Of all the transmedia audiovisuals that have existed, it is possibly Star Wars-either Star Warsif that’s your preference—the one that has grown the most since that distant May 25, 1977, when his first film hit theaters around the world.
Since then, its canon has grown and was restarted after the acquisition of Disney, but the narrative has never stopped being built in a more or less coherent way through films, series, video games, books and comics, among other formats. Almost half a century after his birth, George Lucas’s “prodigal son” continues to do the same as any good, self-respecting universe and continues to expand frequently.
The most recent work of this franchise is The Acolyte, a series that since last Tuesday, June 4, has presented new episodes every week on Disney+. With three of its eight chapters already released, this new piece of the galactic catalog is located 100 years before the events we learned about in the Episode I: The Phantom Menace (The Phantom Menace 1999) and takes us to know the High Republic, an era during which the Jedi Order experienced its period of greatest power and influence.
Written by Leslye Headland, this proposal presents us with a mystery that includes beings generated through the Force; Jedis with conflicting opinions on what light and darkness are; and above all the appearance of an unknown (at the moment) villain, who, through murky conspiracies and with the traditional red saber of the Sith, promises to put our beloved space warrior monks in check.
Amandla Stenberg plays the adult versions of Osha and Mae Aniseya, twins who were born in Brendok and were separated after a terrible fire that destroyed their family. Lee Jung-Jae, actor recognizable for his role in the series Squid Game (2021), is Sol, a former master of Osha who is sent with his current padawan, Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and the knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett), to investigate the death of the well-known Master Indara (Carrie Ann-Moss).
The first thing we must highlight is that The Acolyte It’s a show with production values worthy of its legacy. The art and costume direction once again gives us luxurious settings and clothing, capable of providing the necessary realism to this tale so full of fantasy.
It is also fair to praise the quality of the practical effects and the wonderful recreation of environments as diverse as the Jedi temple on Coruscant and a temperate forest with all the law, which makes it clear that one of the greatest strengths of the material lies in its effective visuality.
The action and combat scenes are very well put together, despite the fact that on certain occasions certain excesses are seen in the choreography, a fact that detracts from the naturalness of the show.
There are also no major imbalances in the cast, which includes Manny Jacinto (Qimir), Rebecca Henderson (Maestra Vernestra Rwoh), Jodie Turner-Smith (Mother Aniseya), Dean-Charles Chapman (Maestro Tobin) and Joonas Suotamo (Maestro Kelnacca) , all capable of representing each of their alter egos with the right solvency.
From a narrative point of view, the attempt by Headland and his team to provide us with a story with nuances and to show us a more “rich” version of the Jedi than the one published in the prequel trilogy is greatly appreciated. Indara’s death in the first episode makes it clear to us that we will witness something different and that expectations here will not be the same as always. However, eventually the seams come out and the magic fades.
According to what we have seen so far, there is a genuine interest in telling Star Wars from another perspective, as well as to replicate that solemn and adventurous tone that we enjoyed so much in Episodes I, II and III, above all. However, the problems in establishing the tone and the basics of the argument hinder the overall performance of a proposal full of potential virtues.
Although we are facing an attractive approach to Star Wars, The Acolyte is far from emulating the successes and charisma of some predecessors such as The Clone Wars, Andor, The Mandalorian, Rebels and even The Bad Batch.
Although the message is one of the most daring that we have observed in products from this universe, the dialogues are poor and the initial twist of the script is announced more than a herd of elephants on a clear day.
On the other hand, the character of Mae, Osha’s “evil twin,” is, so far, one of the most unlikable and poorly developed antagonists of the franchise. Her childish motivations, in every sense of the word, make her flat and even ridiculous, so much so that next to her Kylo Ren looks like Darth Vader.
With five episodes left to go, you don’t have to be a genius to know that The Acolyte It is unlikely that he will become one of the pillars of the franchise. Her script problems, her simple conflicts and somewhat flat characters make her a candidate for, at most, a very fair pass.
Imperfections aside, we are also not faced with the nonsense that many have insisted on pointing out, using truly absurd arguments such as the appearance of a fat Jedi, the origins of Osha and Mae, and the sexuality of their mothers. The series is salvageable and, by having the basic ingredients that have made this brand so great, it will surely please the majority of fans of Star Wars. This is not a recipe worthy of a Michelin star, but it is far from being “inedible.”
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