“Andor” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” are as different as day and night. But they are very similar in one annoying aspect: both suffer from the release policy of Disney Plus. Yet Netflix proves that it can be done differently…
“Andor” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi”: Two “Star Wars” series that were released on Disney+ within a few months and yet could not be more different. On the one hand, we have the solo adventure of “Obi-Wan”, which is full of “Star Wars” magic and poetry, but suffers greatly from its harebrained script, sloppy craftsmanship and a frighteningly cheap look. On the other hand, “Andor” shines with its attention to detail, engaging worldbuilding, strong dialogue and an impressive production effort, but the “Star Wars” feeling is almost completely lost.
The two “Star Wars” series do have one thing in common, however: they suffer from the way Disney+ releases them.
NETFLIX VS. DISNEY+: TWO DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES
Before streaming existed and we all still watched our series on TV, things were clear: new episodes were released either on a weekly or daily basis. But when Netflix launched in Germany in 2014, our understanding of series consumption changed abruptly. Suddenly, entire seasons were released in one fell swoop. Fans no longer had to wait an agonisingly long time for new episodes after a cliffhanger, but could continue watching immediately: Bingewatching was born.
When Disney+ also tackled the streaming market at the end of 2019 (or the beginning of 2020 in Germany), the newcomer did not fall back on the popular Netflix concept, however, but oriented itself more towards classic television again. The first big Disney+ drawcard “The Mandalorian” was broadcast in a weekly rhythm.
The platform maintains this release strategy to this day with all its important originals (read: the Marvel and “Star Wars” series). But what was perfectly okay with the first season of “The Mandalorian”, because each episode tells a self-contained story while the overarching plot tends to fade into the background, was already a nuisance with “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and is now the same with “Andor”.
“OBI-WAN” AND “ANDOR” ARE NOT MADE FOR WEEKLY SNACKS
The problem is the same at the core of both series, but the reasons are different. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” was originally intended as a feature film, but as the launch of Disney+ became more certain, it was clear that it would need strong exclusive titles to attract and retain subscribers. “Obi-Wan” was therefore remodelled into a series and thus artificially stretched out. It makes the final product look sluggish.
“Obi-Wan” needs time to get going and especially episode 4, in which the Jedi has to rescue the kidnapped Leia from the Inquisitors’ base, is suspected of being a mere stopgap to somehow get to six episodes and thus justify the series format.
In the coverage of “Obi-Wan” I noticed that viewers were often very disappointed after individual episodes, but episodes 3 and 6 in particular, with their Darth Vader appearances as undisputed highlights, earned a lot of enthusiasm. Wouldn’t it have been better to release episodes 1 to 3 and episodes 4 to 6 in one go, thus releasing the fans with a real highlight each time, so that the less exciting chapters wouldn’t matter so much? I think: yes!
For one week fans could
Now the next “Star Wars” series, “Andor”, has been released and indeed the first three episodes of it were released in one fell swoop. That was absolutely the right decision! Because to be honest, after the first two episodes I wasn’t particularly taken with it, I was even a bit bored in places, because “Andor” really takes a lot of time to develop the world and countless side characters.
It wasn’t until episode 3 that the “Rogue One” prequel really grabbed me with the appearance of Luthen and the first big action scene. If Disney+ had stuck to a strict weekly rhythm, many viewers would have dropped out by episode 2 at the latest and fans would have complained loudly on social media when something would finally happen. And I probably would have written some kind of opinion piece along the same lines.
But unfortunately it remained with this one-off three-pack. From now on there will be only one episode of “Andor” per week, which is a pity because this series was explicitly filmed in several mini-trilogies. The entire structure of “Andor” is designed so that three episodes each have their own story arc. Thus, episodes 1 to 3 revolved around the events on the planet Ferrix, while chapters 4 to 6 are now devoted to a major heist for which Andor was hired by Luthen. How I would have loved to have experienced another big two-hour “Star Wars” adventure in one piece.
„Andor“ nimmt erst mit Folge
But Disney+ is stubbornly sticking to its release strategy. My suspicion is that the streaming service wants to have as few weeks as possible without new “Star Wars” content, so that all fans of the franchise simply can’t avoid a permanent subscription, instead of always just booking a short month or two when the new series is released. From an economic-strategic point of view, this is quite understandable, but unfortunately it harms the viewing experience. Although everyone is free to simply wait until the three-part packages are complete, there is then also the danger of being spoiled in the time in between. Streaming platforms have many more options than just choosing between “one episode a week” and “all episodes at once”. Netflix has also recognised this by now.
NETFLIX SHOWS HOW TO DO IT BETTER
Take the biggest Netflix hit of the year, for example: with “Stranger Things” season 4, which consists of nine episodes, the streaming provider first released the first seven episodes in one go and then five weeks later the last two. This has worked brilliantly. The first episodes are good for binging because a lot of groundwork has to be done. There’s just enough happening to keep you hooked, but only because the next episode is ready to go. But with a weekly release, you would have wondered when it would finally get down to business.
By splitting it into seven episodes of build-up and two episodes of resolution, the somewhat lengthy part was released for quick binging, the five-week break kept the tension high for the finale, and then everything was unloaded in a one-two punch filled to bursting with action and drama. Netflix has perfectly adapted its release strategy to the structure of season four (and hasn’t even shied away from releasing episodes up to two and a half hours long).
Another positive example from Netflix is “Arcane”, my favourite series of the past year. Its nine episodes were released in packages of three episodes each, i.e. in the form that would also have been optimal for “Andor” and from which “Obi-Wan Kenobi” would also have benefited.
For me, this is the perfect blend of film and series experience. “Arcane” thus benefited on the one hand from the self-contained nature of the individual three-parters (each of which had event character, filling my entire evening), but also from the continuity of its series form (in between, I always looked forward enormously to the imminent next part).
I wish Disney+ would also show a bit more flexibility with its “Star Wars” and Marvel series. The release strategy should serve the series, not hinder it. Not every series is a “The Mandalorian” that offers episode after episode of short, snappy self-contained story, or a “Game Of Thrones” that packs so much into its hour-long episodes that you have enough fodder afterwards to speculate wildly for a week about what will happen next.
After watching the latest “Andor” episode today, I’m hungry for more. I want to know how the big raid by Cassian and co. on the Imperial base will go. But the long wait between “Andor” episodes feels wrong. Like breaking up a feature film in the middle of its 3-act structure and releasing it over a period of weeks without allowing the individual parts to stand on their own. By next Wednesday, my feelings and even my anticipation won’t be so fresh.
Episode 6 of “Andor” will take a while to get me hot again. This is certainly not in the spirit of Tony Gilroy and his team, who put a lot of emphasis on giving their series a very special structure, which Disney+ is now unfortunately completely disregarding.
