SPOILER: The Acolyte -- Disney+ Star Wars -- begins June 5, 2024

[Disney Irish]

I'm really not sure what you are arguing at this point. I never said you or anyone couldn't like the show. Just because I think there's issues with the way this show has unfolded, doesn't mean it's an attack on you.

I never said it was an attack on me, I accept what you've said in a general sense and not toward me personally. What I'm saying however is that there are people that are just going enjoy something and not see issues with things that you or others have an issue with. You asked why I said things could be better, I gave you an answer and even an example. That everything can be better from a certain point-of-view, even something seen as a great work of art like Citizen Kane.

The long and short of it is that everyone comes from a different perspective. Just because you and some others here find flaws and issues in this show and other Star Wars content doesn't mean that others will agree or even see the same flaws and issues or any at all. That doesn't mean someone isn't being critical, it just means they have a different perspective.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

I spent this entire episode asking why it wasn't just a two minute exposition scene with Sol.

Plus having a grown man suddenly get intensely obsessed with basically taking possession of a little girl? That was just... ick... the way that played out.

 

[Disney Irish]

Plus having a grown man suddenly get intensely obsessed with basically taking possession of a little girl? That was just... ick... the way that played out.

I took that as trying to be of a bit of a protective father figure and the desire to have a padawan.

 

[flynnibus]

Ok. Tell me how it's not from a story production standpoint. The special effects are great, and the few fight scenes have been good. Outside of that it's been extremely spotty.

Again, for some armchairs to call the show amateurish because they don't like show choices is amusing. Are you Spielberg moonlighting on wdwmagic? It's one thing to just say something didn't work for you or you didn't like it... it's another level when someone starts taking the superiority path...

If I were to be critical of the show choices so far... I'd be more critical of roles like the wookie jedi and Yord... the former who seems to serve no real purpose except to set another destination... and Yord conflicts that seem pointless. I think the umbramoth mechanic was pretty contrived... especially when the guy just basically shakes it off afterwards. (peril.. that is just washed off later is stupid)..

I think critiques about focusing on the multiple POVs about the conflict with the witches and the twins are misguided. It's what the show is about! I get some maybe saw the mae hunting jedi and thought that was how this was going... until the show pivoted in ep3.. but mae hunting jedi isn't what this show really is centered around. Nor is it really Qimir... he's the wheel advancing things... but ultimately this show is about the twins.

 

[Prince-1]

I took that as trying to be of a bit of a protective father figure and the desire to have a padawan.

And it was still creepy as hell.

 

[Disney Irish]

And it was still creepy as hell.

Wasn't to me, but to each their own.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

I took that as trying to be of a bit of a protective father figure and the desire to have a padawan.

Yeah, no, that's not how it came across as I watched it. It was... disturbing and triggering and definitely not "fatherly" and I'll leave it at that.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yeah, no, that's not how it came across as I watched it. It was... disturbing and triggering and definitely not "fatherly" and I'll leave it at that.

As I said in my last post, to each their own.

 

[doctornick]

I came out of the episode mostly supporting Sol. I don’t find his actions creepy - they just seem protective to me. In fact I tended to agree with his frustration with Indera just willing to leave the girls there especially when Osha was interested in the Jedi. The thing I dislike about Sol’s actions is why he stabbed and killed the smoke mother. Seemed out of place entirely.

 

[erasure fan1]

Again, for some armchairs to call the show amateurish because they don't like show choices is amusing. Are you Spielberg or moonlighting on wdwmagic? It's one thing to just say something didn't work for you or you didn't like it... it's another level when someone starts taking the superiority path...

If I were to be critical of the show choices so far... I'd be more critical of roles like the wookie jedi and Yord... the former who seems to serve no real purpose except to set another destination... and Yord conflicts that seem pointless. I think the umbramoth mechanic was pretty contrived... especially when the guy just basically shakes it off afterwards. (peril.. that is just washed off later is stupid)..

I think critiques about focusing on the multiple POVs about the conflict with the witches and the twins are misguided. It's what the show is about! I get some maybe saw the mae hunting jedi and thought that was how this was going... until the show pivoted in ep3.. but mae hunting jedi isn't what this show really is centered around. Nor is it really Qimir... he's the wheel advancing things... but ultimately this show is about the twins.

First off, you don't need to be Spielberg to see when something is poorly done. Since you brought up reviews, I decided to look some up. And it seems there are a lot of people who were supporting the show, like I've been, agree with what I've said. You still didn't answer my question though.

 

[erasure fan1]

The thing I dislike about Sol’s actions is why he stabbed and killed the smoke mother. Seemed out of place entirely.

That's the thing I thought Sol was in the right with. It's one of the problems I've had with a lot of the storytelling with this show. If a darkside force wielding witch turned into some psycho smoke thing. And the kid was starting to disintegrate, I'd have stabbed her too. Lol. It made little sense because why would she do that if she was letting Osha go? You simply say, I'm giving her the choice if she wants to go with you. Then it's, Osha, would you like to be a Jedi? Great, let's go!

Too many times we've seen this kind of thing. Mae - I'm going to turn myself in to the jedi.
Then tries to kill Sol? What was the point of her telling Qimir she was leaving to turn herself in if she wasn't? The show has so many of these moments. They had a good idea for a story but it's just not executed well in my opinion.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

The show runner confirmed the other day that they're setting up the story to have a second season. And she probably has greater knowledge on these internal affairs with season renewals than the public does. In particular, she said much of Qimir's backstory won't be revealed until season 2. Same for the reason why cortosis doesn't exist in the modern era. She also said there will be four to five major mysteries and plots that would be left hanging for the second season to cover.

I think a season 2 is likely. Acolyte is the second worst performing Star Wars live action show. However, according to Nielsen ratings, Acolyte's premier still beat Andor's in terms of total minutes watched by a considerable amount. 208 million for Andor versus 244 million for Acolyte. Even Andor still got a season 2.

Is The Acolyte A Success? Viewership & Rotten Tomatoes Score Explained

How is The Acolyte performing?

screenrant.com

Keep in mind that Andor also had a significantly higher budget than Acolyte. So relatively speaking, Acolyte is probably considered quite a bit more of a success than Andor. Even if it had a drop-off in views during episodes 2-4, I'm guessing Episode 5 was a substantial boost.

I find it interesting that the spin on this is that it's "the second least popular Star Wars show".

People are trying to make it sound like this massive bomb but the least popular Star Wars show might be more popular than most streaming shows.

I'm sure Star Wars and Marvel are very important to Disney+, and even a "lower" performing Star Wars show is important.

It's middle of the road for me but I'd be happy to see a follow-up season.

I don't know if it has longevity beyond that but I'll always advocate for streaming services to give shows an adequate conclusion. A complete series is a better asset than an incomplete one. You want it as a future draw for future subscribers, and an incomplete story would not be.

It also makes one more likely to tune into a show from the start. Netflix in particular has developed a bit of a self defeating prophecy, where if a show doesn't get sufficient views right away, it's cancelled. Less people tune into shows because they want to know upfront they'll have a conclusion.

Commit to your audience that you will conclude shows properly, or stick to a format that is open to a follow-up but isn't an incomplete cliffhanger.

 

[mysto]

The thing I dislike about Sol’s actions is why he stabbed and killed the smoke mother. Seemed out of place entirely.

I think the smoke illusion is a way to hide, the mother was still there but you couldn't see where she was. Sol acted surprised when he stabbed her. Oh no. An accidental tragedy contributing to the tragedy of the killing of the coven. Starting a fire was an accidental tragedy also leading to the massacre.

Yes there was a lot of repetition in the episode, but the change of pov really changed the meaning of the scenes. What appeared to be senseless killing by the jedi turns into something else.

The split between the sisters is at the core of the story, now infused with some sort of intention on the part of the force (vergence), and a force provided vision of a padawan for Sol. If they get to season 4 having this all clearly laid out will be important.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think the smoke illusion is a way to hide, the mother was still there but you couldn't see where she was. Sol acted surprised when he stabbed her. Oh no. An accidental tragedy contributing to the tragedy of the killing of the coven. Starting a fire was an accidental tragedy also leading to the massacre.

Yes there was a lot of repetition in the episode, but the change of pov really changed the meaning of the scenes. What appeared to be senseless killing by the jedi turns into something else.

The split between the sisters is at the core of the story, now infused with some sort of intention on the part of the force (vergence), and a force provided vision of a padawan for Sol. If they get to season 4 having this all clearly laid out will be important.

The "smoke illusion" as you call it had Sol thinking he was going to be attacked or at the very least her trying to escape with Mae, who Sol confused for Osha, which caused Sol to react and stabbed her mistakenly.

 

[erasure fan1]

People are trying to make it sound like this massive bomb but the least popular Star Wars show might be more popular than most streaming shows.

That's true to a point. The ratings I saw had it 7th or 8th I believe. And while that's still in the top ten, I highly doubt that is what Disney would want from one of the biggest franchises in the history of the world. Especially when they allocated that much money to the show.

I can't really say it deserves a second season until I see the final episode. If they can pull off a strong satisfying ending, ok great. I'm not sure with the time left that will be possible though. Some here seem to get offended by me thinking the storytelling has been very weak through a lot of this show. But as I've also said, there's a decent story in there. A second season with better writers and direction could work.

Commit to your audience that you will conclude shows properly, or stick to a format that is open to a follow-up but isn't an incomplete cliffhanger.

I completely agree. Unless you are committed to ending the story, no matter if it takes 2 or 3 seasons, don't make it. You should have each season have a neat conclusion with some open theeads that you've put out for the series to continue. Then if it's not a success, you aren't leaving a bunch of important stuff unanswered.

 

[Phroobar]

The "smoke illusion" as you call it had Sol thinking he was going to be attacked or at the very least her trying to escape with Mae, who Sol confused for Osha, which caused Sol to react and stabbed her mistakenly.

She is turning into a smoke monster and the girl is disappearing. Even the Ghost Busters would have hosed her.

Comes down to don't make a threatening move at the police officer with a gun.

 

[flynnibus]

The "smoke illusion" as you call it had Sol thinking he was going to be attacked or at the very least her trying to escape with Mae, who Sol confused for Osha, which caused Sol to react and stabbed her mistakenly.

Even if he thought he was going to be attacked - it was an offensive move, not a parry or block.

I found it very unusual - and I guess part of this story about the Jedi being flawed vs their idealistic preachings.

 

[Disney Irish]

Even if he thought he was going to be attacked - it was an offensive move, not a parry or block.

I found it very unusual - and I guess part of this story about the Jedi being flawed vs their idealistic preachings.

The biggest take away I've gotten from the show is that the Jedi are more susceptible to their emotions than we've previously been shown. That yes they are flawed and nuanced even if trying to be the idealistic version based on the teachings we've known previously. They aren't gods, they are mortals that fall to the same mortal trappings as others around them, including emotion. Its why I like the idea of the Gray Jedi, its someone who can find balance in all sides of the force, not only the light or only the dark.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The biggest take away I've gotten from the show is that the Jedi are more susceptible to their emotions than we've previously been shown. That yes they are flawed and nuanced even if trying to be the idealistic version based on the teachings we've known previously. They aren't gods, they are mortals that fall to the same mortal trappings as others around them, including emotion. Its why I like the idea of the Gray Jedi, its someone who can find balance in all sides of the force, not only the light or only the dark.

What George told us about the Jedi:

• Obi-Wan - Goes into hiding.
• Yoda - Goes into hiding. Remind me again, what does fear lead to?
• Luke - emotional mess.
• Anakin - emotional mess.
• Other Jedi - Turn a blind eye to slavery. Become pawns of the state. Become Warlords. Recruit very young children into their cult.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

The "smoke illusion" as you call it had Sol thinking he was going to be attacked or at the very least her trying to escape with Mae, who Sol confused for Osha, which caused Sol to react and stabbed her mistakenly.

The mother trying to escape with her daughters is killed by the guy who thinks he has a right to possess the daughter he suddenly decided he wants to take home with him. Again, this is just... ewww. And not paternal; it's predatorial, and pure Dark Side, keeping it within Star Wars terms.

Note: I'm NOT ascribing motives to Sol that I don't think the writers, director or actor intended. I'm just saying it suddenly turned really disturbing to see a grown man so obsessed with possessing a child that isn't his and determining her future and being so intent on it, he "accidentally" kills the child's mother so he now can take the child for himself.