Ahead of the premiere tonight of the first three episodes of “Star Wars: Andor,” the official review embargo for the new series has been lifted with multiple outlets delivering their verdict on the show.
On Rotten Tomatoes it sits at 87% which is behind “The Mandalorian” at 92% but ahead of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” at 82% and “The Book of Boba Fett” at 66%. On Metacritic the series has debuted with a strong 80/100 score, the best for a “Star Wars” TV series to date – ahead of “The Mandalorian” at 70, “The Book of Boba Fett” at 59 and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” at 73.
Below are a sampling of review quotes:
“In its first few episodes, Andor has established an exceptionally immersive world and put the pieces in place for a tense, thrilling story underpinned by big ideas. By returning to some of the series’s core principles rather than merely recycling old parts, Andor might be the most exciting new beginning [for] the Star Wars universe.” – Ross McIndoe, Slant Magazine
“While it’s a bit of a slow burn of a show, Andor draws you in because it is so thoroughly and messily human. … Andor is Star Wars, distilled down to its revolutionary soul.” – Brett White, Decider
“Andor is engaging enough to withstand that scrutiny so far, with two-thirds of the season left to go. If the series maintains its assured style, Andor may be the closest Disney+ has yet come to going rogue.” – Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
“The show’s not in much of a hurry (the first three episodes dropping together really are of a piece), and that might lose it some shorter attention spans. Those who stick around, though, will be rewarded for their patience.” – Caroline Framke, Variety
“It’s debatable if the series will be embraced universally by all ‘Star Wars’ fans, but if you’ve been disenchanted by most of the Disney-era Lucasfilm projects – or at least craving something more substantive with depth – “Andor” is likely a provocative one that will light a fire under you, and compel you to sit up and take notice” – Rodrgio Perez, The Playlist
“While the pacing here can be a bit problematic – the first two episodes could have been easily condensed into one – “Andor” is more confident than most Lucasfilm or Marvel shows. … But the third is a banger. … One of the best Disney+ episodes of television to date.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
“Luna is a coiled spring throughout and Andor as a whole is bunched up with a tension which, in the first four episodes at least, is never fully unleashed. But the new series isn’t an insult to the original movies and – set against the recent track record – what a scintillating improvement that represents.” – Ed Power, The Telegraph
The first three episodes of “Andor” are set to be released at 3am US-ET on Wednesday September 21st on the Disney+ service.
