The Acolytewas a divisive show for many reasons, but there still may be a way to bring the show back and make it a rousing success.The Acolytefollowed the stories of twin sisters, Mae andOsha Aniseya, and their respective struggles finding how they fit within the Force. The show had an interesting concept and a good cast, including Amandla Stenberg, who played both Mae and Osha, along withThe Good Placealum Manny Jacinto.
The Acolytewas unique because it tackled a time period that had never been seen before onscreen: theHigh Republic Era. The show brought in a major character from the High Republic books,Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh, and even had cameos by other Jedi like Yoda and Ki-Adi-Mundi.
Despite this, the show constantly faced backlash, with some individuals even going after actors from the show and criticizing them. However, it was clear that thecast and crew ofThe Acolytewere extremely proud of the product, which makes its cancelation even more devastating.
The Acolyte’s “Woke Backlash” Wasn’t The Reason It Was Canceled
There Was A Real Financial Issue With The Acolyte
One of the biggest criticisms by audiences was thatThe Acolytewas too “woke”because it included a diverse cast and had a coven of gay witches. On the surface, it’s easy to say that Disney chose to cancelThe Acolytebecause the negative voices became too loud, and they didn’t want to deal with it, but that isn’t the whole picture.
WhileThe Acolytedid favor well with audience members who didn’t review-bomb it, the initial viewership was low.Low viewership paired with the high price tag for creating each episode likely led to the hasty decision by Disney.
The Acolyte’s Backlash & Review Bombing Explained: What’s Really Going On?
The latest Star Wars TV show, The Acolyte, has proved deeply controversial. What’s really going on, and why is it being review-bombed so much?
However,recent data suggests thatThe Acolyte’s cancelationwas likely a hasty and poor decision.The Acolytehas been retaining a strong sense of demand, and the viewership has been consistentsinceThe Acolyteaired its season 1 finale.
With this data in mind, it seems thatThe Acolytehas a strong fan foundation that would likely lead to success in the future if the show’s cancelation was reversed. So, despite all the backlash, there is actually a clear path forward forThe Acolyteto return and be better than ever.
But It Shouldn’t Have Been Canceled Over These Problems
Like most otherStar Warstelevision shows,The Acolytefeatured 8 episodes of varying length, though the average episode length was about 41 minutes.While this format has worked well for other live-actionStar Warsshows, most notablyThe Mandalorian, it’s clear that it didn’t work forThe Acolyte. The pacing of the show was truly all over the place, which made for choppy storytelling and episodes that seemed unnecessary.The Acolytedidn’t function within the standard 8-episode order and probably would’ve been best as a 6-episode run.
One of the bigger issues was pacing, with the two flashback episodes showcasing that. Though actors like Jodie Turner-Smith shined as Mother Aniseya, they couldn’t salvage the repetitiveness and pacing problems these episodes caused. While the reveal ofMaster Solkilling Mae and Osha’s mother was a great turn,this reveal could’ve come in flashbacks within another episode instead of within its own.
With two episodes that largely reused the same sets, and even scenes at some points, it doesn’t make sense thatThe Acolytewas so wildly over-budget.The Acolytehad good bones, but was executed poorly.
Fans Are Right: The Show Deserves To Be Saved, But Only With Changes
It CANNOT Have The Same Issues
There’s no denying thatThe Acolyte’s showrunner and creator, Leslye Headland, had an amazing concept with knowledge of theStar Warsgalaxy to back it up. However, passion can only get you so far. If Disney does the right thing and savesThe Acolyte, it will have to be with major changes. One of those would have to be a reduced role for Leslye Headland.While Headland can still be the brains of the operation, she can’t have her hands on too many aspects of the show’s development.
10 Ways Star Wars Can Redeem The Acolyte, After Its Sudden Cancelation
The Acolyte was canceled only a month after its first season ended, but there are many ways for Star Wars to redeem the show and continue its story.
Headland was praised for including a writer in the writer’s room who had no prior knowledge ofStar Wars, but ifThe Acolytegets renewed, the writer’s room needs aStar Warsalum. In particular,Lucasfilm executives should look at writers who had a lot of success on their respective shows and see who they can get into a writer’s room forThe Acolyte.Having someone on the team who had success with the 8-episode format would be a great asset, as they would likely help with the pacing issues the show faced in season 1.
The Acolyte Can Still Be A Successful Show, It Just Needs Help
The Foundation Is There
One of the issues with the current streaming models is that shows are not given the chance to improve and change after their first seasons, which leaves many frustrated.The Acolyteis one of those shows where season 2 would have allowed Headland the time and space to change what didn’t workand include more of the aspects that did work. Having otherStar Warsalumni step in and help take Leslye Headland’s fantastic ideas and put them into a script that works with the format Lucasfilm is looking for would make the difference.
The Acolytewas canceled in August 2024, just months after the show was released.
The foundation for good storytelling is all overThe Acolyteseason 1, and there’s no doubt that refining those aspects would make for a show that is even more beloved by theStar Warsfanbase.The story and main plotlines weren’t the problems inThe Acolyte, and that should be the show’s guiding light if it’s ever greenlit for another season.
It’s unclear if cast members like Stenberg or Jacinto would want to return, but if they do, there’s little reason for Disney to not consider savingThe Acolyte. With characters likeDarth Plagueisbeing teased inThe Acolyte’s finale, it’s clear that there are the makings of a fantastic story that can recanonize aspects of Legends fans desperately want. Backlash aside,The Acolytecan and should be saved by Disney, because there’s just too much potential there not to pursue.
