The Acolyte (TV series): Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Article Images

Line 3:

{{Infobox television

| image = Acolyte.svg

Line 67:

* Shoot to Midnight

}}

| budget = ~~$180~~230.1 million<ref name="~~NYTMay2024~~DisneyBudget" />

| network = [[Disney+]]

| first_aired = {{Start date|2024|6|4}}

Line 77:

[[Amandla Stenberg]], [[Lee Jung-jae]], [[Charlie Barnett (actor)|Charlie Barnett]], [[Dafne Keen]], [[Rebecca Henderson]], [[Jodie Turner-Smith]], [[Carrie-Anne Moss]], [[Manny Jacinto]], [[Dean-Charles Chapman]], [[Joonas Suotamo]], [[Margarita Levieva]], Lauren Brady, Leah Brady, [[Harry Trevaldwyn]], and [[David Harewood]] star in the series. Headland expressed interest in working on the ''Star Wars'' franchise by the end of 2019, and was developing a new series for [[Lucasfilm]] by April 2020. She wanted to explore the franchise from the perspective of the villains. The title was announced in December 2020. Filming took place at Shinfield Studios in [[Berkshire]] from October 2022 to June 2023, with location filming in Wales and Portugal.

''The Acolyte'' premiered on Disney+ with its first two episodes on June 4, 2024. The following six episodes were released weekly through July 16. On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] and [[Metacritic]], critic reviews indicated generally favorable reception. The series, which divided fans of the franchise, received lower viewership ratings than previous ''Star Wars'' series and became the subject of a [[review bomb]]ing campaign. It was cancelled in August 2024 due to low viewership and going over budget.

== Premise ==

Line 87:

** Lauren Brady as young Osha<ref name="GizmodoEp3Recap" />

** Leah Brady as young Mae<ref name="GizmodoEp3Recap" />

* [[Lee Jung-jae]] as Sol:<br />A respected Jedi Master.<ref name="Mar2024DetailsCB" /> Lee was surprised that creator [[Leslye Headland]] wanted him for the character based on his performance in ''[[Squid Game]]'', feeling the two characters were very different.<ref name="LeeTHR~~" /> Another actor, [[Keanu Reeves]] was courted for the role, but was unable to accept due to scheduling commitments with ''[[John Wick Presents: Ballerina]]''.<ref name="JeffSneidersInsidingReports~~" /> The series is Lee's first English language role, and he worked with two dialect coaches starting four months ahead of filming to be able to perform his lines.<ref name="LeeTHR" /> He took inspiration from previous Jedi Masters in the franchise, particularly [[Liam Neeson]]'s performance as [[Qui-Gon Jinn]],<ref name="LeeQuiGon" /> and worked with Headland to be specific about the character's emotions in each scene due to Sol having to balance a Jedi's control of emotions with his complicated feelings about Osha and Mae.<ref name="LeeTHR" />

* [[Charlie Barnett (actor)|Charlie Barnett]] as Yord Fandar: A by-the-book Jedi Knight who aids Sol and Jecki.<ref name="Mar2024DetailsCB" />

* [[Dafne Keen]] as Jecki Lon: Sol's current young Padawan.<ref name="Mar2024DetailsCB" /> Jecki is half-human, half-Theelin just like Rystáll Sant, a background character from the 1997 special edition of the film ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983).<ref name="HeadlandMar2024SW" />

* [[Rebecca Henderson]] as Vernestra Rwoh: A senior member of the Jedi Order who rose to prominence as a young prodigy<ref name="Mar2024DetailsCB" />

Line 115:

|WrittenBy = Leslye Headland

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|6|4}}

|ShortSummary = 100 years before the rise of the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Galactic Empire]], the [[Galactic Republic]] and [[Jedi Order]] preside during a time of centuries-long peace. In a bar on the planet Ueda, Jedi Master Indara is attacked and killed by a woman wielding daggers. The bartender identifies Osha Aniseya, a former Jedi [[Padawan (Star Wars)|Padawan]] learner, as the killer. Osha, who works as a meknek doing dangerous repairs on the outside of starships, denies committing the crime when arrested by Jedi Knight Yord Fandar and his Padawan Tasi Lowa. En route to [[Coruscant]], the galactic capital, Osha's fellow prisoners escape and leave her to crash-land on the planet Carlac. She sees a vision of her twin sister Mae, who was presumed dead in a fire that seemingly killed their family when they were young. Osha deduces that Mae is alive and the one who killed Indara. Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh sends Master Sol, Osha's former teacher, to Carlac with his current Padawan, Jecki Lon, and Yord. They find Osha, and Sol accepts her theory about Mae. ~~Elsewhere,~~ Mae meets with her mysterious master, who has challenged her to kill a Jedi without using a weapon.

|LineColor = 701811

}}

Line 124:

|WrittenBy = Jason Micallef and Charmaine DeGraté

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|6|4}}

|ShortSummary = Mae attempts to kill Jedi Master Torbin in a temple on the planet Olega, but is prevented by his [[The Force|Force]] meditation; Torbin has been floating in silent meditation for over a decade. Vernestra sends Sol, Jecki, Yord, and Osha to investigate this attack. Mae regroups with her supplier, Qimir, who is helping her hunt the four Jedi that were stationed on her and Osha's home planet, Brendok, at the time of the fire: Indara, Torbin, Sol, and the [[Wookiee]] Kelnacca. Qimir provides Mae with a poison and warns her that she still needs to kill one of the four without a weapon. Mae offers the poison to Torbin as absolution for his past. He stops meditating and willingly takes it, dying just as the others arrive. Mae escapes, and Osha poses as her to get information from Qimir. He reveals the existence of Mae's master and her ~~overall~~ plan. That night, Sol confronts Mae and reveals to her that Osha is alive. Osha attempts to stun Mae but misses, and Mae escapes again. She later threatens Qimir over talking to the Jedi, but he convinces her to spare him because he has learned that Kelnacca is living on the planet Khofar.

|LineColor = 701811

}}

Line 133:

|WrittenBy = Jasmyne Flournoy and Eileen Shim

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|6|11}}

|ShortSummary = 16 years earlier, Osha and Mae live with ~~an all-female~~a coven of witches on Brendok. Their mother and ~~the~~ coven's leader, Mother Aniseya, claims the twins do not have a father. They were carried by another witch, Mother Koril. Aniseya teaches the children that the Force, which she calls the Thread, is misused by the Jedi. They undergo a ceremony to be inducted into the coven, which Mae is excited for but Osha is not. Before Osha is inducted, the ceremony is interrupted by the four Jedi who express concern that the witches are training children. They claim the right to test the twins for their suitability to become Jedi. Aniseya asks the children to fail the test. Mae does, but Osha ~~chooses to pass it~~passes and tells Aniseya that she wishes to become a Jedi. Angry that her sister wants to leave her, Mae locks Osha in her room and burns her diary. The fire spreads, and Sol helps Osha get to safety; they see Mae seemingly die and find the rest of the coven dead ~~as well~~. The Jedi take Osha to Coruscant and Sol promises to train her as his Padawan. On Brendok, Mae is shown to have survived and started looking for Osha.

|LineColor = 701811

}}

Line 151:

|WrittenBy = Kor Adana and Cameron Squires

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|6|25}}

|ShortSummary = Mae's master kills all the Jedi except Yord, Jecki, and Sol. Sol saves Osha from ~~Mae’s~~Mae's master and demands that he reveal his identity. ~~Mae's master~~He claims that they have already met and then vanishes into the forest. Jecki captures Mae, but her master arrives to kill Mae for trying to betray him. Jecki breaks his brittle helmet before she is killed, revealing him to be Qimir. Sol ~~arrives and~~ questions Qimir, who says ~~that “Qimir” is not his real name, but~~ the Jedi might call him "[[Sith]]" and he now intends to kill them all to keep his existence secret. Yord ambushes Qimir, disarming him, but is quickly killed. Sol fights and overpowers Qimir but is stopped from killing him by Osha, who plants a light on Qimir that causes a colony of umbramoths to attack and carry him away. Mae uses Osha's stun gun on Sol so she can speak with Osha, but they end up arguing about each other's choices and Mae uses the Force to knock Osha unconscious. Mae steals Osha's clothes and poses as her sister, returning with Sol to the Jedi ship. They are followed by a suspicious Bazil. Qimir frees himself from the umbramoths and finds Osha ~~lying~~ unconscious in the forest.

|LineColor = 701811

}}

Line 160:

|WrittenBy = Leslye Headland and [[Jocelyn Bioh]]

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|2}}

|ShortSummary = Qimir takes Osha to an unknown planet where he dresses her wounds. He claims to be a former Jedi who was betrayed by his master, drawing parallels to Osha's past. She is wary ~~of him~~, but ~~eventually~~ agrees to try on his repaired helmet, which is made from the lightsaber-blocking metal cortosis. On the Jedi ship at Khofar, interference disrupts Sol's attempts to contact the Jedi Council; a partial message about losing his whole team makes it to Coruscant. Sol asks Mae to help fix the ship's power, still believing her to be Osha, and she is attacked by Bazil. Mae overpowers him and resets the power. She tries to get Sol to tell her the truth about what happened on Brendok, but her wording reveals to him that she is not Osha. When the ship's power is restored, Sol stuns Mae and leaves with her just as Vernestra and a small band of Jedi arrive to investigate his message. They find the massacre and suspect ~~that~~ a fallen Jedi is responsible. ~~with the~~The Jedi Mog ~~suggesting~~suggests that only Sol would be powerful enough to kill so many. When Mae wakes, Sol says he will tell her the truth about what happened on Brendok.

|LineColor = 701811

}}

Line 178:

|WrittenBy = Jason Micallef

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|16}}

|ShortSummary = Sol takes Mae to Brendok and sends their location to the Jedi. ~~Mae escapes Sol's ship on a pod with the help of a reprogrammed Pip. Sol gives chase but is unable to catch her. Meanwhile,~~ Osha has a vision of Mae killing Sol and agrees to lead Qimir to her; a mysterious figure watches the pair depart.{{efn|Identified off-screen as the Sith lord [[Darth Plagueis]]<ref name="Plagueis" />}} In the ruins of the witches' fortress, Osha confronts Mae as Sol and Qimir fight. Mae disarms Sol after he defeats Qimir, but chooses to let him live so he can confess his crimes to the Jedi Council. Sol reveals that Mae and Osha are the same person, created through the vergence on Brendok, and admits to killing Aniseya. Osha angrily kills Sol using the Force, corrupting the kyber crystal in his lightsaber which turns from blue to red. She and Mae escape before Vernestra arrives with a group of Jedi and finds Sol's body. The sisters reconcile and Osha agrees to train with Qimir. He uses the Force to wipe Mae's memory. On Coruscant, the Senate ~~grows weary of Jedi secrets and~~ launches an investigation into the ~~order~~Jedi Order. Vernestra blames the murders of Indara, Torbin, Kelnacca, and the witches on Sol, despite sensing Qimir's involvement. Qimir was once her apprentice, and she wants an amnesiac Mae's help to find him. Vernestra reports to a Jedi Master.{{efn|Identified off-screen as Jedi Master [[Yoda]]<ref name="Plagueis" />}}

|LineColor = 701811

}}

Line 188:

At the premiere of the film ''[[Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker]]'' (2019), television writer [[Leslye Headland]] was asked about her interest in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise and revealed that she was a big fan with many ideas for ''Star Wars'' films that she wanted to make if she was asked to by [[Lucasfilm]] president [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]].<ref name="HeadlandEp9Premiere" /> Headland contacted Lucasfilm to discuss her ideas after completing work on her television series ''[[Russian Doll (TV series)|Russian Doll]]'' (2019–2022), and [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitched]] a new ''Star Wars'' television series with a first-season outline and full [[series bible]]. Kennedy agreed to begin work on the series during that initial pitch meeting.<ref name="HeadlandMar2024THR" /> In April 2020, Headland was publicly revealed to be writing and [[showrunning]] a new female-centric ''Star Wars'' series for the streaming service [[Disney+]]. Staffing for the series had begun and it was expected to be set in a different part of the franchise's timeline from previous ''Star Wars'' projects.<ref name="VarietyApr2020" />

Lucasfilm confirmed Headland's series was in development on May 4, 2020, which is ''Star Wars'' Day.<ref name="HeadlandConfirmed" /> At [[Disney]]'s Investor Day event on December 10, Kennedy announced the title, ''The Acolyte'', and said the series was set at the end of the [[Star Wars: The High Republic|High Republic]] era before the events of the [[Skywalker Saga|main ''Star Wars'' films]].<ref name="LucasfilmProjects" /> Lucasfilm executive Rayne Roberts was developing the series with Headland,<ref name="Roberts" /> who was influenced by the games and novels of the [[Star Wars in other media|''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe]] (EU).<ref name="VanityFairMay2022Acolyte" /> The first season consists of eight episodes,<ref name="FilmingLocation" /> with Headland directing the first two.<ref name="Mar2024DetailsSW" /> Alex Garcia Lopez and [[Kogonada]] were hired to direct episodes by February 2023,<ref name="KogonadaGarcia" /> and [[Hanelle Culpepper]] was revealed to have directed episodes in March 2024. Executive producers include Headland, Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, [[Jeff F. King]], and Jason Micallef, with Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim, and Rob Bredow producing.<ref name="Mar2024DetailsSW" /> The ~~budget~~series ~~was~~went over its budget, reported to be $180 million, crossing $230.1 million by the end of September 2023 when it was in post-production.<ref name="DisneyBudget" /><ref name="NYTMay2024" /> Disney received $46.5 million from the UK government's 25.5% Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit.<ref name="DisneyBudget" />

In March 2024, Headland said she had pitched multiple seasons of the series to Lucasfilm and had a plan for a second season if it was ordered. However, she wanted to take a break after the first season was released due to its long production timeline, and so she could respond to any feedback from fans on the first season when developing the second.<ref name="HeadlandMar2024Collider" /> After the first season had been released in July, Headland said she had not heard anything from Lucasfilm about making a second season but noted that she had set up future storylines in the first-season finale.<ref name="HeadlandJul2024EW" /> In August, the series was canceled after one season when Lucasfilm opted not to continue with the series.<ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /> This was reportedly due to going over budget and having low viewership,<ref name="DisneyBudget" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /> with Disney+ having a "high viewership threshold for renewing high-end, big-budget series".<ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' speculated that evolving viewing habits in the streaming era and "the erosion of goodwill of the ''Star Wars'' brand" also factored into the decision.<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" />

=== Writing ===

Line 203:

=== Casting ===

[[File:Amandla Stenberg by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Amandla Stenberg]] stars in the series as twins Osha and Mae]]

Casting was underway by the end of June 2021, when Lucasfilm were looking to hire a young woman of color for the lead role.<ref name="FilmingLocation" /> [[Amandla Stenberg]] was in talks for that part in December,<ref name="Stenberg" /> and was confirmed to be cast in July 2022.<ref name="Stenberg2" /> [[Jodie Turner-Smith]] and ''Russian Doll'' co-star [[Charlie Barnett (actor)|Charlie Barnett]] entered final negotiations to join the series in September 2022,<ref name="SmithTalks" /><ref name="Barnett" /> when [[Lee Jung-jae]] and [[Manny Jacinto]] were cast. Lee was cast as the male lead,<ref name="Lee" /><ref name="Jacinto" /> after Headland was impressed with his performance in the television series ''[[Squid Game]]''.<ref name="HeadlandMar2024IGN~~" /> Before Lee was chosen, [[Keanu Reeves]] was courted to play this role, but was unable to accept due to other scheduling commitments.<ref name="JeffSneidersInsidingReports~~" /> At the start of November, [[Dafne Keen]] was revealed to have a role in the series.<ref name="Keen" /> Soon after, Lucasfilm confirmed the casting of Stenberg, Lee, Jacinto, Turner-Smith, Barnett, and Keen, and announced the casting of [[Dean-Charles Chapman]], [[Carrie-Anne Moss]], and Headland's wife [[Rebecca Henderson]].<ref name="Nov2022Cast" /><ref name="Rwoh2" /> Headland had Stenberg, Barnett, and Keen in mind when creating their characters;<ref name="StenbergC" /><ref name="HeadlandMar2024IGN" /> she wanted to see Keen with a [[lightsaber]] after her performance as the character [[X-23]] in ''[[Logan (film)|Logan]]'' (2017).<ref name="HeadlandMar2024IGN" /> [[Margarita Levieva]] was cast by the start of December in what was reported to be a guest role.<ref name="Levieva" />

At [[Star Wars Celebration#Celebration Europe 2023|''Star Wars'' Celebration London]] in April 2023, [[Joonas Suotamo]] was revealed to be part of the cast as [[Wookiee]] Jedi Kelnacca. Suotamo previously portrayed the Wookiee [[Chewbacca]] in the [[sequel trilogy]] films and ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' (2018).<ref name="CelebrationLondonEW" /> Also at the convention, Lee, Keen, Barnett, Henderson, and Moss were revealed to be playing Jedi,<ref name="CelebrationLondonGizmodo" /> with Henderson cast as High Republic character Vernestra Rwoh.<ref name="Rwoh" /> In March 2024, Headland said Vernestra was the only character from the High Republic books that would appear in the first season, but there were other High Republic characters that she hoped to include in a potential second season. She felt Vernestra was important for showing the state of the Jedi Order in the series, contrasting her role as a leader in the Order with the young prodigy she is depicted as in the books.<ref name="HeadlandMar2024Collider" /> Also that month, character details for most of the main cast were revealed: Stenberg as the mysterious warrior Mae, Lee as Jedi Master Sol, Jacinto as former smuggler Qimir, Keen as [[Padawan (Star Wars)|Padawan]] learner Jecki Lon, Barnett as Jedi Knight Yord Fandar, Turner-Smith as coven-leader Mother Aniseya, and Moss as Jedi Master Indara.<ref name="Mar2024DetailsCB" /> Headland said it was a "no-brainer" to cast Moss as Indara given Headland was inspired by Moss's portrayal of [[Trinity (The Matrix)|Trinity]] in [[The Matrix (franchise)|''The Matrix'' film series]] when creating the character.<ref name="IndaraTrinity" />

In April 2024, [[David Harewood]] was reported to have a small role in the series.<ref name="Harewood" /> At the end of May, a week before the series premiered, Headland confirmed longstanding rumors that Stenberg was actually portraying two characters: Mae and her twin sister Osha.<ref name="OshaMaeGMA" /><ref name="OshaMaeSR" /> She also said major characters from the films, such as [[Yoda]] who is alive during the series' time period, would not be appearing;<ref name="NoYoda" /> despite this, Yoda is seen in a brief [[cameo appearance]].<ref name="Plagueis" /> A younger version of the Jedi [[Ki-Adi-Mundi]], a character from the prequel films, also appears. Derek Arnold took over for performer [[Silas Carson]].<ref name="Arnold" />

=== Design ===

Line 539:

Disney announced that the series had 4.8 million views in its first day of release and 11.1 million views across its first five days, marking the streaming service's biggest series premiere of 2024 so far. The five-day viewership was below that of the previous ''Star Wars'' series, ''Ahsoka'' (14 million views).<ref name="PremiereViewership" /><ref name="PremiereViewership2" /> [[Nielsen Media Research]], which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated that the first two episodes were watched for 488 million minutes during the week of June 3. This put it seventh on the company's weekly streaming originals chart.<ref name="NielsenJun3" /> The estimated viewership was lower than the premieres of previous ''Star Wars'' series ''Andor'' (624 million minutes), ''Ahsoka'' (829 million minutes), and the [[The Mandalorian season 3|third season]] of ''The Mandalorian'' (823 million minutes).<ref name="NielsenSWPremieres" /> ''The Acolyte'' was sixth on Nielsen's streaming originals chart the following week with 370 million minutes viewed,<ref name="NielsenJun10" /> before dropping off the chart in the week of its fourth episode.<ref name="NielsenJun17" /> The series returned to Nielsen's chart in tenth place for the week of its finale episode with 335 million minutes viewed;<ref name="NielsenJul15" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /> this was believed to be the lowest for any ''Star Wars'' series' finale.<ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /> With ''The Acolyte''{{'s}} cancellation in August 2024, ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' and ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' both noted that the series had declining viewership after debuting to strong numbers with its premiere.<ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" />

[[Whip Media]], which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its [[TV Time]] app, calculated that ''The Acolyte'' was the most-watched original streaming series for U.S. viewership during its first week of release. It dropped to third place on the next week's chart, behind [[Netflix]]'s ''[[Bridgerton]]'' and [[Amazon Prime Video]]'s ''[[The Boys (TV series)|The Boys]]'', and spent the rest of its run at second place on the chart behind ''The Boys''.<ref name="WhipMediaRefBundle" /> [[JustWatch]], a guide to streaming content with access to data from more than 20 million users around the world, estimated that ''The Acolyte'' was the top streaming series in the U.S. for the week ending June 9.<ref name="JustWatchJun9" /> Data was also published for the weeks ending June 30 and July 14 in which the series was listed seventh on the chart,<ref name="JustWatchJun30" /><ref name="JustWatchJul14" /> and it was placed fifth on the company's list for the month of July.<ref name="JustWatchJul" /> Analytics company [[Samba TV]], which gathers viewership data from certain [[~~Smart~~smart TV]]s and content providers, included ''The Acolyte'' in the top ten of its weekly streaming chart for the first three weeks it was released, but the series did not appear on the chart for the rest of its run.<ref name="SambaRefBundle" />

=== Critical response ===

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 78% of 246 critics gave the series a positive review, with an average rating of 7.05/ out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Taking fresh risks with ''Star Wars'' lore while having infectious fun playing with the stylistic trappings of a galaxy far, far away, ''The Acolyte'' is a Padawan series with the potential to become a Master."<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=star_wars_the_acolyte|title=Star Wars: The Acolyte|type=tv|season=1|access-date=August 20, 2024}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the series a [[weighted average]] score of 67 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic |title=The Acolyte |id=the-acolyte |type=tv |access-date=August 20, 2024}}</ref> ~~According~~Initial toreviews ~~Rotten Tomatoes,~~praised the ~~series~~performances, ~~was~~action ~~praised~~scenes, ~~in initial reviews for its~~and different take on familiar ''Star Wars'' elements, ~~including~~but ~~performances~~also ~~and~~called ~~action~~the ~~sequences, but noted it was~~series "far from perfect".<ref name="RTFirstReviews" />

Reviewing the first two episodes for ''[[The Guardian]]'', Graeme Virtue said the series benefited from being a "fresh start" and not requiring any homework to understand like other ''Star Wars'' series.<ref name="GuardianReview" /> Bryan Young at ''[[/Film]]'' similarly called the series a "breath of fresh air", describing it as a "well-wrought detective story" and positively comparing the action scenes to those of the films ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' (2000) and ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' (2002).<ref name="/FilmReview" /> Anthony D'Alessandro of ''Deadline Hollywood'' praised Headland for expanding the franchise,<ref name="DeadlineReview" /> as did Manuel Betancourt at ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' who said it was an intriguing franchise entry that "thrills precisely for the way it repurposes well-worn ''Star Wars'' tropes" while introducing a new story and characters.<ref name="AVClubReview" /> Liz Shannon Miller, writing for ''[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]]'', found ''The Acolyte'' to be bold and fun, calling it a dream project for "anyone curious about the full potential of ''Star Wars''".<ref name="ConsequenceReview" /> Alison Herman of ''Variety'' said the series was another ''Star Wars'' Disney+ success after ''Andor'', "giving itself permission to poke at ''Star Wars'' mythology". Herman praised the action sequences for being rooted in the characters.<ref name="VarietyReview" /> Brian Lowry at ''[[CNN]]'' said the series' lack of connections to ''Star Wars'' canon "prove[d] both an advantage and disadvantage", calling it an "intriguing if modest addition" to the franchise.<ref name="CNNReview" />

Line 548:

Alan Sepinwall of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' was more critical of the series, calling it out for re-using elements from the franchise such as a focus on twins and themes of revenge.<ref name="RollingStoneReview" /> Rob Owen at ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' criticized the slow pacing and "dull exposition" of the opening episodes, and lamented the missed potential of killing off Moss's Jedi character in the opening scene.<ref name="SeattleTimesReview" /> Writing for ''[[The Independent]]'', Ed Power criticized the dialogue and felt the combination of martial arts with the Force for the action scenes "doesn't quite work".<ref name="IndependentReview" /> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's James Dyer also criticized the "overly functional" dialogue as well as the "thinly drawn" characters, and expressed concern about Stenberg starring as such a homicidal character.<ref name="EmpireReview" /> For ''[[USA Today]]'', Kelly Lawler complained that the series was "full of logical fallacies, hokey dialogue and nonsensical plots", and felt it contained the worst elements of the ''Star Wars'' prequel films.<ref name="USATodayReview" /> ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]''{{'s}} Sam Adams felt the series "shrinks the world rather than expanding it" and criticized the amount of money spent on "lavish set pieces rather than building out environments".<ref name="SlateReview" />

Reviewing the full first season, Eric Goldman at ''[[IGN]]'' scored ~~the full first season~~it 6 out of 10. He said Headland raised interesting ideas but they were undermined by "sloppy storytelling and baffling and/or infuriating choices", and there was not enough time to explore them in eight short episodes. Goldman felt Sol was the strongest character of the season and praised Lee Jung-jae's performance, but wished his backstory was better told in the flashback episodes. He said the lightsaber fights were the best of the ''Star Wars'' Disney+ series and the action-heavy fifth episode was the standout of the season.<ref name="IGNSeasonReview" />

=== Audience response ===

During production and marketing, the series received criticism from some online commentors for being "[[woke]]".<ref name="TrailerResponsesSR" /> Specific issues included its initial description as being "female-centric";<ref name="HeadlandNov2020" /> the casting of Stenberg, who uses both [[she/her]] and [[they/them]] pronouns;<ref name="StenbergPronouns" /> the overall prominence of women and [[people of color]];<ref name="NYTMay2024" /> and the idea that Headland, who is openly queer and also the first woman to create a ''Star Wars'' series,<ref name="NYTMay2024" /><ref name="HeadlandQueer" /> was pushing an "[[Gay agenda|LGBTQ+ agenda]]".<ref name="HeadlandControversies" /> The series was called "The Wokelyte" by some commentors.<ref name="NYTMay2024" /><ref name="StenbergGQ" /> In May 2024, Kennedy spoke out against personal attacks directed at Headland, primarily by male ''Star Wars'' fans.<ref name="NYTMay2024" /> Headland said she did not want to exclude male fans and hoped they liked the series.<ref name="HeadlandNov2020" /> She empathized with those disappointed by recent entries in the franchise, but rejected complaints related to "bigotry, racism or hate speech".<ref name="NYTMay2024" /> Stenberg said racist responses to her casting had a negative impact on her and people close to her,<ref name="StenbergGQ" /> and she later released a song titled "Discourse" that criticized the intolerance she had faced regarding the series.<ref name="StenbergSong" />

Whip Media reported ahead of the series' premiere, based on the users of its TV Time app, that ''The Acolyte'' was the most anticipated new series of June 2024.<ref name="TVTimeAnticipated" /> Following the release of the first two episodes, the series received negative audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and [[IMDb]]. This was attributed to a [[review bomb]]ing campaign,<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /><ref name="ReviewBombSR" /><ref name="ReviewBombForbes" /><ref name="ReviewBombRefBundle" /> partially because many reviews appeared to be generated by [[AI]] or new accounts;<ref name="ReviewBombSR" /> over 10,000 audience reviews were added to Rotten Tomatoes within three weeks, more than double the total number received by ''Star Wars'' projects that were released years earlier;{{cn|date=August 2024}} and similarly named projects were targeted, including a 2022 ''Star Wars'' [[fan film]] called ''The Acolyte'' and the unrelated 2008 film ''[[Acolytes (film)|Acolytes]]''.<ref name="ReviewBombWrong" /> In addition to complaints about being woke,<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /><ref name="ReviewBombForbes" /> which were echoed by conservative media,<ref name="ReviewBombForbes" /> audience complaints about the first three episodes focused on the less positive portrayal of the Jedi and on the creation of Mae and Osha through the Force. These concerns were dismissed by commentators at the time: the series' portrayal of the Jedi was seen as continuing a trend from previous franchise entries such as the prequel trilogy; and the creation of the twins was yet to be fully explained by the series.<ref name="SRBreakCanon" /> The appearance of Ki-Adi-Mundi ~~in the fourth episode~~ received complaints ~~online~~ for contradicting ~~the age that was established for~~ the character's ~~in the EU, where he is born later~~age in ~~the timeline than ''The Acolyte'' is set. This was despite the EU no longer being part of the ''Star Wars''~~ non-canon ~~and the character having no set canonical age~~projects. Editors on the ''Star Wars'' [[wiki]] [[Wookieepedia]] ~~spoke out about receiving~~received death threats for updating the site to reflect ~~Ki-Adi-Mundi's~~his role in ''The Acolyte''.<ref name="KiAdiMundiAge" />

[[File:Manny Jacinto at the 2018 Comic-Con International (42913094245) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Manny Jacinto ~~plays~~portrays the Stranger. in the series, who became a standout character for fans]]▼

Following the release of the first-season finale, an online campaign advocating for a second season gained traction. Thousands of social media posts were made using the hashtag "#RenewTheAcolyte", and included positive comments about different elements of the series.<ref name="RenewTheAcolyteCB" /><ref name="RenewTheAcolyteSR" /> Dirk Libbey at ''[[CinemaBlend]]'' said this was proof that the review bombing did not reflect the views of the entire audience and he was happy to see ''The Acolyte'' go viral for a positive reason following all of the negativity it had faced.<ref name="RenewTheAcolyteCinemaBlend" /> Following the series' cancellation in August 2024, ''Variety'' discussed how ''The Acolyte'' had experienced "wildly opposing reception from fans". Some fans and critics enjoyed how the series challenged previous perceptions of the Jedi ~~as "infallible and wholly virtuous"~~ through the choices of Master Sol, while other fans felt ''The Acolyte'' was "antithetical" to ''Star Wars''{{'}}s good vs. evil themes and disliked how the series expanded upon the Force mythology.<ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /> ''Deadline Hollywood'' said the series was "divisive" amongst fans.<ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /> Stenberg was not surprised by the cancellation because of the cast receiving a "rampage of... hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language" since the series was announced.<ref name="StenbergCancellationResponse" /> Multiple publications found Jacinto's the Stranger to be a standout character among fans of the series,<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /> and noted that some fans had been excited for where the series could go in a second season following the "tantalizing" story points and characters teased at the end of the first season.<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledGizmodo" /> Fans ~~of the series~~ launched several social movements, ~~including~~to ~~having~~try reverse the cancellation, with the hashtag "#SaveTheAcolyte" ~~[[Trending on social media|~~trending]] on [[X Twitter|X]],<ref~~>{{Cite~~ ~~web |last=Glazebrook |first=Lewis |date=August 21, 2024 |title~~name="~~Save The Acolyte~~SaveTheAcolyte" ~~Trends As Fans React To Star Wars TV Show's Cancelation |url=https:~~//screenrant.com/star-wars-save-the-acolyte/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kraljik |first=Valentina |date=August 28, 2024 |title='The Acolyte' Petition Passed an Important Milestone Sparking Hopes that The Show Might Get Renewed |url=https://www.comicbasics.com/the-acolyte-petition-passed-an-important-milestone/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Comic Basics |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Paur |first=Joey |date=August 23, 2024 |title=THE ACOLYTE Fans Launch "Save The Acolyte" Campaign After Disney Canceled It |url=https://geektyrant.com/news/the-acolyte-fans-launch-save-the-acolyte-campaign-after-disney-canceled-it |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=GeekTyrant |language=en-US}}</ref> and ~~the creation of~~ a [[Change.org]] petition ~~to save the series, which had~~accumulating ~~accumulated~~more ~~over~~than 50,000 signatures by August 27~~, 2024~~.<ref~~>{{Cite~~ ~~web |last~~name=~~O'Rourke~~"ChangePetition" ~~|first=Ryan |date=August 27, 2024 |title=Petition to Renew 'The Acolyte' Passes Major Milestone as Fan Support Grows |url=https:~~/~~/collider.com/renew-the-acolyte-petition-50000-signatures/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en}}</ref~~>▼

▲[[File:Manny Jacinto at the 2018 Comic-Con International (42913094245) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Jacinto plays the Stranger.]]

▲Following the series' cancellation in August 2024, ''Variety'' discussed how ''The Acolyte'' had experienced "wildly opposing reception from fans". Some fans and critics enjoyed how the series challenged previous perceptions of the Jedi as "infallible and wholly virtuous" through the choices of Master Sol, while other fans felt ''The Acolyte'' was "antithetical" to ''Star Wars''{{'}}s good vs. evil themes and disliked how the series expanded upon the Force mythology.<ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /> ''Deadline Hollywood'' said the series was "divisive" amongst fans.<ref name="SeriesCanceledDeadline" /> Stenberg was not surprised by the cancellation because of the cast receiving a "rampage of... hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language" since the series was announced.<ref name="StenbergCancellationResponse" /> Multiple publications found Jacinto's the Stranger to be a standout character among fans of the series,<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /> and noted that some fans had been excited for where the series could go in a second season following the "tantalizing" story points and characters teased at the end of the first season.<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledVariety" /><ref name="SeriesCanceledGizmodo" /> Fans of the series launched several social movements, including having the hashtag "#SaveTheAcolyte" [[Trending on social media|trending]] on [[X Twitter|X]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Glazebrook |first=Lewis |date=August 21, 2024 |title="Save The Acolyte" Trends As Fans React To Star Wars TV Show's Cancelation |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-save-the-acolyte/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kraljik |first=Valentina |date=August 28, 2024 |title='The Acolyte' Petition Passed an Important Milestone Sparking Hopes that The Show Might Get Renewed |url=https://www.comicbasics.com/the-acolyte-petition-passed-an-important-milestone/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Comic Basics |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Paur |first=Joey |date=August 23, 2024 |title=THE ACOLYTE Fans Launch "Save The Acolyte" Campaign After Disney Canceled It |url=https://geektyrant.com/news/the-acolyte-fans-launch-save-the-acolyte-campaign-after-disney-canceled-it |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=GeekTyrant |language=en-US}}</ref> and the creation of a [[Change.org]] petition to save the series, which had accumulated over 50,000 signatures by August 27, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Rourke |first=Ryan |date=August 27, 2024 |title=Petition to Renew 'The Acolyte' Passes Major Milestone as Fan Support Grows |url=https://collider.com/renew-the-acolyte-petition-50000-signatures/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Lawsuit ===

Line 564 ⟶ 562:

== Other media ==

[[Marvel Comics]] ~~will publish~~published a [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] comic book on September 4, 2024, that focuses on Kelnacca and bridges the gap between the High Republic publishing initiative and the events of ''The Acolyte''. Titled ''Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca'', the one-shot was written by High Republic writer [[Cavan Scott]] with art by Marika Cresta.<ref name="KelnaccaComic" /> In July 2024, two novels based on the series were announced from High Republic writers: ''Star Wars: The Acolyte – Wayseeker'' by [[Justina Ireland]], which explores the shared history of Vernestra and Indara; and a young-adult novel focused on Jecki and Yord, written by Tessa Gratton and set to be released on July 29, 2025.<ref name="SDCC2024Novels" />

== Notes ==

Line 627 ⟶ 625:

<ref name="SeriesCanceledTHR">{{Cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Zoe G. |last2=Kit |first2=Borys |date=August 19, 2024 |title='The Acolyte' Season Two Not Moving Forward at Lucasfilm |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-acolyte-canceled-star-wars-1235978593/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240820014002/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-acolyte-canceled-star-wars-1235978593/ |archive-date=August 20, 2024 |access-date=August 19, 2024 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

<ref name="DisneyBudget">{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=Caroline |date=September 26, 2024 |title=Disney Reveals Star Wars Show ''The Acolyte'' Was Over Budget At $230 Million |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinereid/2024/09/26/disney-reveals-star-wars-show-the-acolyte-was-over-budget-at-230-million/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926080836/https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinereid/2024/09/26/disney-reveals-star-wars-show-the-acolyte-was-over-budget-at-230-million/ |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |access-date=September 29, 2024 |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref>

Line 887:

<ref name="StenbergCancellationResponse">{{Cite web |last=Dolak |first=Kevin |date=August 29, 2024 |title='The Acolyte' Star Amandla Stenberg Was Not Surprised About Cancellation After 'Star Wars' Fanboy Racist Vitriol |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-acolyte-star-amandla-stenberg-not-surprised-cancellation-1235986954/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829212318/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-acolyte-star-amandla-stenberg-not-surprised-cancellation-1235986954/ |archive-date=August 29, 2024 |access-date=August 30, 2024 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

<ref name="SaveTheAcolyte">{{Cite web |last=Glazebrook |first=Lewis |date=August 21, 2024 |title="Save The Acolyte" Trends As Fans React To Star Wars TV Show's Cancelation |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-save-the-acolyte/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822213015/https://screenrant.com/star-wars-save-the-acolyte/ |archive-date=August 22, 2024 |access-date=August 31, 2024 |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref>

<ref name="ChangePetition">{{Cite web |last=O'Rourke |first=Ryan |date=August 27, 2024 |title=Petition to Renew 'The Acolyte' Passes Major Milestone as Fan Support Grows |url=https://collider.com/renew-the-acolyte-petition-50000-signatures/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828231931/https://collider.com/renew-the-acolyte-petition-50000-signatures/ |archive-date=August 28, 2024 |access-date=August 31, 2024 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref>

Line 906 ⟶ 910:

Line 913 ⟶ 917:

[[Category:2020s American drama television series]]

[[Category:2020s American science fiction television series]]

[[Category:2020s American ~~LGBT~~LGBTQ-related drama television series]]

[[Category:2024 American television series debuts]]

[[Category:2024 American television series endings]]

[[Category:Disney+ original programming]]

[[Category:Disney and ~~LGBT~~LGBTQ]]

[[Category:American action adventure television series]]

[[Category:American English-language television shows]]

[[Category:Live action television shows based on films]]

[[Category:~~LGBT~~LGBTQ speculative fiction television series]]

[[Category:Productions using StageCraft]]

[[Category:Space adventure television series]]