Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1.
The Acolyte‘s first season may be over, but debate still rages over the Disney+ Star Wars series’ overall quality. Is it the best thing ever or the franchise’s worst misstep yet?
My own evaluation falls somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed The Acolyte‘s first two episodes; subsequent installments felt a bit hit-and-miss. I’m not desperate for Season 2, but I’ll definitely tune in when (or if) it arrives. This moderate stance is the definition of uncontroversial, however, it’s downright incendiary to the vocal contingent of the audience who hate The Acolyte with a fervor that would make a Sith Lord blush. So, why do they loathe the show so much?
There are a bunch of reasons, some arguably more valid than others. But one I keep coming back to is that The Acolyte is built on subverting audience expectations, and this has pros and cons.
Was Star Wars Subversive Before the Acolyte?
While Star Wars is an inherently underdog-oriented franchise, it typically plays things safe. The Rebels and the Resistance may want to upend the status quo in front of the camera, but the filmmakers behind it want people leaving satisfied. That’s not to say Star Wars is entirely subversion-free. You could argue that The Empire Strikes Back‘s big “I am your father” reveal was a subversive flourish. Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker’s dad? A game-changer.
Yet it’s ultimately just a plot twist. Sure, it’s thrilling, but it doesn’t cause any disconnect between the story you were (or think you were) promised and the one you got. The Empire Strikes Back, along with almost every other Star Wars outing, is still a fantasy/sci-fi/Western mash-up that follows an archetypal “hero’s journey” formula, regardless of who Luke’s old man is. Our heroes and villains and their respective arcs play out exactly as we expect they will.
For its near entire 47-year histoSTRry, Star Wars has avoided rocking the boat.
The Last Jedi: Star Wars’ First Truly Subversive Outing
I say “nearly” because the 2017 flick The Last Jedi was wildly subversive. Even with its trailers heavily foreshadowing The Last Jedi‘s curveballs, few moviegoers were fully prepared for what writer-director Rian Johnson had in store for them. A bitter, dejected Luke, whose arc is about making peace with failure. Protagonist Rey discovers she’s the product of deadbeat parents, not space royalty. Dashing pilot Poe learning to rein in his flyboy machismo. Overarching antagonist Supreme Leader Snoke unceremoniously bumped off at the halfway point. Not many Star Wars devotees had developments like these on their Last Jedi bingo cards.
Now, you can (and almost certainly do) debate the merits of Johnson’s movie. Heck, the fierce backlash against The Last Jedi from some corners of the Star Wars fanbase prompted Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams to roll back its more polarizing aspects in the decidedly un-subversive Rise of Skywalker. But there’s no denying that The Last Jedi‘s “burn it down” approach struck a chord with plenty of viewers, even as it alienated plenty more. Like the Force itself, subversive storytelling is equal parts good and bad, and, to paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, whether you appreciate it depends on your point of view.
How The Acolyte Subverts Audience Expectations
This brings us to The Acolyte, which is arguably the first Star Wars project to mess with audiences since The Last Jedi. Over the course of a single season, the show kills off Carrie-Anne Moss’ Indara almost immediately, axes the franchise’s first-ever live-action Wookiee Jedi not long after, introduces an (intentionally) easy-to-pick “mystery” baddie, and downplays the Sith in favor of semi-vilifying the Jedi Order. These are some massive swings, and that’s without getting into stuff like Force vergences and Jedi martial arts. So, props to showrunner Leslye Headland for taking risks.
At the same time, some audience criticism of The Acolyte‘s subversive storytelling ring true. Jettisoning an actor of Moss’ caliber in Episode 1’s cold-open does feel like a wasted opportunity (even if she returns for flashbacks). The same goes for teeing up a Wookiee Jedi only for him to die—off-screen, no less—with a brief flashback fight our only consolation prize. And intentional or not, obvious “mysteries” never work, while the show’s Jedi Order revisionism is ultimately undercooked.
Subverting Audience Expectations Is a Double-Edged Laser Sword
This doesn’t mean The Acolyte‘s subversive storytelling is a failure for the audience. A lot of folks love the show, and (like The Last Jedi) it’s generated plenty of discussion about Star Wars‘ future. That’s probably the biggest pro of subversive storytelling. It shocks and provokes, forcing us to reconsider our understanding of a property or genre and share our findings with others. (Admittedly, the tenor of this discourse may not always be constructive, but that’s a topic for another day.) What’s more, subversive storytelling keeps us on our toes. Zigging where other Star Wars tales would zag—killing that character, signposting that reveal, vilifying that organization—is refreshing, if done right.
Of course, you can stress-test a franchise like Star Wars past its breaking point. Is Star Wars still Star Wars once you’ve flipped and twisted everything about it? Sometimes there’s value in playing the hits and giving people what they want. Subversion be damned: Chekov’s Wookiee must mix it up with a lightsaber. And (as noted above), something isn’t automatically brilliant just because it’s unexpected or contrarian. Nor is it instant trash for that same reason, either. Execution is what matters, and here, The Acolyte sometimes struggles. Sometimes, but not always.
So, perhaps we can all agree The Acolyte is neither the best nor worst thing to carry the Star Wars label? Now that would be subversive.
All eight episodes of The Acolyte Season 1 are currently streaming on Disney+.
Published: Jul 22, 2024 10:22 am