Since its premiere in 2022, Star Wars movies and TV shows inevitably have problems, and despite its greatness, Andor is no exception. Season 1 has episodes that aren't as enjoyable as others, flaws in the execution of certain ideas, and characters that aren't compelling enough for an otherwise enthralling story.
This isn't to diminish Andor's quality, but rather to stress the importance of critically analyzing contemporary Star Wars projects. Andor season 2's premiere only a few months away, here are the biggest problems the show must learn from to make a satisfying conclusion.
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9 The First Arc Isn't As Good As The Rest Of The Show
A lot of setup that leads to an eventual payoff
Because of how excellent Andor becomes as the story continues, the first three episodes aren't nearly as good by comparison. This arc has a lot of setup for the rest of the season and is mostly spent dealing with the consequences of what happens in the first few minutes of episode 1. The episodes intentionally show people's daily lives in detail, so there's a greater impact when things go wrong at the end.
While this approach is crucial for the rest of the season to work, it unfortunately means there are times when I feel the episodes drag or have too much to juggle. This is particularly apparent with the flashbacks to Cassian's childhood, which are interesting but not as urgent as the manhunt for him in the present. Every arc of Andor has a lot of setup for a big payoff, but it's the most noticeable when it's for the entire season.
8 Individual Episodes Don't Work Well On Their Own
Arcs are more satisfying when viewed together
The decision to divide Andor's episodes into arcs was a fresh approach for the live-action Star Wars shows, though it had an unintended side effect. Because Andor is divided into three episode arcs, the first two episodes are dependent on the third one for a satisfying resolution. This may have been fine when the first three episodes premiered simultaneously, but I found watching one episode a week frustrating.
While it's perfectly fine for episodes to build off each other and get viewers excited for the next, there should be enough of a logical stopping point for an episode to stand on its own.
While it's perfectly fine for episodes to build off each other and get viewers excited for the next, there should be enough of a logical stopping point for an episode to stand on its own. Disney+ could have used a similar strategy to Arcane on Netflix, releasing three episodes weekly instead of one. Even if they had, it doesn't change that individual Andor episodes don't feel fully satisfying in isolation.
7 Andor Is Very Monologue Heavy
They're good but numerous
What really sets Andor apart from many other Star Wars shows is how consistently excellent the writing is, and the monologs are no exception. Multiple characters like Mon Mothma, Kino Loy, and Maarva Andor all get a moment to shine by delivering a powerful monologue that encapsulates their character arc and impact on the story. Luthen Rael's monologue about personal sacrifice is the show's most powerful and one of the best scenes in Star Wars.
However, this presents a pattern that I found hard not to notice when rewatching the show. As great as the monologs are, it can be somewhat distracting when you realize just how many they are and how reliant the show can be on them to convey a character's motives. They're still some of the most engaging parts of Andor, but their repetitiveness becomes more apparent with each viewing.
6 How Could The Empire Not Know Who Their Prisoner Was?
Is there no facial recognition in Star Wars?
Cassian Andor eventually becomes a wanted man by the Empire and the Rebellion, neither realizing that he is being held in an Imperial prison under a false identity. The irony is important to the show's message, demonstrating the Empire's arrogance and that Cassian was arrested on trumped-up charges instead of the crimes he really committed. Of course, this makes it hard to believe the Empire wouldn't have figured out his identity when he was arrested.
The Empire had Cassian's face on record and was actively looking for him, and surely his image would have been taken following his trial. Since he would have been carrying false identification, the Empire could have run his face through their records as standard procedure, revealing he was a person of interest. It's not impossible that the Empire could have made such a mistake, but it is a little hard to believe.
5 The Show Doesn't Know What To Do With Certain Characters After Their First Arcs
At least not until they become relevant much later
Andor must be commended for making every character matter, even the ing characters with little screen time. However, this commitment to every character means many stick around after their first arc, and it didn't feel as though the writers quite knew what to do with them until the final three episodes. Syril Karn is the most obvious example, spending the season depressed over losing his job and following an Imperial officer yet somehow not getting arrested.
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The same goes for other ing characters, like Vel and Cinta, who mostly try to pry their superiors for answers or sit around waiting for Cassian to appear. The show also constantly returns to Ferrix to remind viewers what characters like Maarva, Bix, and B2 are up to under Imperial occupation, but those arcs don't always feel relevant. They become important in the final three episodes, but they feel rather distracting until then.
4 The Show Often Loses Focus On Andor
It's all the more distracting when he's in the title
Andor has a wonderful cast of characters, but it sometimes feels like too much attention is taken away from Cassian Andor. He still gets enough attention for his character development and is the focal point for many other plotlines, but there are times when he's no longer the main focus. This can be distracting when he starts at the clear main character and is in the show's title.
This is most notable in the show's third arc when Cassian is sent to an Imperial prison, which is ittedly the show's best arc. While these episodes are crucial to Cassian's story, it also feels like he's sitting out of the main plot while the other characters are able to affect the larger narrative. Andor still tells a great story but could have found a way to keep more focus on its titular character.
3 Cassian's Backstory Is All Over The Place
Some details even seem to contradict Rogue One
Another problem with Andor's main character is that his backstory becomes more confusing. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cassian implied that he had been in the fight against the Empire since he was six years old, but this doesn't align with the flashbacks in Andor's first three episodes. The show also mentions details without fully elaborating on them, like Cassian being a child soldier at 13.
The show also seemingly contradicts Rogue One by showing that Cassian went to prison at least twice in his life, despite previously implying he had never been in a case before. The first three episodes never fully explain why Cassian lived in a tribe of children with no adults or how they were all wiped out after he left. Reference guides have attempted to piece this information together but not everything fully lines up.
2 Andor Can Be Too Dark For Its Own Good
Even dramas can lighten things up now and then
Andor's overly serious and dark tone doesn't just affect Cassian Andor, it can also affect the rest of the story. While the show's tone is a refreshing departure from other Star Wars projects, it almost always has a bleak atmosphere throughout most of the runtime. This limits how the characters have to be portrayed and can get depressing without room for the story to breathe.
Even dramas can lighten things up now and then, especially for a franchise like Star Wars which is generally known for being fun. It could even have made the second half of the season more compelling, having the story start with a lighter tone but become increasingly dark by the end. The dark elements of Andor serve the story but don't need to be present in every single moment.
1 Andor Doesn't Really Need To Be Star Wars
It would work just as well as its own separate story
The biggest criticism against Andor, even by those who loved the show, is that it doesn't feel like Star Wars. Although what feels like Star Wars is ultimately subjective, it's a fair point in Andor's case because of how noticeably dark and slow-paced it is compared to previous Star Wars entries. It's good for Star Wars to try new things, but straying too far will naturally make fans question why it needed to be part of an existing franchise.
Andor intentionally avoids fan service and feels grounded, meaning it would work as its own sci-fi universe. It arguably doesn't even need to be a sci-fi story, as the underlying narrative could also work if it were about a rebellion on Earth. Andor embodies the themes of Star Wars, adds to the overall timeline, and is more unique with a sci-fi aesthetic, but it's also fair to note that it doesn't always embody what makes Star Wars stand out.
Andor season 2 premieres on April 22, 2025.
Andor
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Tony Gilroy
Cast
Cassian Andor
Luthen Rael
WHERE TO WATCH
Andor is a Star Wars prequel series set before the events of Rogue One, following Cassian Andor as he navigates a world of danger and deception. The series delves into his transformation into a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire.
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