The Acolyte: A Disappointing Addition to the Star Wars Universe
I don’t even know where to start with this show. After watching all 8 episodes, I’m lost for words on how incredibly bad it was. Although I don’t normally agree with Star Wars Theory, I agree with everything he said about this show. It was all over the place, messed up canon and overall made no sense.
What is The Acolyte About?
It is set in the final days of the High Republic era, about 100 years before the events of the Skywalker saga. The show promised to explore the dark side of the force, focusing on the Sith and the undercurrents of corruption and deceit in a time of peace. It was supposed to be a fresh take on Star Wars, providing insights into the dark side of the force and featuring new characters and storylines from the Sith’s point of view.
The main plot revolved around Mae and Osha, twins who embark on a journey to uncover what really happened to their people. Osha was the good one, Mae the bad one. Alongside them was Sol, a Jedi whose emotions often get the better of him, which goes against the traditional idea of with the Jedi is supposed to be. Series creator, Leslye Headland, aimed to provide a new perspective within the Star Wars lore by delving into the darker aspects of the galaxy far far away, but she failed miserably.
Inconsistent Characters and Poor Development
Mae and Osha were just terrible characters with their inconsistent development, and Sol was too emotional for a Jedi. One of the biggest flaws was how back and forth the characters were in their motivations and actions. For example, Torbin doing what he did to himself was for no reason at all other than he wanted to go home. Mae and Osha lacked depth and consistency, making it hard to invest in their storyline. One moment they were strong and decisive, the next they were unsure, making it difficult to understand their true motivations, what made them tick.
Sol, well he was portrayed as overly emotional, which is contrary to the typical Jedi demeanor. Jedi are known for their discipline and control over their emotions, yet Sol acted out of impulse and emotion, which felt out of place and poorly written. His character’s arc lacked the development necessary to justify his actions, making his emotional outburst so to say, seem forced and uncharacteristic for a Jedi, especially for that time period.
Canon Issues and Confusing Plot
The plot was convoluted and did not align with what Star Wars lore is. Leslye Headland’s decision to depict Darth Plagueis as a creeper hiding out in a cave was baffling. This portrayal was inconsistent with the history of Plagueis being a powerful and wise Sith Lord. Also, the show introduced several plot points that contradicted existing Star Wars canon, causing confusion and frustration among true fans of the franchise.
Moreover, the pacing of the series was erratic, with some episodes dragging on and other episodes feeling rushed. This inconsistency made it difficult to follow the storyline and diminished the overall experience of viewing a show like this. One good thing about this show was the bad guy, I liked him and what he was able to do. But overall, this show failed to maintain a coherent narrative, leaving me and others I’m sure, confused and unsatisfied. And don’t even get me started on a Jedi using a metal detector.
What Fans are saying
Even with all of that, my main issue is how fan reviews are dismissed as coming from ‘toxic’ fans or people who are just review bombing the show. You can’t produce a terrible show and then label fans as toxic when they don’t like it, or claim that the fanbase dislikes strong female leads. That is not the case at all. Fans dislike poorly written characters and terrible acting. Disney and Lucasfilm, instead of dismissing what the fans are saying, you should listen and make improvements.
My Suggestion
One way to address these issues is to hire writers and creators who are actually fans of Star Wars and not only know the history, but understand it inside and out. I’m not sure why this show was approved or why Leslye Headland was allowed to create a Star Wars show, but it’s very clear she has no clue what Star Wars is and what it means to people. I know George Lucas created this universe, and while he isn’t involved anymore, and the story has to continue, at least hire the right people to move that world forward, to create new stories while respecting what has come before.
Engaging with the fanbase and considering their feedback is crucial for the success of future stories. Acknowledging mistakes and working to fix them can help rebuild trust and enthusiasm among fans, because I know a few people that hear about a new Star Wars project and just right away know it will be bad and not even try watching it. That shouldn’t be what you want reactions to be. Also, ensuring the new characters to the franchise are consistent with already established lore will help maintain the integrity of the Star Wars universe.
Final thoughts
I understand that this franchise makes Disney a lot of money, but they need to start respecting it and not just look at it for profits. There is only so much disrespect the fans will take before we decide not to invest our time and cash into this franchise anymore. By producing more terrible stories and destroying lore, and calling fans toxic to justify that, Disney will lose the reason why they profit so much off of the Star Wars IP.