Star Wars Andor

 Face it, off all the latest generation Star Wars movies, only Rogue One was actually a great movie.

 

 

And one of the main characters of that ill-fated group of rebels was Cassian Andor, around whom this whole series is based.

 

Taking place five years before the events of Rogue One, the series follows how Cassian came to be a firm opposer of the Galactic Empire and one of the Rebels most fanatical leaders, even though at first he was cynic of a possible rebellion against the powers that are.

 

It starts when he is looking for his missing sister on the industrial world of Morlana One, but in his search agonized two local officers.  This leads to him accidentally killing one of them, then murdering the other one to cover his trail.  Back on Ferrix, he attempts to convince his droid B2EMO, his friend Brasso and his adoptive mother Maarva to cover for him.  While the local security chief wants to cover the murders up to prevent imperial involvement, his deputy, Syril Karn, is determined to solve the case.

 

 

He is reported to the securities by Timm, the boyfriend of his friend Bix as a meeting is set up with a blackmarket buyer, Luthen Rael, who comes to Bix to buy the Starpath Unit Cassian has, a relic from a crashed ship in his youth.  Syril's security officers barge in on the transaction, killing Timm in the ensuing skirmish while capturing Bix.  Luthen and Cassian escape the planet though, and he takes him to the planet Aldhani to join a robbery mission there.  He eventually agrees, and and he is introduced to a Rebel cell who is setting up to steal the payroll of the sector's forces.

 

Luthen in the meantime meets with senator Mot Mothma, discussing the challenges of keeping their endeavours a secret.  Cassian trains with the others to perform the heist, and aided by a double agent they enter the Imperial Base.  In the ISB offices, Dedra Meero, a young and ambitious security lieutenant, is starting to look in at the Ferrix incident, and deduces that all the seperate incidents are actually connected and an underground rebellion seems to be forming.

 

The heist is eventually succesfull, though at great cost of life of the rebels involved, only the cell leader and Cassian in the end making it out alive.  Dedra starts getting more access in the meantime, and gets Ferrix in her juristiction as Cassian returns to the planet to visit his mother.  He wants her to leave with her now that Imperial presence has rissen on the planet, but she refuses, claiming she shall oppose the oppressors.  Cassian goes to a vacation world, but is unjustly arrested and sentenced to six years of prison on Narkina 5.  Here he discovers a labour camp, with thousands of prisoners, and while he joins the work they need to do, he also starts planning his escape.  Dedra, by torturing Bix, learns Cassian might have been involved in the payroll heist, and from a rebel pilot the ISB learns about their plan to raid a powerstation on Spellhaus.

 

 

When Cassian realises prisoners are never set free, but rather are either transferred and others killed off as a cover-up, he convinces his floor to aid in his break-out, and soon rebellion sweeps through the whole prison, allowing them almost all to escape.  Maarva, having fallen ill, dies of her disease, resulting in Ferrix planning a great funeral.  Cassian secretly attents, but Maarva had recorded a message spurring the planet into rebellion against the Empire, and Cassian is afterwards taken into the Rebel workings by Luthen.

 

A great series for sure, and Cassian Andor remains one of the most intriguing anti-heroes of the recent movies, this series only adding more layers to his already complex personality.  We all know what will become of him due to Rogue One, but it surely is worth watching the series.

 

Highly recommended for certain! And I for one look forward watching the second season as well, this is Star Wars as it was meant to be in serialised format.