If every episode before this one seemed slow and laborious, it is because it has slowly and carefully built a tower of dominoes which is now complex and anxious to behold. Then, with perfectly organized chaos, it comes crashing down in a spectacle of awe, complete with betrayal, shots fired, fear, all while trying to escape the countdown of certain doom. "The Eye" is Andor's best episodic achievement to this point. It blends action relatable to our time here in 2022, and transfers it to a galaxy a long time ago, far far away.
There are documentary camera techniques where the camera operator clearly walks with the camera, creating a feel that is nothing like Star Wars. The colorless hues in the filming portray a deep sense of noir and realism. Of course, these are things which we see throughout the series, but they become ever the more evident when innocents are threatened, morality is cheapened, and obstacle upon obstacle is encountered and tensely and viciously navigated.
This is not your Grandpa's Star Wars. And the creators behind it will admit as much, and in fact intend as much. If there is any criticism to be had, it is exactly because of that - the somewhat campier and fantastical feel of the original Star Wars is gone. There is no mysterious otherworldly Force that controls destinies. Gone is the grand classical score of Williams, replaced with a techno score reminiscent of Bladerunner. The exotic props, sayings, and destinations of the Star Wars universe take far less stage, and you could just as easily transfer the entire plot to a modern 2022 setting and it's likely that the feel of the show would remain precisely the same. This is probably both the show's blessing and curse. It has deviated so far from the Star Wars feel that it is likely to have complaints from someone, somewhere. But if you were looking to find something that far exceeds the mediocre dribble that was the Book of Boba Fett, and you are willing to see Star Wars in a much darker light, "The Eye" has now turned "Andor" into the roller coaster ride we always wanted. Though it is my personal hope that aesthetic feel of the show does not trend in this direction, "The Eye" turns "Andor" into a remarkable achievement.
There are documentary camera techniques where the camera operator clearly walks with the camera, creating a feel that is nothing like Star Wars. The colorless hues in the filming portray a deep sense of noir and realism. Of course, these are things which we see throughout the series, but they become ever the more evident when innocents are threatened, morality is cheapened, and obstacle upon obstacle is encountered and tensely and viciously navigated.
This is not your Grandpa's Star Wars. And the creators behind it will admit as much, and in fact intend as much. If there is any criticism to be had, it is exactly because of that - the somewhat campier and fantastical feel of the original Star Wars is gone. There is no mysterious otherworldly Force that controls destinies. Gone is the grand classical score of Williams, replaced with a techno score reminiscent of Bladerunner. The exotic props, sayings, and destinations of the Star Wars universe take far less stage, and you could just as easily transfer the entire plot to a modern 2022 setting and it's likely that the feel of the show would remain precisely the same. This is probably both the show's blessing and curse. It has deviated so far from the Star Wars feel that it is likely to have complaints from someone, somewhere. But if you were looking to find something that far exceeds the mediocre dribble that was the Book of Boba Fett, and you are willing to see Star Wars in a much darker light, "The Eye" has now turned "Andor" into the roller coaster ride we always wanted. Though it is my personal hope that aesthetic feel of the show does not trend in this direction, "The Eye" turns "Andor" into a remarkable achievement.