The Acolyte 4th June, 2024

[kabuchi7]

I'm not excited for this in the slightest. The trailers looked awful.

 

[monkey_roo]

I'll make my own mind up when I finally get around to watching this (want a few episodes to stack up) - but reviews aren't great....

 

[Cazza]

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Not mindblowing (yet!), but a good start and really refreshing to see something new. High production values, intriguing story, fresh characters. Great soundtrack, too- had one or two little nods previous films. Great seeing the Trade Federation, as well!

My boys and wife really enjoyed it too.

 

[Cazza]

I wouldn't bother with reviews, especially the utter tripe being posted on social media. RT is running at a very high 94% critics, but 43% audience. Give it a proper chance and make your own minds up.

 

[Michael Sith]

I really enjoyed it, storyline looks good, so far so good in my opinion

 

[lejackal]

12 minutes in and turned it off. Very much hoping I'm in the wrong frame of mind. I'll try again later in the week.

 

[Pomse2001]

Well this has been some confusing, first I thought I could watch it yesterday. But then I first could watch it today. I also did some research on the internet about the story and all places I looked, they write the story are beginning in year 132 BBY, but when episode one begins it says 100 years before the rise of the empire, so since the empire are first created in 19 BBY, then this info on the internet must also be wrong and the series begins in 119 BBY I must admit I had hoped to see maybe some characters from the clone wars, but I guess Yoda could be the only one and maybe chewbacca since the rest was not born yet

After watching the first fighting scene, I was beginning to think are this a steven seagal or jackie chan movie, I do not remember this kind of fighting in star wars and it felt wrong. Are this the new modern star wars for the future or should it look like they were just better fighters in 119 BBY than they were in the clone wars and after them ? I remember people talked about the same when episode 1 came out and the answer then was, nearly all jedi was killed so there was no good fighters left, so vader and kenobi was not as good fighters as they were in the clone wars, because they had no one to fight with I can't wait for the answer about how the are even better fighters in this series than they were in the clone wars ?

So far I do not like Yord in the series

But the series are growing on me. I am thinking will we see yoda are he in the jedi council ? will we see chewbacca who is the sith, could he be palpatins master and teacher could palpatine be older than we think, will we see a young palpatine in the series

I think it was sad episode 2 was shorter than episode 1

 

[Mini99]

Um…we will see.
At the moment it's ok.

 

[Grant_C]

Prepare your anus.

The force is female

 

[Pomse2001]

Not much for me to say about episode 3 I really hope episode 4 will be much better. So far I only like Master Sol that is still alive, Indara and Torbin was also great in the series but now they are gone

 

[Mini99]

Ummmm…
The question I keep asking myself is "would I be watching this if it didn't have Star Wars in the title"

 

[monkey_roo]

Must say I almost fell asleep in this episode - the story or rather the back story was utterly dull and added nothing to the overall arch - a real filler and totally not needed.
Nothing wrong with the production or acting etc - the writing was poor or functional at best, just not exciting. A show like SW needs action and/or drama - this episode had neither.

Hopefully back to more of that in EP4

 

[Cazza]

Agreed, it was a little slow and dull. However, I am intrigued with what actually happened to the witches- it clearly wasn't the fire, so was it the Jedi, or are we meant to think that?

Despite this one being a little below par, I am enjoying the freshness to the SW universe.

 

[kabuchi7]

I still haven't got round to watching this yet. I see this morning that Episode 3 is getting slammed atm. Doesn't fill me with much hope

 

[Pomse2001]

Ummmm…
The question I keep asking myself is "would I be watching this if it didn't have Star Wars in the title"

I was thinking the same, would I be watching it if it was not star wars

 

[kabuchi7]

I've watched a few clips of episode 3 today, ...oh my word, wtf is this sh!t. I think i'll pass!!

 

[DarthHamblin]

Just seen episode 3, and much the same. Just a filler episode nothing that hasent been explained in earlier episodes just the actual event is worse than I pictured in my head.

 

[Cazza]

I was thinking the same, would I be watching it if it was not star wars

I'm not sure I would've watched any of the D+ series, if they weren't SW. Maybe Andor.

 

[Hod10]

So this now the 6th live action Star Wars series on Disney+. The only one I like is The Mandalorian

 

[Cazza]

I've liked all of them. Some are way better than others, though. At the end of the day, it's SW on TV. Andor and Mando 1 & 2 are my favs. Jury still out on Acolyte. Let's hope it really picks up the pace, now we know some of the background.

 

[Grant_C]

Milky Way muff divers is peak Star Wars

 

[monkey_roo]

Star Wars or not - this show is turning out to be a steaming pile of Bantha Poo...

Overall the basic plot stands up - seemingly not too complicated but the idea of twins thinking the other was dead and each walking a different path until they come into conflict with each other is quite SW and could be quite compelling... could.

The production values here are pretty good (for $180m they should be) - so visually it is enjoyable - sadly that is where it ends.

The writing and treatment of the characters is utter tosh and the acting is woeful (I suspect that is down to the direction, not the talent) but in places it is unwatchable - how can characters simply not be true to themselves, would Osha really have walked away - why? and how easy was it to get to come along anyway? would Mae really have behaved like that??? - and as for some of the lines - it's like they're just talking to fill space, there's more tension in a week old jelly than this show, which is just turning into a very below par piece of TV that isn't really giving us anything.

That said I am sure I will watch it hoping that the bar raises up - but at this point I really don't think it will.

Also why is this one so short.... I get streaming platforms allow for that, but bearly 30 mins? Again the writers seem to not understand how to write a TV show, how the beats need to work, how to build to story arc's...

Now I'm off to rewatch FireFly - which while 20 years old is still better in every single way...

 

[Cazza]

Actually liked episode 4, much better than 3. Wanted to see Kelnacca in action though. Great cliffhanger.

Don't get me started on Firefly... watched it last year after being badgered by a couple of friends and hated it I was led to believe it was one of the best Sci-Fi series ever and better than BSG Quite like the Serenity film though

 

[Pomse2001]

Episode is so far the best episode in the series. Episode 3 was the worst and should never have been made I do still not like Osha and Mae in the series and really hope they die soon in the series. But master sol are still great in the series. Something I think that is strage are all the jedi looks like they have some kind of uniform. They all have the same cloth. In the clone wars they did not all have the same cloth

 

[Cazza]

This is the High Republic era, where they have the same/similar robes etc.

 

[monkey_roo]

In a word - BAD....

This now has to be the worst SW Disney show of the lot now, if not the worst SW show of all time... The pacing is all over the place, the reveals predictable, the acting (or direction of actors) is close to unwatchable - but the worst thing, by far, is the script.

I have no issue with the overall plot, what little there is - but the writing and character development is sooooo bad, no one has anything to work with. How did this get past quality control, who green lit this and thought 180m was justifiable? Normally I am not so negative towards shows and content given I know how hard it is to create anything, but when you are part of the Star Wars universe, when you have the power and budget of Disney behind you, when you have access to literally anything and everything you could possibly want to make the best show ever and this is what you do with it........ come on.

Anyway only a few more episodes to get through...

 

[monkey_roo]

OK - maybe it is worth contextualising - The Acolyte got $180m to tell its story, which is squarely in the SyFy/Fantasy space and full on Movie Budget Dollars - so it should be judged against other similar shows airing right now, (there are plenty of shows that have been and gone that you could list) - but if you stick to what is new and ongoing today, is the Acolyte better or at least on a par quality wise with any of these (I am sure there are other shows you could add to the list below):

Halo
The Boys
Star Trek Discover
House of Dragons
Outer Range
Doctor Who
Umbrella Academy
The Ring of Power

I think the issue is the quality bar is very, very high and while it is hard to compare some shows as their creative vision is so different, you should be able to judge the overall quality of a show v's another. So how does the Acolyte stack up quality wise (writing, acting, production, direction etc.) v's the best of what is out there today - because SW should be the top of the tree, it is one of the biggest fantasy universe with one of the biggest global fan bases.

New SW shows should be events, should be 'must see TV'. The first two seasons of Mando hit this bar, The Clone Wars and Rebels did the same (for the most part), Andor likewise. The Acolyte???

 

[Cazza]

I really enjoyed this episode, some superb fight scenes. I do agree with your points, to a degree. I think the show runtime also damages it. Would work much better with longer episodes. Last week was only 25-odd minutes, which, for me, really de-values it.

I would like to think there are some significant plot points still to play out.

 

[Grant_C]

The local schools glow stick Christmas pantomime.

This is the bottom of the barrel. **** Disney Star Wars.

 

[Twin30mm]

I can't comment on The Acolyte, as I haven't watched it (and have no intention to), but due to the almost universal derision it's garnering, do you think this could be a turning point for DisneySW?

Out of the last six live-action DSW series, only Andor has come out with any credit (and basically no-one watched that).

Surely, the 'powers that be' have to take action now and do something to stop the rot.

I'm no fan of John Campea, but I agree with a lot of the points he's making here on fixing the IP...