*Premise spoilers.*
Oh man, I’ve been waiting for this one since it was first announced in 2018, and as its premiere has gotten closer, I’ve only gotten more excited. The Book of Boba Fett has its moments and I really like Obi-Wan Kenobi, but let’s be real: I was so ready for Andor.
So far, I’ve just done monthly movie reviews for Y tu Luna también, but with Andor premiering this week, I’m switching it up a little. A Little TLC(w) is gonna take a break while Andor moves into my weekly actor-review slot, and since Disney+ dropped the first three episodes all at once, you’re going to get a few reviews in a row before the show settles into its regular routine next week. We’ll resume The Duke of Mount Deer after Andor’s first season wraps up. And without further ado, onto the premiere!
Cassian Andor is a man carrying around a lot of pain. He’s an unreliable guy with a penchant for less-than-legal activities, but he’s not exactly a waster. Rather, he’s on a one-man mission of a deeply personal nature, and everything else in his life takes second place to that. When things go unexpectedly south as he tries to follow a lead, Cassian is anxious to lay low. Meanwhile, a zealous deputy inspector is determined to bring him to justice, despite orders from above to rubber-stamp the incident and sweep it under the rug.
Quickly covering the non-Diego Luna parts first. I like the grimy, tactile look of the series—the worlds feel lived-in and specific, and I even enjoy just looking at people/aliens/droids walking by in the street scenes. There are some childhood flashbacks that, while they haven’t told us much substantial yet, are definitely hinting at major events as-yet unrevealed. The stuff with the investigation and the intensely driven inspector is interesting, and I like getting a look at a group of unsympathetic characters who are sort of Empire-adjacent without actually being in the Empire.
With twelve episodes to work with, I’m going to take my time in doing proper introductions for the other characters. We’ve learned that the cast announcements for the Star Wars TV shows can turn out to be for regular, recurring, or guest-star roles, so I’m not sure who all is showing up when/for how long. Today, though, I gotta give a shoutout to B2EMO, a junky little droid in Cassian’s life. He’s a wreck, and he’s adorable. I love that lying uses extra battery power, and I appreciate that, even as Cassian is distracted and in a rush during their scene together, he takes a moment to pull a stray bit of a debris out of B2EMO’s circuits. Hoping we see a lot more of this little guy!
And now, onto Cassian himself. In case you didn’t pick it up from the episode summary, this is a very different Cassian than the one we meet in Rogue One. While he has some of the same determination and hard edges, as well as the conscience that can interfere with that hardness, this Cassian isn’t part of something larger than himself yet. It doesn’t look like he’s involved with the Rebellion in any way at this point. Instead, he’s pouring everything he has into finding his missing sister (another reason why the flashbacks are promising some juicy backstory.) He’s running around desperate, without any type of organization backing him up, and while he’s scrappy and resourceful, he gets himself into trouble more easily.
Even though Cassian is in fact keenly focused on his search, it probably looks to the outside that he’s just reckless and without direction. He has a lot of friends, of which B2EMO is just one, and they’re all worried about him. He brushes off their concerns and instead pleads for favors or cash, coming at them with the refrain of, “I really need this.”
Diego Luna is so great here, so great. I love seeing the hints of the Cassian we know in this angry, searching young man. He carries himself with this compelling mixture of desperation and confidence—he looks like he’s running on about two hours sleep and he’s going to get himself killed or arrested at any minute, and yet he has this sort of cavalier nihilism going on, shrugging it off when his friends try to figure out what’s going on with him. It’s fantastic to watch, and I can’t wait to see more! (Good thing we got the first three episodes all at once, huh?)
First impressions:
Recommend?
In General – For any Star Wars fan, yes, and maybe even if you’re not. At least in this first episode, nothing feels too inside baseball, and it’s just a really well-made, engaging pilot.
Diego Luna – Oh, yes! There’s so much going on in this performance. Like I said, I’ve been excited about this show since 2018, and now that it’s finally here, I’m even more excited about the fact that we’re getting a full twelve episodes here and a second season of the same length. Give me all the Cassian Andor content!
Warnings
Violence, sensuality, drinking, and thematic elements.
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