Like with any good Star Wars project, The Acolyte knows how to honor its roots while also bringing the story to new places.
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In the past five years or so, we’ve seen multiple shows that have mostly been set right before, during, or right after the Skywalker Saga. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, you can only do so much before we’ve seen everything we can during the time of the Empire. This is where The Acolyte comes in. The latest Star Wars series centers on an investigation into a shocking crime spree that pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.
Set over 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, the series operates in a time when the Jedi are at the height of their power. This golden age of sorts is a setting we’ve never seen in live-action series space before. This is not the Old Republic era set thousands of years in the past, so the show still plays within the Prequel trilogy aesthetic. But what works, works. After previewing the first four episodes of the show, scroll down for a few reasons why we feel the Force is strong with The Acolyte.
IT FEATURES A COLORFUL CAST OF CHARACTERS
Taking center stage in The Acolyte is a strong and diverse cast of characters. Leading the way is Amandla Stenberg, who plays double duty as the sisters Osha and Mae Aniseya. At first glance, Osha and Mae are opposites who go their separate paths. Yet, as the series progresses, they’re less opposites and more different sides of the same coin who don’t follow a cookie-cutter formula.
Lee Jung-jae, meanwhile, shines as Jedi Master Sol, the action hero with a heart who represents the more optimistic side of the Jedi. Sol, Osha’s former master, is the wise leader-type who only wants the best for the people around him, which sometimes causes him to bump heads with the other Jedi. Add to that other characters we don’t normally see in the Star Wars franchise such as a Wookie Jedi, a group of Force-wielding witches, and a mysterious new baddie, The Acolyte doesn’t skimp on focusing on other faces of the universe.
THE ACTION IS THRILLING
No full spoilers here, but let’s just say a fight scene between Mae and Carrie-Anne Moss’s Master Indara might be one of the most exciting things ever filmed for a Star Wars project. Yes, the show has plenty of lightsabers, but The Acolyte impresses with its focus on hand-to-hand combat that eschews the typical fighting styles we’ve seen before. The fight choreography is made even better with the martial arts it uses, which is a mix of Kung-Fu, Kenjutsu, Filipino Kali, and kickboxing techniques.
THE STORY GOES TO INTERESTING PLACES
If you ever wanted to know what a murder mystery and revenge drama would look like if it was set in the Star Wars universe, The Acolyte has got you covered. It doesn’t take long to establish the important players, but as the series goes on, it reveals its story to be more layered than what you might initially assume with its twists and turns. Setting-wise, while the show does revisit familiar locations like Coruscant, it also brings the viewers to other spots around the galaxy. And bonus points for the use of practical sets as much as possible.
IT ISN’T AFRAID TO POKE AT THE LORE TO ASK POIGNANT QUESTIONS
Unless you’re familiar with the lore of the Star Wars Extended Universe (EU) or have seen the latter seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, you might think that the Jedi are the good guys who can do no wrong. But that isn’t the case. The Jedi have many faults of their own, which are given attention in The Acolyte.
The show explores themes of the Jedi being driven less by doing the greater good and more for their self-preservation as well as the complicated relationship between dealing with trauma and emotions and following the Jedi teachings. It raises interesting questions about how we normally perceive the Jedi. More than relying on callbacks or recycling ideas to be relevant, The Acolyte tries to be bold with its spin on the lore.
The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+. A new episode drops every Wednesday.
Photos courtesy of Disney
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