Summary
Star Warshas decided not to renewThe Acolytefor a second season, but it isn’t because the show ‘went woke.‘The Acolytewas the most recent addition toStar Warsmovies and TV shows, and although it thrillingly introduced a new era oftheStar Warstimelineon-screen, it was met with very mixed reception from the beginning. In fact, many ofThe Acolyte’scontroversiesbegan before the show even premiered. Because of that,there was significant speculation about whether the show would continue after the first season.
Many believed that the show would be renewed not only becauseThe Acolytefinaleleft a number of mysteries hanging in the balance but also becauseThe Acolyte’sshowrunner, Leslye Headland, heavily teased a second season in interviews. Now, with the news thatThe Acolyteis not returning for another season, there has come rampant speculation that it was the show’s supposed ‘wokeness’ that led to its poor performance. However,The Acolytehad several legitimate issues, and none of them had to do with diversity.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 2: Cancelation, Franchise Future, & Everything We Know
Will The Acolyte season 2 happen, and if it does then what’s next for this ultimate Star Wars prequel? Here’s everything we know to date!
It Wasn’t Clear Whose Story The Acolyte Was
The Acolytehad a very promising start. Initially, it seemed to be aStar Warsmystery centered on twin sisters—one on the dark side, and one on the light. Although the franchise clearly already has very prominent twins as main characters, this felt genuinely new, as the story would presumably see the sisters in opposition to one another. In part, this was true. In fact,The Acolyte’stwo-episode premiere seemed to confirm that this was precisely the story the show would tell.
The Acolytehad a very promising start.
However,after the first few episodes ofThe Acolyte, it became difficult to identify who the true main character was. Following the premiere, the show began to focus in nearly equal measure on Master Sol, Qimir/the Stranger, and Vernestra Rwoh. While, yes, any show will include a host of characters,The Acolytefelt torn between them. Each of the major characters seemed to have their own backstory, motivations, and narrative arc, which became too much to cover in the very brief eight-episode season.
HadThe Acolyteidentified just Mae and Osha as the main characters (or even Qimir or Sol, respectively), the story could have been much more focused and fleshed out and may therefore have been more successful. In truth, any one of these characters could have made for a fascinating TV show. Arguably, Qimir stole the show quite a bit followingThe Acolyteepisode 5, which suggests that he may have worked better asThe Acolyte’strue lead. After all,the show was also billed as a Sith story, and Qimir was the closestThe Acolytecame to keeping that promise.
The Major Reveals Took Too Long
The Acolytereceived complaints about pacing issues from the very beginning, although ‘pacing’ can be a difficult thing to quantify. However, it is true that some of the show’s major plot twists and reveals took too long to maintain interest and excitement over them. A key example of this problem was the witches of Brendok. While the fate of Osha and Mae’s coven was intriguing following the first two episodes,The Acolyteended up dedicating two entire episodes of the show just to uncovering what happened to the witches from different points of view.
To put that into perspective, in its eight-episode season,The Acolytededicated a quarter of its episodes just to revealing what had taken place on Brendok. In a show that was trying to accomplish so much with so many different characters, it simply didn’t make sense for this much time to be dedicated to this reveal. In fact, the entire second episode about the witches of Brendok was largely unnecessary; it was already fairly clear from context clues that the Jedi were culpable, and brief flashbacks could have worked just as well if not better.
The witches of Brendok mystery was not the only one that took too long, however. In fact, one of the most massive reveals of the show was given only a few brief seconds of screen time in the show’s final episode. Specifically, inThe Acolytefinale, Darth Plagueis had a wonderfully disturbing cameo, confirming that he had been the true Sith master in the shadows all along. Sadly, that went unexplored in the first season, and it doesn’t seem that story will ever be told in light ofThe Acolyte’scancelation.
11 Unanswered Questions & Star Wars Mysteries Left After The Acolyte’s Cancelation
Star Wars is officially not renewing The Acolyte for a second season, and this cancelation means that major questions from the show may go unanswered.
The Acolyte Leaned Too Heavily On A Second Season
Ultimately,The Acolytesuffered most from relying on a second season. This is clear not only in that staggering number of cliffhangers present inThe Acolytefinale but also in interviews with showrunner Leslye Headland, who, when asked about the first season, frequently explained that the question would be addressed or further explored if the show was picked up for season 2. Unfortunately, that strategy simply didn’t work. In fact,everything teased for season 2 should have been the story ofThe Acolyteall along.
The Acolytesuffered most from relying on a second season.
This show was a massive opportunity for the franchise, as it was a brand-new era forStar Warsto explore in live-action and could therefore introduce countless new characters and storylines. However, the aspects ofThe Acolytethat had viewers most excited, such as the appearance of Darth Plagueis and the growing darkness threatening the Jedi, were pushed off for a second season that, now, seemingly won’t ever come. In truth,The Acolytedid have issues that likely pushedStar Warsto not renew the show, but none of them had anything to do with diversity.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
