Lochlan Watt

One of the craziest things about Andor is that the $645 million budget hasn’t been matched by its marketing spend - I am being prevented from dropping serious cash on merch because it simply does not exist. My theory is that Lucasfilm felt so confident in the quality that they chose to let it become a cult classic off its own steam so that the Star Wars brand can regain some integrity after how much self-inflicted damage it has taken in recent years. The second season is somehow even better than the first. The fact that this show isn’t a ubiquitous cultural phenomenon right now makes me feel insane. I've never stopped loving Star Wars - it has always been religious for me - but I haven’t felt this inspired or mentally stimulated by it in a very long time, perhaps ever. It is a masterpiece that shows more than it tells while treating both the audience and the source material with the utmost respect. Andor had the luxury of its ending already existing, and the writers (who have worked on House of Cards, the Bourne movies) understood that in order to remain compelling, it required the most complex characters the galaxy far far away has ever seen. When you think of Star Wars, you don’t think of everyday locations like board rooms or apartments. You also don’t think of adult themes like drug abuse or sexual assault. Yet it is all deftly woven into a gripping spy thriller about love, loss, manipulation and rebellion that reflects humanity’s cyclical tides of domination and freedom. In telling the stories of characters from both sides of the political aisle, it holds a mirror to the world that is evergreen in its pertinence. I simply cannot calibrate my enthusiasm. I could write endlessly about this beautiful show and am deeply concerned yet so thankful that it may well be impossible for Star Wars to ever be this excellent ever again. There is nothing superfluous here - no scene without multiple layers of connective tissue. Dialogue of infinite power. You don't need to understand the lore to be moved by storytelling of this level. Watch Andor. Do it.