Summary
Star Wars’latest TV show,The Acolyte, showcased a newer kind of storyline with acast of newStar Warscharacters. Yet, almost from the beginning, the show was met with more disapproval than approval from viewers, leading it to be the worst-reviewedStar WarsTV show upon its release. Leslye Headland’s series was given a bad hand to play with in an unfair game. Controversial comments made before the series was even released, on top of contentious story decisions, made the bad hand all the more difficult to handle.
The series also took risks in both its stories. By creating a story outside a timeline familiar toStar Warsviewers, it did not garner a lot of attention, and the attention it did receive was very negative. Viewership of the series indicates that it started a little stronger than anticipated but eventually faltered to have the lowest ratings for anyStar WarsTV series finale. Monday’s announcement of the firstStar WarsDisney+ series to be canceled confirms the series being a swing and a miss for the franchise. But did it ever have a real chance to succeed?
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Partially due to the recent letdowns of other shows, but mostly due to Leslye Headland
When the series was initially announced to be in development in 2020, audiences were interested in a streaming series taking place during theHigh Republic era. As time went on, however, and moreStar Warsshows began to be presented, the goodwill ofStar Warsviewers began to fade. Major letdowns surroundedThe Book of Boba Fett,Obi-WanKenobi,Ahsoka, andThe Mandalorianseason 3. After so many disappointments,it became clear that the majority ofStar Warsviewers just had little interest inThe Acolyte. This became especially clear after the release of the series' trailers.
At the time of writing, onStar Wars' official YouTube Channel:
• The first official trailer garnered 196k likes and 533k dislikes with 11 million views.
• The second trailer garnered 80k likes to 207k dislikes with 7.6 million views.
Before these trailers were released, another problem that further dissociated viewers from wanting to watch the series last year. An interview withcontroversial series showrunner Leslye HeadlandwithIndiewire’s Filmmaker Toolkitback in 2019 was found and eventually went viral amongst the community.Headland’s comments further alienated her from theStar Warscommunity, with whom she was already on thin ice. Her words echoed sentiments that viewers had already had for her.
This is what we understand to be Star Wars. The idea that that only came from George Lucas, that only George Lucas holds the key for what we understand to be Star Wars, is just untrue. And I think the prequels are an excellent example of that. The idea that when you are hiring a director, that everyone is sitting in there waiting for George Lucas and not for the person who is going to know to hire Ralph McQuarrie, that’s the problem. That’s the misogyny…
This interview, in which she was seemingly critical of George Lucas,lost the last shred of goodwill forStar Warsfans. Headland was scrutinized for these comments, which furthered the flames in the darker parts of the internet around the discussion thatStar Warswas attempting to produce “woke” messaging without regard for theStar Warsproduct. This, along with other comments by Headland and the apparent decline ofStar Warsshows, caused many viewers to become disinterested in the series before it even aired.
Once The Show Was Released, The Firestorm Erupted Further
Review-bombing, on top of the Wookieepedia controversy, showed a deep divide among fans
OnceThe Acolyteaired the first two episodes, the series became a victim of a relentless review-bombing campaign on critic sites. At one point,the Rotten Tomatoes user score was almost as low as 10%during the series' run. Although that number has risen slightly, the sentiment is clear that many people had a vendetta against the series, whether they watched it or not. Critic reviews were somewhat favorable, but on the lower end for critics compared to otherStar Warsshows.
As the story began to develop, the infamous episode where Ki Adi Mundi appeared set off a firestorm online regarding his place canonically within the franchise, as well as his apparent ignorance towards the eventual return of the Sith in the prequels. Theevident age retcon for Mundiand the fallout fromthe Wookieepedia controversywere justfurther escalations of just how volatile the situation aroundThe Acolytehad become. Now, it’s known that the series would never recover from this controversy.
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The Show Took Big Risks Taking Place Before The Prequels
The first story told outside the Skywalker Saga was an unfortunate miss
AsThe Acolyte’s story developed, there was not much positive commentary surrounding it. While the action sequences generally received praise, the show’s story was met with disapproval. Part of this is a by-product of online commentators claiming the show’s “wokeness” has ruined it and the franchise. However, the biggest issueThe Acolytehad wasthe challenge of being the firstStar Warsmovie or show to take place outside the Skywalker saga.
With a cast of brand-new characters that had no ties to any of the other movies and shows, it would be challenging for a series of this kind to attain favor with an audience that felt dissatisfied with the franchise.Story elements became very polarizing, while commonplace franchise themes felt repetitive and worn out. The twist in the finale involvingDarth Plageuis' cameoproving that Qimir was his apprentice was a surprising move that left many viewers confused and angry with the series as a whole. UnlessTheAcolyte’s story was perfect, it was never going to succeed.
18%
4.1/10
Metacritic
3.9
One could certainly make the case thatThe Acolytedeserved to be canceled. The series garnered low viewership, and with a reported production budget of $180 million, another season of the series was just unsustainable in the eyes of Lucasfilm. This cancelation will also contribute to the conversation around streaming as a whole and what constitutes a viable show, as more streaming services declare financial losses year by year.
In the end,The Acolytenever really stood a chance of succeeding for a multitude of reasons. Given the current climate with the fanbase and its dissatisfaction with newStar Warsproducts, it almost felt inevitable that it would not be well received unless the show was perfect. It did not help that Leslye Headland alienated herself from the fanbase due to her comments about the show and her controversial remarks regarding George Lucas. This led to viewers having a grudge againstThe Acolytefrom the beginning, which was not watched enough to attain a second season.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
