Defending My March Madness Picks; Andor Series Review

 My March Madness picks may be both controversial and angering to some of the collectors. To that, I say good! I could use some more views for that! But why have I voted the way I have, and why do some votes cancel each other out? I'll explain why in this post. Also, I have finally watched Andor S2, and will give my thoughts on the entire series, and what figures I'd like to see. And none of the figures I want are named Luthen Rael. I'd only want Luthen if there were 3.75 inch SA Avengers movie figures easily available (hard to get some of those made back in the day, and no Spider-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy movie versions available). But besides Cassian, there are 3 named characters I want. Plus 2 other named characters we already have that need updating. 

Round 1 I have already covered. So today I'll cover the 2nd and 3rd rounds as at the time of this writing, we're at the Elite 8. Winners images posted by Tyler @ SWTVC from his Disqus account, and they are not mine. 

I got 6/8 winners, my losing votes being Kelleran Beq and Office Duel Palpy. No need to defend my votes, as I'm going for Lucas Era Mains, Jedi, and Sith as my main focus. A good "Glup" is okay, but I'm not wild about Shasa Tiel whose best appearance was on the Kenner Jedi Luke card. I like Peli Motto but I have enough Rose Tico's and can paint a spare Jyn Erso head to fit it, so there's an easy custom. 

My only winners were Qui-Gon and Savage. Luthen Rael is just a figure I cannot vote for. Trench coats on VC figures stink, it's why I have yet to buy Jod from  Skeleton Crew, and I just don't understand the collecting community's desire for him in LFS and now here. He's a great character, and in my Andor review I'll praise him. But as a figure, he's just not a great one, in my humble opinion. But, I've resigned myself to accept that Luthen will win this thing, as the Sweet Sixteen results will show. 

Luthen whupped Qui-Gon worse than Darth Maul. The real upset was Two Tubes beating Threepio, eliminating the last of The Mains in the tournament. This is where I've resigned myself to Luthen winning this thing outright. Although 2024 winner Pong Krell is making a heckuva run. I missed on Qui-Gon and Threepio, the rest were winners. Now for the Elite 8. 

Luthen gets a near 400 vote win. I went with Tech over Wrecker but hit on Saw and Pong Krell as my only winners. On Monday the Final Four begins, and I can safely say that Luthen is going to win this on top of Last Figure Standing. Basically he's winning the preseason NIT Tournament and the NCAA Tournament in the same season. I'll predict the final to be Luthen vs Saw, although I'll be voting for Wrecker and Pong. 

WHAT I CAN CONCLUDE ABOUT MM 2026

It's clear that collectors want The Bad Batch, Rogue One and Andor. That much is certain. What they don't want: Sequel Trilogy figures, and remakes of Mains. While I'm disappointed more Mains didn't make it past the Sweet Sixteen, I can be happy that all the figures are either OT or PT adjacent. Those eras have collectors interest, and excitement. It has been a wild campaign, and I have wondered about the silence from Chris and Nomad at BanthaSkull, who have been radio silent since this began. And a thank you to Dustin, aka CJ in the Disqus comment section who has made this entertaining in their absence. Including using funny looking images for Pong Krell. I hope everything is good with Chris and Nomad, and hope they'll be back as soon as possible. This should be a message to Hasbro: complete crews and make the rest of the Bad Batch! Make more Rogue One and Andor figures, too! But what I'm getting is this: never before made characters in the VC are what's exciting collectors the most. But only from Andor, Rogue One and Bad Batch.

ANDOR SERIES REVIEW

"Nobody asked for a series about Cassian Andor."

I remember that argument when the series was announced. I liked my share of posts about people saying just that. But, I always reserve judgment until I can see the show. I avoided reaction videos to the episodes because I didn't want to know anything going in. I already know Cassian doesn't live past Rogue One (although the HISHE retelling made the most sense: K-2SO gets a shuttle and picks up Cassian and Jyn and they escape before the planet breaks up), but is his background and origin interesting? Yes. It is. Minor spoilers ahead.

1ST SEASON

Cassian has a sister, and they are separated during the Clone Wars when a battle takes place on their planet. Cassian is rescued by Marva Andor and her husband, Clem who adopt him and raise him on Ferrix, their home planet. Several years later, the Empire takes over Ferrix, and Clem attempts to calm the protesters, but when Troopers are hit with rocks, Clem is arrested and executed by hanging. This puts Cassian on the path to resistance, and he will encounter a man named Luthen Rael who puts him on his path. Cassian has an ex-girlfriend named Bix Calleen, who is in a relationship with another man at the beginning of the series, but when he's killed during a protest, she joins the growing resistance movement on Ferrix, and this will be the ongoing arc through the season for her. 

Cassian's arc heats up when he helps pull off the heist at Aldhani, which was led in part by Luthen and Vel Sartha, who we will learn later on is Mon Mothma's cousin. The season starts off slow, but it rolls hard about midway through. Using another identity, Cassian is arrested and sentenced to prison, where he meets 2 people who change the course of his life: Kino Loy and Ruescott Melshi. Kino is the floor leader of the prison, where the prisoners labor to make equipment. Loy is near the end of his sentence, and is looking forward to leaving. But a sinister truth is soon learned, once your sentence ends, you're moved to another location in the prison. Cassian, Melshi and Loy end up staging a mass riot, and escape. The prison is located near water, and the only way to escape is swimming, something Kino can't do. Melshi and Cassian escape, and make their way back to spread word about the prison. Oh, and what they were building at the prison was part of the Death Star. 

If Cassian is Jean Veljeane, then his Inspector Lavert is ISB Agent Dedra Meero. She is investigating Luthen Rael's Axis Network, not yet knowing he's the one behind it. A local law enforcement agent on Ferrix saw Cassian during an attack, and ends up helping Dedra. His name is Syril Karn, and we learn he has a very dominant mother, and Syril spends most of the season simping for Dedra's attention on Cassian. In the end of the season, Syril rescues Dedra as the people of Ferrix riot at Maarva Andor's funeral. 

Luthen Rael runs the Axis Network from his Coruscant antique store, and is assisted by Kleya Marki. More on her when I cover the final season. The breakout star of the first season though is Mon Mothma. She's got the Rebellion in a small operation, but has to navigate the Imperial Senate, a loveless marriage and a daughter who is near the age to be married off the same way she was. Whenever she was onscreen, I found I was more interested in her story arc then the others going on. 

Season 1 is entertaining, but it's a slow crawl. Once I started the 4th episode, I went through the other episodes quickly. Overall, very entertaining and well acted. My grade is a solid B. The slow start is nearly exhausting, but when it picks up, it picks up in a big way. 

FINAL SEASON

It picks up 1 year later. Cassian, along with Bix and a few people he got out of Ferrix as the riots began have found a home on a remote farming planet. Cassian steals a prototype TIE Fighter, and meets up with Rebels on Yavin 4, who are horribly organized. Eventually, Cassian makes his way back to Bix. 

Luthen is doing Luthen things, but Kleya is the breakout star of this season. Her arc is incredible, culminating in the 10th episode of the season, which goes in to her origin story, and her 1st meeting with Luthen. Like Cassian, she's been fighting the Empire since her childhood. Like Mon Mothma in S1, Kleya's story was the most interesting one. 

Director Krennic arrives for a top secret meeting, and how to get a rare mineral for the Death Star, aka Project Stardust, which only the planet Ghorman has. Dedra Meero, and her ISB Supervisor, Major Lio Partagaz are present at the meeting. Krennic later corners Dedra in private after the briefing. She recommends pushing the resistance on Ghorman to a breaking point, and let that be the instrument of their own undoing. We learn that Dedra and Syril are now a couple, and Syril is less of a simp this season than he was in S1. The Ghorman plan is the big arc of S2 for both Syril and Dedra. Syril also breaks out this season as he shows an independent streak, and doesn't seem afraid of his mother. Sleeping with Dedra has made him a man. 

Mon Mothma is busy with her daughter's wedding, and making sure her rebel activities stay hidden, which they do thanks to Luthen and Cinta Kaz (Vel's girlfriend) eliminating a childhood friend of Mon Mothma who may have let something slip about her fund manipulation. But once the sh*t hits the fan on Ghorman, Mon Mothma publicly declares in the Senate that the threat to the galaxy is Palpatine. If you've seen S3 of Star Wars Rebels, her speech is similar to this one. But, it's Cassian and her aide Erskin Semaj, who we first see in Rebels where he comes across as a boot locking suck up who manages Mon Mothma's schedule to a very complete and loyal character who has badass tendencies. His parents are from Naboo and Ghorman, so what's going on there is personal for him. 

My only gripe is how late K-2SO comes into Cassian's life. He's awakened at the end of the 9th episode, and appears in the 11th and 12th episode. It kinda blows. I really wished we had more time with K2 since he is a fun character. Rogue One made it seem like he and Cassian had been together for years, but it's actually a few weeks. But it's a grip nonetheless. But it's a cool thing about having action figures, which I'll get into later on. The series ends with Melshi training the Rebels who will join Rogue One on Scarif, Bix with Cassian's child on a remote planet, with B2EMO at her side. Cassian waters his plants as he and K2 get in his U-Wing to get to the Ring of Kafrene, where we first see him in Rogue One. 

S2 was a rapid fire watch for me, I finished it in 5 days. And honestly, I could watch it over and over again like I do with 24 Days 2, 5 and 7. I'd still give it a B, but a B plus. I'm skipping a lot in my review, but some final fates are expected, and one in particular is surprising as it sets up the events of Rogue One in an unexpected way. 

ANDOR FIGURES

Honestly what I want is just Cassian in the TIE Pilot outfit and his outfit at the end of the series. Maybe a Rebel Kleya as she goes undercover, and when she has to escape Coruscant. But with Luthen Rael on his way to win March Madness, I can't deny him an action figure. But as part of a multipack and a Pulse exclusive. I found a Sixer Luthen at Ollie's for $10 and on Amazon for $15. So here are my suggestions:

Axis Network 4 Pack (all carded)

Luthen Rael with removable Trench coat, Kleya Marki (Rebel), Erskin Semaj (Senate Escape), Cassian Andor (Senate Escape)

Scarif Rebel 3 Pack (can be put on Rogue One cards too)

Melshi, and 2 other Scarif Rebels. I hadn't given this too much thought on who the other 2 could be but 1 alien weirdo would be nice. 

ISB 3 Pack

Partagaz, Dedra Meero (new legs), Avril Heert. This can easily be done, but Dedra needs new legs. 

LAGNIAPPE 

Death is in intensive care after taking Chuck Norris. RIP, Chuck Norris. Enough said. 

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