Star Wars fans have been treated to a cornucopia of content on the small screen recently, with hit shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Bad Batch coming thick and fast. But one of the most intriguing offerings on the slate has been Andor, which tells the story of Diego Luna’s valiant but doomed Rebel spy who we first met in Rogue One back in the day. And for those who’ve been waiting patiently for this dispatch from the underground, we have good news: Andor is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
This is a bit of a departure from the usual Star Wars fare, eschewing Jedi derring-do and battling bounty hunters to instead tell a more low-key thriller. It’s not a million miles away from a World War II French Resistance thriller. When we meet Cassian Andor he’s a thief looking for his long-lost sister and has absolutely zero interest in any of this Rebel Alliance malarkey.
However, a chance encounter with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård, who also crops up in Marvel’s Thor flicks) puts him on the path to becoming a fervent fighter for freedom. Also along for the ride are Ambulance’s Adria Arjona as black market mechanic Bix Caleen, and Kyle Soller as odious corporate functionary Syril Karn, who serves as Andor’s nemesis.
What’s fascinating about Andor is that it’s about what you might call “below the line” heroes. Andor and his allies aren’t nascent Jedi Knights or even cocky hotshot smugglers—they’re the ordinary people who have taken up the struggle, who make covert strikes under cover of darkness and die anonymous, ignoble deaths in back alleys or Imperial torture chambers. It’s a very different vibe than what we’re used to from Star Wars, but a welcome one. Fans of lo-fi sci-fi will eat this one up with a spoon.
