The newest addition the Star Wars universe hit Disney Plus on September 21. There are currently four episodes released at the moment. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 they have released a number of films and series. Of these films and series the crowd favorite has been the movie Rogue One. What set Rogue One apart from other Star Wars films was that it felt more realistic and visually stunning. Andor has this same realistic and visually stunning effect on its viewers that keep their eyes locked on the screen. The first four episodes of the show have been the most serious and grounded cinema Star Wars has produced to date. George Merkt, an avid star wars fan, stated “Andor has a darker perspective of the Star Wars universe that humanizes the characters and makes you forget that it is fantasy.” Critics are raving about the show, it even has an average score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. I highly recommend watching Andor whether or not you like Star Wars.

Recap Episodes 1-3

The first episode introduces us to the main character, Cassian Andor, killing two empire employees in the dark alley of the planet Morlana One. Cassian flees back to to his home planet Ferrix in the Morlani system. Cassian lives on a planet who’s economy is built around salvaging valuable parts from broken or crashed military ships. By the end of the first episode we find out that an officer of the empire is aware of the two men that Cassian murdered in the beginning of the episode and he is determined to find out who did it.

In the second episode the pace picks up. We see Cassian’s anxiety levels hit the roof as he quickly moves from one place to the other. Cassian grows worried that his actions on Morlana one have become known and that he will soon be hunted. As Cassian moves from one place to another, she looks for a way to get off the planet that we are shown flashbacks of from Cassian’s childhood. In these flashbacks we see that he is a member of Kenari tribe on the planet of Naboo. The Kenari tribe witnesses an imperial ship crash-land near their campsite and rush to explore the wreck. Meanwhile in real time, Cassian finds a buyer for a valuable ship part that could make him enough money to safely get off the planet. Near the end of the episode we learn that the empire has identified the murder as Cassian and that he is hiding on the planet of Ferrix.

In the third episode the empire lands on Ferrix looking for Cassian. In this episode we notice that the pace of Cassian has changed from a light jog to a full run. Cassian scrambles around town setting up this trade deal in order to make it off planet and escape the empire. The Imperial officers rummage through town questioning and beating the civilians in the hopes of getting any clue to Cassian’s location. Cassian then meets the man who will buy his part when they are interrupted by gunfire from the imperials. Cassian and the trader, Luvin, escape the imperial fight and Luvin convinces Cassian to escape the planet with him.

The first three episodes provide the perfect hook into the series. The first episode shows our main character coldly killing two imperial officers. Through the second and third episodes the pace of all the characters’ walks and conversations gradually increase. Your anxiety and excitement build through these three episodes. Andor has reignited its viewers love for Star Wars by giving them a character and a story that they can relate to and care about. I am excited to see what Disney has in store for us.