chronological Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, in which Jar Jar Binks was labeled an irritating inclusion.

Even in this case, though, the prequels have undergone a period of revisionism lately, with many appreciating the successes of Jar Jar - and, importantly, actor Ahmed Best - more than the downfalls of his character. Where Star Wars' many TV shows are concerned, they too have included few elements that one would label as annoying, especially where the best of them are concerned. Therefore, I cannot believe that the origin story of a planet from A New Hope included in an excellent Star Wars TV show proved to be so outright irksome.

Yavin 4 Is The Most Important Planet In A New Hope

The Base Of The Rebel Alliance

The planet in question is Yavin 4, which remains the most important planet in A New Hope. While the first Star Wars movie - at least, in release order - includes planets like Tatooine and Alderaan, both of which have become integral to the franchise, Yavin 4 is the film's most important location. Technically a moon of a gas giant, Yavin 4 was the secret home base of the Rebel Alliance and served as a haven for the freedom fighters to flesh out their ranks and establish an organized fightback against the Empire.

Where the story of A New Hope, specifically, is concerned, Yavin 4 was integral to the film's final act. It is where Luke, Leia, and Han retreated to after escaping the Death Star, and where they learned of the flaw in the giant space station that could see it destroyed. The final battle of the movie was dubbed the Battle of Yavin, an event that became the center point of Star Wars' entire timeline. As a result of these points, Yavin was established as a vital planet to A New Hope, and Star Wars as a whole.

Yavin 4's Origin Story Was Highlighted In Andor Season 2 - In A Very Annoying Way

The Maya Pei Storyline Was Andor's Most Annoying

In many ways, Andor is Star Wars' best TV show. As such, Andor contains some of the best moments in the entire franchise, some of the strongest characters, and some of the most mature, compelling writing Star Wars has ever seen. For these reasons, I could not believe how annoying I found the storyline that explored Yavin 4's origins. I had never once found any part of Andor uncompelling, but the sections with the Maya Pei Brigade in season 2's first two episodes grated on me in a way I was not expecting.

Perhaps the main reason for this was the lack of development it had on the overall storyline. Eventually, I realized this was all necessary as Cassian flew away and revealed he was on Yavin the entire time. This reveal in a vacuum was cool, especially as it tied Yavin so intrinsically to a character I love in Cassian. The journey there, though, was filled with exaggerated acting, annoying characters, petty squabbles, and a storyline I simply did not care for. The reveal of how the Rebel Alliance found Yavin, a vital planet in A New Hope, proved to be more irritating than anything.

Andor's Maya Pei Storyline Is Annoying, But Even I it Makes Sense

It Tracks With Andor's Wider Themes

The annoyance I held for the Maya Pei storyline remains, even after rewatching Andor season 2 since its release. That said, I can still acknowledge what the writers were going for with these scenes. Overall, the in-fighting between the Maya Pei rebels showed just how fractured the Rebellion was at that point in the timeline. The organized unit of the Rebellion had not yet been founded by the likes of Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, causing a group of people supposedly with the same ideologies and on the same side of a war to fight among themselves.

Seeing how fractured the Maya Pei Brigade was only a few years earlier makes Yavin feel more important once it becomes what it was meant to be...

Placing this conflict on Yavin 4 makes a lot of sense, too. Later in the Star Wars timeline, Yavin becomes the home for a unified Rebellion and allows its soldiers to fight back against the Empire. Seeing how fractured the Maya Pei Brigade was only a few years earlier makes Yavin feel more important once it becomes what it was meant to be, all while making the Rebellion look even stronger down the line. I can acknowledge all of this, but I still wish that Andor had explored similar themes in a way that was less annoying, jarring, and exaggerated than other elements of Star Wars' best TV show.