About The Philosophy of Andor
Post 1273:
The original Star Wars trilogy is still magic for me. A lot of that, I’m sure, has to do with my age. I grew up with those movies. Next to Indiana Jones, nothing captured my imagination and gave me a longing for adventure and a love for movies like they did.
Since then there have been other “things” with the Star Wars name. I’m not passing judgment on anyone that likes the newer stuff. I will say that most of it is incoherent and lazy. The visual spectacles aren’t enough to hold up incompetent or confused storytelling and character building.
Still. There are bigger problems in the world. And all good things must pass.
Then came this show called Andor. It’s an origin story about a character I don’t care about from a movie I didn’t like. Why did I watch it? Honestly, no idea. I try to see and read a lot of media, but I had no intention of checking this out. I think maybe I saw Tony Gilroy’s name attached to it. He’s done good work. I’d say the Bourne stuff is some of his worst, and ironically, what he’s best known for. Anyway maybe I thought something better than a gaggle of knuckleheads were running this production.
I’m glad I watched it. In fact, it’s a pretty damn good show. It can be overly methodical and uneventful, but there are competent set ups here. Disparate plot points come together and culminate in an eventful dramatic ending. I want to see what happens. Holy crap!
For the most part, I felt respected. Shows and books that treat their audiences with respect are hard to find. For a modern Disney product, this does a surprisingly good job. The world of the Rebellion feels real. Their struggle seems like an actual struggle. There are consequences and the bad guys aren’t simple. They want control and have seized power over the galaxy for a reason. You can’t portray the Empire as buffoonish, like they often are in modern Star Wars products. Not logical. That would be like going to Rome during the reign of Augustus and finding out it’s only a little village of tents occupied exclusively by drunk morons.
Andor is part of the Star Wars world and it takes itself seriously. It’s almost weird to watch. My brain had to adjust to competent villains and interesting subplots. Call me nuts—this show asks real philosophical questions.
Can’t believe I’m saying it.
Given my natural antipathy to power and bureaucracy, I was intrigued by the themes. It touches on the many reasons people seek power and authority over others, and it doesn’t give easy answers. Many of the Empire’s people have different motivations. Some are real believers. Others are simply ambitious. Others just go along because, hell, what else are you going to do?
The Rebellion is treated maturely as well. They aren’t simply heroes because they rebel. There must be more to it than that. And is there even a point to wanting freedom? Is it only a pipedream? These are real questions that are universal, that the original franchise brought out through high adventure and great characters. Andor isn’t as entertaining—who are we kidding—but it is very interesting and engaging. This is its own story, and yet it has just enough of that Star Wars aesthetic to fairly be attached to that familiar universe. I can’t imagine this was easy to do for the writers or the production crew. This is a pleasant surprise. A space adventure that’s more like an exploration of the strange banality of evil and the ways in which people strive to stand against it. Oh and there’s spaceships. One in particular is frigging awesome, most kick ass spaceship I’ve seen since the Millennium Falcon. Is this Rogue One or the The Last Jedi or the prequels? No, that’s why I’m recommending it to Star Wars fans and anyone else who wants to take on a thoughtful piece. No, it’s not perfect. But what is? Cheers and see you after.
