Andor is a masterpiece. I recommend everyone to see it. Season 1 is probably the best, but season 2 just continues the brilliance. Unfortunately there won't be a season 3 though - they're making a final movie.
Perhaps your cautionary admonishments are unwarranted in this specific scenario.
It is logical enough to conclude that a story ending in two intelligence agents flying off for a time-sensitive meeting with a confidential informant, is an immediate prequel to the story that begins with the same two intelligence agents landing and meeting that confidential informant.
This is not quite the same situation as the end of Rogue One and A New Hope, where some people make the argument that Rogue One ends just a few minutes before ANH begins; I am not convinced by that argument, although the cinematography certain seems to be leading us there.
>>> This is not quite the same situation as the end of Rogue One and A New Hope, where some people make the argument that Rogue One ends just a few minutes before ANH begins; I am not convinced by that argument, although the cinematography certain seems to be leading us there.
The ending scene of RO is the data handoff and narrow escape of the Tantive IV with Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO on it.
How is that not a direct continuity into the opening scene of A New Hope?
Unless there was some sort of tractor beam, the Tantive IV did, in fact, escape, and may have been able to jump to light speed. In such an event, any eventual recapture by the Star Destroyer and battle with Vader's boarding team would have looked exactly the same as the escape sequence. There's nothing definitively saying "and they were recaptured within a few minutes of their initial escape."
I would love a series of movies that run parallel to the original trilogy, but in the style of Andor, following the dirty ground work of the rebellion, rather than its handful of shining heroes.
I think there's some room for stories of the seamy underbelly of the Rebellion, like Cara Dune and the droppers. But I think it would be easy to go to this well too many times.
But Rogue One ends literally setting the opening chase at the beginning of A New Hope, so no space for a straight sequel there.
Maybe some Kleya "John Wick in Space" sidequest?
The user definitely is not AI but I think they may've misread something or fell for a meme/joke they saw.
There indeed is absolutely no planned sequel to or continuation of Andor, nor currently any known plans for the creator of it to create anything else in this franchise. I'd sure like it if he did, though.
No. A masterpiece would not have any fluff. There are all number of scenes/characters that could be cut from Andor without any real impact. Entire scenes and characters could be dropped without impacting the narrative. (The entire forest planet sequence imho.)
Andor is a product of the "for your consideration" form of review made popular by the Academy (oscars). Each scene is excellent. Each scene is a cinematic tour de force. But they are all independent scenes. Rearrange the order, shuffle the scene deck, and little changes as the scenes are not dependent on each other. The overall narrative is thin. That may make for good/popular television but it is not deserving of "masterpiece".
I also think "masterpiece" is a heavy term to throw around but the emotional impact of the this series and the complexity of its narrative as it catalogs a hero's journey from reluctant participant to true believer with an epic story arc can be held up next to most film and historical epics like Laurence of Arabia, Ben Hur, The Matrix, the Original Star Wars trilogy, Dune, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, The Handmaid's Tale (series), The Odyssey (epic poem). His personal journey which leads to his persecution and enslavement, his role in leading a slave uprising, rescuing his friends from the aftermath of a rebel uprising, building the foundations of a rebel army, risking his life countless times and ultimately sacrificing himself to prevent his enemy from having an insurmountable edge.
The series makes the very popular "Avengers" film series look like trite dogshit and does the same for most of the "Star Wars" sequels and prequels so I don't fault people for using the term "masterpiece".
My point was to make that distinction between an masterpiece and an epic while still showing that Andor holds up against some of the most celebrated epics ever created. Comparing it to My Cousin Vinny is ridiculous. You should be comparing it to other works in the same form, other epic hero's journeys.
Was your gripe about superfluous scenes, where you mentioned the forest planet, a reference to the first few episodes of season 2? That forest plant is Yavin IV, the plant where the rebels eventually build their first base, and those rebels are some of the first recruits to the rebel army. I believe those scenes were intended to show how the rebellion lacked leadership and how Andor and others had to step up to provide that leadership.
> I would say that there is not a single scene that can be removed from these movies without negatively impacting the story/theme/narrative.
Appropriating Saint Exupéryian (et al.) notions regarding the unattainable (perfection) to judge an artwork is a sucker's bet to me.
And in the cited works I rate as cinematic masterpieces scene editing (e. g. removal) is most certainly possible without having a negative impact on your criteria, but that is a completely moot point anyways.
With regards to Andor's forest arc: It is, amongst other things that are most certainly more appreciated by a specific set of people, a very interesting mediation on time and the notion "where there's competence, there's always also incompetence", often manifesting in very comical and surreal ways.
