Movies News Talk
Since its debut, The Acolyte has been a divisive show; now that all of season 1 has been aired, some of the main issues seem less significant than they did. Review-bombing has targeted the Acolyte, usually before the show's premiere, and it has caused the Star Wars community to be rather split on the show. While some viewers feel the show has rewritten or challenged previously accepted canon, many appreciate the show and its gripping narrative, emphasizing on the flaws and mistakes of the Jedi.
The Acolyte ends the High Republic Era and roughly one hundred years before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, so the Jedi should not have known of the existence of the Sith. Many felt that it would not make sense for the Sith interacting with the Jedi Order during this period based on a line Master Ki-Adi-Mundi mentioned in The Phantom Menace. It was claimed that the Jedi—especially those on the Jedi High Council—would have remembered Jedi being killed and that it would not have been easy to hide.
The Acolyte season 1 finale revealed how Master Sol going rogue helped Master Vernestra Rwoh hide what actually happened on Brendok. Maintaining silence on the events of the show within the Jedi Order ensures that the Sith being active in the shadows would not be generally known. Actually, the events of The Acolyte and the actual Brendok story could die with Master Vernestra. Covering up the bigger Sith conspiracy, the murder of several Jedi is attributed to a dead Sol as a scapegoat.
Some Star Wars fans thought Leslye Headland, the showrunner and creator, would make the show "woke" since she is gay. But Headland set out to create a gripping narrative that included many minute Legneds back into canon. Cortosis, an ore Qimir used on his helmet to disable lightsabers, is one obvious re-addition to Star Wars canon. Some still refer to The Acolyte as "woke," despite its recent release.
Showing so many various planets and so many different Jedi highlights the variety of the galaxy only seems logical. If nothing else, The Acolyte is quite varied in terms of casting and character on-screen appearance. Multiple people of color abound in the Acolyte, ranging from Jedi to witches and Sith Acolytes. With Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) part human, part Theelin, the show also featured many other Star Wars species. Showing so many different planets and so many varied Jedi highlights the variety of the galaxy only seems natural. This makes The Acolyte accurate instead of "woke."
Much of what has "changed" in The Acolyte hasn't really changed at all since other stories outside the Skywalker saga were formerly defined by the non-canon Legends. Although elements from Legends and narratives undoubtedly shaped the direction of the show, The Acolyte was not bound to them in the least. Every new TV show, movie, or book alters Star Wars canon in some capacity or at least helps reinterpret some elements of other works. The Acolyte happens before the Star Wars prequels, thus it is not surprising that the Jedi are rather different.
Though it's unknown what Master Vernestra told Master Yoda in his cameo at the end of The Acolyte, the venerable Jedi most certainly misses the whole story. This would not alter Yoda's narrative, but rather enhance his story from The Phantom Menace where he knew more about the Sith than other Jedi High Council members. Though it's all conjecture until it's revealed what Vernestra told him, Yoda's appearance may pose the biggest threat of altering Star Wars canon.
For many reasons, Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was among the last Jedi viewers expected to show up in The Acolyte. He most likely knew about the Sith seen in The Acolyte teetered on breaking canon since he was the Jedi who said the Sith had been extinct for almost a millennium in The Phantom Menace. But the most debate stemmed from Ki-Adi-Mundi not being born yet in Legends. His former birthdate was 93 BBY; now in canon, it is unclear when he was born or how long his species, the Cerean, can live.
Ki-Adi-Mundi makes it abundantly evident that people were seeking flaws or unlikability in The Acolyte. Users of Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki slammed the free site and sent death threats after changing the Ki-Adi-Mundi's date of birth on their page. This was obviously an overreaction to a television show, and it's unfortunate that some believe those acts were justified since something from Legends wasn't carried over into canon.
The several debates make it abundantly evident that there were always going to be sections of the Star Wars fans that disliked The Acolyte regardless of its final form. Though there are plenty of pointless complaints about The Acolyte, ideally Lucasfilm realized that it is impossible to please everyone and that it is best to ignore those people when people get enraged over minute details like fire in space or Ki-Adi-Mundi's birthdate. In the big picture of Star Wars, those specifics have little bearing and pose no risk to the galaxy George Lucas created.
If the show gets a season 2, the Acolyte was not flawless and had some obvious problems that should be fixed; but, a divided audience does not always provide interesting conversation on where things went wrong. It's sad since these ridiculous attacks diminish valid criticism. If the show gets a season 2, the Acolyte was not flawless and had some obvious problems that should be fixed; but, a divided audience does not always provide interesting conversation on where things went wrong. Viewers of Star Wars and Lucasfilm should not let ridiculous bad-faith comments compromise the future of the series. Though it's not the best project Lucasfilm has ever produced, the Acolyte has such an intriguing and original idea that it did not merit the spectrum of controversy it attracted.