The Acolyte is a new Star War, and based on the first two episodes, I like what I’m seeing so far. Here are some non-spoiler thoughts about the setting, characters, and story. The show is set in the time period called The High Republic: 100 years before the prequel movies, during a golden age of peace for the Old Republic. Jedi have established themselves as galactic diplomats and protectors but there are rumblings among the underclass that the peace is built on a lie. In the opening crawl, we learn that there are emerging Force-users that are not Jedi, something we’ve seen a lot already but is presented here as a new idea.
I like this setting. It’s one I’m not that familiar with, not having read any of the novels or comics that have been released to date, so this show is my first exposure to it. The reason that’s built in to the lore as to why Galactic citizens would think only Jedi can use The Force is the ethically-dubious practice of Jedi taking anyone who shows Force sensitivity in to their temple, taking them away from their families and friends. Legalized kidnapping has got to produce a lot of resentment, boiling out there in the billion-billion stars of that Galaxy Far, Far Away (GFFA).
We get to see a mix of Jedi and a handful of regular citizens. The Jedi are space cops, and they’re being led by a politician: Master Venestra, played by Rebecca Henderson, spends a lot of her time on screen shutting down discussion, diverting investigation, and shielding the Jedi from political scrutiny for their role in a crime spree. Luckily for the plot, a rough and clearly emotionally-compromised Jedi by the name of Master Sol (played by international star Jung-Jae Lee) feels motivated to dig deeper, out of guilt and a remorse that is only hinted at in these two episodes.
Backing up Master Sol is Knight Yond (Charlie Barnett) who’s a stiff, by the rules type, but somehow likeable for it, at least to me. His strictness is a weakness but his honesty is a strength. And Yord steams his robes, an act that TikToker Written In The Star Wars has pointed out just leads to a new question about every Jedi: do they steam their robes, or not? Master Venestra would definitely order an underling to steam her robes; Master Sol could not even bring himself to care.
Rounding out the investigative team is Padawan Jecki (Daphne Keen) is curious, competent, and eager; she’s a great help to Sol, Yond, and, eventually, Osha. Jecki might steam her robes for specific purposes.
Sol’s remorse concerns Osha (Amandla Stenberg), a former Jedi student who now takes on dangerous repair work as a meknek for the Trade Federation out in the Corporate Sector. If it’s unusual for anyone with Force sensitivity to escape being taken to the Temple on Coruscant, how more unusual is it for someone to leave the Temple untrained? And did it involve steaming or not steaming her robes? She definitely doesn’t steam her work outfits now.
Her departure from the Jedi Order is where the central mystery lies and I am intrigued. My own thoughts about the Jedi and their place in the history of that GFFA have certainly evolved over time; when I was a kid they were kick-ass religious fighters, but eventually, seeing how the Jedi actual acted in the prequels and main stories, I’ve seen that they were arrogant, stubborn, and duplicitous, preferring to run away and hide than deal with the consequences of their decisions. The Acolyte, so far, looks ready to peel back those layers and show how that Jedi arrogance got its start.
The show looks great, especially the action sequences. As should be expected, the fights and escapes are well-shot, easy to follow, and high-energy. These are trained Jedi at the height of their powers so they fight like the professionals we expect.
I’m looking forward to more, and if you have an interest in a story that’s equal parts action and politics set in a well-developed fantasy setting, you should give it a try, too. It’s streaming on Disney+; new episodes drop every Wednesday in the US.