'The Acolyte' is extremely good, so why are Star Wars fans saying enough is enough
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Acolyte' premiered on June 4, 2024, on Disney+, and right from the first episode it received a backlash with a flurry of negative comments on social media platforms and fans review-bombing the 'Star Wars' series.
Created by Leslye Headland, 'The Acolyte' is based in the High Republic Era when the Jedi Order was at its peak and tells the story of Mae and Osha, twin sisters played by Amandla Stenberg, who find themselves fighting against each other as Mae tries to kill four Jedi Masters to impress a masked figure.
The makers have shown a concerted effort to increase representation and diversity in their show but it seems that the well-intentioned move has drawn the ire of fans who are used to expecting a different kind of content from their favorite 'Star Wars' franchise.
'The Acolyte' faces the wrath of fans online
The show's criticism is centered around the representation and how the characters seem influenced by activism rather than actual storytelling. A Reddit user commented, "Activists can't write. They only see identity, they never bother to look at the person and know their character."
A Reddit user criticized the entire Disney narrative by saying "What is the relationship between Disney and lesbian space witches? Didn't they go this route with Dr Strange and America Chavez's lesbian space witches? It's like a narrative they are trying to push that men aren't needed for reproduction." Another Reddit user added, "Why do these particular things keep being focused on? It’s really distracting when you can tell every character on screen is just there to tick a box so people won’t get mad on Twitter."
Some users went above and beyond activism to legitimately critique the writing of the show. A Reddit user said, "I don't understand why with such high budgets they can't hire actual talented writers/showrunners/directors." Another Reddit user commented, "I watched Ep 2 last night, and i genuinely don’t know if i can do a third. It is like the dialogue and acting were pulled out of a 13-year-old’s fan script they want to do for the school talent contest."
The backlash online seems to be due to a considerable shift in the storytelling that fans of the franchise are used to.
'The Acolyte' scores high viewership
The move to be more inclusive seems to have worked for the makers despite its backlash. The series has become widely watched as the fans flocked to their TV screens to watch its premiere making it the biggest premiere of the year for Disney+.
The premiere of 'The Acolyte' drew 4.8 million views on the opening day reaching 11.1 million views globally in its first 5 days of streaming, as per The Walt Disney Company.
However, with bad reviews, we might see a drop in viewership with the next few episodes as fans may not continue watching the rest of the series.
How to stream 'The Acolyte'?
'The Acolyte' Episodes 1-3 are streaming on Disney+ with new episodes expected to drop every Tuesday. To watch the show, you will need a Disney+ Subscription.
To stream 'The Acolyte', you'll need a subscription to Disney+. The basic membership plan with ads costs $7.99/month while the premium plan (with no ads) comes at $13.99/month or $139.99/year.
'The Acolyte' trailer
'The Acolyte' Episodes 1-3 are streaming on Disney+.
