2023 Critics Choice Awards nominates ‘Andor’ for two categories

The TV nominees for the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards were announced on Tuesday. Andor, the newest series of the Star Wars franchise nabbed two massive nominations and was one of the two Disney productions to be nominated.

Diego Luna, who reprised his role in the show from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, was nominated for ‘Best Actor in a Drama Series’ alongside the likes of Jeff Bridges (The Old Man), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul).

The series itself got the nod for ‘Best Drama Series’ category, where the competition for the award includes AMC’s Better Call Saul, Netflix’s The Crown, and the new fantasy sensation, HBO’s House of the Dragon.

ABC breakout sitcom Abbott Elementary led the list with six nominations, while Better Call Saul dominated the ‘drama’ category with five nods.

The 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards ceremony will air live on the CW on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

Andor: A quick recap

Andor caused a rift in the Star Wars fanbase from the get go with its blatant onslaught of political themes.

Show maker Tony Gilroy did not pull any punches when it came to giving the show story arcs eerily similar to our real-world political scenarios. That led to complaints of Star Wars becoming “too political” by some fans, who probably weren’t aware George Lucas’ iconic reveal that Emperor Palpatine was inspired by Richard Nixon.

The first season of the show, spanning over 12 episodes primarily tells the story of how Cassian Andor goes from a “nobody” to a rebel with hope in his heart.

Originally a boy named Kassa from Kenari, he is rescued by Clem and Maarva Andor before the Empire wipes off the planet. He has to leave behind his sister and the entire tribe he grew up in to be born again as Cassian Andor on the Free Trade Sector world Ferrix.

Cassian was happy exchanging stolen Imperial devices for credits when his life turned around after meeting Luthen, a rebel head working closely with Mon Mothma to dismantle the Empire.

Cassian participates in the heist of Aldhani, but the Empire catches up with him eventually and puts him in a prison facility in Narkina 5. Andy Serkis makes a brilliant cameo in the Narkina 5 episodes playing Kino Loy, the manager of the shift Andor works in.

In a tragic twist of fate, Cassian Andor ends up contributing to the manufacturing process of the cataclysmic Death Star that eventually causes his death at the Battle of Scarif, as we see in Rogue One.

The show ends with the citizens of Ferrix rising up against the Empire, inspired by the fiery words of Maarva Andor, or rather her post-death hologram. Cassian parts ways with Melshi after learning the news of his mother’s death.