Credit: LucasfilmTrouble in paradise? Blame Star Wars, because it looks like there’s a new common cause for divorce. And believe it or not, it’s not cruelty, adultery, or fraud — rather, whether or not you liked the Disney+ spinoff series, Andor.
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From the George Lucas-helmed Prequel Trilogy to 2018’s Solo to Disney’s more recent Sequel Trilogy, the Star Wars franchise has proven time and time again that it’s impossible to please everyone. As for its growing roster of TV shows, Seasons 1 and 2 of Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian are almost universally loved by the fandom, while The Book of Boba Fett is, generally speaking, universally hated.
However, placed firmly in the middle of the “love it or hate it” territoy is Andor, the prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). Created by Tony Gilroy, the Disney+ show premiered in August 2022 to rave reviews from critics, who praised it for its vastly different approach to the galaxy far, far away. Like the film it was inspired by, Andor is a much grittier, tonally serious spin on the classic hero fable that made Star Wars what it is: nuanced, violent, and most of all, unapologetically political — for better or worse.
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For Disney+ subscribers expecting the usual lightsaber-swinging antics of the Original and Prequel Trilogies, it’s safe to say that Andor wasn’t exactly what they signed up for. Despite being a hit with critics, the first few episodes received mixed reviews from many fans, who deemed the show “boring” and “sluggish.” Still, the first season was a sensation from those eager to see a Star Wars show divert from the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force, focusing solely on espionage elements and the steady lead-up to the Rebellion and the Galactic Civil War.
So, even after being the first piece of Star Wars media to win Lucasfilm a Peabody Award, in addition to eight nominations at the recent Primetime Emmy Awards, why do people still hate Andor? Well, for some people, the answer is personal.
According to a now-viral thread on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), Andor has, in some capacity, ended real-life marriages after couples like Eleanor Mueller and her ex disagreed about the political views expressed in the show, leading to their separations.
fun fact: Andor ended my marriage
fun fact: Andor ended my marriage https://t.co/yhN55kqKXA
— Eleanor Mueller 🍃 (@TheLetterbomber) November 23, 2023
Mueller, who is an outspoken fan of Andor, explained that while it’s an “exaggeration” to say the Disney+ spinoff directly resulted in her divorce, it did lead to “intense” conversations about politics that made them realize they were incompatible:
this is an exaggeration, but the conversations about politics that my ex and i had as a result of watching Andor together were so intense that it finally broke us up
this is an exaggeration, but the conversations about politics that my ex and i had as a result of watching Andor together were so intense that it finally broke us up
— Eleanor Mueller 🍃 (@TheLetterbomber) November 23, 2023
In fact, Mueller wasn’t the only person whose relationship was wrecked by Andor. Replying to her original post, user @Tier1Diabetic had a similar experience, saying the TV show together “started the realization that [they] shouldn’t be dating,” leading to their eventual split:
Watching it with my ex started the realization that we shouldn’t be dating or watching tv shows together. Andor is powerful
Watching it with my ex started the realization that we shouldn’t be dating or watching tv shows together. Andor is powerful pic.twitter.com/T6nXWBRUE8
— Dean (@Tier1Diabetic) November 23, 2023
It’s interesting to hear that Andor is sparking such heated political debates at home, but even more so to learn that disagreements over the Rogue One spinoff are fully ruining marriages. Still, in the past, George Lucas has clarified that the original Star Wars movies were an allegory for the Vietnam War, with the Rebels using similar tactics to Vietnamese rebels against a tyrannical Empire. With this in mind, it’s important to note that Star Wars has always been political.
Still, it seems Andor pushed more buttons than its predecessors with its nuanced commentary on state repression, political ambition, and the refugee crisis — a far cry from the Prequel Trilogy’s dry presentation of trade federations and treaty negotiations. And given the current social climate, it’s no wonder these touchy subjects left unsuspecting viewers divided.
Well, the team behind Andor might not be able to mend any broken hearts, but they are gearing up for the release of Season 2, which is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2025. The new episodes began filming at Pinewood Studios in the U.K. last year, but the production was halted due to the now-resolved WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Its original 2024 arrival was thus postponed, and we have yet to hear an official release date.
Story specifics remain unknown, but Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael, Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero, and Kyle Soller’s Syril Karn are all likely to return for Andor‘s sophomore season. We’ll just have to wait and see if this time around, the show can avoid destroying even more marriages.
Did you enjoy the first season of Andor? What are you hoping to see in Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!