Andor is the Star Wars project I jumped to defend as soon as it premiered on Disney+. This was during the early days of season 1, when most fans didn't see the show's appeal and found Cassian Andor boring, as well as the show's slow pace a drag.
I had a reason to defend Andor; I loved Cassian since Rogue One, and I was a huge fan of Diego Luna's portrayal of the character. Another reason was my undying love for Jyn Erso, a character who always seemed like a mirror to Cassian Andor. I had mistakenly hoped that the series would eventually bring up Jyn Erso's name, or allow Felicity Jones to play the character one last time. I was wrong, but that's not why I'm upset.
I'm glad Andor was a success, but it's hard to ignore the rise in fan backlash towards everything about Rogue One, especially its lead actress and the character she portrayed. From Felicity Jones's acting and Jyn Erso's characterization, I've seen almost every aspect of Jyn Erso attacked simply because fans loved Andor.
It's important to remember that Cassian and Jyn's fates are tied, and they were always meant to die together. They gave their lives for the same cause, and their sacrifice was a huge victory for the Rebellion and probably the reason why billions more didn't die as a result of the Death Star. Maybe fans are having trouble accepting that credit for Rogue One doesn't belong solely to Tony Gilroy. A few have expressed frustration that Rogue One isn't about Cassian. I'd argue that even Andor wasn't as much about Cassian as I would've liked.
Andor ended up being about many of the other characters, and for me, the show failed Cassian by keeping him a reluctant rebel to the end. This didn't seem to align with my impression of Cassian, based on Rogue One and its novelization. I thought Cassian was always a strict and fully committed rebel operative, who only broke rules when they were in the best interest of the cause. Still, the real issue here isn't Cassian, but the Jyn Erso hate that's suddenly flooded the Star Wars online community.
Tony Gilroy hasn't helped, as he has called a Jyn Erso cameo a "lame idea," referred to Rogue One as a "corpse" before reworking the original cut, and said Vel Sartha would've found Jyn irritating. This, and a few other statements he's made over the past few months, make it sound like he's not a fan of Jyn as a character. He's been dismissive of fans who shipped Cassian and Jyn since 2016 and said they should "reorient their thinking". Although he is entitled to his opinion, he may have triggered even more fan backlash against Jyn Erso.
In this case, love for Andor comes with a side of hate for Rogue One, its writing, and its lead character, which is seen in posts complaining about Felicity Jones's acting, the way Jyn was written, and even the battle scenes. Some fans claim Rogue One is an unworthy sequel to Andor, and that's the opposite of what I hoped.
I hope, eventually, fans can love Rogue One for what it is again and appreciate Jyn for her contribution to the rebellion without comparing her to any character written by Tony Gilroy. Nevertheless, until fans learn to love one Star Wars project without comparing it to another, this will continue to be a recurring problem.
Rogue One is streaming on Disney+.