This 10/10 Dark Historical Series Has The Same Secret Weapon Andor
Chronology is a funny thing: Andor challenged what we expect from modern Star Wars, serving as a prequel to the standalone Rogue One. The movie grossed more than $1 billion when it came out in 2016, but quickly faded from people's minds. Thus, hardly anyone was interested when Andor was announced, following a protagonist that we already knew would die. But Andor became a sleeper hit after its quiet premiere in 2022, creating genuine, electric anticipation for season 2. There are many reasons for Andor's success, but one is its expert use of a particular storytelling paradigm, a quality seen in another noteworthy drama series.
Black Sails & Andor Both Benefit From Being Prequels
Andor uses its prequel status to stunning effect; so does the gritty historical series Black Sails, a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure novel Treasure Island. The treasure in Treasure Island was once the loot of the legendary, absent Captain Flint, the main character of Black Sails. Andor's writers are well aware that most of the audience knows that Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) will die for the Rebellion, as the story explores themes of risking everything fighting an empire. It makes the narrative and other character deaths more impactful, knowing that there ultimately is no plot armor for the protagonist either. Andor also leverages the audience's knowledge of the Death Star for a feeling of doom. Meanwhile, Black Sails maintains more distance from Treasure Island, but it still leans into viewers' knowledge of basic plot points and iconic literary characters. One of the show's throughlines is the Urca gold, a coveted cache that changes hands several times, which the audience can deduce early on will become the treasure that Jim Hawkins sets out to find. Black Sails also clearly assumes that the audience knows where the main characters' relationships will end up. Namely, Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) is destined to be usurped by John Silver (Luke Arnold), while Silver and Billy Bones (Tom Hopper) will become mortal enemies, giving moments of foreshadowing an extra layer.
Black Sails Is The Better Show But Andor Is The Better Prequel
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) piloting his ship next to a robot in Andor Season 2 Ep 11Image via Disney+
Andor is a stellar show. However, it was significantly truncated from a five-season plan to a two-season plan, and some character arcs simply didn't get the due attention they likely would have with more screentime. Black Sails comes across as meticulously planned out, with its four seasons being exactly the runtime it needed. In just about every other regard — production quality, performances, themes, etc. — the two shows are equal. Andor, however, gets a lot more mileage out of the prequel device. Black Sails is boosted by Treasure Island's literary status primarily when it comes to character drama and origins, but it shines most of all when the audience is invested in the original story about fighting imperialism. It's a theme shared with Andor, but the best Star Wars show is arguably affected by being a prequel in every scene with Cassian. His eventual death hangs over every scene where he says he isn't interested in dying for this cause, and when he later commits to the Rebellion. We are always reminded that his luck will eventually run out.
Furthermore, Andor's overall story ties into Rogue One perfectly when the movie is about what it took to destroy the Death Star, while much of the show's plot happens because of the atrocities the Empire committed to build it. The broader scope of Andor enriches Rogue One by showing the far-reaching horrors of the imperial era, while Rogue One enriches Andor by serving as the culmination of the narrative. Set in very different worlds with entirely different casts and crews, Andor and Black Sails have many surprising similarities, a key one being that they both tie into properties with a much longer history. They are two shows that I would recommend to everyone, which will allow you to compare them. Black Sails is available to stream on Netflix; Andor is available to stream on Disney+.
