Andor

 

The Youtube reviews for the new Star Wars series Andor that premiered today on Disney+ are all over the place.  Some people called the first couple of episodes slow-moving, boring, and possibly ruining Star Wars.  However, other people said that the show was exciting, especially in the third episode, and they liked having a series that is a change of pace from other Star Wars shows.  Almost everyone called it a slow burn.

Disney was smart to premiere the series with the first three episodes.  Together they form a single two-hour movie, with the first two episodes being the setup and the third episode the payoff.  Together they do not disappoint, although I feel like the story hasn't advanced very far.  They could have told it in less time, but the show succeeds in providing a rich atmosphere with a great many interesting fleshed-out characters all of which have their own individual motivations.  If the goal of a good science fiction show is to take you to a different time and place, Andor does it splendidly.

If I were to compare the first three episodes of Andor to another Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, I would say that it is less exciting but still interesting and richer in detail.