Round Two: Andor

Andor: Season 1, Episode 2 “That Would Be Me” (B-)

I’m really trying to get into this show but struggling quite a bit. It might be that I really wasn’t into “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and that I’m not so fond of filler content, like “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” since it’s not as engaging as fresh stories that take us to uncharted territory. That said, as a young eleven- and fourteen-year-old seeing the first two prequel movies back when they originally came out, I was all for it, and while I know that had to do with being of that age and also having just been introduced to the entire universe a few years earlier when I saw the special edition of the original trilogy in theaters, I would love to find some spark here that will energize me. I can at least appreciate recognizing actors I like, starting with Fiona Shaw, fresh off her Emmy-nominated turn on “Killing Eve” and playing an appropriately frantic character here who didn’t want Andor or her droid giving her any stress. There’s also Stellan Skarsgård, who doesn’t even have to say anything to be intimidating. Andor obviously has plenty to hide and was willing to negotiate quickly to get to the price that didn’t involve any questions, and he has a team of Empire soldiers hot on his trail with the passionate Syril Karn leading them in their quest. Given that this show bears his name, it feels highly unlikely that he would end up getting killed off soon, and this may be a cat-and-mouse battle similar to the title character and Darth Vader in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”