Tony Gilroy brings Cassian Andor back to the screen in Andor, a prequel series to the beloved Star Wars film Rogue One. Set in the early days of the Rebellion, the show follows Cassian’s journey from thief to pivotal figure in the fight against the Empire.
When Andor was first announced, I was extremely sceptical. At the time, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Rogue One, so the idea of a prequel to a prequel didn’t exactly fill me with excitement. The first trailer took me by surprise—it looked promising—but I wasn’t entirely sold.
However, after every week and each new episode, Andor continued to blow my mind. I couldn’t believe how good it was. The last thing I expected was to be calling it the greatest thing to come out of Star Wars since The Empire Strikes Back, or possibly even ever—but here we are.
Andor is an absolute breath of fresh air in the Star Wars universe. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before—it looks different, it sounds different, and it’s written differently. Everything about it feels bold and new, yet somehow it also captures the aesthetic of the Original Trilogy more authentically than most of the Star Wars content we’ve had in the past few decades. Nicholas Britell’s score is also a standout—bringing something completely new to the music of Star Wars and perfectly showcasing why he’s one of the best composers working today.
Andor is also the best the Star Wars universe has ever looked. Every shot is stunning, and every set is expertly crafted. On a technical level, it’s operating miles above anything else we’ve seen from Star Wars—and I doubt it ever will be topped.
There isn’t a single performance in Andor that falls short of incredible—even from actors with far less time to showcase their talents. Andy Serkis as Kino Loy and Alex Lawther as Karis Nemik, despite only appearing in a single arc each, deliver two of my favourite performances in the entire season. Diego Luna is, of course, fantastic in the titular role, while Stellan Skarsgård gives perhaps the best performance of the season—thanks in part to his masterful monologue in episode 10. Genevieve O’Reilly is also terrific as Mon Mothma; her story is deeply tragic, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, and Kyle Soller are all phenomenal as well. I’m especially excited to see where Syril and Dedra’s story goes in season 2.
This might read like a bit of a list, but I had to mention everyone. Honestly, if I were to make a top 10 performances in all of Star Wars, at least eight of them would probably come from Andor.
I love the structure of the season as well. The multi-episode arc format works incredibly well, allowing the season to pace itself naturally without rushing through anything. It’s a big part of why every character feels so deeply explored and nuanced, and it also plays a key role in building the world so effectively. Each arc mostly takes place in a different location with different characters, making the world feel vast and lived-in.
It’s been a long wait for season 2, and I cannot believe it’s finally here. I will definitely talk about this show more conclusively in my review for season 2. As of right now, it’s my favourite thing to come out of the Star Wars universe ever, and I have no doubt that season 2 will only solidify that.
Review By Jacob Wolfe
Wolfe At The Movies 
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