Everything related to Star Wars is an immediate success, as long as you don’t touch the jedis. That is a tremendously dangerous minefield that is best left alone. No one wants to see a twist on what is already known, and even expanding what is already known is often met with skepticism by some fans who are quite aggressive about their franchise. Especially if it includes talking about jedis who were women or non-Caucasian.
This is something that one of the most interesting Star Wars series in recent years experienced firsthand. Star Wars: The Acolyte wanted to do something different, looking into one of the richest and most vibrant eras of the Star Wars universe, with an impressive cast, but fans hated it. Why? That is a good question, because it doesn’t seem to be that the series was bad at all.
Jedis when being a Jedi was not yet strange
Set at the end of the High Republic era, approximately 100 years before The Phantom Menace, the series takes place in a time of peace. There is relative stability in the galaxy and the Jedi are still at their peak, although all of that is about to change.
The series begins with Osha, a former padawan who abandoned her training as a Jedi due to an internal turmoil regarding her connection to the Force, who reunites with her Jedi master, named Sol, to investigate a series of terrible crimes. Something that will lead them to discover a terrible truth: the Sith order, which was thought to have disappeared from the galaxy, is still standing. And it has a deep connection with both of them.
From here on, the series is a remarkable blend of detective story, kung-fu, and a classic Star Wars movie. Resulting in a very fresh and different mix that makes it much more interesting than most works derived from the franchise.
Another reason why it is interesting is because of its casting. With particularly rich characters and vivid interactions, it particularly highlights Master Sol played by Lee Jung-jae, known in the West for his role as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game. Thus demonstrating his versatility by excellently portraying not only a completely different role from the one we know him for, but also doing so in a language that is not his own.
A review bombing for woke
However, as we have said, the reception of the series was less than positive. There were legitimate criticisms, with many people who genuinely did not like it for various reasons. This happens even with the best series. But there was also a group of people who felt offended by certain aspects of the series that should not be problematic for anyone at all: that its main actors, who were also the most prominent jedi, were women and people of color.
The lead actress, Amandla Stenberg, is of African descent. The lead actor, Lee Jung-jae, is Korean. Adding to that the fact that they are jedis ignited the fuse for many fans who saw it as an attack, considering the series as woke, even calling it The Wokelyte, initiating a process of review bombing and harassment where they tried by all means to bury the series. This resulted in the perception and reception of the series, after its first few weeks, being absolutely terrible.
Something that contrasts with its original reception. During its first five days, it achieved 11.1 million views, becoming the most-watched series on Disney+ in 2024 so far. Critics also reached a favorable consensus about the series. And only after the start of the review bombing with accusations of being a woke series did the idea begin to spread that it was bad or a failure of some kind.
A series that deserves another chance
Cancelled in August 2024, it seems unlikely that we will see a new season of The Acolyte. Being yet another victim of the cultural wars initiated by far-right individuals, too sensitive for a multicultural and inclusive reality.
That doesn’t change the fact that it is still possible to see the first and only season of the series. A unique series within the Star Wars universe, both for its tone and the era it visits, which, while it may not be to everyone’s taste, certainly deserved a chance. Because whether people like it or not, The Acolyte had many virtues that make it worth revisiting.
