The Cassian Andor we meet in theearliest parts of Rogue Onewas already scarcely the most prim - and - right sort of person , even for Star Wars ’ riffraff Rebel Alliance . But the one we meetat the beginningof his self - titled Disney+ TV show is somehow even less put - together to a shocking grade — and that ’s passably all-fired great .
It ’s a surprising move to see howAndor , the first three episode of which began streaming today , opens by taking a practically universally dear character from Rogue One and spending the best part of those two opening hour textually sustain what feel like the full universe hateits titular hero , and kind of for upright reason . The Cassian we meet in Andor is a singular kind of fuckup : our instauration to him sees him botch a reconnaissance mission mission so bad he resorts to defeat two collective security guard ( one unintentionally , the other in dusty blood in a mirror to his murder of a Rebel seed in his first Rogue One view ) .
It would be enough to show us that this is a homo who just has a hold of what he ’s doing or what he want if this deed , the accelerator for everything that goes to snake pit across Andor ’s first three episodes , was all we got . But these three episodes go even further and usher in us to a superimposed world of networks and relationships Cassian has made for himself on the planet Ferrix , jolly much all of which he abuses for favors and are made with the great unwashed repeatedly calling him out for it . The humankind is an rank disaster , no one likes him , but he kind of gets by on it anyway because they make out if they just keep doing him a favour here , permit him sort through a bit of flake there , or borrow a few credits , whatever latest red-hot muddle he ’s involve in will hopefully largely pass them by ( until it does n’t , as Bix and Timm arguably memorize the most in these episode ) . Not because of his good luck charm , not because of his skill in anything in particular — Cassian does not precisely show much skill beyond scrounging anyway — but because they just need to be as far away from his bullshit as potential before it blows up in his face .
Image: Lucasfilm
It ’s a outstandingly bold way to re - introduce us to Cassian . His stale - blooded execution of a contact in Rogue One or his willingness to go along with his air force officer ’s lodge to assassinate Jyn Erso ’s Father of the Church should they find him were both intended to show us a pitiless valet de chambre , but also kind of a coolheaded one . Cassian was n’t one of those goody - two - shoes heroes they put on Rebel recruitment holos , we ’re meant to think , but a badass that got shit done . The Cassian of Andor however is the direct opposite of that : all he does is mess up , throw together from one cakehole he ’s dug for himself to the next , and hurt the great unwashed along the room . He ’s not cool , he ’s a nightmare . He ’d be distinctly unlikable , if not for the fact that it ’s surprisingly endear to have a Star Wars show unfastened with “ here ’s our bomber , this guy you know and like . He ’s really fucking bad at what he does , but he does it anyway . ”
Because really , the ideal phantasy of Star Wars , unlike Star Trek , is not to watch beautiful people plight in competence smut . It ’s to watch very normal the great unwashed do their best in the brass of consuming structure of iniquity , because they ’re mad at the reality they ’re in and want to do powerful by it . That might be funny to say in a stage setting that also has a destined origin like the Skywalkers , or sorcerous warrior monks who can move the earth with their minds and perform superhuman feats , or everyone is really just six degrees of Kevin Bacon from someone famous . But really , it is . Jedi and Sith and fated bomber may be at the heart of so many Star Wars story , but Star Wars is at its most endearing when it ’s about the hoi polloi who are n’t those powerful beings of destiny and have to be epic anyway . It ’s why we gravitate to characters like the heroes of Rogue One , whyDin Djarinand Boba Fett ’s recent round as thenicest , worst Crime Lordthis side of Mos Espa are so interesting , or why Luke ’s inability to make do with the myth of his heroic bequest in The Last Jedi is so heartbreaking . Watching characters who are not incisively great at being heroes struggle because they want to do the right matter , instead of just perfectly doing it , is arguably more significant to the galaxy far , far aside more than anything else .
Over the course of its two season , Cassian Andor is going to get better at his whole matter . He ’ll show himself to the the great unwashed around him , he ’ll fight back against the Empire and become a credible threat beyond a lowly thief . But he ’s still ultimately going to become that man we meet at the start of Rogue One , mussy , rough around the edges , and still just revolve with the many punch that come live under the grip of the Empire . catch him go from almost hilariously disastrous , but with an angry heart in the right place , to that still not - entirely heroic point is so much more satisfying than if he was just a hero already .
Image: Lucasfilm
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Image: Lucasfilm
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