Star Wars: Andor [Season 1] (2022) Dir: Toby Haynes, Susanna White & Benjamin Caron
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Out of all the new Star Wars content being released onto Disney Plus, this was perhaps the one I was the least knowledgeable of, but, simultaneously, the most intrigued by the prospect of. It's grittier, darker and more serious than the vast majority of Star Wars content, including Rogue One, which was the precursor to this shows announcement.
The pacing did have a tendency to drag at points, which has been an issue of just about all these live action Star Wars series thus far. That said, the majority of what I saw was positive.
Episodes 5 and 6 were particularly good. In many ways it matches the brutality of Rogue One. The series is split into two main arcs, divided into 6 episodes each. The start of the second arc was a little weak but it picked up nicely once it was into the flow.
The series sees the return of Diego Luna to the Star Wars universe, having impressed many in 'Rogue One'. Luna continues that form here, with a consistently solid performance across the 12 episodes. He was particularly strong in the first half of the season.
Genevieve O'Reilly plays a familiar character, although she herself is new to the Star Wars franchise. I have to say I think she was superb in all facets of her role. She grew into the series very well, and helped to position her character as one of the most intriguing for season 2.
Another of those intriguing characters is played by Kyle Soller. Initially, I really did not care for his character at all. However, as the season progressed, so did the quality of his character's subplot. Ultimately he ended the season with a whole lot of potential, in terms of his possible development as a character.
Denise Gough portrays her character's development with utter commitment, leading to some wonderfully unhinged scenes that help to make her one of the best characters of the season's second half.
The legendary Stellan Skarsgård also joins the Star Wars universe, playing a mysterious and morally complex character, who acts as the catalyst for much of the plot. His role gives plenty of opportunity for versatility, which Skarsgård uses to expand upon his character's secretive personality.
The key supporting characters, played by Faye Marsay, Adria Ajorna and Varada Sethu, each have their moments, again mostly in the first half of the season, but definitely deserved more screentime in my opinion - especially Sethu.
Andy Serkis once again proves he is an incredibly talented actor with this immense shift as one of the key secondary characters. He is so often overlooked when it comes to conversations of great actors, yet he always seems to deliver consistently.
I'd also like to mention some of the cast that may not have had the most screentime, but left a positive impression regardless; Alex Lawther, Ben Miles, Sule Rimi, Kathryn Hunter, Forest Whittaker, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Anton Lesser.
Overall, with a second season guaranteed already, there is a lot more that fans of Star Wars can look forward to. I know I for one am thoroughly looking forward to seeing more of Cassian Andor's story. It definitely feels as though there's plenty more to explore.
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