The following contains spoilers for Andor Season 1, Episode 4, "Aldhani," now streaming on Disney+.
Star Wars was conceived as a larger than life adventure saga, with epic conflicts, last-minute escapes and heroic victories against seemingly impossible odds. The space opera setting was the glue that held together an unabashedly old-fashioned story, complete with the irresistible notion of "The Force" to explain how figures of destiny could change history with a single shot to a small thermal exhaust port. That helped make the saga a phenomenon and remains a part of even the grittiest corners of its galaxy far, far away.
Andor is the most down to Earth Star Wars effort yet, with a dedication to the very earthiness that the rest of the saga steers away from. Yet it has to do its job without diminishing those moments that define the franchise to millions of fans. Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy trusts the audience to follow the path set by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: that little acts of rebellion lead to bigger ones, even if the rebellion itself is on shaky ground.
How Andor Follows Rogue One
Rogue One used the concept that Luke Skywalker's destruction of the Death Star was facilitated by forgotten Rebels who stole the plans -- and made the ultimate sacrifice. The film achieved an almost perfect balance between street-level detail and the epic victory it enabled, so much so that screening the movie and then Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope creates a natural double feature. Andor approaches Cassian Andor's beginnings the same way Rogue One did his end, having the small struggles ripple outward to influence the big ones.
Season 1, Episode 4, "Aldhani" throws Cassian unceremoniously into a group of Rebel operatives on an occupied planet. "Ragtag" doesn't come close to their condition as they're huddled in shepherd's huts and making plans with models built from twigs. Cassian arrives as a ringer to bolster a team clearly in way over their heads. The mission, as organizer Luthen Rael explains, is do or die. Failure could doom the Rebellion before it's even begun.
But unlike the Death Star raid, it's a reasonably mundane mission. The group aims to rob an Imperial depository, using a rare astronomical event as cover to break in and make off with the money. There's nothing noble about their goal. It's not even about classified data or valuable information. They're thieves stealing funds -- nothing more.
Andor Connects to Star Wars' Big Picture
And yet at this stage in the Rebellion, nothing could be more important. Luthen is running a number of operations on behalf of Rebel leader Mon Mothma, with whom he meets surreptitiously on Coruscant in the guise of an antiques dealer. She's hard-pressed from all directions, with Imperial Security monitoring her and her husband inviting her enemies to dinner parties. A successful robbery would not only stymie Imperial funds, but provide copious backing for further Rebel operations. That in turn would take pressure off of Mon Mothma and allow her to maneuver the corridors of power more safely.
It's all an act to secure resources before the Emperor's secret police use them up. Andor is resolutely dedicated to the grimy reality of it, with the robbery itself presumably following suit in the upcoming Episode 5. Wth the presence of figures like Mon Mothma, the show links its dirty deeds directly to the grander and more swashbuckling accomplishments awaiting in the saga's future. That balance -- and contrast -- is what makes the series so compelling.
New episodes of Andor stream Wednesdays on Disney+.