While Andor and The Mandalorian are quite different stories, a common thread helps explain why they are two of the best Star Wars shows that Disney has to offer. In 2012, George Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney, and in 2018, the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, debuted. Disney could not duplicate The Mandalorian’s success with either The Book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan Kenobi. With Andor, a series that hooked audiences with a delightfully unique perspective on the traditionally science fiction-heavy narrative, the pendulum swung back in the opposite direction.
Several factors contribute to Andor’s success as a Star Wars show. Andor stands out from the other Disney Star Wars shows because of its serious tone, witty dialogue, and well-divided storylines. The Mandalorian has been hailed as one of Disney’s best Star Wars TV shows, and for good reason: it successfully blends fresh storyline with endearing, albeit somewhat familiar, characters. The fact that Andor and The Mandalorian are in their unique genre makes them stand out as brilliant Star Wars stories. The Mandalorian’s apparent samurai-western polish and Andor’s standing as an intense spy thriller put the two shows apart from Lucasfilm’s standard science fiction fare.
In The Mandalorian and Andor, we see Star Wars at its best.
Although more Star Wars films are on the horizon, Disney is currently concentrating on television adaptations because they see the most promise for the brand there. Given Mando’s prominence in The Book of Boba Fett, it’s clear that Disney plans to make The Mandalorian the flagship of its streaming repertoire. The Ahsoka TV series will air at the same period as The Mandalorian; therefore, her star status will likely rise and stay high. Mando’s frequent appearances in Star Wars media may be justified, given that The Mandalorian has proven one of Disney’s best Star Wars TV shows through its first two seasons.
However, Disney’s take on Andor comes from an altogether other place. In light of Andor’s execution and subsequent success, future Star Wars television episodes have a lot of potential. Andor’s sombre tone is a welcome relief compared to the pulpy fanfare of other Star Wars material. The series’ success demonstrates that Star Wars can thrive in different contexts besides fan service and nostalgia-baiting, suggesting a bright future for the franchise on television. There will always be room in the Star Wars canon for the kind of storytelling that shows like The Mandalorian employ. But maintaining a consistent tone is essential if Lucasfilm is to realize its greatest potential.
What makes the modern stories in Star Wars so great, and why are they not science fiction
Although the name “Star Wars” will forever be linked to the science fiction genre, the best recent works in the franchise share a common trait: a lean toward genre fluidity. Both samurai fiction and westerns heavily influenced George Lucas’s original Star Wars concept. While some science fiction elements exist in The Mandalorian, the show’s typical desert location and expansive panoramic panoramas are reminiscent of western classics like The Searchers and The Big Country. Lucas’s concentration was on the theatrical flair of a familial space opera, backed by unique genre-blending. While his Star Wars stories contain their fair share of hard-science influences like Frank Herbert’s breakthrough Dune novel, he focused on those influences less.
On the contrary, Disney has created one of the best Star Wars TV episodes without overusing the Skywalker family in Andor. Andor’s sophisticated tale fits in with its reputation as an espionage thriller. Its high standing as a prestige series results from its creators’ decision to take the genre in a new direction. With additional Star Wars TV episodes after Andor, consistent innovation is crucial as the franchise grows. With The Mandalorian poised to lead Disney’s small-screen future, it’s becoming increasingly clear that projects like Andor are essential to achieving the required genre balance for future Star Wars tales
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