TV Talk: ‘Star Wars’ series ‘Andor’ begins slow, improves as it goes

“Star Wars” finds itself in a precarious position: It can either continue to replay its greatest hits by going back to the well of past, major characters as leads in series for a short-term boost (e.g. “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi”) or tread new ground to sustain the franchise for the long haul.

So far the latter route is more creatively successful with “The Mandalorian,” the best of the Disney+ “Star Wars” series. And perhaps the new “Andor,” streaming Wednesday, will become worthy to join “The Mandalorian.”

Judging “Andor” by the first four episodes, the show is a mixed bag that begins with a slow burn but then starts to show strong potential. (Disney+ was wise to release the first three episodes at the same time this week as the first two, serving almost as prologue, are a bit dull; the story has more action in the third episode and the fourth episode is the best of the four made available for review.)

“Andor” is a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which introduced Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as a rebel leader who assisted with procuring the Death Star plans before being killed alongside his colleagues. It is overseen by “Rogue One” screenwriter Tony Gilroy and seeks to fill in this minor character’s backstory — which now appears to vary somewhat from what was previously established.

The 12-episode “Andor” begins with the character, still played by Luna, in a rough spot after he’s attacked by two corporate security guards and both guards wind up dead (note: Andor, like Han Solo in the original version of “Star Wars,” definitely shoots first). The show then frequently flashes back to show Andor as a child on a planet where he appears to live among a primitive tribe.

With run times that vary (35 minutes to 47 minutes in the first four installments), “Andor” doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it does surround Andor with characters who are more interesting than he is.

In the present-day storyline, viewers meet Andor’s mother figure, played by veteran British actress Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve”), an elderly woman who’s given little to do. But in flashbacks, we’re teased with glimpses of Shaw’s character as a late middle-age adventurer. Shaw plays the younger version of this character with a glint in her eye that makes you say, “Show me more of that character!” Then she seemingly disappears from the series.

“Andor” features some of the usual “Star Wars” trappings – a cute droid (this time it stutters), familiar spaceship designs – but in early episodes it doesn’t get bogged down in seeming Lucasfilm prerequisites. The production design, with more practical sets and less CGI, even allows for structures made of brick rather than the usual “Star Wars” stucco.

The arrival of a character played by Stellan Skarsgård and an action sequence enliven episode three, but it’s really the fourth episode where “Andor” shakes off its slow pace in favor of soapy intrigue among quarreling imperial bureaucrats (including a strong-willed woman imperial leader the likes of which we rarely see in “Star Wars”) and rebel plotters, including Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly, reprising the character from “Revenge of the Sith,” “Rogue One” and “Rebels”).

These characters offer a fresher take on “Star Wars” lore than Andor’s story, which is a rote rebel mission. If the series finds a way to further blend familiar storytelling with the more-unusual-for-“Star Wars” vibe of palace intrigue, “Andor” might yet prove itself to be a favorite among fans much the way “Rogue One” has become embraced in the eight years since its initial theatrical run.

“This is a show about regular people,” said writer Tony Gilroy during the Disney+ portion of the TCA virtual summer 2022 press tour. “You have this galaxy and so far, you’ve seen a lot of the same people over and over again. … This is about these huge titanic forces that are manipulating peoples’ lives, forcing them to make decisions. The story of revolution and what it really means is very complicated.”

A second and final season of “Andor” will begin production this fall with every four (of 12) episodes covering a year, taking the series up to the beginning of “Rogue One.”

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