The Acolyte (2024-Present)

*Premise spoilers.*

I went into The Acolyte curious and hopeful but not exactly amped. We of course knew very little about the show before it premiered, and I’m not up on any of the ancillary stories, so I had no idea what to expect from a show set in this period of the franchise’s history. But there were so many good folks in the cast and I was interested in seeing a series where the Jedi were still on top, so I was looking forward to it. While the show, for my money, gets off to kind of a show start, it definitely levels up—by the time we got to the season finale, I was positively seated, refreshing its Disney+ page waiting for the episode to drop. Some neat characters, great acting, positively sick fight choreography, and super interesting themes are all on the table here.

What’s It About?

A Jedi Master is murdered, and the culprit appears to be a former padawan who left the order. As Osha is brought in for questioning, she reunites with Sol, her old Master, and tries to convince him something deeper is going on here. The investigation tugs at the threads of old wounds, uncovering revelations about the tragedies of Osha’s past and hinting at long-hidden sins that the Jedi Order has tried to forget.

Who’s in It?

Lots of great people! Amandla Stenberg (who I’ll always remember as Rue in The Hunger Games) does double duty as Osha and her sister Mae. Their dual performance follows the two characters’ journeys to some fascinating places. I still haven’t seen Squid Game, but Lee Jung-jae gives a warm, complex performance as Master Sol. I loved Manny Jacinto as Jason on The Good Place, and he’s a standout here. Mae has taken a very different path in life than Osha, and Jacinto’s character Qimir has tried to help her further her goals. I’m always in favor of seeing Dafne Keen in stuff—she plays Sol’s current padawan Jecki—and Charlie Barnett does a nice job as Yord, an officious Jedi Knight who knew Osha during her time in the order.

What Do I Love About It?

·        First, I absolutely have to mention the action. This show brought me back into my fight choreography girlie era—I’m living for the incredible lightsaber duels and hand-to-hand combat! The fights are intense, visually stunning, and wonderfully varied, with different characters fighting in different styles. So cool!

·        Showrunner Leslye Headland gives us a story with rich, complex themes. At this point, it’s not exactly edgy to call the Jedi the “real” bad guys, but The Acolyte kind of rejects outright labels of good and bad. Different characters may assign a label to themselves or others, but everyone in this show is flawed, and we always examine the things they do within the context of what drives them. Their experiences inform their actions without justifying them.

·        I’ll be honest, the show didn’t grab me at the very start. I enjoyed it well enough, but I wasn’t excited to watch every week. It took a mid-season plot revelation for me to really sit up and take notice, recontexualizing one of the characters in an exhilarating way. For me, it’s a little like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pre- and post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s certainly not a bad show to start with, but after the reveal, you realize that it’s been holding part of itself back. With this reveal, the final element slots into place and the show is able to flex all that it is.

·        I’m sure I’ll get more into spoilery stuff in later posts, but for now I’ll just say that I really need a season 2! D23 is this weekend—fingers crossed that we’ll get some news!

Warnings

Violence, sensuality, mild language, and strong thematic elements.