The original trilogy has a very mythological feel that none of the other works have ever managed to fully capture (and, honestly, that feeling was on the wane even as early as Episode 6). I can name the modern works, outside of Star Wars, that have that atmosphere on one hand. It’s a very delicate balance to get that atmosphere, and I think even the OT only succeeded at it by happy accident.
Still, Andor felt so fundamental, quintessential Star Wars.
First time I paid any attention watching the original trilogy was after playing Mass Effect, watching DS9, and consuming some other sci-fi/fantasy, even some other Star Wars stuff … I get what you’re saying, but I guess it didn’t strike me as “remarkably mythic” when I first saw it, and that might be because I’d already seen so much?
@AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net is getting at what I feel. Andor’s characters and the details of the worldbuilding are so strong. Same with KOTOR II. Even if they’re more inconsistent, rough, or ‘lacking wonder,’ that more than makes up for it to me.
“The original trilogy has a very mythological feel”
I can’t remember where I saw it, but I read something that part of why Andor feels so different to other Star Wars is that the original trilogy (OT) felt like a space opera — the characters exist on a stage, and the world around them ceases to be when the characters leave. This probably contributes to the “magic” of the original trilogy.
Andor, by comparison, has such strong world building and supporting cast that it feels like the world is real, and we only get a small glimpse into what’s going on. My favourite minor character was the dude who hits the anvil-bell thing; he takes his job so seriously that it gives a ritual feel to the job, and I get the sense that this is an honoured role.
I don’t think it’s better or worse than the feel of the original trilogy — just different — but Andor is refreshing because far too much of Star Wars has captured neither the mythological magic of the OT, or the realism of Andor. I think Andor is the last piece of Star Wars that I care about, so I’ll be devastated if season 2 is disappointing
I felt the same way about episode 6’s waning mythological feel, until I recently watched all 6 in the so-called “Machete” order (4 -> 5 ->1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 6). Ending with 6 right after having gone through the prequels ramped the myth feeling up to 11 for me in a very interesting way - there are so many parallels between 3 and 6 and at the same time 6 shines so much the brighter in contrast to 3. There’s a cyclical nature to the whole star wars narrative project as directed by George Lucas that I never noticed for my self until this rewatch, despite having seen all 6 movies over a dozen times each.
Especially the juxtaposition of Anakin’s confrontation of Windu and Palpatine, contrasted with Luke’s confrontation of Vader and Palps. It was always apparent that Luke’s decision to forfeit his life rather than killing his father was his way of breaking his family’s cycle (and symbolic of the rest of the Galaxy breaking free of the empire), but when I was just watching his father condemn the entire galaxy to fascism and evil on the off chance that his wife will be “saved” an hour or two earlier, it just hit different.
The original trilogy has a very mythological feel that none of the other works have ever managed to fully capture (and, honestly, that feeling was on the wane even as early as Episode 6). I can name the modern works, outside of Star Wars, that have that atmosphere on one hand. It’s a very delicate balance to get that atmosphere, and I think even the OT only succeeded at it by happy accident.
I agree entirely. Can’t wait to see Season 2!
First time I paid any attention watching the original trilogy was after playing Mass Effect, watching DS9, and consuming some other sci-fi/fantasy, even some other Star Wars stuff … I get what you’re saying, but I guess it didn’t strike me as “remarkably mythic” when I first saw it, and that might be because I’d already seen so much?
@AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net is getting at what I feel. Andor’s characters and the details of the worldbuilding are so strong. Same with KOTOR II. Even if they’re more inconsistent, rough, or ‘lacking wonder,’ that more than makes up for it to me.
I can’t remember where I saw it, but I read something that part of why Andor feels so different to other Star Wars is that the original trilogy (OT) felt like a space opera — the characters exist on a stage, and the world around them ceases to be when the characters leave. This probably contributes to the “magic” of the original trilogy.
Andor, by comparison, has such strong world building and supporting cast that it feels like the world is real, and we only get a small glimpse into what’s going on. My favourite minor character was the dude who hits the anvil-bell thing; he takes his job so seriously that it gives a ritual feel to the job, and I get the sense that this is an honoured role.
I don’t think it’s better or worse than the feel of the original trilogy — just different — but Andor is refreshing because far too much of Star Wars has captured neither the mythological magic of the OT, or the realism of Andor. I think Andor is the last piece of Star Wars that I care about, so I’ll be devastated if season 2 is disappointing
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I felt the same way about episode 6’s waning mythological feel, until I recently watched all 6 in the so-called “Machete” order (4 -> 5 ->1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 6). Ending with 6 right after having gone through the prequels ramped the myth feeling up to 11 for me in a very interesting way - there are so many parallels between 3 and 6 and at the same time 6 shines so much the brighter in contrast to 3. There’s a cyclical nature to the whole star wars narrative project as directed by George Lucas that I never noticed for my self until this rewatch, despite having seen all 6 movies over a dozen times each.
Especially the juxtaposition of Anakin’s confrontation of Windu and Palpatine, contrasted with Luke’s confrontation of Vader and Palps. It was always apparent that Luke’s decision to forfeit his life rather than killing his father was his way of breaking his family’s cycle (and symbolic of the rest of the Galaxy breaking free of the empire), but when I was just watching his father condemn the entire galaxy to fascism and evil on the off chance that his wife will be “saved” an hour or two earlier, it just hit different.