Summary

George R.R. Martin praises Andor as the best Star Wars spinoff, highlighting Diego Luna's performance.
Andor is lauded for its exceptional writing, memorable moments, and engaging political spy thriller narrative.
Andor creator, Tony Gilroy, is recognized for his masterclass in writing for the small screen, contrasting Marvel Cinematic Universe trends.

George R.R. Martin has been in the spotlight several times recently regarding his endeavor to finish the latest Game of Thrones entry, but the writer has been busy soaking up what he thinks is the best Star Wars spinoff: Andor. After 2024’s underperforming The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew shows on Disney +, Andor’s second and final season became a groundbreaking bit of television through its high-octane stakes, political lens, and unforgettable characters.

Serving as a prequel to 2016’s Rogue One, Andor is framed as a political spy thriller set in the galaxy far, far away, following thief-turned-rebel, Cassian Andor, who plays a major role in the Rebel Alliance’s uprising and brave stand against the Galactic Empire. The Disney+ series offered several memorable moments, from the great Aldhani heist to Mon Mothma’s stunning Senate speech, which were paced to perfection, adding a cacophony of emotions to Andor’s best episodes.

8 Best Quotes From Andor Season 2

Andor features some of the best writing in Star Wars' history, as exemplified in these memorable quotes from the show's second season.

Posts

By Tristan Jurkovich

George R.R. Martin Calls Andor the Best Star Wars Spinoff

Posting on his Not A Blog website, Martin sang Andor’s praises, naming the project “this year’s highlight.” The writer also considered the series to be “far and away the best of the Star Wars spinoffs,” and noted it was “nice to see someone doing science fiction right.” Martin added some additional highlights, saying, “Looked gorgeous, Diego Luna was first rate, and there was a realism and tension to the story that was sadly lacking in most of the other spinoffs.” Within the same post, a compliment was given to James Gunn’s recent Superman movie, calling it one of the best Supes features to exist and drawing attention to Nicholas Hoult’s chilling performance as the “Best Luthor of All Time.” In addition to his Andor and Superman comments, Martin revealed his pick for the best episode in television history, highlighting the writer’s interest in mixed genres outside his own fantasy-based works.

“Looked gorgeous, Diego Luna was first rate, and there was a realism and tension to the story that was sadly lacking in most of the other spinoffs.”

Some Game of Thrones fans on social media, however, remained salty towards Martin because the latest A Song of Ice and Fire book hasn’t been finished, and certain individuals within his fanbase would much rather hear he has pen to paper instead of bingeing TV or sharing his thoughts on the latest Superman movie. The Witcher writer even threw shade at Martin’s ongoing The Winds of Winter delay. More fans joined Martin’s praise of Andor and actor Diego Luna on Twitter, echoing the series as a “masterpiece” and noting the project’s top-tier casting, cinematography, and costumes. After a successful two seasons, Star War s fans were outraged to hear Andor actors Luna, Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough, and Kyle Soller, in particular, weren’t given an Emmy nomination at this year’s event, directly contradicting the show’s unanimous, critical praise.

Andor creator Tony Gilroy created a masterclass in writing for the small screen in the eyes of Star Wars fans and critics alike, which warranted Gilroy’s insight into why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has suffered lately. Marvel’s live-action spread has been accused of being overstaurated more than once, triggering several bouts of superhero fatigue, even among loyalists. Still, Gilroy managed to inject a breath of fresh air into a similarly dense franchise by focusing on character arcs instead of MacGuffins, and reaped the rewards for his ingenuity.