Everything Emre1601 said!

I would add for myself that I am one who didn’t really enjoy Rogue One. I liked the concept but found it a weird mix of gritty realism, fan-service, and underdeveloped characters.

I also admit that I never I wanted this kind of show from Star Wars. To me, the tone of the old trilogy was perfect and—-while I wish the story had been better planned—-I mostly enjoyed the soft-reboot sequel trilogy.

So Andor was not something I was looking for at all, and it blew me away. I didn’t realize they could make the grassroots of the rebellion so engaging. I couldn’t believe how thrilling it would be to see a character simply change their mind (“Never more than 12”, somehow my favorite moment of the show).

I loved watching Luthen and Mon Mothma delicately navigate their paths. Genevieve O’reilly was incredible, managing to convey such terror buried under a thin layer of composure.

Seeing how the imperial bureaucrats operate showed us how terrifying they can be, but also exposed their vulnerabilities.

And those lulls you mentioned just made the tension builds more intense and arc climaxes more satisfying.

Even watching Syril Karn battle with his mother gave me glimpses of what a “regular” life might be in this universe, while also knowing the mere fact this idealistic fascist is still in the show had me on edge, worried about what he will do or become.

Just loved the show!