The year is 2019, and after months of promotion, Disney+ launches with much fanfare. Along with the release of a streaming service solely dedicated to storing all things Disney, including Disney Channel Original movies, Marvel, Pixar, and National Geographic, comes the very first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian.
While the galaxy far, far away had previously dabbled within the television medium before with hit shows like The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, those were animated ventures and were more or less targeted towards children on networks like Disney XD. The Mandalorian, however, seemed to be edgier, grittier, and unlike anything fans had seen before. Thanks to the grizzled voice of Pedro Pascal and an adorable little puppet affectionately titled “Baby Yoda,” The Mandalorian became a record-breaking series and helped launch Disney+ squarely into the frontlines of the ongoing streaming wars.
With that success came a multitude of subscribers. But it also showed the powers-that-be over at Disney and LucasFilm that fans were incredibly interested in exploring the live-action Star Wars franchise on TV, and, before you knew it, we have shows following the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and characters previously only seen in animation like Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) leaping into the live-action medium. While die-hard fans may have been over the moon about the sudden influx of Star Wars content, more casual fans may have found it challenging to keep up and stay aware of the threads connecting the various storylines between films and TV.
In 2024, another Star Wars series premiered on the aforementioned Disney+ platform. However, unlike its predecessors, The Acolyte is not bogged down by fitting into the accepted Star Wars canon where Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) blows up the Death Star, and Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley) defeats Emperor Palpatine once and for all. The Acolyte takes place in The High Republic era, approximately 100 years before the earliest Star Wars film within the canon timeline (1999’s The Phantom Menace). This detail allows the series a rare freedom to create something brand new. The only previous knowledge a casual TV viewer needs to sit down and enjoy the first few episodes of The Acolyte is that the Jedi are the presumed heroes of this universe, and the Sith are the presumed villains.
That’s it. You’re all caught up.
Starring Amandla Stenberg in the lead role, the debut episodes of The Acolyte blow the doors wide open with high intensity and actions that will undoubtedly create lingering consequences, setting in motion a mystery that will force viewers to lock in and keep up with what they’re watching. Within ten minutes of the opening scene, a fight between Stenberg’s mysterious and aggressive character and the legendary Carrie Ann Moss’ Master Indara engage each other and shows viewers ways of weaponizing The Force that they may not have seen before, already setting the story apart from the blaster shooting, lightsaber-wielding fights we all know and love in Star Wars. The show’s tone is immediately felt through the sheer desperation as Indara battles to protect herself and those around her against a manic and chaotic opponent, displayed through fast-paced camerawork and impressive fight choreography that takes viewers along with every attempt to secure a victory.
When the dust settles and a victor stands tall, we are immediately sent barreling through the cosmos to see Amandla Stenberg in a different setting. No longer hellbent on attacking a Jedi Master, this version of the character, named Osha, is a sweet, mild-mannered meknek (Star Wars jargon for mechanic) with an adorable little handheld repair droid named Pip.
While the series benefits from not having to connect to other installments in the franchise, they do not shy away from sprinkling in a few easter eggs that fans can pick up on. Notably, the freighter Osha works on belongs to the Trade Federation, the last scene in the prequel films, and her direct supervisor are members of the Neimoidian race, not seen since Darth Vader slaughtered the Viceroy Nute Gunray on Mustafar in 2005’s The Revenge of the Sith. It’s always rewarding as a Star Wars fan to see nods to the films that made us fall in love with the franchise in the first place. However, the cameo comes and goes as the plot moves at a break-neck speed, with the Jedi finding themselves on the defense and preparing for a planet-sprawling hunt.
During an initial interrogation, Osha is reintroduced to some old pals. Viewers discover that despite her youthful appearance, Osha has a long and detailed history with the Jedi Order. Osha comes into contact with Jedi that she is very familiar with, notably a former peer named Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett), her former Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), and Sol’s new Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen). Once the ensemble is assembled, a true mystery takes shape with twists and turns. Most importantly, the characters are incredibly well-written, and the ensuing plot is engaging and captivating. However, what is a team without solid opposition? The forces of evil placed in the way of the Jedi on their mission to discover the truth and protect their way of life are equally as captivating in their motivations. By the time the final credits roll on each episode, there is a clear path toward conflict between the mysterious Acolyte pulling all the strings and the Jedi Order, desperate to regain control.
What stands out throughout the first few episodes of the brand-new Star Wars series is the internal conflict bubbling within the Jedi Order. Fans see, in the prequel series, that the manipulation of Palpatine quickly picks apart the Order. However, in an era filled with prosperity, the Jedi should be working as a well-oiled machine, with very few roadblocks on their road to protect the galaxy in the name of the Republic. However, there are a few critical lines uttered by Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson), a character who made her debut in The High Republic novels and comics dating back to 2021, that reveals that the Jedi are not operating with the full cooperation of the Republic. Vernestra, in particular, seems concerned with political enemies, again displaying to fans that Star Wars has always been a franchise seeping into political allegories for the real world.
George Lucas, the creator and godfather of all things Star Wars, has previously acknowledged that he wrote Star Wars because he thought society required myths, but not as a distraction from what was happening. Star Wars is contemporary folklore about the rise and defeat of fascism, and that theme remains even in a series set a hundred years before the beloved films multiple generations have grown up with.
Comparison is the thief of joy. However, with the last few years filled with multiple live-action shows being added to the Star Wars canon via Disney+, it’s hard not to feel the urge to compare the latest installments to its predecessors. While programs like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian carry on the storylines and legacies of the animated Star Wars: Rebels and The Clone Wars, they also set up a future slate of projects, most notably Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s upcoming film The Mandalorian and Grogu. However, in 2023, Andor feels less inclined to set the stage for the future (mainly because we all know the main character’s fate) and instead leans into telling a self-contained story of a rising resistance against a corrupt government body.
In the case of The Acolyte, it appears to be the inverse. The presumed enforcers for all things good in the galaxy are targeted by a mysterious force seeking retribution for the sins committed by the Jedi. Fans have long debated the merits of the Jedi Order and the consequences of its failures. Despite how well-meaning its intentions may be, this series is not shying away from the criticisms thrust upon any militant and governing body.
Moreover, lingering effects will give new context to existing and established films and shows that take place later. Somehow, despite that, the story feels self-contained because it is, and there will be a clear resolution for all of these characters when the dust settles and the finale airs. Until then, Star Wars fans should sit back and enjoy the ride creator Leslye Headland intends to take them on.
The Acolyte is a captivating murder mystery, an engaging political drama, and a vehicle to create a more diverse galaxy that opens the world up and introduces entirely new concepts, factions, and motivations to the Star Wars cinematic universe. There is no wasted motion within the first four episodes, and the cliffhanger leaves the door open for an exciting few weeks of TV. Sticking the landing will be vital to the show’s overall success. However, no matter what the fan reaction is once all is said and done, the momentum created in the months leading to this premiere feels like a particular moment in Star Wars history. It’s a great time to be a fan.
Rating: 10/10
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