Star Wars: The Acolyte (Disney+) (2 Viewers)

[Alex...]

First reactions

Star Wars: The Acolyte First Reactions Call Series "Dynamite"

The Star Wars series is earning rave reviews.

comicbook.com

 

[NeilO]

Just watched the first episode. I'll watch the second later in the week. It was quite good.

After the opening scene

Spoiler: I thought

that the next scene was a flashback and we would be learning how this unassuming woman became this evil force user. Then we find out that we didn't flash back. It is an evil twin. I am intrigued..

I have not looked at any of the publicity for the show. Looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

 

[Greg.K]

Watched both episodes and really liked them.

But the main character’s name just kept making me think “Occupational Safety and Health Administration”.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Viewed the first two episodes moments ago. My overall impression is positive. I like the production design and the idea of showing a slightly earlier era in the SW universe. I am definitely enjoying Lee Jung-jae's portrayal of Master Sol. I think he is absolutely nailing my idea of what a Jedi should feel like in this era. Kudos to the actor, writers, and director for his depiction. I am enjoying the rest of the cast, particularly Dafne Keen, as well.

Like a lot of Star Wars it has a travelogue approach to storytelling with a variety of locations being featured in episodes one and two. Some of the locations felt fairly indistinguishable and I hope the series works at differentiating them more as the series progresses. Not a major criticism, just an area where I think the series could improve; although the final scene of episode two makes me hope that this observation is moot. We'll see when episode three drops.

Absolutely, positively do not read the spoiler if you haven't seen the series yet. My biggest fault with the series so far...

Spoiler

After seeing Carrie Anne-Moss featured prominently in the trailers, her exit from the series after the opening of episode one really left me feeling like the show had performed a bait and switch. I was really looking forward to seeing her in a new series and was left feeling a bit dismayed at her sudden exit. I'll get over it, but I didn't like it.

- Walter.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I really enjoyed the first two episodes too. The Rise of Skywalker really soured me on the whole post-ROTJ era so it's nice to have this show which is completely separate from the Skywalker saga. I also loved the aesthetic of the prequels, TPM especially, so it's nice to get a show set during the height of the old republic.

The big twist regarding who Amandla Stenberg is playing felt very soap opera-y, but at least they laid their cards down on the table in the first episode. Both the Carrie-Ann Moss fight scene in the first episode and the Lee Jung-jae fight scene in the second episode were both pretty spectacular. I appreciated that we weren't expected to believe that this young woman with scattershot training from a hidden Sith was able to go toe-to-toe with a Jedi Master. In both cases, the Acolyte was clearly outmatched and walked away from the fight only because the Jedi Master wasn't trying to kill her.

I'm also a sucker for stories where a group of people were involved in something mysterious and terrible years earlier and are now being picked off one by one.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I also loved the aesthetic of the prequels, TPM especially, so it's nice to get a show set during the height of the old republic.

Agreed. I wouldn't mind seeing an N-1 Starfighter featured in this series (my favorite craft from the prequels) but I have no expectations the series will visit Naboo. So probably not.

- Walter.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Agreed. I wouldn't mind seeing an N-1 Starfighter featured in this series (my favorite craft from the prequels) but I have no expectations the series will visit Naboo. So probably not.

Other than Coruscant, I kind of hope we don't revisit any of the planets from the films. Make the universe feel bigger instead of smaller.

They filmed in England, Wales, and Portugal so I'm hoping for some more varied environments. I also appreciate the old school camera work. Lots of dolly work in these first two episodes.

 

[Museum Pieces]

Man, I haven't seen a live-action Star Wars series as good as these first two episodes since The Mandalorian. Andor was great but it took a few episodes to get there. Right away I could tell the writing was going to be solid, that they respected the source material. So happy to have a potentially good live-action SW series after the deep disappointment of Ahsoka and especially Obi Wan. Really liked this. It was fun, for example, seeing the capitol world decades earlier, how it has changed since then. Lots of thought went into this in a very respectful, credible way. Didn't like what happened to one of the characters early but I think that was the point. Unlike Obi Wan, Ahsoka, or Vader, any of these characters can die at any time. And that makes the drama ten times better, IMO. Not using the Volume shows, for the better.

 

[Greg.K]

Other than Coruscant, I kind of hope we don't revisit any of the planets from the films. Make the universe feel bigger instead of smaller.

They filmed in England, Wales, and Portugal so I'm hoping for some more varied environments. I also appreciate the old school camera work. Lots of dolly work in these first two episodes.

I wouldn't mind brief visits to Naboo or Alderaan. Just no Tatooine, please.

 

[Robert Crawford]

After watching the first two episodes I feel the same way as Walter. I'd enjoyed the episodes but have a hard time believing

Spoiler

two Jedi Masters can be disposed of that easily by a non-Jedi Master.

 

[TravisR]

Agreed. I wouldn't mind seeing an N-1 Starfighter featured in this series (my favorite craft from the prequels) but I have no expectations the series will visit Naboo. So probably not.

- Walter.

I don't think we'll see a Naboo starfighter since it's currently the Mandalorian's ship and they'd probably want to avoid the audience getting confused. Granted, his is a different color so never say never.

After watching the first two episodes I feel the same way as Walter. I'd enjoyed the episodes but have a hard time believing

Spoiler

two Jedi Masters can be disposed of that easily by a non-Jedi Master.

That's the problem with the Jedi. They need to be powerful but not so powerful that they can't be defeated since the show would lose drama and/or high stakes. I guess it's similar to Superman.

 

[Clinton McClure]

They immediately lost my interest when

Spoiler

it became Matrix 5

.

 

[Sam Favate]

Okay, I liked it. It's different enough that I'm not sure what's going to happen and just familiar enough that I feel like we're in the Star Wars universe. I liked the varied locations, even if Coruscant is the only hint of a big civilization we see. Star Wars seems to exist primarily as a series of small villages on distant worlds.

It reminded me a little bit of Star Trek (not a bad thing), like when Sol was told to take a small team and keep it discreet. Also, the snowy planet looked like the kind of place Kirk and Spock would land. I'm a sucker for those kinds of sets.

I also like that the Jedi finally have some different outfits, even if they are only slightly different than what we've seen before. I never really understood how Obi-Wan's robes in A New Hope became the blueprint for all the Jedi when he was supposed to be in hiding!

If this show is going to show the failings of the Jedi and make us have some sympathy for Mae, I haven't seen it yet. I'm rooting for Sol and his team.

BTW, I 100% agree with Walter's spoiler above. I figured this would happen, based on the previews, but I'm not thrilled about it. Maybe there will be flashbacks.

Having grown up with the original trilogy, I envisioned the prequels taking place in a period similar to our own World War II (which is clearly what the Clone Wars was supposed to be), and as such, I thought those films would have had an aesthetic that recalled the 1940s, just as the OT would always remind us of the late 70s-early 80s. But they didn't go that route, so it makes sense that this show would look more like the prequels, and I'm fine with that. A hundred years before Episode I would be roughly analogous to the 1830s, and since Star Wars requires a certain level of technology, it's fine. (But oh, what steampunk Star Wars could have been....)

One failing of Star Wars and so many other franchises (Star Trek, Game of Thrones, you name it) is that each new project is not necessarily linear. There's something to be said for choosing a time period and sticking with it. Otherwise, you're always thinking "wait, this is before that, but after that." Most of the Star Wars shows took place in the Mandalorian time period, although I very much enjoyed Andor and Obi-Wan too.

I'm curious to see where this goes, but I'm glad at least that it is off to a good start.

 

[Walter Kittel]

It reminded me a little bit of Star Trek (not a bad thing), like when Sol was told to take a small team and keep it discreet. Also, the snowy planet looked like the kind of place Kirk and Spock would land. I'm a sucker for those kinds of sets.

I hadn't really thought much about the setting on CARLAC, the snow planet, but I agree that it would have fit right into an episode of Star Trek or Strange New Worlds to name two of the ST series.

- Walter.

 

[Sam Favate]

Based on this poster

Spoiler

I am fairly certain we will be seeing

Spoiler

Indara again, at least in flashbacks. And who knows? Sabine, Reva, and the Grand Inquisitor all survived worse.

 

[NeilO]

Just watched the second episode. I half expected Qimir (Manny Jacinto's character) to pull out a Molotov cocktail and yell "Bortles!" (And in his first acting role as The Master - Blake Bortles!)

Seriously, given how the second Jedi encounter took place, I believe there have to be flashbacks to whatever he is "guilty" about. There is and was definitely more going on than meets the eye.

Looking forward to watching more episodes.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I watch my share of reaction videos on You Tube, sometimes for entertainment, and sometimes to see if I missed something.

One of the things I overlooked; as was noted on one of these videos - Osha and Mae have been separated for over a decade and amazingly they have the same hair style and hair length. Obviously it is for logistical reasons in the production of the show, but what are the odds?

- Walter.

 

[NeilO]

Osha and Mae have been separated for over a decade and amazingly they have the same hair style and hair length. Obviously it is for logistical reasons in the production of the show, but what are the odds?

- Walter.

I was thinking that while watching the second episode last night. Now, a possible explanation is that The Master wanted Osha to be framed in order to initially distract the Jedi and he had been keeping tabs on Osha. So, he nudged Mae to look as similar as possible without her knowing that was what she was doing.

 

[Greg.K]

Obviously it is for logistical reasons in the production of the show, but what are the odds?

Never tell me the odds!

 

[Sam Favate]

Spoiler? Not sure, but just in case…

Spoiler

Why you won’t see Yoda:

Where Is Yoda in The Acolyte? Showrunner Explains Iconic Character's Absence

Where is Yoda in The Acolyte? This is one of the questions that Star Wars fans have been wondering leading up to its release this week.

epicstream.com