Star Wars: The Acolyte Deserved Better

As a die-hard Star Wars fan who’s been navigating the galaxy far, far away for decades now, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of disappointment and disbelief over the cancellation of The Acolyte after just one season. This series was not only a breath of fresh air in the Star Wars universe, but it also offered a much-needed injection of diversity and innovation that made it stand out from its predecessors.

In an unexpected turn of events on Monday, there were reports suggesting that the Star Wars universe suffered a significant setback as “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” initially planned for a single season on Disney+, has been cancelled. This series was unique in bringing the High Republic Era of storytelling to live-action and stood out as one of the franchise’s most female-focused and diverse productions, both in front of and behind the camera. The cancellation news is particularly distressing given that, in today’s television industry, “The Acolyte” deserved a far more favorable outcome than it ultimately received.

In one of her initial discussions about The Acolyte, the show’s creator Leslye Headland likened the series to a fervent religious gathering (tent revival) in the realm of Star Wars. This suggests that the series aims to test fans’ preconceived notions about what the franchise might deliver. Interestingly, the program generated buzz before its premiere by hiring a writer who had no prior experience with Star Wars. The intention was to create an impactful series without relying on extensive knowledge of the franchise’s lore.

Your personal mileage on the end product of The Acolyte, and the way that its flashback-oriented murder mystery unfolded, may have varied. But it is undeniable that the series offered a lot — characters who instantly became fan favorites, ambitious fight sequences, a much-needed dose of romantic and sexual tension, and new ways of framing concepts from the larger franchise. (The fact that those elements are immediately getting book and comic spinoffs proves that there is more to explore, even if it’s — unfortunately — not in the series itself.) Unfortunately, you might not know that from the conversation that surrounded The Acolyte, both prior to and while new episodes debuted on Disney+. In addition to review bombing about the series’ diverse elements, some viewers held the show to increasingly-higher — and sometimes bordering on nonsensical — standards regarding the Star Wars canon. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from a younger version of lesser-known established Jedi Ki-Adi Mundi in The Acolyte‘s fourth episode led to an avalanche of vitriol and death threats in the name of “defending canon”, even though nothing about the cameo thematically counteracted his role in the Prequel Era.

In the climax of “The Acolyte,” discussions were abundant about characters who didn’t significantly impact earlier episodes, such as the suggestion that the notorious Sith Lord Darth Plagueis may have secretly mentored Qimir (Manny Jacinto). Furthermore, the final scene involving Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) sharing a moment with Yoda could have potentially sparked a Season 2 narrative focusing on Yoda’s earlier life as a struggling politician and Jedi. Creator Russell T. Dauterman admitted that these appearances were intentionally included in the finale, but it is somewhat disheartening to reflect upon how the series juggled its own character arcs with future storylines that never materialized. Admittedly, “The Acolyte” isn’t unique in experiencing such a predicament in today’s streaming age, but the show carves out a distinctive niche between long-running sagas like “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” and “Star Wars: Ahsoka” and limited series such as “Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett.”

The cancellation of “The Acolyte” raises curiosity about the types of tales that will unfold in the Star Wars universe in the coming days. Critics have already expressed concerns about repetition in the current Star Wars saga, such as revisiting familiar events like Order 66 from the Prequel Trilogy through various character perspectives, or congesting timelines like those of “The Mandalorian,” “Ahsoka,” and the upcoming “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.” Apart from James Mangold’s movie on Jedi origins, recently confirmed Lucasfilm projects seem to follow a similar trend, either expanding the “Mandoverse” narrative or offering sequels that may be too early following the Sequel Trilogy. As numerous announced Star Wars productions have been abandoned due to creative disagreements, there’s a missed opportunity for more diverse storytelling in the Star Wars universe.

It hasn’t been officially decided if the High Republic Era will be delved into further through another live-action series or film, and development on a popular adaptation of the Old Republic Era has been stalled for at least five years. However, it’s clear that more Star Wars movies and shows are bound to appear, given the franchise’s enduring popularity within Disney’s collection. It would be a pity if the fate of The Acolyte discourages the creation of future installments set in unexplored eras, leading instead to more repetition. Instead, let’s hope that The Acolyte won’t mark the last expansion of the Star Wars universe.

The first season of Star Wars: The Acolyte is available to stream exclusively on Disney+.

2024-08-20 07:10

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