There has beem nothing this year that gripped me quite like Andor.

Don’t get me wrong, there were so many good shows this year. I’m someone who finds enjoyment in most, from “Obi-Wan” to “She-Hulk”, from “Atlanta” to “Rick and Morty”. But out of all the TV this year, only “Andor” had me thinking after every episode: “How could I possibly survive a whole week until I see what’s next?”

I can’t say that the show is for everyone. The show is undeniably smart, fresh, tense, but it is definitely a corner of the Star Wars franchise that, although 110% Star Wars, lacks the space wizards and Skywalker magic that the franchise tends to hang it’s hat on. If you’re a fan of the franchise for the broad strokes, that’s perfectly valid. This show, though, is your nose to the canvas.

I wasn’t sold on “Andor” at first. They released the first three episodes at once, as a sort of movie in a way. If they had released the first two episodes, I wouldn’t have looked forward to the next week like I did. The episodes started off slow and built up pace. They introduced you the the characters and the creeping themes of rising fascism in the galactic equivalent of Motor City. The first two episodes didnt crackle like the episodes after did. They buzzed and hummed and did they’re job. They weren’t a waste. That’s the thing: Episode 3 was good, Episode 4 hooked me, and I craved every episode after that. “Andor” knew what it was doing, what it needed to do, and not one crumb was wasted.

“Andor” did something no other Disney Plus show had done before: they used the medium of episodic storytelling and story arcs and used it to it’s fullest. Every three episodes was it’s own arc, for the most part (Episodes 1-3, Episodes 4-6, Episode 7 was transitional, Episodes 8-10, and then closed with a “two-part” finale with Episode 11 & 12). There were multiple storylines, with each episode utlizing a classic TV tool of “A Plot, B Plot, C Plot”. Oh, and the themes? Each episode tackled the same theme but from different perspectives with the different plotlines.

The themes wrapped it all together. The creeping rise of fascism, the idea that one person is a brick in a wall, a singular cog in a bigger wheel, is hit home many times. It doesn’t matter for good or for evil, everything they (and we) do matters, even if we can’t see the big picture. There are sacrifices made by all, bad things done by good people, bad things done by bad people for “good reasons”. This show has so many layers, it practically demands a rewatch. This show is perfection. It may not be for all, but it scratched an itch I didn’t know needed scratching.

I give this show a 10 out of 10. The subject matter and themes may not be for everyone, but the quality is undeniable. I can’t wait for the final 12 episodes.

I am dying.