The newest Star Wars show, The Acolyte, gathered much attention and mixed reviews as it premiered. Many Star Wars fans didn’t like the show for its lore and flaws, while others enjoyed it for its romance and strong female characters. The controversial show has been canceled at Disney+ after only one season.
The Acolyte Plot
The Acolyte is described as a mystery/thriller that follows a young woman named Osha, who was accused of murdering a Jedi Master. This comes during a time of peace in the galaxy, before the rise of the Empire, so it was an especially shocking event. Osha maintained her innocence, trying her hardest to prove it as she once trained to be a Jedi, so she couldn’t fathom ever killing one. We follow on her journey, uncovering the mystery of her past and the murder of the Jedi Master.
The show had a rich cast featuring many notable names including; Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Lee Jung-jae, and Jodie Turner-Smith.
Fan Reception
Many weren’t receptive to The Acolyte. The backlash was compared to that of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Fans cited bad writing, mostly bad acting, and a confusing plot as reasons why the show wasn’t enjoyable. It wasn’t what they wanted to see from the franchise and wasn’t well received.
It was only after the show began to go viral on social media, namely TikTok, that it began to gain a better reputation. Many fans enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance trope on the show, and others just enjoyed Osha’s journey, curious as to where that journey would take her. There were many polarizing opinions on the show, and what fans would see about it truly depended on where one would look.
Long-time Star Wars fans considered the show another name on the list of Disney-sanctioned failures, while newer fans greatly enjoyed it. This divide was attributed to the nostalgia that many long-term fans have.
The numbers showed that few were tuned into The Acolyte throughout its eight-episode run. It received the lowest viewership numbers in its finale than any other Disney+ Star Wars show. The show came in at ten on the Nielson charts, whereas the premiere came in at number seven with 488 minutes (millions).
For the week of July 15th to July 21st, The Acolyte had only 355 million minutes. For context, Ashoka‘s finale had 575. This was considered to be a much less popular Star Wars show before The Acolyte. The Mandalorian‘s third season finale had 1012 million minutes. For even further conceptualization, the show that is currently number one on the Nielson charts is The Boys, with 1,329 million minutes.
The Acolyte severely underperformed by these standards. Despite this, it received 78% on Rotten Tomatoes but a 4.1/10 on IMDB.
The Show’s Cancelation
Lucasfilm announced on Monday that they will not be moving forward with The Acolyte. This is coming after a season two announcement was rumored to be at D23. The cancelation caused many mixed reactions from fans, but the overall viewership numbers seem to be the indisputable facts that solidify this decision. This is even though the premiere was the biggest that Disney+ had this year.
The show’s executives had hoped it would return for season two; however, that is no longer a possibility.
Final Thoughts
The Acolyte is one more show cancellation that pleases some and pains others. While some fans feel vindicated for their dislike of the show, others mourn the characters and storylines that will never be. With Andor, Ashoka, and now The Acolyte, it’s curious why Star Wars shows seem disconnected from fans. Whatever the issue, Lucasfilm is obviously not afraid to cancel a show when it doesn’t please viewers.
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