one after another I noticed her interest decreasing. We went from watching season 1 Mandalorian together the day each episode premiered to eventually me watching by myself and her not caring at all by the time Kenobi or whichever the last show rolled out. I feel like she would like Andor because of the reasons you gave. And hopefully rebuild our Star Wars relationship 😅 If I could only get her to give it a chance 😊

I agree! This was very well written and presented. There's been a lot of video essays recently about Andor, it's the new "it" media to talk about. For good reason, the show is phenomenal across the board! But what I've appreciated the most about your contribution to that conversation is the simple, considerate manner in which you do it. I honestly think there's been a lot of condescension floating around when talking about Andor. It is an understandable one borne of the very real disappointments in other Star Wars projects of which I share, but the bitter bite appearing in much of Andor's praise has felt taxing. You made a point I've held for a while now, being that Star Wars doesn't belong to anyone in particular. We each have our own fantasies in that galaxy far, far away. And many, whether in praise or mild response to Andor, continue to try and put Star Wars in a box to determine what it should or should not be going forward. It's a bit of endless debate, always has been. So I appreciate you focusing on the principles of good storytelling and the larger *framework* it should operate within an established universe. I am not interested in nostalgia baiting and poor writing, but nor am I interested in only "HBO style gritty Star Wars for adults" from now on. Tony Gilroy excels at that kind of storytelling and I will giddily take more of it as it comes from him, but that's not the main thing I'm taking away from Andor. Star Wars is a large canvas, just as Lucas wanted it to be. And a skilled artist can paint whatever tone they like be it on the basis of what it all has to come back to regardless of that tone: a good story. That is what Andor reaffirms for me. Looking forward to more of your content!

Luthen Rael, the best character ever created in a star wars series

I am pretty sure that what hardcore SW fans really want is just respectful treatment of canon and established things in the universe. And a little bit of fanservice, nods to the other films and EU to let us know that we're in the SW universe. But we also want objectively good storytelling, like anyone else watching television. Disney execs who don't understand this think that we want to see the same characters on the same planets doing the same things. But they don't prioritize good storytelling, and are willing to sacrifice having a good, satisfying plot in order to cram more Boba Fett/Tatooine/Chosen one Force User/Off-brand Death Star into the final product. That's how you get Book of Boba Fett, Obi Wan, and the Sequels. Mando (and even the Mando episodes of BoBF) did a great job of centering Nostalgia without sacrificing storytelling. We still get the Baby Yoda/Boba Fett/Luke Skywalker/Tatooine/Mandalorian/Dark Trooper/Tusken Raider/Jawa/N1 Starfighter/Now This Is Podracing. But we also got good stories told by people who did their homework and genuinely respected the SW universe. Andor managed to tell an entirely different kind of Star Wars story, eschewing all of the traditional SW themes that permeate the OT/Prequels/Clone Wars/Mando. But still clearly taking place in the SW universe, engaging with canon respectfully, in a way that lets the audience know that the writer and director knows all of the little nerdy details that we care about. And it's what makes what fanservice we *do* get all the more satisfying. Like the post-credit scene. Also, I strongly disagree with Stanton's complaint about the "constraints" of canon. There have been so many amazing stories told within the Star Wars universe that don't break canon. It only "constrains" directors and writers without the imagination and creativity to tell a good story. And I think it's rich that someone who helped make Obi Wan is blaming canon for the show turning out like crap, when the real reason is just awful messy storytelling. Canon didn't force them to make the show revolve around Obi Wan rescuing 10-year-old Leia from Flea. Canon didn't force them to shoehorn a poorly-developed conflict arc with Vader. Canon didn't force them to give us an initially exciting Inquisitor villain who has a cookie-cutter heel-turn in the end. Canon did not force them to have a Hoth and TLJ derivative "rebels need to escape from cave base while Stormtroopers led by Sith break through the door". And Canon did not force them to have that godawful fight sequence between Reva and the Lars family. Obi Wan was bad because of careless, messy writing.

Deep, thoughtful, critical, original. Love it! More content like this💯

Good video pretty much lining up with my feelings about why Andor works so well for me. The setting and production design do all the heavy lifting making me feel like I'm in the Star Wars universe. It's something that I did when I was a concept artist working on Star Wars Jedi Outcast way back when. I had to design locations and props that looked like they would fit in the SW universe but be new. In Andor we see the ship that he takes off on from Morlana 1 has Y-wing type of engines, and boom, you know know you're in Star Wars. Looking at the tech and grabbing pieces and putting them in places really helps jog that nostalgia. The writing doesn't have to rely on adhering to settings we know or dialog that always references something. Gilroy probably didn't care what the production design was doing because I'm guessing he knows that they will make it feel like the era of Star Wars we're nostalgic for.

The NieR:Automata anime succeeds at this too. The only problem is that each episode breaks your heart a little.

Andor was so different that I am actually not sure how I feel about it. I think I like it overall but it had some spots that made me question why they were in there...like Syril's storyarch seemed kinda pointless to me. Whenever we went back to him I was like: This better pay off big, because right now it's not really interesting.

I think where Disney usually goes wrong is that they tend to make the universe a story rather than tell a story set in the universe. I think that's why people are so fed up and why andor really shines as it actually understands star wars even though the guy who wrote isn't even a fan.

Beautiful take

Also, it makes it very clear how incredibly uncool the empire is, gotta make sure there’s no room to say they’re the good guys

I think removing nostalgia was a big move, but I believe the main issue is one of the last things you said. Disney keeps trying to play it safe. Between Episode 1 and Episode 9, there's about a hundred years for the Skywalker saga as they call it. However, they never go outside those one hundred years. Probably one reason why The Acolyte is such a big anticipation. Also, other things like mentioning the Rakata, the mention of Exar Kun, it gives some relief to me that Disney may attempt to expand thousands of years back and hundreds of years forward.

Andor tells the story of how the average galactic citizen become a rebel, not just the story of the elite warriors and force users. And with many of the Jedi dead and thought of as mythical or even hoaxster by average people, it’s an interesting story to watch the spirit of the rebellion survive and even strike heavy blows against the Empire like the Aldani heist and later the theft of the Death Star plans before the Jedi re-emerged. I hope the critical acclaim that the series is getting is noticed by Disney execs. Let artist do what they do best. You might end up with something new and unique, which is in such short supply nowadays, especially with Disney.

Great video!

0:05 That scared the hell out of me. 😱

Nice video and yes, Svetlana Boym's description of nostalgia is perfect. I agree and disagree with Stanton at the same time, canon can be limiting but it's there for a reason. You can't break another thing to build your own thing when the two things are meant to sync. The issue is that they took the wrong route with Kenobi, we didn't need to see him go and fight Vader. The show could've still had Leia and worked. Have two halves to the show, a Tatooine half and a Leia half. Obi-Wan has these little slice of life adventures where he has to do these small scale things and contrast it with Leia stepping into the political world at a young age. They don't need to worry much about canon on Obi-Wan's side now that he's rooted on Tatooine and with Leia, there's a lot for them to do. She could slowly have her perception of the galaxy altered and we could even be shown incidents that spark the seeds of rebellion in Leia's heart. Also thanks for not complaining about "wokeness" or whatever and also acknowledging the fact that the prequels did have well-executed politics.

don't know about you, but I was doing the screaming wojak meme when Luthen gave Cassian that crystal on the fourth episode just because he said that it's a crystal that commemorate the fall of the Rakatan Empire that line was a total fanservice and I fell for it willingly

This is an excellent grasp and effectual communication of the nuances of the nature of successful series. If more creators were concerned less with spectacle and more with good storytelling, then it would make the final product rewatchable and more satisfying upon revisiting the franchise over and over again.

Great video! Loved it! :)

I never thought I would see a show like Andor. It's fills such a specific niche that I've felt SW needed for a long time. It's dark, gritty, and not sugar-coated at all. Andor is to Star Wars as Deep Space 9 is to Star Trek.

Mandalorian is still the best followed by rebels. This show is the best made but star wars has a element that can be reached by younger generations too. With that said I love andor.

F*cking brilliant analysis, 10/10 no notes!

I don't know how I got here, maybe I've been watching to many reviews and opinions on the internet about Andor, but yours is really good as the other ones I've seen, but you talk about something different, never saw it from this point of view and that also explains why is soo good, never saw this point of view about nostalgia... So interesting! Hope we see more dissection of Andor. I mean let's be honest it doesn't have as much action as other SW stuff and I like that.. but still I can't find why I liked it so much more. And the more reviews and videos of Andor I see, the more I understand it. They nailed a lot of things!

I love The Mandalorian but Andor is my favorite live action tv series so far. Even The Mandalorian relies on nostalgia too much at times. I also think there is more you can do with Coruscant than Tatooine.

Awesome vid!

Andor is very much star wars. But it is Star Wars from another view point. Me, as a fan from the first movie on, hat a lot of Star Wars feelings watching Andor. Just the way they tell the story ist different, not the archetyps it is dealing with.

Excellent video essay! I secretly hope that Disney studio executives watch videos like this to hopefully learn from its fan base how it has failed the SW franchise in the past and how it can correct it going forward. Andor and Rogue One have saved the future of SW. Hopefully they have learned their lessons and can salvage what remains of its fanbase.

smart take on a fantastic show

Andor is the most Star Wars thing since the 1980s

Andor applies the same principle to Star Wars storytelling as the Clone Wars creators used to, which is why it works best. It’s the idea of telling a good story, that happens to be with the Star Wars galaxy, not the other way around…

Andor didn’t “do whatever the heck it wanted”, it took the story seriously, something obiwan didn’t

A very good video, and Andor is absolutely my favourite series in the SW anthology, though I am starting to feel like I'm the only one who enjoyed Kenobi