Commentary: ‘Andor’s Ending Makes Its Slow Beginning Worthwhile

Slow burn stories are often subjects of controversy. Fans of them say that the ending makes the slow nature of the pacing worthwhile and audiences should just stick with the story until the end. There’s also an argument to be made that television series should be engaging right from the first episode and that each installment along the way should never make the audience feel bored. However, great stories and characterization do need time to build a foundation so audiences can feel more attached to the characters and understand their journey, which sometimes takes time. By the end of Andor, for example, the slow pacing the show began with shouldn’t matter as all Star Wars fans will be satisfied by the end.

The show was meant as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, detailing how Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) joined the Rebellion. Before that, though, they wanted to showcase who he was as a regular person and what formed his character and mindset. Season 1 started off very slow, barely scratching the surface of the Rebel Alliance as it didn’t even really exist yet. While just trying to survive, Cassian fell into the employment of Luthen Real (Stellan Skarsgard), a freelance spy working for the nascent Rebel factions. Fans only really see Cass as the intelligence officer they know him to be in the second season, which ends with rumors of a “Death Star”.

This series could have very easily started with the second season. The first year had nothing to do with the groundwork laid in Rogue One. Instead, the initial set of episodes moved slowly, building up Cassian’s life as a fugitive and prisoner. This disconnect from the larger Star Wars universe felt as if the show was moving at turtle’s pace, but it was all worth it by the end. Audiences had a real connection to Cass and understood his motivation for shooting first and asking questions later. The series’s slow burn emulated the slow nature of spycraft, and how all of these intelligence officers had to lie in wait for years, allowing tension to build before striking. When viewed as an entire series, the slow first season served as a great supplement for the second season’s payoff.

Andor is now streaming on Disney+.