Andor will be the fourth live-action Star Wars television series and seems like it will be the unique one so far. Based on what has been shared about Andor, it seems like it will have some significant differences from the live-action shows that have preceded it.
Parallel storylines
Season 1 of Andor will feature two main parallel storylines, one with Cassian Andor, and the other with Mon Mothma. Their storylines will be happening at the same time, but will be happening separately, and will not intersect for a while.
This use of parallel storylines is something that none of the other live-action shows have done. Din Djarin and Grogu have always been the primary focus of The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan was always the primary focus of his own show.
The Book of Boba Fett did mostly step away from Boba’s story for 2 episodes to focus more on Din Djarin and some other characters. However, this was not a parallel storyline as the show essentially put Boba’s story on hold to tell the story of Din and the other characters instead of telling those stories at the same time as Boba’s story was unfolding.
None of the shows have had two main storylines happening at the same time that do not intersect until much later. It is an exciting idea that will allow the audience to really get to know Cassian and Mon Mothma individually at this point this in the timeline before their stories overlap.
12 episodes in each season
With 12 episodes in both of its 2 seasons, Andor is longer than any other season of live-action Star Wars television so far. The Mandalorian had 8 episodes in each of its 2 seasons, The Book of Boba Fett had 7 seasons in its single season, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had 6 episodes in its single season.
Having 12 episodes per season will likely afford Andor with more time and space to explore its characters and storylines in-depth. The larger number of episodes also makes sense given that Andor is covering 5 years over the course of 2 seasons, with season 1 covering 1 year, and then season 2 covering 4 years, with every 3 episodes covering a different year leading up to Rogue One.
Not using the volume
All of the live-action Star Wars series so far have relied on StageCraft’s volume technology. This is not the case for Andor, which used on camera filming and shooting on location and backlot sets instead of the volume.
From the trailer alone, many fans are already impressed with the cinematography and distinct visual appeal of Andor.
The volume is impressive and has brought some stunning locations like the planet Daiyu to life in the previous shows, but after so much reliance on it, it will be a breath of fresh air to have a show with a different filming approach. Variety is important and it is important that not all Star Wars shows look and feel the same.
The most political live-action show yet
All Star Wars stories are political, but with so much focus on the Imperial Senate and the intricacies of insurgencies and rebellion forming, Andor will easily be the most political live-action Star Wars show so far.
This show is going to provide substantial insight into the inner working of the Empire as an authoritarian government, with one of the two main characters–Mon Mothma–being a senator. The story of a politician realizing she cannot create positive change within the system and instead helping to form a rebellion against a tyrannical government is certainly a very political story.
Cassian’s story is political as well, with showrunner Tony Gilroy explaining that “It’s about him being really revolution-averse, and cynical, and lost, and kind of a mess… His adopted home will become the base of our whole first season, and we watch that place become radicalized. Then we see another planet that’s completely taken apart in a colonial kind of way. The Empire is expanding rapidly. They’re wiping out anybody who’s in their way.”
Other than the occasional appearance from New Republic pilots like Carson Teva and an episode featuring a New Republic prison ship, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have not spent that much time exploring the New Republic, let alone gone into the inner workings and conflicts of the galactic government. These shows have mostly taken place in the Outer Rim, far away from the heart of the New Republic.
Obi-Wan Kenobi obviously featured the Empire, but the show’s Imperial focus was more so on Darth Vader and the Inquisitors hunting Obi-Wan and other Jedi, and less so on the politics of the Empire.
No Luke Skywalker
Even though the Skywalker Saga ended in 2019, all the live-action shows that have happened since have featured Luke Skywalker. He showed up in epic fashion to save Grogu and the others from the dark troopers in The Mandalorian season 2 finale and to take Grogu with him, he is seen training Grogu and speaking with Ahsoka Tano in The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi features a 10-year-old Luke living on Tatooine.
Andor will likely be the first live-action show without Luke Skywalker. He is still living on Tatooine at this time, still several years away from joining the Rebel Alliance. It doesn’t make sense with the timeline or the subject matter to feature Luke in this show.
A key part of his character is that he grew up on Tatooine isolated and unaware from what is happening throughout most of the galaxy. Luke’s sheltered existence led to him craving adventure and arguably helped him have some of the idealism and optimism that ultimately helped him bring his father back from the dark side.
Obi-Wan Kenobi already pushed the boundaries of this a little bit with Reva attacking the Lars homestead, although the show made it work since Luke doesn’t come face-to-face with Reva, and Luke doesn’t seem to understand what really happened.
This worked because of the story’s focus on Obi-Wan and the Skywalker family, but there is no reason to bring Luke into Andor.
Are you looking forward to Andor? Do you think it will the most unique live-action Star Wars series so far? Let us know in the comments!