Finally a Star Wars Series for Grownups

I finally got around to watching Andor. What a fantastic show! Finally, a Star Wars series for grownups! The characters are all so well developed and I love the origin stories. For once, the villains are not so cartoonish. They’re deeply flawed and misguided, of course, but not completely soulless.

I also love the political intrigue and the nuanced treatment of the world of Coruscant. That part of the series is engaging because, unlike so many Star Wars series and movies, it’s character-driven and just avoids all the super clumsy and dull expository dialogue that makes movies like Attack of the Clones unwatchable.

Andor finally delivers a Stars Wars series for grownups. (Image courtesy of Walt Disney Company)

For once, I actually cared about galaxy politics and palace intrigue in a Star Wars production. Also, I like the moral gray areas and dilemmas raised by characters like Luthen and other members of the rebel alliance. Their fight takes its toll in very personal and relatable ways, and we see their flaws, too. Again, no cartoon villains and no cartoon good guys, either.

The show also contains challenging and thoughtful subtext about the insidious nature of fascism and, more broadly, the corrosive effects of careerism, ambition, greed, lust for social standing, power and “clout” and even capitalism. The themes are actually very relevant and grounded and not so farcical. For once, I actually believed what I was seeing in a Star Wars production. Even the sets and the costumes and makeup and CGI, too, are gritty and believable.

Andor still delivers plenty of good space chases, battle sequences and pew-pew, but not so much that my eyes glazed over midway through. And no one uses "the force," which for some reason I found refreshing. Oh, and no overly cute critter or droid obviously created to sell Happy Meals! Again, it’s a show for grownups.

Finally, the performances. Wow! The lead and supporting performances alike are outstanding. Of course, good performances start with good writing, and that’s where this series shines the brightest. All of it is just gut-wrenching (in a good way) and enthralling and gritty. Andor is probably the least “star warsy” of any production in the Star Wars canon, which may be why I like it so much. It’s actually one of my all-time favorite TV series in any genre. It’s everything good storytelling should be, and it’s everything Star Wars should be. ☕︎

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