So I'm new to Star Wars.
Jamie is a massive fan and so I'm aware of a fair bit of lore and I have seen the odd Star Wars movie prior to our relationship, but I've decided to take a proper look into it this year.
I've got a load of projects lined up for 2026 and I'm trying to link them in with one another so it is easier for me not to abandon things when I've got too much on my plate. But this is the truth of ADHD my friends, you've just got to deal with my absences as something else catches my eye and I decide I want to start my own crochet business only to lose interest after I've made 120 keyrings (sorry Jamie, they'll probably live under the bed forever).
Anyway, the reason I mention my other projects is because with any luck, if I am successful in my endeavours, you'll be seeing me be a bit more active here. I'll be reading a bit more thanks to a new side project on our history blog and so I'll begin giving the reviews of said books here and thus link them together and whatnot. As a couple we've also agreed to go to the cinema again at least once a week and get a routine in place as I find it easier to then default back to it when chaos ensues. So hopefully this blog will soon be awash with new content as I navigate the new year.
So back to Star Wars. Leading up to Christmas I was bored and I wanted to start to delve into other worlds and reclaim the geek in me. What better world to start in than the one my partner gravitates in frequently? So I googled where to start as I wanted to do it in chronological order so I could see the SW universe unfold in front of me, and that led me to The Acolyte.
Now this show has got an awful lot of hate from the die hard Star Wars fans, but as someone who is new to the community I had no issues with it. Obviously I did pick up on a few plot holes and Jamie was pleased I noticed these, but they weren't the ones that led back to the wider universe, these holes were centred within this show itself. I found out the bigger plot holes later.
The Acolyte follows Osha, a young woman who was born a witch but wanted to be a Jedi. We see the conflict this causes between her and her twin and ultimately her family as she goes on to take the Jedi path. However, we also then learn of the Sith once her sister, Mae, returns. The Acolyte then navigates the thin line between the Jedi way and everything else and how two sisters, who aren't actually sisters, are able to bring everything crashing down for the Jedi.
What I have learnt from watching this show is that it is absolutely pointless to the wider story as it was cancelled before it could actually mean anything. I have no idea why it means so much that one consciousness was split into two bodies or why any of this mattered to begin with. It looks as though this was to set up how Anakin was supposedly made and to introduce Darth Plagueis in some way, but honestly who knows.
I did actually find myself quite invested though. I binged watched this across two days in between customers as I wanted to know if Osha would be tempted by the dark side and where The Strangers' story would lead us. I was a bit disappointed that Osha gave in so easily and that after the introduction of The Stranger he took a step back from the story. I'm gutted that we will never find out who he is, but the fanbase led to the cancellation and it is what it is. But I really enjoyed the story even though it went nowhere, it became an interesting stand alone series and a gateway into the wider story as I'm quite interested into where this goes from here.
My only bug bares is the fact Yord said he didn't know Mae existed and that Osha had a twin, but then a few episodes later he tells Osha that ever since he's known her he's known Mae has always been her weakness. That doesn't sit right with me, nor that the Jedi let Osha train knowing full well she would never be a Jedi. I know they didn't want to crush her dreams, but they broke the rules getting her and making her Sol's Padawan to begin with, there was no reason to not go further with it. I digress.
I enjoyed the cinematography of this show, although I found the lighting to be a bit dark in times it never needed to be. When a Lightsaber is about to be lit then fine I understand, but when Osha is lying in the middle of the forest and we are about to pan over to the battle, no. I liked how the story flowed and that they waited til the third episode for the flashback. I liked that the Witches were seen as strong and powerful and that they were all diverse. The only thing I didn't like aside from the errors I've pointed out that I noticed, was the fact as we dissolved into another scene it felt like I was back at school directing a powerpoint presentation. It reminded me of the older Batman series and it didn't fit in here, we didn't need the scene to dissolve into a circle, we just wanted to move on normally. It was the fact it wasn't always the case that made it worse for me. We glided through scenes beautifully until suddenly there's the effect. Nah.
Overall I am awarding The Acolyte a 7/10. I really enjoyed everyone's dedication to the show and Manny Jacinto was an amazing villain, I really want more. The CGI and the make up was brilliant as always and I felt really drawn into this story and the SCI-FI of it all, but I'm just a bit sad that it is going nowhere. Will I pursue Star Wars? Possibly, watch this space I guess, but in the meantime stay tuned for the literature I am about to consume as well as all the random TV shows I've been meaning to post about. TTFN
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