In 1977, George Lucas introduced the world to a galaxy far, far away—a universe filled with lightsabers, Jedi mysticism, and the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil. In the decades since, Star Wars has alternately soared and stumbled, expanding its mythos with prequels, sequels, spin-offs, and animated series. Some of these additions have been embraced with fervor. Others have been met with a sigh. And then, in 2022, something unexpected happened. A show emerged that defied the formula, stripped away the familiar iconography, and ignored the Skywalker lineage entirely. Andor was not a story of destiny or prophecy. It was a story of people—flawed, desperate, ordinary people—trying to survive in the shadow of an empire.

On this episode of Make Me A Nerd, Mandy takes her first step into the world of Andor. Her guide? Yoshi Stone, a television producer, cocktail enthusiast, and lifelong Star Wars devotee who has spent years navigating the vast and varied terrain of nerd culture. Together, they explore the show’s grounded realism, its moral ambiguity, and its surprising ability to make an intergalactic rebellion feel like a gritty political thriller.

Why does Andor feel more like The Bourne Identity than The Empire Strikes Back? What does it mean that its characters drink from mismatched cups, wear scuffed boots, and worry about bureaucratic red tape? And how did a show with no Jedi, no Sith, and no lightsabers become, in Yoshi’s estimation, the best Star Wars project of the last two decades?

This is a conversation about a show that shouldn’t have worked. But did.

Links & References:

• Mandy Kaplan on Instagram: @mandy_kaplan_klavens
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