I don't usually write TV reviews (too daunting of a task, as I watch a lot of TV), but I was so surprised by all of the criticism and lukewarm comments that I felt the need to throw my two cents in. To put it simply, the writing on this show is leaps and bounds above the writing on all other franchise TV released by Disney+ to date (Star Wars/Marvel). Maybe audiences are just used to the blunt force writing we often see in those other shows, where we are spoon fed on the nose dialogue that tells us exactly what is happening and how we should feel about it. I, for one, much prefer some nuance and subtlety in my TV, and that's what this show delivers. We get to piece together Cassian's plan without ever needing the show to spell things out. It's refreshing and engaging.
Moving to the smaller scale writing, I don't know how someone can watch the introduction scene of Syril Karn and Chief Hyne and not recognize the absolutely top notch dialogue, performances, characterization, story telling, etc. It does so many things at once, and it does them all brilliantly. And that's just one scene! The first episode has many that are equally impressive. As far as criticisms go, I will acknowledge that the opening four or five minutes were a little underwhelming. However, once we get to the actual instigating event, which happens around minute seven or eight, we get another example of excellent writing, dialogue, and performances.
All in all, easily the best Star Wars content we've seen since Rogue One.
If you look at the top comments on the first episode of Andor, they are not glowing, including a 5/10 and a 6/10 which refer to it as "pretty generic" and slow. When I saw those comments after watching it, I felt the need to speak up in its defense, as I thought it was the best Star Wars content we've seen in a very long time. Now, with episode 10, I'm having the opposite problem, as people are throwing out hyperbolic praise, when I found it to be a step down from what we've seen previously this season.
That's not to say the episode was bad, but it didn't blow me away either. The episode was a tad too monologue heavy, and the writing of the monologues broke the suspension of disbelief at points, as they were either too slow (during what should be a high pace prison break), or too melodramatic. Generally speaking, I want dialogue that feels practical. I want characters to say that things that they would naturally say if they were in these situations. This is in direct conflict with monologues that read more like prepared speeches. And this doesn't mean the content of the monologues are bad. They just clash with the more gritty realism I've enjoyed from Andor up to this point.
This is a bit more nitpicky, but I was also somewhat disappointed in the mechanics of the prison break; especially how it resolves. There's a lot of handwaving necessary to explain the logistics of 5,000 prisoners being able to swim to freedom from this isolated prison in the ocean.
All of this said, the overall story of the rebellion is still chugging along brilliantly. Mon Mothma's scenes never disappoint, and even with the over the top monologue, Luthen's meeting with the rebel spy still landed as a powerful moment.
