It's the best Star Wars TV series in years, but nobody is watching Andor — could a certain
superpowered lawyer be to blame?
On September 21, Andor launched on Disney+ with a hearty three-episode premiere.
Despite being yet another Star Wars streaming series and a spin-off of Rogue One: A Star
Wars Story, Andor set its goals high, painting a mature and morally complex shade of the
"Star Wars" galaxy.
"I've got a bad feeling about -"
"Hey."
"Quiet."
"What?"
Andor addresses almost every critique of modern Star Wars content; the stakes are more personal,
there's a clear three-episode arc structure to the larger season, and the narrative is
largely free of tired galactic clichés and cameos.
Critics and diehard fans alike have been praising the show for its immersive level of detail
and restraint.
Even those who claimed they were ready to take a break from the Star Wars universe have
found themselves pulled back in by what creator Tony Gilroy has accomplished.
This is literally a Star Wars series unlike anything we have seen before, and a real breath
of fresh air.
So, why is Andor currently pulling the lowest engagement for a Star Wars live action series yet?
According to a new report from Parrot Analytics, Andor is far behind in viewer demand compared
to all of its Star Wars Disney+ predecessors.
In the streaming era, measuring the scope of viewership is a bit trickier than just
a direct number of viewers on network TV, as there are many more variables to consider.
Actual viewers demographics and streaming numbers are often only released at the service's
discretion, so exactly how many people are watching Andor is unknown for now.
Through the metric of "demand," which takes online engagement and discussion into account,
Andor is apparently falling far behind Obi-Wan Kenobi, which also failed to make a long-term impression.
Industry jargon aside, Andor is struggling to make a greater impact outside of its own
niche, and for a show that seemingly caters to a lot of the general public's wishes for
the Star Wars brand, that's quite an odd phenomenon.
There are, however, plenty of factors that could have led to Andor not making a big enough
impression on the streaming landscape.
As the fourth Star Wars live-action series on Disney+, Andor has found itself in an awkward
position.
While generally liked, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all
suffered similar shortcomings — from their over-dependence on cameos and legacy characters,
as well as repetitive visuals and stories.
It's quite possible that we've finally entered an era of Star Wars fatigue.
If you were disappointed by a previous Star Wars show multiple times in the past, it becomes
hard to vouch for a fourth attempt.
There's also the fact that there is much more genre show competition now than before, when
The Mandalorian was airing its humble first season.
HBO's House of the Dragon and Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power have been powering through
on their respective streaming services.
While fantasy is not an exact substitute for sci-fi, these shows are similar to Andor in
that they are more adult-oriented shows that feature dense lore and broad universes.
"Tell me your secret."
"Our secrets are our own."
Even on Disney+ alone, Andor has been sharing the mid-week spotlight with She-Hulk: Attorney
at Law, which finds itself on the lower end of viewership of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
At least that show has had the benefit of week-to-week engagement, however.
With Andor releasing on Wednesdays and She-Hulk on Thursdays, She-Hulk and its many cameos
and surprises have tended to take over the conversation until the end of the week.
The truth is that Andor deserves much better.
It's a series that actually allows its characters to breathe, revealing more about the trials
of daily existence in the Star Wars galaxy.
But it's not hard to see why its three-episode act structure makes the show harder to discuss
on a week-to-week basis.
The Eye of Aldhani scene in Episode 6 was a stunner, for example, but conveying what
was so special about it to someone not following along is a challenge in itself.
Luckily, we're only halfway through Andor, while many of its competitors are beginning
to wrap up their respective seasons.
This hopefully means that audiences can catch up before the show reaches its final act.
While a second season has already been greenlit, it would be a real shame for something this
good to serve as a warning rather than a guiding light.