Andor Episode 1,2, and 3 Review - A slow start with a worthy payoff, the new Star Wars series is a must watch

The portrayal of The Rebel Alliance in the Star Wars franchise has often been as noble heroes fighting the good fight against the evil Galactic Empire. 

The one time that has shown the Alliance as morally gray, was in the 2016 movie Rogue One, especially with Cassian Andor played by Diego Luna and while as the movie went on this aspect was toned down, it did leave an impression on fans.

Aftercall fighting an evil empire that has considerably more resources with a tactfully spread spy network of Rebels requires considerable finesse and the willingness to make hard decisions that are in a morally gray area and this is precisely what is being explored in the new series Andor.

The series is set five years before the events of Rogue One and follows Cassian Andor's Journey from a small-time thief to an accomplished spy within the Rebel Alliance.

The first three episodes dropped today on Disney+ and after watching them it is clear why the makers of the show choose to do it because the first two episodes of the show are slow-burn and will test your patience especially if you have a short attention span.

This is not to say that these episodes are pointless or badly made as they do slowly build up the plot and subtly set up the larger themes the show wants to explore such as environmental exploitation and the cruelty inflicted on the voiceless sections of society by the people in authority.

But the third episode is where your patience as a viewer finally pays off as director Toby Haynes who has previously worked on shows like Black Mirror and Sherlock uses his skills to craft a tight and thrilling episode that sets the pace of what the show is going to be a spy thriller set in the Star Wars universe.

From a technical standpoint, the quality we have seen in shows like Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett is present here as well, exploring aspects of the franchise that the movies have barely touched such as the everyday life of people in a galaxy far far away on is one of the highlights of these new Star Wars spinoff shows.

Diego Luna brings back the same level of intensity we saw in Rogue One and is great to see on screen, in the first two episodes, he plays a still rough-around-the-edges conman/ thief and not the capable spy we saw in the movie but his perfumes enders you to his character by the third episode and we to see glimpses of the man he will become in the future.

The other standouts are Fiona Shaw as Maarva who does a great job playing both a mentor and mother to Cassian and Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael who only shows up in the third episode but just steals the show.

So Andor is a great addition to the Star Wars franchise and a much-needed shift from the usual Jedi and Sith-focused themes that get to see, so if you are a Star fan this is a must-watch, or if you are a fan of spy thrillers give it a watch because this show may surprise you.

Andor is currently streaming on Disney+.