Star Wars has never shied away from telling the end of the story long before the beginning is revealed to its fans, and Andor is tasked with telling the origins of a character that audiences have already loved and lost. Six years ago, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story introduced the world to Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a war-torn rebel who had devoted his life to fighting back against the tyrannical rule of the Empire. The film ended in tragedy, seeing its entire cast of new characters killed off in order to ensure the Death Star plans ended up in the hands of Princess Leia. It was a noble, yet devastating course of action that underlined the human cost of rebellion, and adds a layer of somber reflection on the story being unfurled in Andor.

The first four episodes of Andor present a story that is unlike any Star Wars series that has come before it. It opts to approach its protagonist from a distance, giving its story the chance to organically evolve as the world at large starts to come into focus. While series like The Mandalorian chose to go in guns blazing, Andor leans into the uneasiness of a slow-burning story thread that is unraveling at both ends.

The series begins in 5BBY, at a fracture point in the Star Wars timeline. For context, the series is set roughly four years after Obi-Wan Kenobi, and at roughly the same point in history that Saw Gerrera is abandoning Jyn Erso and Ezra Bridger is joining Hera and Kanan aboard the Ghost. Tensions are starting to grow fraught across the galaxy, Imperial sympathizers are leaning into their newfound power, all while the first real flames of rebellion are starting to be stoked. Cassian Andor’s starting point, however, begins far earlier than that, with Andor shedding new light on his childhood, his upbringing, and the experiences that influenced the man that he grew up into.

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Image via Disney+

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Unlike in Rogue One, rebellion isn’t on Cassian's mind as he trudges through the Blade Runner-esque scenery of the rainy Pre-Mor Corporate Zone. He may have a rap sheet, but he doesn’t fully make his way onto anyone’s radar until the first ten minutes of the episode, and that one action has a domino effect on not only his life but everyone that he has a connection with. Up until this point, it seems like Cassian has just been existing. Sure, he has friends in Bix (Adria Arjona) and Brasso (Joplin Sibtain), familial connections in Maarva (Fiona Shaw), and even an adorable droid companion in B2EMO, but his actions feel aimless and unmoored. He has an overarching goal and someone that he’s looking for, but it feels like he is just throwing things at the wall and hoping something sticks. It isn’t until Episode 3 when he really gets to know Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) that he gets set onto the path that will transform him into the Cassian Andor from Rogue One.

From an anthropological standpoint, Cassian’s childhood is extremely intriguing and adds layers, not only to the character but to the entire Star Wars universe. Andor very intentionally does not translate the dialogue spoken by Cassian or his childhood peers, who have been left behind to fend for themselves after an Imperial mining disaster destroyed their lives. It’s unclear if the community that Cassian grew up in is how it always was, or if it was a byproduct of children being tasked with self-governing and caring for each other. Beyond this fascinating social structure, there is also the fact that Cassian’s name seems to have been changed once he was taken in by Basic-speaking visitors who essentially stole him from his community, with the intention of saving his life. The real-world parallels of this, especially with Cassian being raised to lie about his place of birth, are unmistakable and add richer depth to the series.

Across the board, Andor feels like a Star Wars series for a more mature audience. Beyond the intense uneasiness of the geopolitical situation and the elevated stakes, it doesn’t shy away from its inclusion of brothels and romantic interludes that make it clear that these characters engage in intimate relationships. And yes, this does deserve to be celebrated, because the franchise has long been seen as rather sexless with its avoidance of passion, kissing, and romantic connections, even when they seem warranted. These moments are still minor, but nevertheless noteworthy.

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Image via Disney+

Another area in which Andor deviates from the previous Star Wars series is in world-building. Each new character that is introduced is given a name, even sometimes before they are even seen on-screen. There are throwaway lines that help to contextualize relationships, geographic locations, and even the habits of characters, all of which do the lion’s share of fleshing out this new entry point into the universe. It’s remarkable how thorough showrunner Tony Gilroy and his brother Dan Gilroy are at crafting the world of Andor within the first four episodes (with the latter brother penning Episode 4). It’s a refreshing change of pace coming from The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, which both opted to avoid providing names for characters and sometimes, even locations.

Andor rises to meet the challenge of telling the story of the early days of the Rebellion through the eyes of a man who hasn’t fully come into his own yet. While I dither at the thought of referring to this as a coming-of-age story, when Cassian is very much already a full-grown man, the spirit of those stories is very much alive in the series. Similarly to his Rogue One counterpart Jyn Erso’s (Felicity Jones) arc in that film, Cassian has a chip on his shoulder, and he is running from his true potential. His ideas about resistance and fighting back against oppression haven’t fully developed and, as he comes in contact with the beating heart of the Rebellion—the everyday man and woman risking their lives for the cause—he is on a collision course for change.

Rating: A+

The first three episodes of Andor will stream on Disney+ on September 21.

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