One detail I like is that they made the Corporate Inspector be like a guy who just got out of ROTC instead of a higher up incompetent officer who is defeated by being a poor tactician like in Rebels. Instead we have someone who is eager to prove himself, but who has no experience and hasn’t applied what he learned to a combat operation.
@@GenerationTech that scene was hilarious, the security forces guys looked like they were keeping themselves from bursting out laughing when the inspector just said the word “justice”
@@indianajones4321 I like the fact he was uncomfortable in front of the men. He didn't know how to give a speech or inspire while the sergeant being a good NCO tries to support him. The troops are not fooled however. I did like the little detail where the sergeant first shows up and presents a salute and on inspector doesn't return the salute or know how to respond. Not sure what his training was, but you can tell this is not a strict military organization.
@@brianschlicher59 I think it was all good attention to detail to create a different type of Imperial villain. He’s not someone who doesn’t care about the Empire and will immediately defect to the Rebellion. Also he’s not a seasoned veteran within the Empire or an arrogant officer.
I absolutely love Sargeant Mosk as a character. He comes across as someone who is kinda sucking up to the higher ranking officer. He agrees with him on everything, props him up whenever he can, and even defends his crappy speech. But when shit hits the fan, he completely drops that act and steps up to the leadership role that the deputy inspector wishes he could achieve. He might be a bad guy, but I'd rather follow him into battle then any imperial officer any day.
I didn't interpret him as sucking up so much as taking a younger less experienced officer under his wing. As an NCO he won't ever have the de jure authority that an officer would, but he has more experience and a better understanding of his men. He's giving the officer encouragement that he needs to build his confidence and do a better job. You can see he isn't just blindly agreeing with everything as much as giving gentle suggestions and nudging him towards where he needs to go (until the SHTF, then he drops all that and just does what needs done).
Yeah, I really appreciated how then end of episode 3 wasn't treated as a triumphant moment. Cassian got away, but the human cost was high. It didn't matter that most of the dead were the "bad guys." It was still played as an all around tragic and traumatic event.
That's something I want to see more of, not just in Star Wars but in big franchises generally... "good guy" characters who feel devastated by death and destruction, even if its the enemy. There also solutions, diplomatic ones, that could get you what you want (or at least closer to it) without any deaths at all. I have to second Alan here, we've become extremely desensitized to death through franchises like this and we really need to be reminded that it is not a thing to be laughed over.
She saved his life from the callous, inhuman Republic death squads, who likely had already murdered his parents, and next murdered all the youth that he was surviving with before her.
Agreed. It was one of those like, "Yes! The good guy won and got away!" But they also show, with music and dialogue that it came at a heavy cost. The "bad guys" really are just there to do a job. Sure they're corpos, but they're just doing their job.
@@refugeehugsforfree4151 Ah, okay. Yeah I can understand that. Star Wars has almost always been action focused, and there isn't much action in this. However, I would like to say that I think it's a nice change of pace - not that all things should be like this, certainly not, but this is ultimately a story that shows how a rebellion is started. And I think taking time to show the struggles of the average person is a really good idea cause it's something we've always missed. We've had these grand heroes who have these space operas, I think it's something to appreciate to have a more grounded and realistic look at the universe. Ya know?
Between this show and Rogue One, I feel like this is some of the best storytelling we’ve gotten out of the Disney era. I can’t wait to see how it goes for the rest of the season.
I think Andor really needs to be dark and gritty just to show how much harder the people who are not Force users, Main characters of the movies, and some special background individual have it in this Universe. These are not people born with special powers, naturally have strong influence, or are extremely talented in some way but ordinary people who can never match up to those Main characters of the movie series and TV shows due to their lack of "special" traits.
Yes I agree. It's hard to actually relate to someone that has super power or was born with the force. But it it easy to relate to these everyday human beings who struggle with the gray areas of everyday life. Watching this play out in George Lucas's galaxy is exactly what I needed and I hope others will open their hearts and minds to this experience. True breathtaking.
it needs it, to feel like Rogue One, then it surely will feel like The Empire strikes Back!I dont like the pace of the first 2 episodes though!the latest episode looked pure Star Wars movie style though, not Kenobi/Fett tv series quality!
Yeah, so true about the need for ordinary perspectives to balance out the comic-book-style obsession with Superpowers and Superweapons. Back in the early 90s the Star Wars Expanded Universe tried to go the same route - introduce new main characters who were just Average Joes, so the audience could understand the difficulty facing their rebellion, and feel validated when they succeeded. Kyle Katarn. Corran Horn. Keyan Farlander. These proved wildly popular, so sequels ensued... and one by one, each of these audience avatars suddenly discovered in the sequel that they were really a Jedi all along. Yawn. About time we got back on track.
Disney really shot themselves in the foot with the glaring issues in Kenobi and Fett. Many just automatically hate this show. Its not perfect, nothing is, but damn is it a breath of fresh air
I know what you mean. They make a show about a legacy character like Boba or Obi-Wan and they get high ratings for little work. However it's these stories of the smaller characters I want to see fleashed out. Let's hope they keep giving us storytelling of this caliber.
@@metaloverlord7465 I totally agree. The whole Reva thing did really feel forced and there were meny dumb scenes but overall I wanted to see broken Kenobi get his mojo back while we see another side to Vader We only saw with Ahsoka in rebels previously, and that is what we got . I even liked Book of boba fett quite alot despite the weird pacing. That amount of hate is only deserved by the sequels
I appreciated that the bell ringer wasn't just doing a job. This is a responsibility that has been passed down through generations, and you can tell he does this work proudly, even if there is no material reward for it. He is a master of his craft, an art he too will pass on to someone else some day. He used very specific movements, operating in what felt like a ritualistic and sacred way. This is a society forged in hard labor, and as such, hard labor informs their values and customs, such as the importance of noting the beginning and end of the work day.
Brilliant. I felt the same. It also reminded me at Japanese drummers who also have a spiritual approach to it. I assume the bell ringing ant the way the bell ringer performed has also a spiritual almost religious meaning to it. Wonderful scene and beautiful sound effects. Damn, I love this Show and I was not prepared for what I have seen.
I suspect the reason we see humans doing labor that could easily be mechanized or automated is two-fold: 1) this is obviously some kind of union operation, so the union is probably negotiating to keep certain jobs manual labor to ensure positions aren't eliminated, and 2) it's part of the world building showing these people are at the bottom of the food chain and forced to scrape and scrap just to survive and so they don't have the resources to invest in anything non-essential.
@@QuintusAntonious And they probably don't have access to the mechanized tools that would do the work for them. Even their droids are built from scrap they forage.
The fact that the other citizens used metallic clamor to signal trouble at the ground level tells us that meaningful percussion is deeply embedded in the culture. I'm supposing that "anvil man" had a panoply of signals he could give, and the townspeople knew them all.
I've been enjoying Andor a lot. I like the more relaxed pace, it gives time for scenes to breathe and the audience to take everything in. And there is so much to take in.
Gilroy wants to show that every life, no matter if it's a minor character, someone acting out of selfish iintent, or someone forced to take a life out of self-preservation. Death is not something to be ignored or overlooked.
I imagine that this will be all the more noticeable if/when the empire proper comes in and demonstrates a greater disregard for life, because of the contrast with what came before
Your closing statements on the gravity of death an how people laughed about it in the real world hit me square in the heart. We as a society have lost our empathy.
@@chiveschivian9965 Exactly. It was only about a hundred years ago when public executions were the norm and still are in most of the third world. Public executions, slave labor, child labor, blood sports, etc. Humanity is and always has been a very tribal species. I do appreciate the stories that don't glorify battle and war and strive to depict both sides as humans. Andor is shaping up to be a masterpiece.
I love how the creators of "Andor" haven't even introduced The Empire yet despite being 3 Episodes in. That in itself proves they're trying to give us something fresh with nuance besides the same layers & factions we typically see in most SW content. Critics complained when Kenobi & Boba Fett weren't the focal point of their series & the plot strayed away from them while adding in easter eggs, legacy cameos, nostalgia, & Baby Yoda. Then Andor actually pays attention to the plot with an interesting slower burn narrative that doesn't have no fan service at all but is accused of being "Boring" & "Not Star Wars". Hypocrites!
I thought Andor was quizzed on his ability to get 'inside' the Empire in episode 3 which led to a protracted discussion of the Empire and it's overwhelming oppression and arrogance?
For surface level fans, yeah, Andor is decidedly not a SW series. The feel is very, very different. So I personally understand where they're coming from on that. BUT, for those who are a bit more invested, you can see that SW history drips from every dirty street corner and corporate office. Fest, Bryar pistol, Morana security, junk planet of Ferrix, the accents, the tech, the outfits, the lore references,... it's all there, to prove this series is making a story for the sake of telling a >story
Exactly. Instead of trying to pull us in with a shallow storyline but plenty of iconic imagery, they actually do their own thing, and tell the story that want to tell. Mad props to the writers and directors, cuz the risk has paid off.
@@ArcNine9Angel Also, the Corpos are clearly a tweaked version of the security forces of the Corporate Sector Authority, also known as Corpos, who have been part of Star Wars expanded universe lore since the early 1980s.
@@ArcNine9Angel I honestly don't understand how it isn't a SW series, it reeks star wars. Star wars isn't just lightsabers A fair argument would call it "not a disney SW show" since all we've seen in Disney shows is shoe-horning "fanservice" cameos to the point that shoes like Boba have Boba overshadowed by other characters, or how the very same Boba show and Kenobi show, the writters think the name is enough to make the show great, leaving us with mediocre media Andor is SW to the bone, honestly the kind of show I've been waiting for, it doesn't only explore the down to earth and even scummy side of SW while also exploring the inner workings of the empire and other more obscure organizations like the subsidiary corporations. Something Disney has horrendously neglected for these past 8 years of new canon. These article writters are honestly like cancer. They're tumors in the creative industry, their job relies on drama and as such they will bellitle everything, even if it means sounding like an absolute fool and making headlines like those. Also your comment on the past shows is on point.
The thought that struck me watching the scenes with the bell ringer was "There's a man who loves his job." Sure, it is something that _could_ have been automated or done remotely from the ground level, but the pose he made with the hammers before striking the bell told me that this was something that he was proud to do - something that had value to his community - and the climb up the tower was of no consequence to him since it gave him a direct connection to the instrument.
Good video! What I got out of the corpos was that they were like mall cops thrown into a war. The contrast with storm troopers was massive, from the first guy's reaction when his partner died to when the car blew up and the officer was just standing there stunned. These guys had never been around death before. Also another thing that stuck out a lot was the wall of gloves just out in the open. This is a very close community, no-one was worried their gloves would get stolen. Excellent show-dont-tell.
Well the officer reaction at the explosion was obvious since the presentation of his character he was a idealist and when and idealist comes crashing to reality is all to easy to just freeze and not knowing what to do but the sarge immediately took charge and called for the CAS EVAC and tend to the wondead and it has more to come due to the family spirit of the corpos rather than the massive nature of the empire
And yet those 14 men showed more tactical awareness, more social awareness, and used better tactics than most of the imperial military. They weren't incompetent, they were outwitted, and that means so much to see.
I really like how they're making death have more of a weight. This is the reason why I like Gundam so much. It really shows how terrible war truly is. I'm glad star wars is finally doing that too.
@@glyph241 Gundams are purposely designed to be humanoid shaped by the creators to instill personification. A replacement for gore when someone's limbs or head is blown off. The main focus though is the characters, death of a side characters or even the main character carry heavy weight and add value to the story. Even enemy deaths aren't easily brushed off. You see enemy pilot's scream moments before their death in agony.
Ya know I once pointed to a friend when you think about it to actually live in the Starwars galaxy with its constant wars and devastation would be awful. The films don’t actually show the true impact of war not even the clone wars actually shows the true impact. Then rogue one launched and in that one scene where you see the child standing in the middle as two sides blow each other apart changed things. Safe to say I was really hyped when they announced Andor hoping it would be more like that and it is and it’s great.
@@theempiredidnothingwrong3227 In clone wars they tapped into stuff like, experimental people, biological and chemical warfare, mysticism, and full on blowing up planets in the future. But it all seems like flavor text. The world isn't affected by it and life goes on normally in perpetual warfare. In UC Gundam, they have the antarctic treaty. Which lays out why nukes, chemical, and bio weapons are banned as this things can bring upon more destruction upon humanity. Thus increasing the tech of mobile suits to a contained warfare. The colony drop is the most emotional, painful, and horrible flavor text because you see events leading up to it, the moments during it, and the repercussions of it on the world. And it's OUR WORLD
The show is doing actual world building for a part of the Star Wars universe that is rarely seen. The ordinary folks that make up the rebellion. No Jedi, No sith and I hope the series continues to do just that.
Don't forget the "bus conversation" at the end of episode 2. It comes off as a bit goofy everyday experience we've all had and it doesn't do anything for the plot. However, it does a lot for the world building aka colors the world around the characters. It's like the cooking scene in Goodfellas. I love mundane stuff like this!
There’s a clear divide between the adult Star Wars fans and the children that they are genuinely cater to shows like Mando and Andor have a more adult pallet and themes that resonate and feel more like the gritty or Star Wars originals where there was very little humor I’m all for these shows they are truly amazing and add more to the lore than the new trilogy has
I love all of star wars and for diferent reasons but I do think that the OT didn't lack in humor cause you dis had basically 2 characters that were almost cómic relief all of the time and I would say that andor is far more gritter than the OT both in humor and consequence
Those small details are so important for building immersion. The lights in the imperial carrier going off and on showing the shitty state that some of the non-important planets imperial units are in for example
As a veteran of Afghanistan I can full heartedly appreciate the part of the show with the chimes and warning the locals. In Afghanistan it wasn’t chimes but it was kites not sure who came up with that episode but they nailed it. Also the combat felt real in the end you end up feeling bad for the bad guys. Great video man!
So much of the dialogue in here is just impeccable... even the comments of the non combat related Pre-Mor employees "Have you ever been there sir? they kinda do things their own way" and "to do that you'd have the filter the whole night!" comments like these from presumably some rather bit characters really makes them seem like ACTUAL people and makes the whole organization and everyone more real. Amazing script and scenes...
I liked the end to episode 3. It humanizes the antagonist, adding nuance to the story. Sure, you have the desire to see the protagonist win but then you have the reality of the world, that everyone is their own protagonist and have equally valid motives. It’s also a moment of character development, of growth. Entering the real world and getting beaten.
I also really love the idea of the CTF and the corpos as a whole because the relationship between them and the residents is SO similar to the troubles in 70s, 80s and 90s Britain. Especially episode 3 with the bells and warning bells and stuff it's very interesting seeing the parallels.
Actually reminds me of the Coal Wars that occurred at the turn of the century in the US. Had a lot of company towns with similar sorts of rent-a-cops who abused their powers as much or more than theses guys do.
oh man that intro scene, drezzer killed it, you could see the look on his face when he realized what he was going to do, that anger and desperation, begging cassian to come with him to report it as an "accident". he was totally going to turn on him, maybe even kill him. so good
one thing I think could have been touched on more was after the moment after the guard died the other started begging for his life. And for really the first time in Star Wars it felt real, it was some phenomenal acting as I truly believed that man did not want to die, and certainly not in a dingy alleyway by a wandering stranger. And Cassian's execution of him felt cold, heartless, and for me, it really hit me that Cassian is not meant to be a good guy, he's meant to be a person willing to do anything just to survive.
Another thing i love, the guy who shot Timm had an immense and immediate regret. You could see it when he tore off his hat, you could see it in his face. He was horrified that he had done it
Part of it is that he probably knew the whole situation was a powder keg already and his accident basically would have lit a spark where they were outnumbered and didn't know the terrain.
My favorite part was the officer saying. "Well are we just gonna stand here?" And for his second in command to agreed with him and take tactical positions at the square. Just perfect.
Something that you get a real sense of from Ferrix is just how much these people value the labor they do. They've almost ritualized the humanizing aspects of their work; the glove wall isnt efficient, but its human. The gloves next to yours belong to someone, someone who works just as hard as you. The bell tower being rung manually isnt efficient, but the way its done, the specialized hammers, the ornate anvil beam, the almost kata-like poses when the striker winds up his hammers, he understands both the importance and significance of his role. These things all show the people carebabout the work they do, and gives them a good reason to care. Its hard to feel like you dont matter when you see the people you live and work with every day
Absolutely. The way they constructed the culture of blue-collar Ferrix via the characters and their relationships with their work and was genius - I really feel like this place might exist. The corpos and the Empire severely underestimate the power of a society that is proud enough to care for its citizens. I love the funeral ritual too - Ferrix is a built environment where every individual is valued. In death, you become a literal part of the structure. Genius. When Dedra is explaining about this, you can see and hear her mildly-fascinated contempt.
You forgot about the Deputy Inspector’s reaction to the trap that exploded that speeder, Box’s reaction to her lovers death, and Andor actually having a bruised face after getting into that tussle that ended with two dead Corpos.
"this is actually superb cinema" sums up Andor very well. i watched Rogue One a couple of months ago and even though i have seen it like 4 times now i was just blown away by the cinematography. i love Rogue One, and i'm absolutely loving Andor as well, such a great piece of art.
I liked how the Seargent casually "assumed" the deputy inspector would be strapping on armour and leading from the front, thus ensuring that that actually happened, and in turn improving how the deputy inspector looked to the men. Reminds me of the novel "monstrous regiment" by Terry Pratchett, where a similarly experianced Sergeant took an inexperienced officer under his wing, using phrases like "anticipating your orders sir, i did the following..."
Alan my man. You hit every thought perfectly. I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually proud to be a Star Wars fan again. The first three episodes were like reading a good book, just couldn't put it down. Details matter. Little things matter. Characters actually matter. Story does matter. Lives matter. Empathy matters.
I only watched the original trilogy this month and I found it so odd how Leia barely responded when her home world was destroyed. She made a big fuss beforehand, but once it was done, it was like any other bad thing they all moved on from. This show is great and your coverage of it has been awesome.
You are right, as much as I love them, you would expect Leia to behave closer to when Luke found out Vader was his father. Hell you don't even have to go that far, even just stunned shock and an inability to process what had actually happened would have worked wonders for that scene; add in red eyes (from crying) but still defiant when Luke opens the door in Stormtrooper armour and I think you have a far more realistic approach to the mass genocide of her people and the death of many of the people she knew personally.
This is exactly what I wanted! Telling the story of a minor character (Cassian Andor) and we get to start off with a man that isn't a rebel operative or a fighter. We have a man working a job and it trying to find his sister. And that's it early on. I also love that as a boy he grew up on Kenari. I still wonder what was killing that crew (they appear jaundiced and sick). We also know Kenari is now quarantined allegedly over mining. Great show. Great details with the show don't tell way of getting information across, and I do NOT mind the slow build up. Can't wait to see where it goes!
It didn't look like Cassian Andor was mentally preparing himself for murder when he was stopped by the corporate guys. He just looked like he was fed up with what appeared to be a recurring practice by authority figures extorting money over people just minding their own business. Andor was only at the club to get information about his missing sister, and those corporate security guys draw a weapon on him because they felt slighted by him. The look of sorrow on his face doesn't occur until he realizes that he accidently killed one of them. It was only at that point does murder become his intent because it was "him or me" situation. Let's face it, Kravis was not really going to sell a lie to his superiors that he got into an altercation with his buddy that resulted in his death; he was going to claim Andor ambushed them.
If Andor surrenders to the corp authorities he will not get justice and they will just hang him. In a way it is a perverse kind of self defense. If Andor leaves Kravis alive, Kravis will use the local justice system to murder Andor.
Can you imagine if they do stormtroopers right? Imagine how intimidating it would be if after several episodes of real reactions to death, that first stormtrooper robotically steps over his fallen comrade. Damn that could be good if done right.
Terrifying Stormtroopers is something we've never seen in Star Wars and it would fit so well in this show. Have the heroes celebrating a win against the corpos then have the tone immediately turn dark as they face down highly trained, well equipped, faceless and unrelenting enemies. Show Stormtroopers as the average citizen of the galaxy sees them; intimidating, elite units of the Imperial navy.
It's a must, this show has promised a lot by how it has acted and that is a mandatory delievery in my eyes For too long, even in the mandalorian they cracked the joke "haha look troopers can't shoot". Yes it's funny, but what are you doing with that kind of writting? It's meant to be a funny quip at how the MCs weren't shot at in the original triology, DON'T MAKE IT ACTUAL CANON LORE! The empire is terrifying, how is an empire meant to be terrifying if it's main army corp is a bunch of goofy-ass clowns who can't see?
I think one area you're wrong in regards to is when you mention that stormtroopers just marched over their dead comrades in OT. In contrast, there were little touches during the course of A New Hope that said otherwise. Two times during the attack on Tantive IV we see stormtroopers attending to wounded or dead colleagues. During the death start shoot out, one trooper tries to catch his comrade before he falls over into the abyss. I always liked those touches; somehow it made the stormtroopers more real and thus more formidable in the original Star Wars, and it's something that's been missing with the Disney streaming shows since.
Some very solid points here, but I did appreciate pointing out all the modifications to Syril's uniform, I didn't catch them all the first time around. The parts about how the show actually treats death with respect is really on point.
Yeah... So many details... that guy and his alien stooge haha. Confronting Cassian to pay him what he owed as soon as Cassian appeared. Brasso and how he and Cassian talk. Bix and Timm how they interact in the shop and later at Timm's home... Maarva and how she talks to Cassian like any MOM that loved their kid would. The script and the characters are incredible. They are real...
Andor is a show written (it feels) for the fans that grew up with this franchise. Most of us are already 40+ so we naturally would enjoy stories that appeal to our age and experiences. I cherish Andor and Rogue One for actually being a Star Wars that didn’t get stuck on puberty or adolescence. I, as an old fan, feel appreciated thanks to stories like these. Makes me talk about Star Wars the way I used to.
I love your approach with this! This video could have just been "Here's a cool emblem that appeared in the clone wars, isn't that a wacky lore detail?" but instead you talked about the filmmaking and themes of the series in a deeper sense than any of the loretubers will get into.
One detail I loved was the severity with which they treated blows to the head. Normally in fiction, the hero hits a guy or gets hit in the head to knock him out or stun him long enough to get the upper hand and afterwards the person who was hit is completely fine if a little dazed. When Cassian hit the Corpo trying to shake him down, he accidentally killed him.
I kind of assumed that it was the fall that killed him rather than the headbutt itself, and if so that would be another trope averted - if you’ve been knocked out, and subsequently cannot break a fall backwards onto your head on a solid surface,.. that can very easily kill you. I love that about this show - sometimes people just die.
Funny enough it's the dark and grittyness is why I'm rather enjoying Andor so much. I've been wanting somthing like this with star wars it's one reason why I like the old republic so much it switches the old kid friendly content and replaces it with dark and gritty ment for more older ordinances content and I'm hoping we get to see more of this
I totally agree, this show is doing a great job in showing how death ,truly even in fiction, should have weight to it. I'm confident in this series to do some great things🙌
Dude I know now why I subscribed to hear your content a while ago. Your insights help me in a therapeutic way to understand the small details about the Star Wars galaxy, a galaxy that I enjoy "being" in. I was happy to simply hate the "bad" guys in this series but your words have given me reason to cheer for them, at least have sympathy for them. I know the thanks goes to to scriptwriters and directors but I thank you for the time you took to speak your opinion. Lifetime subscriber going forward.
One thing I loved about Star Wars was the amount of depth they but into the characters. The depth, however, would need to be discovered in the "Visual Dictionaries", or recalling previous movies, shows, and books. So I really love the Andor show because they expand on the characters, in a cinematic way, in the show. Also the shows storytelling is much more natural and doesn't feel forced.
I love the moment of the inspector staring at the destroyed decoy and casualties. He worked so hard to do what he believed to be the right thing of bringing the killer of two men to justice, only to have it blow up into a fight and several more deaths. Had he just written it off like his superior earlier instructed, while it would’ve felt to him like a morally lax and lazy approach, much would be avoided. Just the thoughts running through his head as the world closes in, something that many can relate to, makes it so human. I’ve found that shows that are more human with complex characters and motivations, rather than one-dimensional drama or action, have been much more compelling and memorable in this modern TV age.
Yes, it seems like he goes into existential shock - and I wonder if part of the reason for that, aside from the guilt and horror at the deaths, is that he is doubting his own belief in justice. A crisis of faith. Instead of concluding that his superior was right, instead Syril ultimately doubles down and becomes even more obsessive. Aside from wanting to catch Andor, he wants to re-commit to his faith in justice. He’s ultimately a very emotional person, in a way that Dedra isn’t. A very interesting character.
Honestly, this video hits the nail on the head with what makes this show special. It's a series that actually focuses on the tragic nature of conflict, with the deaths of people on both sides portrayed as a tragedy. That weightiness and the emphasis on worldbuilding is just immersive as hell. It makes everything feel real, like actions have consequences, and easily allows you to think of the characters onscreen as real people, with their own motives, worldview, and lives. It's something Star Wars and most media in general has lacked for a while now, and this show just feels like such a breath of fresh air.
Great video, man. This show's tenets definitely need to continue in future releases. What stood out to me the most in this show was the relationship between the officer and the enlisted (which the show gets wrong only in one way, calling Sergeant Mosk an officer when he's an NCO). Anyone who has served as a young O or Senior NCO knows the relationship between an idealistic Lieutenant and his seasoned, squared away Sergeant counterpart. This show nails it. After the explosion knocks down so many of their troops, the young officer is dazed, and his NCO is scrambling to take control during the chaos, looking first to his people. It's one of the most accurate portrayals of Officer and NCO I've seen since Generation Kill. I know they're the shows bad guys, though, and it pains me to predict that their end in the story won't be good.
I remember the freeze in Texas. Luckily we have a gas fireplace so we could use that and our pipes didn't burst, but I had several friends whose pipes has burst and who had no fireplace. The freeze killed people. We can't desensitize death. Andor does a great job of not doing this. Like Alan said, each death matters.
I don't live in Texas, I don't know anyone who lives in Texas, but I tell you what, it was hell just imagining how people were suffering through that time. My reaction might not have directly helped anyone, but maybe one of the conversations I had with people around me affected how someone else will react in the future.
All of this, 100%. I'm also happy seeing acknowledgement that rebellions don't just start with senators opposing corrupt emperors. They have seeds planted by indifference (children abandoned on Kenari) that sprout with the abuse of power (corpos guards shaking down what they thought an easy mark). That it spreads when people see that, even in a small way, they can resist (the community spreading the word, the drop ship being tethered to scrap). Then a gardener (Luthien) comes along and helps that native plant spread to other areas. Nurtures it and adapts it to survive in other climates. I think this is where the top-down part of the rebellion comes in - people to take all of these individual pockets of resistance and merge them together into one force. What a great time for Star Wars.
I can really appreciate how much more critical Andor is. It doesnt just follow simple story telling because that is what OT did, faceless bad guys vs a heroic band of misfits. I suspect one of the reasons we have corpo security instead of like actual Imperial garrisons is because they arent ties down with the justifications and mental gymnastics required to humanize the Empire who never was meant to be humanized. You can see how such a force would operate and also why theyd act like they do. The story of the upstanding newbie in a conplacent or corrupt organization is pretty common in story telling and i could easily have seen Karn as the hero of another story.
Watching Andor left like a breathe of fresh air form. It’s a very well made show. I’d like to think even if I knew nothing about Star Wars I would have still loved the Show. I takes me back to the days of reading various Star Wars novels in my youth.
Excellent words! I appreciate your real world analogies, I was definitely feeling it too. The weight of everything has really sold me on the series. Seeing the corpo squad leader take the rifle away from the guy that shot Timm is so far beyond anything that I thought that I would ever see in a Star Wars release. Actual depth to the villians? No way! I can only hope the refreshingly intense and humanizing themes continue until the end. I'm an old school PC gamer and Legends fan, so the Fest references were gravy on something that I was already enjoying. Then the Brayr pistols got drawn and I was seriously geeking out! It's funny that years ago I was upset with how Rogue One was going to usurp the ye olde Dark Forces deeds done by Kyle Katarn. Now it's my favorite Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi... especially after seeing the rest of the lot. Serious props to the whole team for creating something so immensely freaking rad and including amazing easter eggs for old fans like myself.
Never mind those critics, no one believes them anymore. This show is so good and well made, even I couldn't believe this is Disney Star Wars. let's just hope they keep it up and to other future Star Wars series and films.
Detail and dignity instead of vapid commercialization. Thank you for this most excellent deconstruction of the best show on television, you're doing a bang-up-job.
The key point about them giving the story time to breathe and us the audience time to mourn the people that are actually dying is a fantastic astute point. And you're correct it is something that has been desperately needed in Star wars
I love all your content Allen, your enthusiasm for this latest Star Wars project only solidifies my opinion of this series. I am so looking forward to the rest of this series. I think we’ve got a great one here keep up the good work buddy!
Doing it better than many series of its genre, Andor serves us a rich and intricately laced cautionary tale about the utopian evolution of societal ideals pitted against the dystopian devolution of unchecked flaws and misguided foibles among all tribes, workers, and players regardless of rank or class. Through clever dialogue, amazing acting, and relevant action for the story only when necessary, it's an artistically applied blend of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the best and the worst of often polarized and sometimes paralyzed societies. Bravo and kudos to all involved. And thank you, poster, for pointing out such interesting details.
LOVE the darker, grittier and realistic tone driven by character action and motivation. I hope everything Star Wars has more of this. Would especially like to see this vibe with jedi and sith characters.
The fact of the way you look at things helps me be myself more. You vindicate my emotions and thoughts with just being and feeling and helpong me accept my emotions and thoughts.
That last part where you talked about people laughing about death reminded me of how there was one point when it seemed like WW3 was going to break out a few years ago, and everyone making jokes and memes about it, and they've done the same about horrible events, such as with that Submarine, 9/11, and so many other horrible tragic deaths which aren't treated with seriousness for what they are but as nothing but sick jokes to be laughed at and made fun of.
I LOVE the style of Andor. You're right in your analysis - not only is it top-tier Star Wars, but it slows down enough to make us care about the characters involved and takes a hard look at the weight of someone's death, a rare trait in modern cinema. After the abominable garbage that was the sequel trilogy, many of us thought Star Wars was dead. But then we got some middle-tier content like Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, both of which had moments of greatness yet still fell very flat at other times. But the most recent two, Kenobi and Andor, have really taken Star Wars to new heights and reinvigorated life-long fans like me. I know the future will probably be hit-and-miss as well, but at least we're getting some good hits right now.
100% agreed on the acknowledgement of suffering and the immediacy of death in Andor. It grants empathy to a fictional situation, which so often informs our real life empathy.
Dear Allen, An excellent synopsis. I totally love the Andor series, it is as you say bringing a real sense of loss & death, which accurately portraits life not only in the present day but also the future. Best Wishes Johnny
I am thrilled the quality of Star Wars productions took such a huge step up with Andor. The series has such great writing and acting it can truly stand on it's own, instead of soporific drivel that is aimed towards merchandising. As an adult with a brain, I am thrilled to watch a show for adults with brains, that reflects deeply on humanitarianism and our own lives.
One detail I like is that they made the Corporate Inspector be like a guy who just got out of ROTC instead of a higher up incompetent officer who is defeated by being a poor tactician like in Rebels. Instead we have someone who is eager to prove himself, but who has no experience and hasn’t applied what he learned to a combat operation.
haha yeah and sergeant literally has to walk through everything including how to give a good speech to the men before a battle
@@GenerationTech that scene was hilarious, the security forces guys looked like they were keeping themselves from bursting out laughing when the inspector just said the word “justice”
@@indianajones4321 I like the fact he was uncomfortable in front of the men. He didn't know how to give a speech or inspire while the sergeant being a good NCO tries to support him.
The troops are not fooled however.
I did like the little detail where the sergeant first shows up and presents a salute and on inspector doesn't return the salute or know how to respond.
Not sure what his training was, but you can tell this is not a strict military organization.
@@brianschlicher59 I think it was all good attention to detail to create a different type of Imperial villain. He’s not someone who doesn’t care about the Empire and will immediately defect to the Rebellion. Also he’s not a seasoned veteran within the Empire or an arrogant officer.
@@GenerationTech It's the first time we've seen a hip flask in Star Wars. The serg was taking a nip for courage when pursuing Andor
I absolutely love Sargeant Mosk as a character. He comes across as someone who is kinda sucking up to the higher ranking officer. He agrees with him on everything, props him up whenever he can, and even defends his crappy speech. But when shit hits the fan, he completely drops that act and steps up to the leadership role that the deputy inspector wishes he could achieve. He might be a bad guy, but I'd rather follow him into battle then any imperial officer any day.
NCOs are backbone of the corporate army!
@@GenerationTech Non-Coms FTW 😆😆😆
Incredibly realistic. Wonderful character.
@@benjaminroe311ify I agree with. Brilliantly written and performed character. This is stellar cinematography right there.
I didn't interpret him as sucking up so much as taking a younger less experienced officer under his wing. As an NCO he won't ever have the de jure authority that an officer would, but he has more experience and a better understanding of his men. He's giving the officer encouragement that he needs to build his confidence and do a better job. You can see he isn't just blindly agreeing with everything as much as giving gentle suggestions and nudging him towards where he needs to go (until the SHTF, then he drops all that and just does what needs done).
Yeah, I really appreciated how then end of episode 3 wasn't treated as a triumphant moment. Cassian got away, but the human cost was high. It didn't matter that most of the dead were the "bad guys." It was still played as an all around tragic and traumatic event.
I did like how his adopted mother was holding his blow dart gun and crying.
Great scene she was losing her son.
That's something I want to see more of, not just in Star Wars but in big franchises generally... "good guy" characters who feel devastated by death and destruction, even if its the enemy. There also solutions, diplomatic ones, that could get you what you want (or at least closer to it) without any deaths at all. I have to second Alan here, we've become extremely desensitized to death through franchises like this and we really need to be reminded that it is not a thing to be laughed over.
@@brianschlicher59 "son". She literally kidnapped him from his planet and family lol.
She saved his life from the callous, inhuman Republic death squads, who likely had already murdered his parents, and next murdered all the youth that he was surviving with before her.
Agreed. It was one of those like, "Yes! The good guy won and got away!" But they also show, with music and dialogue that it came at a heavy cost. The "bad guys" really are just there to do a job. Sure they're corpos, but they're just doing their job.
This is exactly what Star Wars has needed for a very very long time
A long time..
It’s not that good thou lmao the native kids scences are so cringe
@@Tahoe756 Why? It's his backstory
@@westtgd I think he like many want it narrowed down, some feel it's too slow and goes too far into the other direction.
@@refugeehugsforfree4151 Ah, okay. Yeah I can understand that. Star Wars has almost always been action focused, and there isn't much action in this.
However, I would like to say that I think it's a nice change of pace - not that all things should be like this, certainly not, but this is ultimately a story that shows how a rebellion is started. And I think taking time to show the struggles of the average person is a really good idea cause it's something we've always missed. We've had these grand heroes who have these space operas, I think it's something to appreciate to have a more grounded and realistic look at the universe. Ya know?
Between this show and Rogue One, I feel like this is some of the best storytelling we’ve gotten out of the Disney era. I can’t wait to see how it goes for the rest of the season.
Tony Gilroy and other people who are more focused on cinematography and character development than cameos and profit need to be in charge of Star Wars
Agreed!
I think Andor really needs to be dark and gritty just to show how much harder the people who are not Force users, Main characters of the movies, and some special background individual have it in this Universe. These are not people born with special powers, naturally have strong influence, or are extremely talented in some way but ordinary people who can never match up to those Main characters of the movie series and TV shows due to their lack of "special" traits.
I couldn't have said that better.
Yes I agree. It's hard to actually relate to someone that has super power or was born with the force. But it it easy to relate to these everyday human beings who struggle with the gray areas of everyday life. Watching this play out in George Lucas's galaxy is exactly what I needed and I hope others will open their hearts and minds to this experience. True breathtaking.
More important is it's showing how nasty civil wars actually are.
it needs it, to feel like Rogue One, then it surely will feel like The Empire strikes Back!I dont like the pace of the first 2 episodes though!the latest episode looked pure Star Wars movie style though, not Kenobi/Fett tv series quality!
Yeah, so true about the need for ordinary perspectives to balance out the comic-book-style obsession with Superpowers and Superweapons.
Back in the early 90s the Star Wars Expanded Universe tried to go the same route - introduce new main characters who were just Average Joes, so the audience could understand the difficulty facing their rebellion, and feel validated when they succeeded. Kyle Katarn. Corran Horn. Keyan Farlander.
These proved wildly popular, so sequels ensued... and one by one, each of these audience avatars suddenly discovered in the sequel that they were really a Jedi all along. Yawn. About time we got back on track.
Disney really shot themselves in the foot with the glaring issues in Kenobi and Fett. Many just automatically hate this show. Its not perfect, nothing is, but damn is it a breath of fresh air
I know what you mean. They make a show about a legacy character like Boba or Obi-Wan and they get high ratings for little work.
However it's these stories of the smaller characters I want to see fleashed out.
Let's hope they keep giving us storytelling of this caliber.
I think this might be the closest star wars is getting to perfect since ESB
It's a breath of dry, dirty, gritty air, with the smell of burnt metal and sweat in it. And it was long overdue. Thanks Alan, great video!
I just don't understand the hate people have for Obi Wan. It wasn't perfect but everything with Vader was phenomonal.
@@metaloverlord7465 I totally agree. The whole Reva thing did really feel forced and there were meny dumb scenes but overall I wanted to see broken Kenobi get his mojo back while we see another side to Vader We only saw with Ahsoka in rebels previously, and that is what we got . I even liked Book of boba fett quite alot despite the weird pacing.
That amount of hate is only deserved by the sequels
I am loving Andor so far. The ceremony and almost Ritualistic way the bellman strikes the bell is impressive.
I appreciated that the bell ringer wasn't just doing a job. This is a responsibility that has been passed down through generations, and you can tell he does this work proudly, even if there is no material reward for it. He is a master of his craft, an art he too will pass on to someone else some day. He used very specific movements, operating in what felt like a ritualistic and sacred way. This is a society forged in hard labor, and as such, hard labor informs their values and customs, such as the importance of noting the beginning and end of the work day.
Brilliant. I felt the same. It also reminded me at Japanese drummers who also have a spiritual approach to it. I assume the bell ringing ant the way the bell ringer performed has also a spiritual almost religious meaning to it. Wonderful scene and beautiful sound effects. Damn, I love this Show and I was not prepared for what I have seen.
I suspect the reason we see humans doing labor that could easily be mechanized or automated is two-fold: 1) this is obviously some kind of union operation, so the union is probably negotiating to keep certain jobs manual labor to ensure positions aren't eliminated, and 2) it's part of the world building showing these people are at the bottom of the food chain and forced to scrape and scrap just to survive and so they don't have the resources to invest in anything non-essential.
@@ic9310 Or the chanters who sing prayers at specific times of the day in many Muslim cities.
@@QuintusAntonious And they probably don't have access to the mechanized tools that would do the work for them. Even their droids are built from scrap they forage.
The fact that the other citizens used metallic clamor to signal trouble at the ground level tells us that meaningful percussion is deeply embedded in the culture. I'm supposing that "anvil man" had a panoply of signals he could give, and the townspeople knew them all.
I've been enjoying Andor a lot. I like the more relaxed pace, it gives time for scenes to breathe and the audience to take everything in. And there is so much to take in.
Plus with the format, they have plenty of time to flesh things out in order to establish the setting before the action starts.
That deputy major guy is such a good actor. That character is gonna be great
The absence of bad acting also is a nice change of pace
Gilroy wants to show that every life, no matter if it's a minor character, someone acting out of selfish iintent, or someone forced to take a life out of self-preservation. Death is not something to be ignored or overlooked.
I imagine that this will be all the more noticeable if/when the empire proper comes in and demonstrates a greater disregard for life, because of the contrast with what came before
We said.
Amen
Your closing statements on the gravity of death an how people laughed about it in the real world hit me square in the heart. We as a society have lost our empathy.
This!
We never had it.
@@chiveschivian9965 Exactly. It was only about a hundred years ago when public executions were the norm and still are in most of the third world. Public executions, slave labor, child labor, blood sports, etc. Humanity is and always has been a very tribal species.
I do appreciate the stories that don't glorify battle and war and strive to depict both sides as humans. Andor is shaping up to be a masterpiece.
I love how the creators of "Andor" haven't even introduced The Empire yet despite being 3 Episodes in. That in itself proves they're trying to give us something fresh with nuance besides the same layers & factions we typically see in most SW content. Critics complained when Kenobi & Boba Fett weren't the focal point of their series & the plot strayed away from them while adding in easter eggs, legacy cameos, nostalgia, & Baby Yoda. Then Andor actually pays attention to the plot with an interesting slower burn narrative that doesn't have no fan service at all but is accused of being "Boring" & "Not Star Wars". Hypocrites!
I thought Andor was quizzed on his ability to get 'inside' the Empire in episode 3 which led to a protracted discussion of the Empire and it's overwhelming oppression and arrogance?
For surface level fans, yeah, Andor is decidedly not a SW series. The feel is very, very different. So I personally understand where they're coming from on that.
BUT, for those who are a bit more invested, you can see that SW history drips from every dirty street corner and corporate office. Fest, Bryar pistol, Morana security, junk planet of Ferrix, the accents, the tech, the outfits, the lore references,... it's all there, to prove this series is making a story for the sake of telling a >story
Exactly. Instead of trying to pull us in with a shallow storyline but plenty of iconic imagery, they actually do their own thing, and tell the story that want to tell. Mad props to the writers and directors, cuz the risk has paid off.
@@ArcNine9Angel Also, the Corpos are clearly a tweaked version of the security forces of the Corporate Sector Authority, also known as Corpos, who have been part of Star Wars expanded universe lore since the early 1980s.
@@ArcNine9Angel I honestly don't understand how it isn't a SW series, it reeks star wars. Star wars isn't just lightsabers
A fair argument would call it "not a disney SW show" since all we've seen in Disney shows is shoe-horning "fanservice" cameos to the point that shoes like Boba have Boba overshadowed by other characters, or how the very same Boba show and Kenobi show, the writters think the name is enough to make the show great, leaving us with mediocre media
Andor is SW to the bone, honestly the kind of show I've been waiting for, it doesn't only explore the down to earth and even scummy side of SW while also exploring the inner workings of the empire and other more obscure organizations like the subsidiary corporations. Something Disney has horrendously neglected for these past 8 years of new canon.
These article writters are honestly like cancer. They're tumors in the creative industry, their job relies on drama and as such they will bellitle everything, even if it means sounding like an absolute fool and making headlines like those.
Also your comment on the past shows is on point.
The thought that struck me watching the scenes with the bell ringer was "There's a man who loves his job." Sure, it is something that _could_ have been automated or done remotely from the ground level, but the pose he made with the hammers before striking the bell told me that this was something that he was proud to do - something that had value to his community - and the climb up the tower was of no consequence to him since it gave him a direct connection to the instrument.
Good video! What I got out of the corpos was that they were like mall cops thrown into a war. The contrast with storm troopers was massive, from the first guy's reaction when his partner died to when the car blew up and the officer was just standing there stunned. These guys had never been around death before. Also another thing that stuck out a lot was the wall of gloves just out in the open. This is a very close community, no-one was worried their gloves would get stolen. Excellent show-dont-tell.
Well the officer reaction at the explosion was obvious since the presentation of his character he was a idealist and when and idealist comes crashing to reality is all to easy to just freeze and not knowing what to do but the sarge immediately took charge and called for the CAS EVAC and tend to the wondead and it has more to come due to the family spirit of the corpos rather than the massive nature of the empire
And yet those 14 men showed more tactical awareness, more social awareness, and used better tactics than most of the imperial military. They weren't incompetent, they were outwitted, and that means so much to see.
I really like how they're making death have more of a weight. This is the reason why I like Gundam so much. It really shows how terrible war truly is. I'm glad star wars is finally doing that too.
Mechanized Robotic Battlesuits _are_ very important.
@@glyph241 Gundams are purposely designed to be humanoid shaped by the creators to instill personification. A replacement for gore when someone's limbs or head is blown off. The main focus though is the characters, death of a side characters or even the main character carry heavy weight and add value to the story. Even enemy deaths aren't easily brushed off. You see enemy pilot's scream moments before their death in agony.
@@MochiKing
Dude.
I want your gravestone to Wing Zero standing guard for all time.
Ya know I once pointed to a friend when you think about it to actually live in the Starwars galaxy with its constant wars and devastation would be awful. The films don’t actually show the true impact of war not even the clone wars actually shows the true impact. Then rogue one launched and in that one scene where you see the child standing in the middle as two sides blow each other apart changed things. Safe to say I was really hyped when they announced Andor hoping it would be more like that and it is and it’s great.
@@theempiredidnothingwrong3227 In clone wars they tapped into stuff like, experimental people, biological and chemical warfare, mysticism, and full on blowing up planets in the future. But it all seems like flavor text. The world isn't affected by it and life goes on normally in perpetual warfare. In UC Gundam, they have the antarctic treaty. Which lays out why nukes, chemical, and bio weapons are banned as this things can bring upon more destruction upon humanity. Thus increasing the tech of mobile suits to a contained warfare.
The colony drop is the most emotional, painful, and horrible flavor text because you see events leading up to it, the moments during it, and the repercussions of it on the world. And it's OUR WORLD
The show is doing actual world building for a part of the Star Wars universe that is rarely seen. The ordinary folks that make up the rebellion. No Jedi, No sith and I hope the series continues to do just that.
I like how the Sergeant was actually calling for CASEVAC and using other terms that you'd hear in our military.
Yeah that scene with the neighborhood waking up, taking casualties, and realizing they are in a bad spot reminded me of Iraq.
Don't forget the "bus conversation" at the end of episode 2. It comes off as a bit goofy everyday experience we've all had and it doesn't do anything for the plot. However, it does a lot for the world building aka colors the world around the characters. It's like the cooking scene in Goodfellas. I love mundane stuff like this!
"It's like the cooking scene in Goodfellas. I love mundane stuff like this!"
There’s a clear divide between the adult Star Wars fans and the children that they are genuinely cater to shows like Mando and Andor have a more adult pallet and themes that resonate and feel more like the gritty or Star Wars originals where there was very little humor I’m all for these shows they are truly amazing and add more to the lore than the new trilogy has
I love all of star wars and for diferent reasons but I do think that the OT didn't lack in humor cause you dis had basically 2 characters that were almost cómic relief all of the time and I would say that andor is far more gritter than the OT both in humor and consequence
There's a new trilogy?
Those small details are so important for building immersion. The lights in the imperial carrier going off and on showing the shitty state that some of the non-important planets imperial units are in for example
Ah yes 😂 I feel like the internal dampeners are off on those crafts. So sketchy when entering the atmosphere
If anything electric started going haywire in a tiny spaceship I was standing in, you could bet your lifesavings that I'd be freaking the HELL out.
As a veteran of Afghanistan I can full heartedly appreciate the part of the show with the chimes and warning the locals. In Afghanistan it wasn’t chimes but it was kites not sure who came up with that episode but they nailed it. Also the combat felt real in the end you end up feeling bad for the bad guys. Great video man!
the Empire thanks you for your service
So much of the dialogue in here is just impeccable... even the comments of the non combat related Pre-Mor employees "Have you ever been there sir? they kinda do things their own way" and "to do that you'd have the filter the whole night!" comments like these from presumably some rather bit characters really makes them seem like ACTUAL people and makes the whole organization and everyone more real. Amazing script and scenes...
I liked the end to episode 3. It humanizes the antagonist, adding nuance to the story. Sure, you have the desire to see the protagonist win but then you have the reality of the world, that everyone is their own protagonist and have equally valid motives. It’s also a moment of character development, of growth. Entering the real world and getting beaten.
I also really love the idea of the CTF and the corpos as a whole because the relationship between them and the residents is SO similar to the troubles in 70s, 80s and 90s Britain. Especially episode 3 with the bells and warning bells and stuff it's very interesting seeing the parallels.
Love your username.
@@jerrylee7898 thank you, take it you like warhammer too?
@@warmasterraven1447 that and I am a huge Poe fan.
Actually reminds me of the Coal Wars that occurred at the turn of the century in the US.
Had a lot of company towns with similar sorts of rent-a-cops who abused their powers as much or more than theses guys do.
I didn't make that correlation until now, good eye!
Andor is very good so far. Soo many cool details that I hope people can appreciate.
oh man that intro scene, drezzer killed it, you could see the look on his face when he realized what he was going to do, that anger and desperation, begging cassian to come with him to report it as an "accident". he was totally going to turn on him, maybe even kill him. so good
Rogue One is my favorite modern Star Wars movie so I’m definitely enjoying this. Hopefully they can keep it grounded in surrealism.
one thing I think could have been touched on more was after the moment after the guard died the other started begging for his life. And for really the first time in Star Wars it felt real, it was some phenomenal acting as I truly believed that man did not want to die, and certainly not in a dingy alleyway by a wandering stranger. And Cassian's execution of him felt cold, heartless, and for me, it really hit me that Cassian is not meant to be a good guy, he's meant to be a person willing to do anything just to survive.
Another thing i love, the guy who shot Timm had an immense and immediate regret. You could see it when he tore off his hat, you could see it in his face. He was horrified that he had done it
Really? To me it kinda felt like an accident.
@@ting4758 accident reaction to the charge and then an immediate "oh fuck what did i do"
Part of it is that he probably knew the whole situation was a powder keg already and his accident basically would have lit a spark where they were outnumbered and didn't know the terrain.
Not to mention that he just killed a civilian, and he probably could have stunned him instead; no wonder his squad leader was infuriated!
My favorite part was the officer saying. "Well are we just gonna stand here?" And for his second in command to agreed with him and take tactical positions at the square. Just perfect.
Something that you get a real sense of from Ferrix is just how much these people value the labor they do. They've almost ritualized the humanizing aspects of their work; the glove wall isnt efficient, but its human. The gloves next to yours belong to someone, someone who works just as hard as you. The bell tower being rung manually isnt efficient, but the way its done, the specialized hammers, the ornate anvil beam, the almost kata-like poses when the striker winds up his hammers, he understands both the importance and significance of his role. These things all show the people carebabout the work they do, and gives them a good reason to care. Its hard to feel like you dont matter when you see the people you live and work with every day
Absolutely. The way they constructed the culture of blue-collar Ferrix via the characters and their relationships with their work and was genius - I really feel like this place might exist. The corpos and the Empire severely underestimate the power of a society that is proud enough to care for its citizens. I love the funeral ritual too - Ferrix is a built environment where every individual is valued. In death, you become a literal part of the structure. Genius. When Dedra is explaining about this, you can see and hear her mildly-fascinated contempt.
You forgot about the Deputy Inspector’s reaction to the trap that exploded that speeder, Box’s reaction to her lovers death, and Andor actually having a bruised face after getting into that tussle that ended with two dead Corpos.
"this is actually superb cinema" sums up Andor very well. i watched Rogue One a couple of months ago and even though i have seen it like 4 times now i was just blown away by the cinematography. i love Rogue One, and i'm absolutely loving Andor as well, such a great piece of art.
I liked how the Seargent casually "assumed" the deputy inspector would be strapping on armour and leading from the front, thus ensuring that that actually happened, and in turn improving how the deputy inspector looked to the men. Reminds me of the novel "monstrous regiment" by Terry Pratchett, where a similarly experianced Sergeant took an inexperienced officer under his wing, using phrases like "anticipating your orders sir, i did the following..."
"Show, don't tell“ is the reason why all the greatest movies can be so quiet
Must be the reason why I like silent movies and gameplay
Alan my man. You hit every thought perfectly.
I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually proud to be a Star Wars fan again. The first three episodes were like reading a good book, just couldn't put it down.
Details matter. Little things matter. Characters actually matter. Story does matter. Lives matter. Empathy matters.
👍👍 Very well said. Wanted to say something like that myself... but repetition unnecessary.
I really hope Disney make more content like this. The tone really fits Star Wars imo
The bell and hammers is a metaphor for the whole show. Beautiful, but heavy and the message it sends is important.
I only watched the original trilogy this month and I found it so odd how Leia barely responded when her home world was destroyed. She made a big fuss beforehand, but once it was done, it was like any other bad thing they all moved on from. This show is great and your coverage of it has been awesome.
You are right, as much as I love them, you would expect Leia to behave closer to when Luke found out Vader was his father. Hell you don't even have to go that far, even just stunned shock and an inability to process what had actually happened would have worked wonders for that scene; add in red eyes (from crying) but still defiant when Luke opens the door in Stormtrooper armour and I think you have a far more realistic approach to the mass genocide of her people and the death of many of the people she knew personally.
This is exactly what I wanted! Telling the story of a minor character (Cassian Andor) and we get to start off with a man that isn't a rebel operative or a fighter.
We have a man working a job and it trying to find his sister. And that's it early on. I also love that as a boy he grew up on Kenari. I still wonder what was killing that crew (they appear jaundiced and sick). We also know Kenari is now quarantined allegedly over mining.
Great show. Great details with the show don't tell way of getting information across, and I do NOT mind the slow build up.
Can't wait to see where it goes!
It didn't look like Cassian Andor was mentally preparing himself for murder when he was stopped by the corporate guys. He just looked like he was fed up with what appeared to be a recurring practice by authority figures extorting money over people just minding their own business. Andor was only at the club to get information about his missing sister, and those corporate security guys draw a weapon on him because they felt slighted by him. The look of sorrow on his face doesn't occur until he realizes that he accidently killed one of them. It was only at that point does murder become his intent because it was "him or me" situation. Let's face it, Kravis was not really going to sell a lie to his superiors that he got into an altercation with his buddy that resulted in his death; he was going to claim Andor ambushed them.
If Andor surrenders to the corp authorities he will not get justice and they will just hang him. In a way it is a perverse kind of self defense. If Andor leaves Kravis alive, Kravis will use the local justice system to murder Andor.
Exactly! I don't think he was intending to kill them.
The fact that a Star Wars series is detailed enough to have 15 minute in depth review of a tunic. Andor is everything we ever could dream of.
It’s a wonderful tunic
Can you imagine if they do stormtroopers right? Imagine how intimidating it would be if after several episodes of real reactions to death, that first stormtrooper robotically steps over his fallen comrade. Damn that could be good if done right.
To be fair when your in a fire fight you won't have time to check on your comrade
YES this is such a promising idea!!!
Terrifying Stormtroopers is something we've never seen in Star Wars and it would fit so well in this show. Have the heroes celebrating a win against the corpos then have the tone immediately turn dark as they face down highly trained, well equipped, faceless and unrelenting enemies. Show Stormtroopers as the average citizen of the galaxy sees them; intimidating, elite units of the Imperial navy.
@@themanyouwanttobe and dont give the protagonist plot armor. See a couple die to make the threat that more.
It's a must, this show has promised a lot by how it has acted and that is a mandatory delievery in my eyes
For too long, even in the mandalorian they cracked the joke "haha look troopers can't shoot". Yes it's funny, but what are you doing with that kind of writting? It's meant to be a funny quip at how the MCs weren't shot at in the original triology, DON'T MAKE IT ACTUAL CANON LORE! The empire is terrifying, how is an empire meant to be terrifying if it's main army corp is a bunch of goofy-ass clowns who can't see?
*thumbnail*
Syril Karn: "Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation."
I think one area you're wrong in regards to is when you mention that stormtroopers just marched over their dead comrades in OT. In contrast, there were little touches during the course of A New Hope that said otherwise. Two times during the attack on Tantive IV we see stormtroopers attending to wounded or dead colleagues. During the death start shoot out, one trooper tries to catch his comrade before he falls over into the abyss. I always liked those touches; somehow it made the stormtroopers more real and thus more formidable in the original Star Wars, and it's something that's been missing with the Disney streaming shows since.
This show has blown me away with its depth & quality. It’s a work of art and reflects the skill of the story tellers crafting it.
I can tell you're really enjoying this show, Tech. This show is superb seriously.
Some very solid points here, but I did appreciate pointing out all the modifications to Syril's uniform, I didn't catch them all the first time around. The parts about how the show actually treats death with respect is really on point.
My favorite characters are the shopkeeper and his kid. They just feel like a really good, happy working-class family in an otherwise dark world
Yeah... So many details... that guy and his alien stooge haha. Confronting Cassian to pay him what he owed as soon as Cassian appeared. Brasso and how he and Cassian talk. Bix and Timm how they interact in the shop and later at Timm's home... Maarva and how she talks to Cassian like any MOM that loved their kid would. The script and the characters are incredible. They are real...
Andor is a show written (it feels) for the fans that grew up with this franchise. Most of us are already 40+ so we naturally would enjoy stories that appeal to our age and experiences. I cherish Andor and Rogue One for actually being a Star Wars that didn’t get stuck on puberty or adolescence. I, as an old fan, feel appreciated thanks to stories like these. Makes me talk about Star Wars the way I used to.
I love your approach with this! This video could have just been "Here's a cool emblem that appeared in the clone wars, isn't that a wacky lore detail?" but instead you talked about the filmmaking and themes of the series in a deeper sense than any of the loretubers will get into.
One detail I loved was the severity with which they treated blows to the head. Normally in fiction, the hero hits a guy or gets hit in the head to knock him out or stun him long enough to get the upper hand and afterwards the person who was hit is completely fine if a little dazed.
When Cassian hit the Corpo trying to shake him down, he accidentally killed him.
Yea I believe it’s the back of the head into the nose very dangerous. Same thing with Nemics injury
I kind of assumed that it was the fall that killed him rather than the headbutt itself, and if so that would be another trope averted - if you’ve been knocked out, and subsequently cannot break a fall backwards onto your head on a solid surface,.. that can very easily kill you. I love that about this show - sometimes people just die.
Funny enough it's the dark and grittyness is why I'm rather enjoying Andor so much. I've been wanting somthing like this with star wars it's one reason why I like the old republic so much it switches the old kid friendly content and replaces it with dark and gritty ment for more older ordinances content and I'm hoping we get to see more of this
Star wars is a great way to introduce children to adult themes in my opinion
I totally agree, this show is doing a great job in showing how death ,truly even in fiction, should have weight to it. I'm confident in this series to do some great things🙌
"Shit. We're under siege." This phrase alone signifies a sort of maturity for this franchise.
Dude I know now why I subscribed to hear your content a while ago. Your insights help me in a therapeutic way to understand the small details about the Star Wars galaxy, a galaxy that I enjoy "being" in. I was happy to simply hate the "bad" guys in this series but your words have given me reason to cheer for them, at least have sympathy for them. I know the thanks goes to to scriptwriters and directors but I thank you for the time you took to speak your opinion. Lifetime subscriber going forward.
One thing I loved about Star Wars was the amount of depth they but into the characters. The depth, however, would need to be discovered in the "Visual Dictionaries", or recalling previous movies, shows, and books. So I really love the Andor show because they expand on the characters, in a cinematic way, in the show. Also the shows storytelling is much more natural and doesn't feel forced.
I love the moment of the inspector staring at the destroyed decoy and casualties. He worked so hard to do what he believed to be the right thing of bringing the killer of two men to justice, only to have it blow up into a fight and several more deaths. Had he just written it off like his superior earlier instructed, while it would’ve felt to him like a morally lax and lazy approach, much would be avoided. Just the thoughts running through his head as the world closes in, something that many can relate to, makes it so human.
I’ve found that shows that are more human with complex characters and motivations, rather than one-dimensional drama or action, have been much more compelling and memorable in this modern TV age.
Yes, it seems like he goes into existential shock - and I wonder if part of the reason for that, aside from the guilt and horror at the deaths, is that he is doubting his own belief in justice. A crisis of faith. Instead of concluding that his superior was right, instead Syril ultimately doubles down and becomes even more obsessive. Aside from wanting to catch Andor, he wants to re-commit to his faith in justice. He’s ultimately a very emotional person, in a way that Dedra isn’t. A very interesting character.
Honestly, this video hits the nail on the head with what makes this show special. It's a series that actually focuses on the tragic nature of conflict, with the deaths of people on both sides portrayed as a tragedy. That weightiness and the emphasis on worldbuilding is just immersive as hell. It makes everything feel real, like actions have consequences, and easily allows you to think of the characters onscreen as real people, with their own motives, worldview, and lives. It's something Star Wars and most media in general has lacked for a while now, and this show just feels like such a breath of fresh air.
Outstanding commentary. Loved this show. Loved Andor from the start and couldn't understand why more people didn't get it.
Thanks
Great video, man. This show's tenets definitely need to continue in future releases. What stood out to me the most in this show was the relationship between the officer and the enlisted (which the show gets wrong only in one way, calling Sergeant Mosk an officer when he's an NCO). Anyone who has served as a young O or Senior NCO knows the relationship between an idealistic Lieutenant and his seasoned, squared away Sergeant counterpart. This show nails it. After the explosion knocks down so many of their troops, the young officer is dazed, and his NCO is scrambling to take control during the chaos, looking first to his people. It's one of the most accurate portrayals of Officer and NCO I've seen since Generation Kill. I know they're the shows bad guys, though, and it pains me to predict that their end in the story won't be good.
I remember the freeze in Texas. Luckily we have a gas fireplace so we could use that and our pipes didn't burst, but I had several friends whose pipes has burst and who had no fireplace. The freeze killed people. We can't desensitize death. Andor does a great job of not doing this. Like Alan said, each death matters.
I don't live in Texas, I don't know anyone who lives in Texas, but I tell you what, it was hell just imagining how people were suffering through that time. My reaction might not have directly helped anyone, but maybe one of the conversations I had with people around me affected how someone else will react in the future.
You’re absolutely right about Star Wars brushing off death, it’s so refreshing to see peoples lives matter, and what death really means.
All of this, 100%. I'm also happy seeing acknowledgement that rebellions don't just start with senators opposing corrupt emperors. They have seeds planted by indifference (children abandoned on Kenari) that sprout with the abuse of power (corpos guards shaking down what they thought an easy mark). That it spreads when people see that, even in a small way, they can resist (the community spreading the word, the drop ship being tethered to scrap).
Then a gardener (Luthien) comes along and helps that native plant spread to other areas. Nurtures it and adapts it to survive in other climates. I think this is where the top-down part of the rebellion comes in - people to take all of these individual pockets of resistance and merge them together into one force.
What a great time for Star Wars.
The CTF in part 3 remind me of some super friendly and dedicated historical re-enactors you might find in the US- I kinda like that
I can really appreciate how much more critical Andor is. It doesnt just follow simple story telling because that is what OT did, faceless bad guys vs a heroic band of misfits.
I suspect one of the reasons we have corpo security instead of like actual Imperial garrisons is because they arent ties down with the justifications and mental gymnastics required to humanize the Empire who never was meant to be humanized. You can see how such a force would operate and also why theyd act like they do. The story of the upstanding newbie in a conplacent or corrupt organization is pretty common in story telling and i could easily have seen Karn as the hero of another story.
Watching Andor left like a breathe of fresh air form. It’s a very well made show. I’d like to think even if I knew nothing about Star Wars I would have still loved the Show. I takes me back to the days of reading various Star Wars novels in my youth.
Breathtaking as always Allen
👆 You’re breathtaking! 😁
Excellent words! I appreciate your real world analogies, I was definitely feeling it too. The weight of everything has really sold me on the series. Seeing the corpo squad leader take the rifle away from the guy that shot Timm is so far beyond anything that I thought that I would ever see in a Star Wars release. Actual depth to the villians? No way! I can only hope the refreshingly intense and humanizing themes continue until the end.
I'm an old school PC gamer and Legends fan, so the Fest references were gravy on something that I was already enjoying. Then the Brayr pistols got drawn and I was seriously geeking out! It's funny that years ago I was upset with how Rogue One was going to usurp the ye olde Dark Forces deeds done by Kyle Katarn. Now it's my favorite Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi... especially after seeing the rest of the lot. Serious props to the whole team for creating something so immensely freaking rad and including amazing easter eggs for old fans like myself.
Alan, thank you for your closing statement. Your views on death and empathy were beautifully articulated. Thanks for the breakdown
Never mind those critics, no one believes them anymore. This show is so good and well made, even I couldn't believe this is Disney Star Wars. let's just hope they keep it up and to other future Star Wars series and films.
Detail and dignity instead of vapid commercialization. Thank you for this most excellent deconstruction of the best show on television, you're doing a bang-up-job.
Real talk at the end there. Well said Alan.
word, watched the first 3 episodes I thought it was the best star wars show I've seen so far. looking forward to the rest of the season.
Well said. Glad there are folks like you who can articulate these things way better than I can.
This show is not slow paced, and is perfectly Star Wars. I love it, can’t wait for more!
The key point about them giving the story time to breathe and us the audience time to mourn the people that are actually dying is a fantastic astute point. And you're correct it is something that has been desperately needed in Star wars
I love all your content Allen, your enthusiasm for this latest Star Wars project only solidifies my opinion of this series. I am so looking forward to the rest of this series.
I think we’ve got a great one here keep up the good work buddy!
THANK YOU for vocalizing what I had been struggling to put into words! Imo this is BY FAR the best thing ever produced in the SWU.
Doing it better than many series of its genre, Andor serves us a rich and intricately laced cautionary tale about the utopian evolution of societal ideals pitted against the dystopian devolution of unchecked flaws and misguided foibles among all tribes, workers, and players regardless of rank or class. Through clever dialogue, amazing acting, and relevant action for the story only when necessary, it's an artistically applied blend of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the best and the worst of often polarized and sometimes paralyzed societies. Bravo and kudos to all involved. And thank you, poster, for pointing out such interesting details.
Yes the details are so important. I loved every second of every episode of this series.
LOVE the darker, grittier and realistic tone driven by character action and motivation. I hope everything Star Wars has more of this.
Would especially like to see this vibe with jedi and sith characters.
This is what Star Wars is capable of being without the humorous and childish flare that Disney puts in everything.
I absolutely love it.
The fact of the way you look at things helps me be myself more. You vindicate my emotions and thoughts with just being and feeling and helpong me accept my emotions and thoughts.
Andor is f ing awesome
That last part where you talked about people laughing about death reminded me of how there was one point when it seemed like WW3 was going to break out a few years ago, and everyone making jokes and memes about it, and they've done the same about horrible events, such as with that Submarine, 9/11, and so many other horrible tragic deaths which aren't treated with seriousness for what they are but as nothing but sick jokes to be laughed at and made fun of.
I LOVE the style of Andor. You're right in your analysis - not only is it top-tier Star Wars, but it slows down enough to make us care about the characters involved and takes a hard look at the weight of someone's death, a rare trait in modern cinema. After the abominable garbage that was the sequel trilogy, many of us thought Star Wars was dead. But then we got some middle-tier content like Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, both of which had moments of greatness yet still fell very flat at other times. But the most recent two, Kenobi and Andor, have really taken Star Wars to new heights and reinvigorated life-long fans like me. I know the future will probably be hit-and-miss as well, but at least we're getting some good hits right now.
Great points and attention to detail. I would have never realised his uniform was designed like the ground patrol team.
Honestly, this whole show is reminding me of the American Coal Wars and the Battle of Blair Mountain.
100% agreed on the acknowledgement of suffering and the immediacy of death in Andor. It grants empathy to a fictional situation, which so often informs our real life empathy.
Dear Allen, An excellent synopsis. I totally love the Andor series, it is as you say bringing a real sense of loss & death, which accurately portraits life not only in the present day but also the future. Best Wishes Johnny
This is the first Star Wars show that hasn't had a bunch of corny jokes and characters written into it, and I appreciate it so much for that.
You, sir, are a compassionate human being.
Top notch writing, editing, directing, and acting. This show is so tight!
I am thrilled the quality of Star Wars productions took such a huge step up with Andor. The series has such great writing and acting it can truly stand on it's own, instead of soporific drivel that is aimed towards merchandising. As an adult with a brain, I am thrilled to watch a show for adults with brains, that reflects deeply on humanitarianism and our own lives.
I love the little detail that the chief inspector’s uniform is significantly different in color from wear and use.
This is a good example of what areas like the Corporate Sector Authority is like.