My Review On The Acolyte (Spoiler Alerts)
Note: If you haven’t watched The Acolyte yet, this review will contain spoiler alerts.
“May the force be with you,” which is a universally known saying in the world of Star Wars. Writing this review, I will say that I am a Star Wars fan, having watched the movies and Disney+ shows. I especially have enjoyed watching shows such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, etc. So, in 2020, on May 4th, which is Star Wars day, it was announced that there were plans for a new series, which was The Acolyte. Hearing the news just like other Star Wars fans, I was excited for the brand-new series. Having to wait for four years, The Acolyte, which finally premiered on June 4th is set a hundred years before the first episode, which is The Phantom Menace. Looking at the show, I enjoyed it for various reason such as the casting, plot, and fight scenes. But in general, some of the major plot points that took place in the series I was disappointed with. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on the intensifying, mysterious, and thrilling series.
First, before I get into what I loved about The Acolyte, I want to focus on the main thing I didn’t like about the series (Spoiler Alerts Ahead). So when casting was first announced, it was revealed that Carrie-Anne Moss (AKA Trinity) was joining the series. I loved Moss in The Matrix series, so I was thrilled to see her play a Jedi Master. Looking at episode one, I was disappointed, just like other fans, (spoiler alert) when Moss’s character, Indara was killed. I was shocked just like other Star Wars fans that watched the show. Many fans believe that they casted Moss just so that people would watch it, which I agree with. Lot of people like Moss, so it would had caught people’s attention. Also, I love Dafne Keen, who played Wolverine’s daughter in Logan and starred in HBO’s His Dark Materials. Her character, Jecki Lon, a Padawan was also (spoiler alert) killed in episode five of the series. This shocked me as well when watching episode five. Watching the show, I felt like some of the deaths were unnecessary and just happened to add to the shock value of the show.
Now, I want to talk about what I did love about the show. First of all, I really like that Amanda Stenberg was casted as the main characters, which are Mae and Osha. I love Stenberg, especially in The Hunger Games, so it was nice to see her play the part. It was really amazing to see Stenberg play the two characters as they were different from each other. For example, in the show, Mae is depreciated as domineering as she does not want Osha to become a Jedi. When it comes to the character of Osha, she is determined and brave as she sets on her dream of becoming a Jedi. As I mentioned, Mae and Osha have their own personalities and Stenberg did a great job of presenting the light and darkness in both of the characters. Also, I love Jodie Turner-Smith’s portrayal of Mother Aniseya, who is one of the mother’s to Mae and Osha. Being a mother in real life, Smith did a fantastic job of playing the role. For example, when Osha declared that she wanted to be a Jedi, Mother Aniseya was protective, but ultimately supported her on the screen.
The next thing I want to discuss that I liked about the show was the plot. Seeing the first trailer for the show, It was interesting and compelling to me for various reasons. For example, when I first learned that Sternberg would be playing two parts, I was intrigued. Having the dual parts made it exciting as I wondered if they knew about each other’s existence. Also, I was curious as to why Mae’s character followed the dark side of the force. Also, another thing that I liked about the plot was the main big villain, Qimir. Before the show premiered and especially before episode five, there was a lot of speculation and mystery about who the villain was. Even the appearance of Qimir, with the red lightsaber and sinister helmet had us fans anticipating. Adding elements of mystery helped the show as it allowed suspense to build, but also had fans coming back to watch every week.
The last thing I want to focus on before I end my review are the fighting scenes. Throughout the Star Wars universe, there have been many great fight scenes with lightsabers. And there was a couple of great fight scenes that took place in The Acolyte. For example, in the beginning of episode one, the awesome fight scene between Master Indara and Mae takes place in a bar. The fight scene was the result of Master Indara’s death, but there were some impressive moves made by her. Also, the epic battle scene between the Jedi and Qimir in episode five was excellent. Even though there was a lot of death in that episode, the fact that Qimir defended himself against a group of Jedi is mind blowing.
As I finish my review, I would say that I enjoyed the show, but I wouldn’t consider it as a favorite. Like I mentioned earlier, I feel that the number of death’s that took place were unnecessary. Since the show has ended, Disney has not renewed it yet for a second season. There has been a lot of speculation that the show will not continue as it has been bombarded with negative reviews and low rating scores. Even though many Star Wars fans enjoyed the show, including me, it will ultimately depend on the reviews, ratings, and streaming views. I do hope that the show will continue as there are more storylines to explore. Also, we did see a glimpse of “our little green friend” at the of episode eight. It would be nice to see how Master Yoda apprehends the situation. Until next time hopefully, “may the force be with you” all fellow Star Wars fans.
All episodes of The Acolyte are available to watch on Disney+. You can also find other Star Wars content on the app as well.
If you made it to the bottom, thanks so much for reading. Really appreciate if you subscribe! Hope you do and check out my other reviews- Brianna