Doro Booya

A really good show so far. The pacing is slower than other SW shows, but it benefits from that in spades. The pacing at times gives us a sense of immediacy in the plight of the show's titular character, and we get a fair amount of insight into characters that Andor meets along his journey. Cassian Andor has taken a bit of backseat to his incredible supporting cast --- as he seems to be thrusted into predicaments as others around him are the real movers and shakers so far --- Deputy Inspector Syril Karn and ISB Lieutenant Dedra Meero --- woe be to Andor when or if they finally meet and join forces. There really are no big flaws in the show, but what it may possibly benefit from is perhaps some moments of levity. Even in reality we find ways to ease the darkest of times, don't we?

I would give it 3 stars for maybe the first few episodes, but I found the whole series ultimately disappointing. It does stay true to the spirit of the Cyberpunk TTG though, its creed of "live fast and die young" and the volatile nature of life in the Cyberpunk setting, but it lacked real nuance. I expected the ending to arouse emotion in me but instead felt like I wanted something different, something MORE. I used to watch a lot of anime growing up in Asia, and I'm reminded of how and why I grew out of it with Cyberpunk Edgerunners. It revels in its gore and violent excess to the point of glorifying fatalism and tragedy with its protagonist, and is perfectly content to lead us to its predictable end on a straight and narrow track. There were times when I thought the show would devolve into misogyny, but I'm glad we didn't get that 80's throwback to the trashier anime that I've seen as a kid. It's not all bad though, the opening and closing titles were amazing, and sound is brilliant and the general look exemplifies the cyberpunk genre. Looking forward to something different the next time around.

Not sure if I like the whole Ouroboros, the beginning is the end is the beginning bit, but I suppose there is some philosophical merit to it. I guess the showrunners really wanted to kill off everyone as a way for them to neatly end the show. Did they have satisfactory endings? Not really --- but I guess it serves the main thrust of the story arc for the season. SE4 started strong, but unlike previous seasons the main suspense is not of a plot unravelling but wondering about which character was going to survive. SE4 isn't in fact, a bad season ---- I think the show set the bar quite high from the first season and couldn't quite drive us to the disturbingly intensity in subsequent seasons, but props have to be given to Lisa Joy and Jon Nolan for boldly exploring new ideas and directions from its inaugural season. I would have given it four stars at the beginning of the season, but I was forced to shift it down a star. All in all, still a fine series.