Andor: Episodes 1-3

"Andor" is a welcomed darker and grittier addition to the Star Wars universe.

I won't say "Andor," the latest Star Wars series to land on Disney+, is the show fans have been waiting for, but I will say if you've found yourself drifting away from the saga, this could be the series to bring you back to the fold.

"Andor" is by far the grittiest, grimiest Star Wars show released to date. The series begins in a brothel, yes, a brothel, and doesn't aim to get much higher from there, but the stench of Star Wars' seedy underbelly is more refreshing than you can imagine. It’s familiar and completely alien at the same time. Honestly, someone with no knowledge of Star Wars could jump in and never be left behind.

Series creator Tony Gilroy has made it a point to say the series wouldn't be doing fan service for fan service's sake and so far, he's a man of his word. Unlike "The Mandalorian," "Book of Boba Fett," and "Obi-Wan," "Andor" doesn't do much in the way of fan service. You might notice a little something here or there. Still, nothing like the experience of watching the previous three shows where you have things popping out left and right to grab your attention, leaving fans oohing and ahhing and pointing at their screen – insert the Leo DiCaprio meme from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" here.

The series is also the most cinematic of the Disney+ shows by far. Gilroy and company left The Volume, the revolutionary digital backdrop technology other Star Wars series' have used, back at the soundstage and had practice sets and locations, creating an amazing look. It gives the series a sense of grander the others have lacked, and I'm interested to see if, going forward, all Star Wars series will look to let their stories grow beyond the confines of The Volume.

The first three episodes essentially form an hour-and-a-half movie, and I loved it. It looks like the series will consist of story arcs with a tandem of the director and writer teaming up for multiple episodes, except for an episode almost in the middle of the series. It feels like the story runs are broken up into screenplay beats, and I'm excited to see the story play out more like a movie than a TV series.

Diego Luna's Cassian Andor is a character I really enjoyed since his introduction in "Rogue One," and he doesn't disappoint in the series. It's an unusual character for casual Star Wars fans and one they should embrace. I love heroes and villains, but I especially love those characters that operate within their own grey zone where we know not where their true loyalties lie at any given moment.

In the first three episodes, we see Andor searching for someone on Morlana One and when two Prox-Morlana guards try to shake him down, one is killed and now Andor is a wanted man. He's hunted by an ambitious deputy inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) with the Prox-Morlana Authority; Andor's true identity is broadcast throughout the sector. He must rely on his friend Bix Callen (Adria Arjona) and an unfamiliar acquaintance of Bix's Lutheran (Stellan Skarsgård) to escape their clutches.

The series introduces us to some new characters I'm excited to get to know. Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and Lutheran Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) really shine in the first three episodes of the series and give Andor allies and adversaries that will make his journey to the Cassian Andor we met in "Rogue One" an interesting one. I also love our newest droid addition to the Star Wars universe, B2EMO.

This also marks the first time, I believe, that we’ve seen the use of BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin” on the screen as we see it in the open seen marking the time before “Rogue One” and the destruction of the original Death Star. It’s a nerdy little addition that fit perfectly.

"Andor" is off to a great start and could signal a new era in Disney+ "Star Wars" shows. WIth a rich story, amazing locations, and a brilliant cast “Andor” is a definite must watch.