An unlikely allegory for American politics

The Future. On the surface, Andor – the prequel to the Star Wars spin-off film Rogue One on Disney+ – might not appear to be a commentary on American politics. But behind the fantasy, the show is a thoughtful reflection of the ideological differences within American society today. As the lines between political parties become more blurred and public opinion more chaotic, we can expect to see more and more of these cultural shifts reflected in the content we consume on TV.

Neither left nor right
Star Wars is exploring real-world politics with its new series Andor.

• Beyond the typical space cowboys and bounty hunters, the show features ordinary citizens who have their individual reasons for joining either the Rebel Alliance or the Imperial Empire.
• These characters aren’t a monolith. They belong to various socio-economic groups, face unique challenges, and struggle with different relationships.

What separates Andor from other tales in the Star Wars universe, though, is its focus on the mundane aspects of everyday life, which are missing from the high-concept action of the films.

Special but consistent
In keeping with George Lucas’ original vision for the universe – which he expressed to AMC in 2018 – Andor isn’t about “the science, aliens, and all that kind of stuff that I get focused on. It’s how people react to all those things.”