There was a time when “Star Wars” fans wondered why there was any point in looking into the backstory of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). After seeing him get (spoilers) turned to ash in the final moments of “Star Wars: Rogue One,” just how much story was left to tell about the angriest member of this doomed squad from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? Well, thanks to showrunner and writer Tony Gilroy, the answer to that was quite a lot, and we ended up loving every minute of it.
Two seasons later, “Andor” is widely considered by many as one of, if not the greatest, chapters in “Star Wars” history, applying a realistic edge to a world built on magical frog mentors and lightsabers. A spy story with heart and thought-provoking storytelling, Gilroy had created a show that was quickly labeled as the best “Star Wars” story for audiences that weren’t fans of “Star Wars.”
Add in the occasional immense set piece and monologues that raised hairs no matter how many times you watched it, and “Andor” quickly became one of the greatest television shows in recent years. But with confirmation that this would be the last we’d see of not just Cassian, but the rest of his galactic friends, is there any other show that could fill the void left behind? Well, maybe not, but we’ve got five great alternatives that might come incredibly close.
The Americans
This year, Matthew Rhys earned an Emmy nomination as a jittery island town mayor in Apple TV’s brilliant “Widow’s Bay.” Some time before that, though, he was keeping things considerably cool as one half of a pair of Russian spies in FX’s “The Americans.”
Debuting in 2013 and created by Joe Weisberg, the series went slightly under the radar for most (as good spies should). Beginning in 1981, Rhys, along with Keri Russell (who would eventually become his life partner off-screen), played Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings, two KGB agents operating undercover from Washington, D.C. Their efforts to bring down the west through secret assassinations and espionage become even more difficult when their new neighbor turns out to be a CIA agent specializing in Russian interference.
Okay, so the opening pitch might verge on the farcical, but for six seasons, “The Americans” does a remarkable job of not just selling this deep cover couple and the predicament that moves in next door, but also the complex terrain of their own relationship. This pair isn’t just posing as a Mr and Mrs., but as a mother and father to kids who are also being kept in the dark. It’s where most of the drama comes from and why, by the time it ended in 2018, it had managed to sneak its way into many lists for one of the greatest shows of all time. It makes for quite a contrast from a mayor who’s borderline scared of his own shadow.
Chernobyl
If you’re desperate to see more of “Andor’s” heroes and villains together again, one great and equally horrifying place to see them is “Chernobyl.” The limited series, penned by “The Last of Us” co-creator Craig Mazin, chronicles the events of the Chernobyl disaster and the government’s dire efforts to contain it.
Commended during awards season for its unflinching storytelling about the historic catastrophe, “Chernobyl” drew criticism for giving parts of the story a fictionalized gloss, including certain plot elements and characters. Emily Watson delivers a brilliant turn as the fictional nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk, while Jared Harris plays real nuclear physicist Valery Legasov, opposite “Andor” MVP Stellan Skarsgård as Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina.
He’s not the only soon-to-be “Andor” star turning up at the nuclear ground zero, either. Close to a dozen cast members appear in both shows. Notable performances include Alex Ferns and Robert Emms, whose turns feel like essential viewing and match the same unflinching, cold-handed delivery that “Andor” would become famous for. The difference here is that “Chernobyl” is a true challenge to sit through, feeling more like a horror movie to watch from behind a sofa cushion than a historical drama. Often beautifully shot and consistently bleak, even seven years after airing, one of HBO’s finest limited shows still feels like one any fan who’s endured it would be reluctant to recommend.
The Wire
“Andor” was a show that proved all the pieces matter, and “The Wire” was the show that wrote the rulebook on how to get that done. Initially, one of HBO’s most overlooked shows during its airing between 2005 and 2008, David Simon’s sprawling crime saga remains the benchmark which all television shows strive to match. More than just a standard cops-and-robbers runaround, “The Wire” remains a dense and detailed tale about flawed characters on both sides of the law, and how the levels within them are impacted by the criminal activity that keeps it ticking over, whether we like it or not.
“The Wire” was a stepping stone for talent that included Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, and the enigmatic and sorely missed Michael K. Williams as Omar, as well as Lance Reddick (the “John Wick” franchise) as Lt. Cedric Daniels. While those talents might’ve risen through the Hollywood ranks, there are so many more stars that, just like “Andor,” helped flesh out stories that showed every level of the criminal underworld and those forced to endure it.
More importantly, this was one of the early shows that demanded your attention. Where conversations and deeds would ripple out not just for episodes, but would be addressed in passing comments years later, and it was left to fans to pick up the clues when they were dropped. If you want an exceptionally written show that has loved but flawed characters, then you really can’t go wrong with “The Wire.”
Star City
It might be a bold claim to make so early, but there are a lot of common elements in Apple’s relatively fresh spy and space drama, “Star City” and “Andor.” Just like Gilroy’s show was a spin-off of the “Star Wars” universe, “Star City” branches away from its critically acclaimed but criminally overlooked progenitor, “For All Mankind.”
Created by “Battlestar Galactica” and “Outlander” boss Ronald D. Moore, “Star City” is set in an alternate timeline where the Russians, not the Americans, were the first to touch down on the moon. Whereas its parent show “For All Mankind” looked at NASA’s desperation to stay in the Space Race, “Star City” looks to the Soviet Union side of things, and the growing panic of their future plans being thwarted by the American enemy.
Feeling somewhat like a hybrid of “Chernobyl” and “Andor,” “Star City” boasts elements of espionage and paranoia as those hoping to plant a deeper flag in outer space are regularly monitored in their efforts. Boasting talents of Colm Feore, Rhys Ifans, and Anna Maxwell Martin, after an unsurprisingly near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, now is the time to visit “Star City,” just so you can tell your friends you’ve been watching it since before it went big.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
It feels almost criminal to make suggestions on this list without including at least one “Star Wars” entry, and a great alternative for those who aren’t familiar with the massive universe would be one involving one of its most adored characters. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is a limited series that sees Ewan McGregor return to the role that he made his own following the legendary Alec Guinness.
Set nine years before the events of “A New Hope,” the show sees McGregor’s forgotten Jedi warrior called to action in order to protect a young Princess Leia from the Galactic Empire’s Inquisitors. Of course, by returning to the war between good and evil, Kenobi is forced to come face-to-face with his old friend Anakin Skywalker, who’s now well-invested in the dark side of the Force as the Empire’s most feared enforcer, Darth Vader.
While it met with mixed reviews upon release due to its slightly uneven pacing and weak story beats, all of that can be overlooked if only to see McGregor once again stepping back into the role we’ve not seen him in since 2005. Playing like an “Unforgiven” or “Logan” of the “Star Wars” universe, it’s a commendable tale for the legendary Jedi Knight, ending with a showdown with Vader that some might say surpasses the one we saw way back in 1977. That is, if you turn all the lights off to watch it.
