The Andor season 2 finale was phenomenal, like most of the series. It was so good that it compelled me to watch Rogue One right after the credits rolled. Similar to how Rogue One added context and depth to the original Star Wars trilogy, Andor reframed and redefined the events of Rogue One. It was fun watching Rogue One after Andor and reading my old review. Time and tons of new information have changed some of my opinions and reinforced others.
After digesting 24 excellent episodes from Tony Gilroy and crew, here are five random thoughts on Rogue One after Andor.
1) I Was Completely Wrong to Question Tony Gilroy
Rewrites and reshoots can be a good thing. In some cases, they can improve a movie. In other cases – Captain American: Brave New World, for example – they can turn a movie into a garbled mess. After seeing Rogue One for the first time, I wondered what the movie would have been like if Tony Gilroy wasn’t brought in for rewrites. Part of that stemmed from my admiration of original writer Gary Whitta – living proof the videogame journalists can go on to do meaningful things.
In retrospect, that speculation was stupid. Shortly after the movie’s release, I learned that Tony Gilroy added some of the best elements to Rogue One. Years later, I would marvel at the phenomenal job he did running Andor. Some people have gone as far as to say that Tony Gilroy saved Rogue One. While I wouldn’t go that far, there’s no denying that he’s one of the most talented Star Wars creatives in the last 20 years.
2) Rogue One After Andor Shows That Movie Cassian is Still a Wuss
I used stronger language that’s probably inappropriate today, but I did not like the wussification of Cassian Andor in Rogue One. He started out so cool – unambiguously shooting first to complete his mission. Initially, I thought he was “Bad-Ass Outer-Space Inigo Montoya,” but as the movie progressed, he became softer and softer.
24 episodes of Andor have reinforced that opinion. Sure, it can be argued that it’s unfair to apply 24 episodes of characterization to 1 movie portrayal, but context applies. We got to watch numerous events in the Disney+ series that shaped the man we met in Rogue One. For me, Cassian’s wuss turn in the movie seemed out of character.
3) The Empire’s Data Storage System is Still Stupid
Using Zip disks stored in the galaxy’s largest claw machine game is silly and I still can’t believe that the Empire didn’t use cloud storage or offsite storage for its data. The imperial data system is especially silly when you consider it was holding schematics for a moon-sized battle-station that can obliterate planets.
[The last two points contain minor spoilers for Andor season 2. Consider skipping them if you’d like the full Andor experience.]
4) Caring About the Doomed is One Thing, But….
One of my favorite aspects of Rogue One was how it got you to care about characters that you know are doomed. That’s a testament to the writing and performances. What shocked me about Andor season 2 was how the series got you to feel empathy for fascists. We know that Dedra Meero and Syril Karn are bad people that fanatically support an evil empire, but they have vulnerable moments where you feel bad for them. Hell, even Lio Partagaz listening to Nemik’s manifesto minutes before killing himself was a bit sad.
I love the emotions the writers and actors of Andor season 2 were able to provoke. They skillfully made you feel sad for these vile fascists, which then made you feel gross for having sympathy for villains.
5) Rogue One After Andor: What Are We Fighting For?
Rogue One was fantastic for showing the sacrifice that was made to acquire the Death Star plans. Andor, especially the second season, was wonderful for showing what the Rebellion was fighting for. Yes, we know that blowing up Alderaan was evil, but we didn’t get to know these people in the original Star Wars trilogy. Compare that to the Ghorman Massacre, where you are immersed in the culture then see the Empire’s violence and cruelty up close.
The non-violent cruelty also added context to the Rebellion. Take the exploitation of the farmers on Mina-Rau (or as I call it, Space Planet Nebraska). These innocent and hardworking people are being oppressed in an intergalactic Mafia type of way. You see the abuse up close and feel for them, and the situation is given more weight when Brasso says, “It’s happening everywhere.”
Have You Watched Rogue One After Andor?
Those are five random thoughts I had after watching Rogue One after Andor. Have you watched the movie since the series ended? If so, I’d love to hear what has and hasn’t changed for you. Kindly stop fingering your Tinian Codex and leave a comment below.
Oh, if you’re looking for more Andor articles and excellent takes on Star Wars in general, please check out Ahch-To Baby by Matthew Freeman.