The Andor series is the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise.
It brought us some great storytelling and an adult themed show that many weren’t expecting.
When it was announced, a lot of us just asked…”why?”
But after watching it, we understood this to be the Star Wars we were waiting for…well…some
of us.
But as with all Star Wars projects, since The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980,
there are those who do not like it…or simply refuse to watch it.
As far as Star Wars shows go, it has the lowest viewership of any of the franchise’s current
releases on Disney+.
But with it being such an amazing story with the best acting, directing, and writing, why
aren’t more people watching it?
Well…let’s talk about it…objectively…yes…objectively.
But before we get into it, I’ve noticed a lot of you watch my videos but aren’t
yet subscribed.
If you’re enjoying my Star Wars content, then what are you waiting for?
Subscribing really helps my channel in so many ways.
So, if you haven’t done so, go on and hit that subscribe button and help this channel
grow to new heights.
All of you are so appreciated, you have no idea.
And soon, I will be breaking away from the Andor stuff and getting back to more of the
galaxy far, far away.
As much as I like the Star Wars Andor series, based around Cassian Andor himself, I am going
to do this video a little differently.
I am going to be as objective as I can and not try to push my own feelings and opinions
about the show on you.
Why?
Because your opinions matter to me, even if we disagree.
And I think your voice needs to be heard, as well.
So, stick around and let’s discuss what some of you see as the flaws that make Andor
unwatchable.
Star Wars has a rich history, but that history is riddled with controversy.
With each new release from The Empire Strikes Back on, there have been those to disagree
with choices made in the story and the lore.
From thinking that Obi-Wan Kenobi came off as a liar when Darth Vader told Luke Skywalker
that he was his father, to Jar Jar Binks just being downright annoying, George Lucas himself
got a lot of criticism for his creation.
Now, with Disney owning the Star Wars brand, the stories released under their umbrella
seems to continue the trend.
So, we can’t say it's strictly because some people just hate Disney.
That may be the case for a few, but overall…nah…some fans just seem unhappy with the direction
it’s going.
Even the Mandalorian has gained some hate, even though it’s widely accepted as the
best new Star Wars.
Some will argue that Andor is better, but I’m looking at it from a standpoint of how
many people watch the series.
And don’t take this as hate against the Mandalorian, it’s an amazing show!
The Mandalorian culture is my favorite in the Star Wars universe.
I mean…my logo is one of a Mandalorian helmet with the same color scheme that I used on
my own personal Mandalorian armor that I built.
But for the sake of this topic, and the fact I’m trying to keep my own feelings out of
it, let’s compare why the Cassian Andor series has fewer viewers and why some who
have watched it don’t like it.
Yes…I’m using the most popular show, the Mandalorian to compare to Andor.
The most watched vs the least watched.
The shows aren’t really comparable in terms of the story but what else do we have?
First, the Mandalorian has everything Star Wars fans expect to see in a Star Wars story…Mandalorians,
Jedi, the Force, lightsabers, lots of action, and aliens.
That isn’t all but those are some of the elements that drew a lot of people into the
franchise in the first place.
Things that Star Trek never really did…other than the alien bit.
But let’s face it…Star Wars is better than Star Trek.
Okay…a little sidetracked there.
But the Mandalorian has a solid story going for it.
A lone gunman looking to just help his culture survive by taking on bounties.
Then, turned father figure to a little green cutie.
All while navigating his own destiny along with understanding who his new companion is
and how their relationship should proceed moving forward.
But remember in season 1 of the Mandalorian?
Wouldn’t it have been nice to understand the motivation of the client?
I mean, he hired Din Djarin to bring Grogu in but said it was acceptable to kill him.
Then hired IG-11 to straight up kill Grogu…just to find out he needed the DNA for some cloning
experiment.
What was that all about?
Meh…we will get into that in another video.
It was something that just popped in my head.
Anyways, Star Wars has always been about hope and family at its core…and the Mandalorian
certainly has that.
The Cassian Andor series is a bit different.
It doesn’t have an abundance of aliens, lightsabers, no Jedi at all…that we know
of, and the only sign of Mandalorians is the armor Luthen Rael has in his antiques store.
And let’s not forget that each episode doesn’t culminate in explosive action that Michael
Bay would be jealous of.
But have any of you noticed that most of the planets visited in Andor seem to be cold?
Aside from Coruscant.
Maybe the cold is a theme?
Again…I’ll get into that in another video.
So…the Cassian Andor series doesn’t have most of the elements that Star Wars fans have
come to love.
And it definitely isn’t for those looking for instant gratification.
It takes the entire season to finish the arc…and the arc still isn’t finished.
Sure, there are episodes that do have a bit of action, but it isn’t until the final
episode where the action really hits.
Then there’s the predictability factor.
We know what’s going to happen to Cassian Andor in the end.
So those who do watch it find themselves clinging to other characters whose fates are not certain.
But then again…the whole of the prequel trilogy was predictable.
We knew where that story would end.
We just enjoyed seeing the journey of getting there.
We knew Anakin was going to turn to the dark side, but we still screamed at him to stop
listening to Palpatine and that Padme wasn’t asking to be choked.
No means no Anakin!
Okay, I have concluded that there is so much more to the reception of the Mandalorian and
Andor, and the stark contrast between the two.
And it’s something a lot of Star Wars fans may not be able to put a finger on until now.
And that is that new stories with all new characters and an all-new setting have a better
chance of being well received than those containing characters or settings, in this case, that
haven’t been explored.
YES!
Andor has all new characters, but the setting is the same that we have seen before.
The Empire vs the rebellion.
The Mandalorian is during a timeline only explained in novels up to this point.
The mid years between the Empire and the First Order.
It’s during the 30-year gap between the two.
It has all-new characters and some familiar faces.
With those familiar faces being used sparingly.
Why?
Because too much is not a good thing, when writing a new Star Wars story.
It gives the chance of ruining those characters.
For example, see the fan reactions to the sequel trilogy, the Book of Boba Fett, and
the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
The Andor series is during a time that fans are familiar with.
We have seen so many beginnings to the rebellion that it’s starting to get hard to keep track
of.
Wait…we thought the Ghost crew in Star Wars Rebels was the beginning of the Rebellion.
Who the heck is Luthen Rael?
Again…not my thoughts but I’ve done a decent enough job keeping my opinions out
of this debate…so far.
But the Andor series has the opportunity to mess up a beloved timeline.
But the Mandalorian have a very slight chance of messing it up…but only with a few characters.
So, as much as I do like the Andor series, I think it best if the Disney ran Lucasfilm
start making Star Wars series from a timeline that hasn’t been explored, and that’s
one reason I’m looking forward to all the stories coming from the Mando verse, as it’s
being dubbed, and the stuff from the High Republic era.
I know a lot of people want to see stuff from the Old Republic era, myself included, but
can you imagine how much hate it will receive if Darth Revan even has one change to his
character?
It’ll be the opening weeks of the Phantom Menace all over again.
But we are Star Wars fans…and that’s what we do.
It’s nothing personal.
But that’s it.
The Mandalorian explores a different timeline and has mostly new characters we know nothing
about.
Whereas we know the fate of Cassian Andor and the timeline he’s in.
The same thing happened with Solo: A Star Wars Story.
We knew where the story would end.
We knew the major events of his adult life.
A lot of people didn’t go see it.
Let me know in the comments if you think I left anything out.
I think I did a pretty decent job at being objective in this and trying to take on other
points of view.
Leave a comment below if you’d like to see me do other videos in this style.
But damn, this is probably the hardest video I’ve ever done.
I guess I’m too opinionated.
This is Gerald, a Star Wars Fanatic signing off, wishing you all great health, happiness,
and peace.
Be good to each other.
Thank you all for watching and remember, this is the way…and positivity in the Star Wars
Community is the only way!