Andor series: observations

That's true. It's like the Boy Who Cried Wolf. They're making it harder to separate the wheat from the chaff. If everything is a problem under Disney, to paraphrase "The Incredibles", then nothing is. And that only leaves everyone worse off. 


I can feeeeeel your anger... 

I think it all comes from a marked degree of political impotence. Most of us know we are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, so let's keep lobbing rocks at the arch capitalist fiends of this world (Disney is hardly exempt from this classification), even if the only ones we have to hand, or can be bothered to gather up, are pebbles. At the same time, these people tend to have capitalist imperatives of their own: i.e., a lot of them want clicks/views for money. All of our lives are deformed by this capitalist system (that has co-opted democratic oversight and resistance), or what Sheldon Wolin called inverted totalitarianism (further reading).

Me, too. As I said in reply to you last week:


So far, "Andor" is sticking to that. Next week could be a little different (at least as far as action goes), but we'll have to see. This series has, if not a leisurely pace, then certainly a deliberate and exacting one. It's rather like reading a novel. I'm really enjoying the methodicalness of the series. It's new for Star Wars, anyway.


It was -- and very welcome, too. I think some character-building was roundly needed amongst Vel and her band of rebels, as well as heightening stakes for the "Dambusters" conclusion to this triptych of episodes. While I don't want to make too many negative comparisons, I was again reminded of "Obi-Wan"; which confined all its Imperial base-storming to a single, thirty-minute episode, in which the base was penetrated and escaped from by Obi-Wan and Tala (and Leia) in a rather basic and slapdash manner. By contrast, "Andor" is a storytelling clinic in which building tension and layering some appreciable level of verisimilitude are key to the entire premise. There are no royal roads to geometry here. Nothing feels gimmicky or perfunctory.


I felt for Syril. He's stuck and shouldered with a pushy, narcissistic scold of a mother (fortunately, I have much the opposite type of mother). At the dinner table, he looked like he could snap at any moment; though the lack of any cliched outburst gives his existential malaise more of a poised, internal quality. The blue milk and Smurf-style breakfast cereal certainly accentuate the infantilised nature of the character; here we are very much witnessing a the shell of a man: a creature that his mother has seemingly made him into with her incessant nagging and toxic judgmentalism. It's unclear at this stage if he will attempt to join the Empire or somehow develop a sympathy for the burgeoning Alliance. The bedroom hologram scene is clearly there to remind us that he hasn't forgotten about Cassian Andor.


I didn't even know she had a daughter. Apparently, her daughter has been canon since 1993, and the name Lieda was first used in 2002:

starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Lieda_Mothma

In the old canon, she had a son, too:

starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jobin

It was interesting to see these strained familial relations in this episode. In fact, it was happening all over, what with the rebels arguing and showing continued distrust and unease toward Cassian on Aldhani. I don't think Star Wars has ever quite been this internally fractious and squabbly before; not in one single storytelling block, anyway. What's more, all the squabbling and pettiness seems dangerous, like it's all going to lead somewhere, and not necessarily (for all these characters) a good place.


Yes!!! I'll admit I have a bit of a weakness for Indian chicks. This one is such a mood, but it works for her.

Anyway, the episode:

While it didn't necessarily go anywhere, it's clearly teasing some fireworks to come. From the elusive title (referenced in the dialogue), to Susanna White's incredibly solid direction, to another smart script, and the sense of a power keg about to ignite, I loved the thick, icy atmosphere of it and the level of artistic control throughout. A few highlights:

(Compiling these highlights, I noticed there was such a rich assortment of scenes; and, yet again, a very cinematic hue to the episode overall. The only niggle here is a technical one. Disney+ continues to frustrate. Not only is the audio extremely low, but the picture quality varies beyond my control, from clean and HD-looking, to blatantly softer and DVD-like. Literally the same scene/frame can change back and forth of its own will, even though I've got a reasonable Internet connection and I've set it to stream at maximum quality. Some of these screenshots are sharper and punchier than others for just this reason. Very annoying.)

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Literally the opening shot. Has a very subdued mood, vaguely reminiscent of the opening to "Lost In Translation". Syril Karn looks like he's sitting in a large bullet train carriage. The panelling is a bit more redolent of Ridley Scott ("Alien", "Blade Runner") than Star Wars, but I dig it:



Gazing up at the light. The third shot of the episode (almost said "movie"), and it's already so cinematically rich:



The light fading and Syril being left wondering what to do with himself, like the universe has forsaken him:



Tokyo-esque cyberpunk anime minimalist apartment:



Syril's borderline crazy Sicilian mother. Also note the frosted glass of that storage cabinet behind her and the low-key lighting, and the way everything has a sort of early-1980s colour scheme:



If looks could kill. You can actually see Syril's pupils widen in this shot as he stares sharply at his mother:



I just love a good blaster:



It looks like Cassian is insulting Arvel Skeen (yeah, admittedly, these character names are pretty obscure), which wouldn't be far of the mark here. However, the caption is included to draw attention to the rich lore-saturated feel of "Andor". It's dense with references to this place or that:



I included this screenshot to mark one of various moments where Diego Luna's cadence and prosody are compelling. He's an unusual leading man:



It's interesting that the episode is ominously titled after the first part of the line below. Who or what is the axe here?



These next three screenshots are something else. A family in discord, with the mother isolated (Mon Mothma's husband is really quite noxious in this episode). Yet the surroundings are pristine and even aggrandise the characters to a degree. Note that Mon Mothma practically has a halo around her. She is clearly the most ethical and courageous of the unit (and her husband seems to be undermining her):





The impetuous daughter, appearing a tad Jedi-like. Shades of AOTC Anakin:



I freaking love how they literally incorporated a Polaroid SX-70 into "Andor". Even the dialogue draws attention to the classic retro nature of it and how revered it is among instant photography enthusiasts. In its day, it was a landmark product: a triumph of engineering and marketing (Andy Warhol was obsessed with it):









The next screenshot is similar to the last. Trinkets lovingly crafted (and beautifully lit):



Vel Sartha (played by Faye Marsay) is a very pretty woman -- severe, yes, but also soulful, purposeful, enduring, and with a vulnerability always near the surface:



Some kind of Neo-Soviet architectural beauty on Ferrix. And look at the solid compositional style of "Andor" as usual:



A little affectionate poke at TLJ? 



This TIE Fighter goes screaming overhead and I love how the women actually cover their ears:





That's what she said...



It's not just what is said in this show, it's the way they say it. Every scene delivers something slightly special with these actors:



I love the hilarious burn of this. These two characters, who came to blows in the last episode in the same building, get this one brief moment on-screen together in the fifth, and Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin totally ignores Lieutenant Dedra Meero as he casually passes her by. What did he miss while he was gone? Definitely not her, apparently:



TFA planet references -- yes, really:





I really dig that window:



"Andor" is full of aphorisms and sharp writing like this:



And while we're on the subject of Dedra Meero, here is a real female character on the side of the Empire. Actually driven and believable, yet with a nervy quality that perfectly exemplifies the tone of the series. Like Syril Karn, she is haunted by the prospect of letting something important slip away; unlike Karn, she is (somewhat) more careful and respectful, even doubtful of her intuitions, yet unable to stop researching and pursuing. 

This final moment of her pouring out and swallowing down pills (which, again, is rather adult for Star Wars) stresses the lengths an ambitious person within the Empire (or any cutthroat organisation) must go to if they are to stand out and succeed. But what I really like is the incredibly ominous music and the way some sort of apocalyptic outcome is teased by the way the next scene starts, with the subtle amber-red under-lighting on Meero linking the two:





A beautiful LOTR-esque landscape shot:



And followed by this first glimpse of the Imperial facility the rebels are soon to infiltrate with rich halogen blue-greys:

One of the things that's very satisfying about "Andor" is all the vehicles and props look neat and make sense. We earlier get the train on the rail explained, and now we get to see it, and it appears pretty much the way you would expect an Imperial train to look.

(This is one of the shots that highlights the technical issue I mentioned at the start: I initially got a crisp capture, but I lost it and had to re-capture. However, every subsequent attempt landed me with this soft-looking shot because Disney+ keeps dropping the image quality down, and I can't force it to go higher. The shot loses some of its lustre this way and appears rather CG-ish, and fine details are missing, like dripping water from the rocks.)



I just love this actor (Sule Rimi as Lieutenant Gorn). He has a Sidney Poitier quality:



Sexy Cinta -- and Vel has a fine ass:



A lovely wide shot with glorious cloud cover:

(And yes, the Disney+ stream inexplicably dropped to shit again, so this was the best I could do).



Even with some tension between the two, this was unexpected:



Cassian Andor: a man apart. 

Tell me what's not to love about the framing and cinematography of this television streaming show?



Coruscant at night!!!



I could feel Ingram 's joy (and my own) when these shots came on:







A few notes on this one:

i) Genevieve O'Reilly is sexier with exposed shoulders than I expected. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

ii) But seriously, there is a kind of AOTC Padme-level sensualism to her appearance here. Great continuity.

iii) Mon Mothma's husband is a fucking asshole. And a creep. Some people were saying, back in the last episode, he didn't mean to be insensitive, let alone was he an Imperial sympathiser. No, they said, he was just into the finer things of life: a bon vivant, not a genuine threat to his wife's wellbeing. But now I'm not so sure. Just listen to the contemptuous tone he uses to ask about her driver; and which he addresses her driver with. This is again unusual for Star Wars, the shadiness of it, and I'm all in.



Also, "Andor" really excels at blue tones. Imagine "Skyfall" as one long Star Wars spinoff masterpiece. Well, here we are.

Okay, so this one of the murkier-looking scenes in "Andor", more akin to the dark scenes in "Obi-Wan" and TLJ. But it works. I also love the chemistry between Cassian and Karis Nemik. Cassian is quietly impressed with Nemik or exudes a slightly protective quality towards him, like an older brother. These neat dynamics really make the slow-burn approach of the series worthwhile: 



You know what else I really love about "Andor"? Gadgets and gizmos. It's not a flashy show in the way that the movies are flashy, but it handles the technology of the Star Wars universe exceptionally well. Items have density, weight, a tactility to them, and an underlying reality. The production design of this show is seriously on-point:









Then, finally, there is Luthen's old WWII-style diode radio, which he uses to try and listen in on the night of the mission:



Such a satisfying show on so many levels so far. 

Here is the closing shot of the episode. I started with the opening one, so I might as well include the closing one for symmetry. 

Note that "Andor" seems to be kissing goodbye to a part of its own "innocence" here. One is struck by the feeling that this infiltration mission is going to change things considerably. It's goodnight to a very good Act I:

Ouch. I deftly avoided articulating the out-of-universe resonances -- you heroically strolled right into them! Yes, indeed. I suppose, in this regard (per your Luke comparison), "Andor" is again the obverse of the Lucas Saga: dour, bitter, morose; possessed of a biting, acid cynicism. Yet it's very aesthetically lovely into the bargain. 

Although, if you ask me, it seems that Syril is contemplating picking up the pieces and going after Cassian somehow, or ruminating on becoming more than he is -- if Cassian can be a lawless scoundrel, why can't he? The visage of a youthful Cassian seems to haunt him.

Perhaps it's merely a symbolic contrivance, but it's interesting he actually has that holo-emitter. The Empire inventorised all his items before they chucked him out of his job and only let him keep a few personal effects. Seems that that device would be company property (the sergeant used it to inform his men on the ship before they dropped out of hyperspace and landed on Ferrix), but maybe Syril stole it, or (in this case) the Empire doesn't give a fuck.


Yeah, but I want that speeder (and that teapot).


Ooh, good point. Flaccid, limp-dicked men (working for the Empire -- who else?) are officially now a thing in Star Wars. Libidinous Anakin versus down-in-the-dumps Syril. I can identify with both.



I'd be careful of people trying to save the universe from tyranny if I were you! Anakin thought he was doing the same thing, too. 

On a somewhat more serious note, I really do love the way "Andor" is handling everything, including Mon Mothma. Her portrayal in the series is consistent with that gloomy note she signs off on in her first deleted scene in ROTS, concerning the formation of a resistance movement against Palpatine: "No one can be told -- not even family."

After just two episodes featuring her in a handful of scenes, we're already seeing what a tough time she's having trying to keep her head above water, with spies everywhere and a husband and daughter that seem to resent her absences and her secretiveness.

Padme kept the formation of the Rebellion (or its antecedents) a secret from Anakin with ill consequences, and now we're seeing a repeat/variation of that with the matriarch of the Rebellion. Both made a hard decision and are sticking with it, having put their faith in a cause greater than themselves.

I guess all of this REALLY did happen a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. xD

Yes! "Nothing happens by accident." (And: "Only a Jedi could have erased those files."). Of course, Mon Mothma and Padme's cover was blown when the DVD came out, and it's been re-blown (is that a word?) by the Internet and YouTube. Star Wars cut material is compelling on its own terms, but when one can tease a powerful meta component out of it, that makes it even better.

What I like is that their exchange falls into some grey area, some penumbra zone of continuity, between "hard" and "soft" canon. Technically, since their conversation takes place "outside" of the movie, it's not part of mainstream Star Wars lore. Yet, since it features those very same actors, performing lines written by George Lucas and filmed by George Lucas, with nearly complete effects work and music, concerning a subplot central to the political conflict of the iconic Original Trilogy (whose origins are carefully and deliberately elaborated on within the body of the Prequel Trilogy as critical backstory), it almost has as much de facto canonical force as the movies themselves; and so, one might argue, it borders on having the same level of authority and authenticity.

Their scenes being easily available to view on the Internet's foremost video playback platform also gives Mon Mothma and Padme's dyadic interactions a reality that borders on the really-real; ironically, because their scenes were cut from the movie, allowing those scenes to subsequently "cut" a deeper groove on YouTube itself when played back and embraced as genuine movie content. It is movie content that exists as much without the fictional world of Star Wars as within, and due to the method of consumption (online watching on a platform known to host a lot of alternative news and media content), a kind of frisson is generated, in which one is left with the subconscious impression that they have watched a documentary about real events (the syntactical comportment of the films themselves, which these scenes are cognate with, helps in this regard: "documentary fantasy").

Put another way, the allegorical nature of the movies, due to their cut material and the method of consumption (displaced from the body of the movie and its well-oiled machinery just so), is not merely vindicated; but the cut material itself graduates -- counterintuitively perhaps -- to some higher level of allegory than the movies themselves. The cut material takes on instead the tone and timbre of an historical reenactment (or, as I said above, a documentary). Adrift from the main body of the films, such cut material, perhaps uniquely in the case of these particular scenes, experiences a slight lessening of its poetic and rhythmic qualities (with respect to the tightly-constructed macrocosm of each film, and the trilogy and wider six-film cycle to which they all belong), while its dramatic and procedural aspects are concomitantly enhanced. We may innately feel that something of importance is being recorded and suggested here as we watch, captured for posterity; and that it was slightly too incendiary (rather than superfluous: perhaps the obverse impression when considering the movie for which this material was generated and then jettisoned) to have been allowed into the main body of the completed film text.  

Seen this way, "Andor" is merely picking up where George Lucas left off (with, I might add, the intelligence to match). The allegorical nature of the prequels is being made even stronger by what the new series is doing, as it works with those discarded pieces and seeks to rekindle the embers as it reframes and repurposes the world of Star Wars to tell a new story; or an old story in a new way. By exploring what was happening on the "side" of the main story, or in the interstices, "Andor" is giving an upgrade to the mythos and helping deepen the various implications of the various choices GL made as he went along. Admittedly, I have taken this same sort of tack when defending the Sequel Trilogy on here before (to no great shame, mind you), but I want to qualify that the new series is different. One of the things that continually confounded fans and set the prequels apart from the OT was how front and centre (in places) Lucas made the political aspects of his story. In the OT, it was possible to look away and just focus on the simple story of a young orphan battling and redeeming his father. In the PT, there is so much more going on, and the political components are harder to ignore. "Andor" might have a different look and feel, but it clearly understands there is significant storytelling utility in doing Star Wars right and in honouring the complexity of the universe that Lucas got going.  


Glad you've enjoyed perusing the extant conversation! The fifth episode is, in many ways, the second part of the fourth episode (where the strings are tightened even more): they are one storytelling unit. And it looks like the sixth episode, arriving soon, will be the conclusion to that unit. It may also be the episode where the series is given a jolt and changes momentum and focus to some palpable degree. We'll be half-way through the first season at that point. But I also like your stoic retreat and diplomatic forbearance from placing hasty and unnecessary demands on the series; if it unfolds not as we might expect or want, it's probably going to do a good job regardless. So far, "Andor" has remained true to itself, and that's quite impressive in this modern Disney Star Wars era. One way or another, this series asks for patience, and I hope SW fans reward it with plenty. As prequel fans, a Star Wars show with this level of sophistication and gravitas deserves our attention.   

"It's working! It's working!"

While I'm sure we've all grown accustomed to Imperial base infiltrations/escapes in SW (I think there was one almost every episode throughout a particular season of Rebels), E06 proved the immutable power of this oft-employed SW trope - nay, archetype! The execution in terms of staging, performance, editing, scoring, visual effects and writing were all at the towering levels I routinely associate with those Filoni and co. have reached in the animated realm; owing to the immense precision and forethought demanded by that different medium. But the makers of Andor have proved their metal tenfold by bringing a similar degree of control and bravado to live-action.

There were so many delectable moments, both subtle and broad (e.g., the Aldhani leader's mistranslated words, the Imperial guards' locker room chatter, the family dynamics of the chief Imperial and any time Nemik speaks), and a surefire editorial approach to the heavily intercut climax that conjures comparison to the work of Lucas and his editors on the mainline SW films. Although I loathe the contemporary, shooting-from-the-hip cinematographic ethos in much of Disney SW (and in most cinema these days, to be honest), here it's refreshingly countered by a stellar combination of propulsive abandon and cool restraint in the cutting. And all in full support of the absolutely deft and thoughtful writing which I'm convinced is the fulcrum behind this series' excellence. These Gilroys know what's up!

Frankly, this series puts Obi-Wan Kenobi to shame. It seems there are definitely A-teams and C-teams at Disney/LFL.