Why do the Disney+ Star Wars shows exist? The sad answer is to keep millions of people subscribed to the streaming service, but from an artistic perspective, what is their purpose? I would argue that they should explore aspects of the franchise that can’t make the movies. They’re a place for new creators to introduce new wrinkles to what could be an endless universe. This is a point that Andor and Ahsoka would disagree on.
What Are Andor and Ahsoka Trying to Accomplish?
To my mind, the best way to judge a piece of art is to assess what, if anything, it wants to accomplish. Figure out what it’s going for, then praise or critique how well it achieved its objectives. It’s a fair metric, but it’s also open to subjectivity. In its three episodes, Ahsoka seems to have established its intent. Ahsoka wants to remind audiences of Dave Filoni’s animated Star Wars shows. It exists to bring characters from those colorful, creative outings to life. Ahsoka, the most popular character from The Clone Wars, needed a spotlight, and only a live-action showcase would do. It’s not just nostalgic for the animated series, but scenes like Baylan Skoll’s debut evoke Rogue One, of all things. It’s not all callbacks, but it’s hard to feel anything else getting equal billing.
On the other hand, Andor‘s goal is a bit more straightforward. It’s bringing focus to the rebels that the Star Wars franchise was supposed to be about. Andor is about difficult, uphill battles and painful sacrifices. It’s about people giving their lives on the slim chance that future generations will live in freedom. Viscerally, it’s about anti-fascism. It’s a call to arms for all those oppressed by corporate-owned police, cruel bureaucrats, and autocratic invaders. It’s the kind of Star Wars show in which the protagonist guns down two cops in the first five minutes. The show feels too radical to be a part of the franchise, but on the other hand, the franchise is its basis. Cassian Andor is Luke Skywalker for an era that looks back on the days of the original Star Wars. That’s the show’s goal, and it nails it.
Why Is Ahsoka So Unlike Andor?
Andor was among the least popular Disney+ Star Wars shows. It’s the best received by far, but that positive word of mouth only contributed to growth in the final few episodes. The show’s low viewership speaks to the audience’s uncertainty toward the central concept. It was a series based on a character no one remembered from Rogue One. It felt like the worst example of bottom-of-the-barrel pandering. The finale demonstrated a significant rise in viewership as new audiences finally caught up on the show their friends had been raving about. Andor won’t sell toys or get children obsessed with the franchise. It isn’t designed to move merchandise. That kind of success isn’t of much use to Disney.
Disney can afford to have Andor, but not everything can be as high-minded. I don’t mean to say every Star Wars show also has to be a call for civil unrest, though it might change some things if they all were. Ahsoka has been called the anti-Andor by some. Most use that term to suggest the show differs sharply in tone, adding some mysticism and familiarity back into the mix. Those who prefer Star Wars as a pure good vs. evil fairy tale have every right to defend their version of the story. I would argue, respectfully, that simplicity of purpose doesn’t justify telling the same story over and over. It certainly doesn’t justify falling back on references to appeal through nostalgia.
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Which Show Is Better?
Ahsoka is a fine show. It’s fun and breezy without feeling weightless. It commands attention and delivers decent action set pieces. Fans of the animated series will argue that it’s a perfect follow-up, and that’s worth something. However, its enjoyable presentation doesn’t save it from feeling done to death. Ahsoka‘s references fail to excite any audience that can’t be moved by another high-budget recreation of a scene that was already good enough 46 years ago. I’ve seen everything worthwhile about Ahsoka a hundred times. I’ve never seen anything like Andor. Don’t settle for things you remember. Andor teaches us, among other things, to strive for new heights.
