Andor Season 1 – Is It Still Good?

Release Year

I was about to start the second season of Andor, so I tossed the start of the first season on to remind myself what had happened. Instead of a quick recap, I ended up watching the entire season again because it is so well done. It looked even better after my previous show, Ironheart, and I caught myself ranting to my wife stuff like "this is how to develop a character and make an awesome TV show". Excellent, even on a second view.

Story

The show follows a few different subplots, and nails them all.

Spoilers

My favorite subplot is where he's stuck in jail, but the escape from and return to Ferrix and theft in the Aldhani garrison are fantastic as well.

Characters / Acting / Dialogue

Even characters that are only around briefly are brilliantly developed and clearly have their own perspectives. One scene that struck me is when we are introduced to Syril, as he is speaking with his commanding officer. I had a better sense of both of those characters after that short scene than I got from just about any character in Ironheart. It's a master class in character work, that a lot of the Star Wars and Marvel properties desperately need to learn from.

Spoilers

I have so many favorite characters in this show, from the Aldhani assault team through Andor's cellmates, but my absolute favorites end up being Syril and his mother. I looked forward to every scene they were in together, and was never disappointed.

Drama / Fun

This show delivers on both drama and fun. There are stakes and characters to care about, but it doesn't lose the easy, fun, can't wait to see what happens next viewing experience that the original trilogy had.

Audio / Visual / Other

My Score

IMDB Score

8.6

RT Critics

RT Audience