Don’t forget about me neilson I pirated the whole thing
BTW, I want an unpopular advice - where to you legally get these shows as seamlessly as torrenting?
Suppose I’m a Linux or FreeBSD user, and don’t like too many steps being required due to being autistic and thus easily irritated.
Because with Andor specifically would really want to pay for it.
I want an unpopular advice - where to you legally get these shows as seamlessly as torrenting?
You can’t, that’s why I pirate it all.
Disney+ I guess. That’s pretty seamless and legal.
I have an asustor Nas, then use radarr, sonarr, overseerr, qbt. All of automates getting the shows and movies I want to watch. Then I just use plex(lifetime pass) to watch it anywhere.
If you are easily irritated you can just set this up once in containers and basically forget about it. All of these apps also set up the same so once you learn to set up one the others will be easy.
Worst comes to worst when I was first starting out I paid a guy on fiver like $12 to log in and set up an app for me because I got stuck.
Pretty sure they targeted onionplay for putting the new episodes on there ): they went down, came back up with a new url extension and now Andor is gone
Best star wars content, movie or show, since Lucas sold out to the mouse. Well deserved.
I agree, but sometimes one can encounter trekkies and other dubious types pretending it’s better than prequels or even OT, that is too much.
trekkies and other dubious types
Why, I am a dubious type, thank you for noticing. 😘
Andor is way better than the prequels, honestly people who venerable those movies are giving them more credit than they deserve. Makes me feel like they got too lost in the sauce since /r/prequelmemes blew up.
Prequels are weird, not bad. What people criticize about them can be said about Babylon V even more, but I haven’t seen many people calling it a bad show.
I’m not impartial - I’ve grown on “prequel EU” as much as on “original EU”, but started with the former, trying to really interpret Jedi philosophy and such. My brain is not agile enough to separate pieces of EU and their closest movies by now.
But there’s that moment that with prequels the EU and the movies were being created simultaneously, there were official layers of canon and Lucas himself would even refer to EU. So - I don’t know. Maybe as self-contained movies they are bad. Their aesthetic gave me a lot, their emotion feels more real than Andor’s second season (its first season is better though), their music.
It’s better than the prequels, IMO.
Smurfs 2 is better than the prequels
Removed by mod
It’s really good.
I’m been tempted to watch it. Imo rogue one is the best Star Wars movie (including OT), is this show for me then? As in, is the atmosphere the same?
Rogue One is basically Andor Season 2.5
Andor is, without hesitation, the best piece of Star Wars media ever made.
Yes, even including the original trilogy. I said what I said.
It’s obviously inspired by quite a few EU books and comics. Which are not worse.
(One thing I like about it, it manages to pretend Disney sequels just didn’t happen, and makes looking directly at Disney SW things optional. And makes a lot of EU references.)
Maybe if you mean on screen, then yes. I still think it’s not better than 1977 and 1980.
I’d say it is the best mature star wars piece of media ever made. Because I (today still, but especially my younger self) do love me some good lightsaber fights or large scale space battles, which we didn’t get here. Andor not including those is for the better, but I wouldn’t want to completely go without them either.
KotOR II is mature. Last of the Jedi books are mature. X-Wing books … vary, some are very stupid, but some are very good.
SW EU is kinda big, words like “best” shouldn’t be thrown lightly.
But yes, even with the old stuff being so burnt into my brain I can’t be impartial, I accept Andor is real Star Wars and it’s good.
I have to agree, really brings the whole universe alive for me.
Straight up makes the OT into a different, more meaningful story. The rebellion actually has meaning, purpose, construction, and politic.
Eh, we’ve had books involving characters like Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, Wedge Antilles, Tycho Selchu, Korran Horn and many others. We’ve also had comic books. We’ve had the “Death Star” novel, the previous version, so to say, of how those plans got out initially. The EU path involved a few hops at each of which the rebels were barely able to slip it further, with a few very lucky coincidences. Ending in the transmission to Tantive IV. Except the Rogue one moment with Vader literally having seen the ship and tried to board it, IIRC, was kinda inconsistent with how they talk in the 1977 movie, as if it’s still perfectly plausible that Tantive IV has nothing to do with the plans.
I appreciate Rogue One for trying to tread the same path, leading to a good story and maybe more good stories with the same approach, but its not the first on it.
I wasn’t saying it was the first. I was just saying that THIS back story, Andor + Rogue One, makes it good in a way that the OT stands worse off without. Andor especially with just how god damn well researched, written, cast, and acted it is. The rebellion is given body, history, and character instead of just existing because it has to because the empire exists. The Jedi’s story is improved because of the story of the non-superpowered people on which their quest is given merit and a foundation.
I’m not a big enough SW fan in general to spend my precious little reading time on SW comics and books. I’m sure there’s lots of merit in them, but not for me when there’s so much else to read in far more interesting universes.
I’m not a big enough SW fan in general to spend my precious little reading time on SW comics and books.
Yeah, well, your first paragraph reads so impressed that I’m certain you haven’t read at least X-Wing books (all my favorite, Stackpole’s ones are sometimes too comfortable, Allston’s ones are sometimes cringe in technical and logical regards), the Thrawn trilogy (the part of the EU usually recommended first) and the Death Star (to compare the old and the new). I liked Andor, once again, and I would like it without Disney’s dark years, but those things were very good and deep too.
I’m sure there’s lots of merit in them, but not for me when there’s so much else to read in far more interesting universes.
To each their own.
I started watching the original after Andor/Rogue One and it’s amazing how much more depth it adds to the existing story 100%
Absolutely. This along with Rogue One are the best Star Wars content that have ever been made. Some episodes might feel dragging, but trust that it’s all worth it once you finish it.
Hard agree. The original trilogy has some truly great moments, but nothing on the level of Luthen’s “sacrifice” monologue, or “one way out.”
I consider Rogue One to be a very good, but very flawed movie (IMO the last act does a lot of work to make up for a weak middle, but the last is so very good that it actually does make up for it), but Andor is basically flawless.
If you liked Rogue One you’ll love Andor
Andor is a documentary about radicalization, resistance movements, and fascism set in the Star wars universe. It is VERY true to life and based on real revolutions.
It did an excellent job showcasing real politics and social dynamics. Tons of characters and they all had depth.
The first season is very good, the second season is, IMO, some of the best political drama ever produced. It’s also highly entertaining.
It was good at all levels - not only did the characters had real human depth as did the story, but it even had details like creating a Gorman language and an actual detailed Gorman fashion, so the Production quality matched the quality of the Script, Direction and Acting.
It’s unsurprising that some (maybe many) think this is the best Star Wars ever, at least adult Star Wars.
I saw Rogue One again just after the last episode of Season 2 and whilst they’re almost seamslessly linked, you can absolutelly notice the change of pace and story telling style from one to the other: you go from a story of people in the Rebellion to an Action rollercoaster with an almost symbolic bit of background story.
Mind you, both are a pleasure to watch in their own ways, though Rogue One is mainly “chewing gum for the brain” as entertainment goes whilst Andor is a far grander meal.
Dunno, the languages seemed AI-generated based on French and German, or something like that.
Would make them similar to Mando’a, so no complaints, not the first time in Star Wars.
But - for me it’s good because it resembles the old EU.
So if you have little acquaintance with the old EU and liked Andor - I recommend delving into it.
Pro tip, watch the first 3 episodes in one sitting. They go together and take a bit to get into.
The whole thing is told in 3 episode arcs.
Kinda. 3-3-1-3-2
It’s an old code, but it checks out
It took me 3 times of starting the series to push through the first couple of episodes. When it finally clicked though, I was so mad about not giving it a better chance sooner.
Same, I only committed to finish Season 1 after the Season 2 hype. Then I binge watched both seasons over the weekend (and am pulling down Rogue One to watch again)
I just introduced my parents to it. My dad especially is really not in to fantasy media, but he’s absolutely hooked on it. They’re 6 episodes into season 1. It took until about the 3rd, maybe 4th episode to really get into the swing of things, but after that it’s easily the best live action Star Wars has ever been.
Fwiw personally I thought Rogue One was extremely overrated. I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters, and I thought some (especially the bizarre “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me” guy) were actively grating. IMO for a lot of the broader public, Rogue One’s popular reception rests entirely on the awesome final sequence with Vader, and to a lesser extent on some of the great action leading up to that.
Agreed. Rogue One was basically redeemed with that final act, basically right when it became clear to everyone that no one was getting off that planet alive. But everything leading up to it (aside from the opening) was basically just okay in retrospect, and I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at some of the memberberry cameos like R2 and C3PO just having a random conversation, or bumping into the guy with the weird face from the Tatooine cantina. And uncanny CGI Tarkin, which I remember thinking was fine when I first saw it but now just really sticks out a bit.
Surprisingly, other than the mere presence of some core characters, Andor didn’t rely on nostalgia bait at all and I think that really worked to its benefit.
I avoided all media about season 2 until after I had completely finished watching it and then went back and watched reviews etc. Seeing one reviewer who was watching week by week complain about gratuitous fanservice cameos that would turn out in later episodes to actually be core to the story was very amusing. This happened multiple times. To be fair to the reviewer, they didn’t say it was some terrible thing, and even at least once described it as being earnt, even if it was out of character for the show.
Spoiler: examples of the above
The reveal at the end of episode 3(?) that they were on Yavin IV, and the inclusion of Senator Organa (whose first episode was seemingly just a minor cameo before he becomes more important in later episodes) are the two that come to mind, but I think there was at least one more.
I’ve read that the first cameo was just to get people to spend THAT week talking about the Benjamin Bratt re-cast so they’d be calmed down by the time he had something important to do.
Oh that’s very interesting. Personally it never occurred to me as something to get upset by. Obviously the actor from 2002 is probably not going to be a great fit to continue playing the character in 2025.
Yeah I’m not that upset about it, but I was at least a bit disappointed that Jimmy Smits couldn’t make it work with his schedule. That’s all it was though, a scheduling conflict. He played the role as recently as 2022 in the Obi-Wan show.
I think this series can be really good for people that don’t know Star Wars, too. Anyone that enjoys spy thrillers and political intrigue should really get on well with it.
Yeah, that’s exactly why I introduced my parents. I had to assure them it’s a political thriller with no Force or lightsabres, and I’m explaining necessary prerequisite knowledge as it comes up (like who Mon Mothma is). I’ve decided not to tell them about Rogue One, but only episodes III and IV.
It is the best Star Wars ever made.
The first 3 episodes are available on youtube, highly recommend giving it a view!
people want mature stories that reflect their lived experience under fascism?Thank god!
I started it and quickly realized I needed to rewatch season 1. I was afraid that since I haven’t watched it yet that many others would have done the same.
Multiply that by 60 to get second. Will look even bjgger
I guess I’m the only one disappointed by season 2? I feel like they could have cut half of it and told the same story. Nothing even came close to the powerful messaging of the season 1 prison arc.
spoiler
K2SO felt shoehorned in,
the love plot felt super gross considering Cassian’s last act in Rogue One is to make out with some other chick,the whole bit with Saw was inconsequential nonsense (so was the ep where Cassian was captured by those gangs in the forest), they pulled a “bury your gays” trope… plus a lot of the pacing just felt wack.It wasn’t the worst or anything, but it was a pretty weak follow up to that great first season.
Oh, I didn’t see the relationship in Rogue One as a love story. By the end, they just hold each other before the inevitable - I see no romance there. I can see how someone might find something there if they wanted to though.
Huh, I misremembered that last scene as a kiss, but I checked and I guess they do just hug. So at least that part isn’t so bad. I think the rest of my problems with the season are still legit though
They still have some long, meaningful glances and the romantic tension is there. Cass from Andor and Cass from Rogue One are not the same character.
The only scenes i felt were shoehorned in or removed me from the plot were the ones with the force healer. They weren’t needed at all. Worse, they possibly remove some value from Cass’ character by implying he’s on a divine “messenger” quest instead of acting on his own agency.
Rest of the series was perfect.
Also check out the ICCH Reviews. Commentary from war and uprising journalists.
I typically hate the force mumbo jumbo aspect of star wars but I thought the force healer bit was way more nuanced take about the force than other examples in recent films. My interpretation is that he saw his own death, and still chose it anyway. So he still had a lot of agency rather than just being a pawn of fate.
His blaster wound not healing was a metaphor of him being independent from the movement and not being able to move on from his trauma. He’s fighting accepting his losses when he’s fighting getting force healing. The act of getting it is him accepting he can’t do everything independently, and that he is part of the movement, no longer and individual, and moving on from his losses. Not necessarily that he WILL die, but that it’s irrelevant because he has decided his path. That’s what allows his trauma to start healing.
This concept could be handled in countless other ways. My main gripe is that the show and rogue one focused on how the rebellion wasn’t built on zealotry or a single hero but the sacrifice and grind and passion of a great many people working together.
But it’s Star Wars, they gotta jam some lucas spam in there somewhere. I’m glad it was limited to this.
On the pacing: I dont mind “slow” episodes if it takes time to set mood and ambiance in such a superb way Andor does. Could also have something to do with Genevieve O’Reilly playing Mon Mothma …
There was such well constructed tension in every slow scene. If you were getting bored you would have to have missed some plot, be traumatized, or not be particularly invested in the series on other grounds.
Both the forest and the late added character were there to give opportunities to shake things up/lighten the mood. This was a grim, grim season and you’ve gotta have some of that in an 11-hour runtime.
I agree on Saw’s part; felt like something they had to get through to complete the series’ connection to Rogue One. I did love the season other than that, though. “Who Are You” is one of the best episodes of TV I’ve ever seen.
I think the Saw parts fit in decently. It adds another flavor of resistance to the mix.
We get the rebellion, which is an organized military like effort, we get luthen who as a spy master pulls strings in the shadows, Mon mothma straddling the line between being in a privileged public position and helping the rebellion, on ghorman we get a more amateurish resistance, Cassian is more of an individualist who finds his own path between the different factions, and with Saw we get a guerrilla like extremist faction
The Imperial parts were also extremely well executed. Dedra, Syril, Partigaz’s actors were all on point and were remarkable complex characters. We were able to see through the inner workings of the Empire ISB, not something typically told in Star Wars stories.
I tried watching it, but since after 2 episodes still nothing had happened, I stopped and went to watch a movie.
Which is about the same length as those 2 episodes, but actually had a begin, middle, and end.
It might be good, but I will never know since the slow start is so off putting.
Had the same experience but pushed through. It’s worth the slow burn. Many early season scenes are horrid and worse than the first season early scenes. But the ending is just as good. It makes sense when you know that it is 4 seasons into one because production takes way too long.
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Its incredibly good.
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A chunk of the episodes in the two seasons are practically dead air.
I’m still flip flopping on whether the slow pacing of some of the episodes was intentional (whether to try to build suspense or to hammer home a Lenin attributed quote about “decades where nothing happens and there are weeks where decades happen”) or some wonkyness with trying to figure out the proper ‘fit’ of story and dialogue in an episode.
Apparently that quote was invented by George Galloway. Lenin didn’t exactly say that.
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Skip to the last half of the season. And if you decide you want to know how they go to where they are, go back and finish the first half. Honestly, with original trilogy coming out first, then Rogue One, then the Andor seasons, it’s probably the traditional way to watch! :)
I’ve fallen asleep during every episode. This does not happen with other shows, except for one or two really slow episodes of Severance. I have no idea what the problem is.
Me too. I want to love it. Rogue One is maybe my favorite SW movie (sorry Empire, you’re still maybe #1). And that’s coming from a guy that saw the original in 1977.
You gave up 2/3 of the way through the first story arc. With the 3rd episode it clocks in at about 2 hours, there’s your movie.
You stopped the movie a little over halfway through, what did you expect?
(Not OP)
2/3rds of the way is asking a lot to keep my attention. And I want to love it.
“Slow as hell for the first few hours.”, is not complimentary.
I’ve watched the first 3, maybe 4, episodes. Still have no idea what it’s about, just couldn’t grab my attention. Which is a shame, I’m sure it’s great Star Wars content.
BTW, never express any opinion about this except full-throated, roaring approval.
Keep going, the beginning of the season was mid but the end is golden. Motherfuckering show had me crying at the end
I’ll eventually take another push at it, but I sure as hell won’t say I didn’t like it online. “Get a rope!”
Your loss
Some of it is clunky, but in the adorable way that the star wars universe is. It’s a good show, with good story arcs, good acting, good world building, but it can be predictable at times and rest in tropes rather than characters.
It’s certainly worth watching and is an adult show, not a Disney show.
it can be predictable at times
I mean considering we know it ends with Rouge One and generally sits within a larger established universe, that seems somewhat unavoidable.
Emphasising that nobody should carry a gun, but wait, someone did and something happened because of it is clunky and nothing to do with rogue one.
One of the good parts about rogue one is that it had an established ending too, but still told a good story, well. Andor is doing the same for the most part.
Pretty much the last 3 episodes were about tying it all together with the beginning of Rogue One.
I would say that the story of Andor can only be judged independently of external concernes by excluding those last 3 episodes.
