Rebel scum endure

Andor is back. Here is a recap of Season 1

- NOEL MURRAY

It is totally fine that Star Wars series like The Book Of Boba Fett and Ahsoka are aimed at deep-lore fans who collect the action figures, play the video games, watch the cartoons and know the difference between a Twi'lek and a Togruta.

But it is also OK to think that Andor, which returned to Disney+ on Tuesday at 9pm, stands apart. This show appeals to the kind of fan who also likes George Lucas' arty pre-Star Wars science fiction film THX 1138 and has read the Star Wars novels written by esteemed fantasy writers like Alan Dean Foster and Elizabeth Hand.

Created by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Andor foregrounds the political intrigue and guerrilla warfare elements that have always been a part of Star Wars, with a heightened level of storytelling sophistication and moody style.

Ostensibly a story about who put the "war" in Star Wars, Andor is a densely packed study of dictators and dissidents, set across multiple planets, with a colourful cast of characters who each have very different opinions about how this galaxy far, far away should be run. And because Season 1 aired in 2022, even devotees may need a reminder of who all these major players are and what they are up to. Here is a quick refresher ahead of the second and final season.

THE SERIES IS A PREQUEL TO A PREQUEL

The original 1977 movie Star Wars (or Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope for the pedantic) begins with rebellious diplomat Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) loading the blueprints for a planet-killing mega-weapon onto the droid R2-D2, who then carries those plans to hermetic Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and starry-eyed farm boy Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) - thus setting a whole saga in motion. Nearly 40 years later, in 2016, Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Studios released Rogue One, a prequel film about the courageous guerrilla warriors who stole those blueprints.