Shortly after signing on to create the first season of the Disney+ Star Wars spinoff “Andor,” Tony Gilroy, writer and producer behind famed movies such as “The Bourne Identity,” “Nightcrawler” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” said he regretted signing onto the project and even hoped that the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to its cancellation.
“Every morning I thought, ‘What have I done? I’ve f–ed my life. … I’ve committed all these people here. … This is horrible,” Gilroy said in an interview with writer and producer Craig Mazin.
Thankfully, his hopes that the pandemic would halt the show did not come to fruition, as “Andor” has been nothing short of spectacular, with its second season reaching new heights.
What makes this season so special is that it manages to succeed without falling back on the crutches that Star Wars often relies upon. “Andor” does not need to be a planet-hopping epic with loads of over-the-top action sequences to succeed. All it needs to do is be itself.
Instead, Gilroy managed to make quiet moments the most interesting scenes in the show. Sure, shootouts, heists and espionage are still present, but the show does not rely on them to build tension.
Gilroy’s deft writing is one of the most pivotal pieces in this escalation. The dialogue is always natural, never cheesy or overly predictable. Characters feel like real people and their struggles feel more concrete to the audience.
The other major piece in the tension between the Empire and Rebel Alliance is the music. There are tracks unique to certain episodes that punctuate important moments in the story, leaving lasting impressions on the memory of viewers. Composers Nicholas Britell and Brandon Roberts did a fantastic job and proved that music for Star Wars does not need to be composed by John Williams to astound audiences.
Additionally, the plot of the show is especially satisfying to watch, considering how several of the first season’s smaller plot threads and character arcs develop into more impactful moments and fleshed-out characters. However, this use of smaller plot arcs does put greater stress on the audience’s memory of the first season.
These developments in plot threads and characters act as the vessel through which Gilroy can infuse potent messages that audiences can learn from — most importantly, what it means to be a cog in the machine of a dictatorial regime and how far one should go for freedom.
The believability of these messages are enhanced by the grounded nature of the story. This plausibility is a breath of fresh air for the franchise, as recent entries have relied heavily upon those previously mentioned crutches such as planet-hopping and over-the-top action sequences. In fact, one of the best episodes takes place almost entirely in one location, a town plaza.
In many ways, “Andor” barely even feels like a Star Wars show, and that is for its benefit because it has a deep enough connection to entice Star Wars fans without telling a rehashed, conventional Star Wars story.
One can nitpick certain elements of the show: like how some of the earlier plot points don’t stick the landing as well, or how the color grading on the planet Mina-Rau appears too washed out. Nevertheless, “Andor” is a high-water mark for the franchise and is undeniably some of the best Star Wars content seen since the inception of the saga.
“Andor” Season 2 succeeds in large part due to its ability to stand without the crutches that Star Wars content often relies too heavily upon. Tony Gilroy is a master at creating tension to draw in viewers without needing to fall back on those crutches. He crafted a masterful plot that sees full-circle moments as the characters develop and delivers profound messages that are not often matched in Star Wars media.
This plot, bundled with its excellent soundtrack, makes “Andor” Season 2 truly some of the best Star Wars content ever made. “Thank the Maker” that Gilroy’s hopes for the cancellation of the show did not come to fruition.
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