Live action Star Wars is back in the form of Andor on Disney+, a prequel to Star Wars spin-off film Rogue One. It follows common criminal-turned-Rebel Alliance hero Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) during the years leading up to the events of the film. We’re delving into your questions, sparking debates and piquing your utmost curiosity about the future soldier for the Rebel Alliance. While Andor is set five years before the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars: A New Hope, there are plenty of easter eggs and little tidbits that help us understand the grizzled Rebellion veteran in Cassian Andor.
After watching episode one, we know there’s a few questions on everyone’s mind that we’re here to answer . . .
Why is Andor so bleak and gritty when compared to the glamour of other Star Wars TV series and films?
Most other Star Wars shows and movies contain some levels of bleakness and darkness overlayed with technological beauties and higher class – yet Andor is really about Cassian’s gritty journey. Most of the premiere episode takes place on various dystopic planets, with Cassian desperate for answers about his missing sister.
Why Isn’t Cassian Andor the kind of rebel looking to help?
Unlike our introduction to other classic Rebel Alliance heroes like Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) or Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Cassian Andor isn’t on the typical “hero’s journey” – he’s a thief looking out for himself. In many ways, our introduction to Cassian mirrors our introduction to Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) in Solo.
Cassian has been hanging out on the seedy planet of Morlana One, where he’s accosted by and ultimately kills two security officers. Although the killing of one is an accident, the other one begs for his life and Cassian responds by shooting him in the face in a cold-blooded move that is reminiscent of his execution of a rebel spy/informant in Rogue One.
Is it us or is the blue-collar world surprisingly… realistic?
We spend a large part of the episode on the industrial world of Ferrix – where we’re given minimal action in favor of building up the presence of the world. It may be the Star Wars universe, but if it turned out that Ferrix was loosely based on a blue-collar city like Pittsburgh or Buffalo, we could totally see it.
People on Ferrix work standard jobs in labor intensive fields, and almost all the characters we meet seem to have multiple side hustles to make ends meet. One of these cast of characters is Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) who likely has some notable chemistry with Cassian, which draws the ire of her current jealous boyfriend, Timm Karlo (James McArdle). Bix runs a garage on Ferrix and acts as a fence for stolen or otherwise unusually acquired goods on the side.
Cassian has a piece of Imperial technology, which we learn is highly valuable—though we don’t know WHY. Bix, after some convincing, agrees to contact her buyer to see if he’s interested in purchasing it.
Coming up . . .
Things we’re most looking forward to exploring this season of Andor include the heaps of sexual/romantic tension between Bix and Cassian. They clearly have history – both evident from their interactions and the jealousy oozing from every pore of Timm’s existence. Though Bix has moved on, to a degree, she still maintains a level of friendship with him that is somewhat like the relationship dynamic in Solo: A Star Wars Story between Han Solo and Qi’Ra (Emilia Clarke).
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