Andor Trailer Reaction

Article by Kieran Burt

The second trailer for Andor has recently been released, and it looks amazing. From the themes presented to what the trailer showed, Andor is set to be an amazing show. 

Perhaps the best place to start to be would be in the main theme. Tony Gilory has spoken before about how the Empire will be acting in a colonial fashion, and this trailer highlights this throughout. The opening shots focus on a vast forest, with people just going about their daily lives with rusty, dirty technology. That is until a clean Star Destroyer announces itself loudly overhead, heralding the arrival of the Empire. Later shots show them unloading their infrastructure out onto the planet. They invade towns, level the landscape, all under the guise they are improving the lives of the people they take land from.

But it’s not the Empire that will be portrayed as colonisers. Shots of Andor as a child can be seen, looking out over a barren wasteland, and finding technology belonging to an occupying force. And the trailer gives a great hint at who the occupying force is: the Republic. A brief shot of marching clones can be glimpsed, taking the planet for the Republic. This show takes place long after clones have been phased out, so it makes sense for it to be a flashback. During the Clone Wars, Andor was a Separatist, meaning that he would view the Republic as colonisers, showing a new side to the Republic. Andor views the Republic and the Empire as exactly the same, and hopefully the show will portray this. This is a high hope, and 

This theme of colonisation taps into what George Lucas was inspired by and explored with the original trilogy. He was using Star Wars as a flashy way to communicate uncomfortable history (and an uncomfortable present) to the audience, and Andor looks to be doing exactly the same. 

Mon Mothama’s appearance in the trailer is brief, yet still effective. She claims that so long as she remains an irritation, the Empire won’t notice what she’s really doing, to which a terrified Senator asks what she’s really doing. Audiences get a better look at the Senate with its Imperial markings. This short scene shows that along with the gritty, down to earth spy-thriller show, high political intrigue will be just as important. This will be a show of two halves, how the Empire is affecting the core worlds, but also how the Empire affects those living on the frontier. 

Luthen is featured more prominently, dressing up in many costumes over the course of the trailer – even that of a Senator. He can be seen meeting Mon Mothma, most likely helping her create a formal Rebellion. He visits Saw’s extremists, The Partisans, and right from the start it’s evident of a tension between Saw and Luthen. Saw claims what they are doing is for the “greater good”, and Luthen is quick to dismiss this. It hints at another theme – how far is someone willing to go to fight for what’s right

For anyone worried that Star Wars was getting too focused about what’s happening on the ground, don’t despair. At the end of the trailer, audiences get a brief look at aspace battle and it looks beautiful. The sky is coated with red, almost as if someone painted it with fire. This shot and so many others look cinematic, as if audiences are watching a long film. 

The trailer is aided by music throughout, replacing the tribal bells of the first trailer with a more ominous track, giving the whole trailer a menacing and darker feel. In turn, it signifies the darker, and more menacing tone. 

But unfortunately it isn’t all good. The Andor trailer revealed that the show has been pushed back to September 21st. To soften this blow, Andor will now release with three episodes instead of two. This is disappointing. Both of the trailers have given a stellar first impression, and audiences will now have to wait that little bit longer before its release. 

Apart from the news of a delay, the trailer for the Andor show looks amazing, and fulfills the narrow brief of what a trailer should be. The key players have been revealed, tone set, the themes have been hinted at and the secrets left secret. Audiences have a lot to look forward to when Andor debuts on September 21st.