“Do, or do not. There is no try.”

 

Said magical space wizard Yoda to future magical space wizard Luke Skywalker in “The Empire Strikes Back.” But if there is one thematic rallying cry for the new “Star Wars” show, “Andor,” it is to try. To try to do the right thing. To try to make a difference, to try to survive and escape – or to survive and fight back.

 

And it should be about trying, because this isn’t a show filled with magical space wizards and laser swords, nor is it a show divided into the black and white of good versus evil. It’s a show about the trillions of other people in the galaxy, about real people with real hopes and real fears. It exists as a complex and morally gray character study - good people do bad things, everyone’s human.

 

“Andor” takes place five years before the events of “Rogue One” and is divided into multiple intertwining perspectives. The 12-episode season is split into four main stories and culminates in a finale that is both intimate and collective, something that proves the actions of a few people actually do amount to more than a hill of beans.

 

Like all prequels, the show sets out to answer both how and why. How did Cassian Andor go from nomadic refugee to rebellion spy, how did Mon Mothma go from galactic senator to rebellion leader, and, for that matter, how did the rebellion actually start? It wasn’t always the unified alliance we see in the Original Trilogy, it started out as pockets of disjointed groups scattered throughout the galaxy. The show takes us through the founding actions of these groups and rationalizes – even validates – the ideologies of each one. Some are spies, assassins and political idealists, others are ordinary citizens trying to help their neighbors. It’s a side of the rebellion we haven’t seen before, one that often does bad things for a better future.

 

The Empire, too, is shown in an entirely new light. TIE fighters are not cannon fodder for X-Wings, but screeching predators that patrol the sky like hawks; stormtroopers are not npc-level grunts, but an elite military force that actually can aim a blaster; and the political players on Coruscant are competent and relentless, responding to rebel activity swiftly and (usually) successfully.

 

And it looks so good. The worlds are tactile, grimy, lived in, and three dimensional. Whereas “Kenobi” and “The Book of Boba Fett” shrunk the galaxy, “Andor” brings a scope that hasn’t been seen in a long time. In part because it was shot on location and used practical sets over CGI whenever possible.

 

Of course, it helps when you have good writing, and a good cast.

 

Diego Luna, Genevieve O’Reilly and Forest Whitaker return in their respective roles, while newcomers Stellan Skarsgård and Denise Gough (among others) settle into their characters immediately. The characters are complex and real and each part is played to perfection. When Skarsgård and Whitaker finally come face to face, it’s like letting two juggernauts battle in a coliseum.

 

This is not a show that stuffs inconsequential action scenes down its audience’s throat, but chooses instead to focus on the bubbling tensions that slowly crescendo toward their boiling points. The dialogue is developed with care and the characters with confidence, culminating in not one but several monologues that will live forever in Star Wars history. Even the music is richer and more evocative, echoing and becoming the emotional core of the images on screen.

 

The writing in Star Wars has always been political and “Andor” showrunner Tony Gilroy is no stranger to political thrillers. Here, he trusts the audience to follow the multi-layered story and pick up on plot points that reference real life issues, including  class warfare, the suppression of indigenous peoples, and the prison-industrial complex.

 

Like all Star Wars media, there are parallels to other content, but rather than forced, they feel natural, subtly slid into the background to indicate power dynamics and evolving character arcs. What does it mean for Cassian to look into the sunset? Or to build the very thing that will be your undoing?

 

“Andor” is a left hook punching far above its weight class, aiming to be a TV show first and a “Star Wars” show second. It cares about its story, not about which cameo can be shoved in next. Which means “Andor” won’t be for everyone, it is, after all, a revolutionary show about the start of a revolution – but it did just single handedly reinvented the Star Wars franchise, and all it had to do was try.