The Acolyte has been dragged across the coals as one of the worst Star Wars stories of all time. While Mainstream reviewers have given the show nothing but glowing ratings, independent creators and fans alike have a far worse opinion. On Rotton Tomatoes, the audience score is currently 14%. Now, the truth is that there are a number of reasons for this low score. Obviously, we do need to address the identity politics. However, there is a more important issue to address and that is the actual story. To be clear, I am using the word story very loosely, as there is almost none.
For the sake of being honest, I have completed checked out of Star Wars a long time ago. After the Sequal movies, I watched the Hans Solo movie and that was where I ended things. It was clear that things would never return to normal again. While the Mandalorian gave me a sense of hope after reading the reviews, I never got into it. Looking back, I am glad I did not. All of this brings me to The Acolyte. I do not know why but I am a sucker for a bad story. When I first heard how horrible it was, there was only one logical choice. Watch all available episodes.
At this point, there is nothing that I can add that has not already been said by countless other YouTubers. There is no flow to the story. The main villain makes no sense, and neither does her back story, mission, or motives. The entire show simply feels like the writers just wanted to insert their own ideals and beliefs into a once-beloved franchise.
The Acolyte Vs. Everyone
At its core, it is easy to dismiss all the criticism as everyone simply being racist and sexist. Sadly that is what is happening. It is funny how these racists and sexists never show their heads for series like Fallout and House of The Dragon. The truth is that including morals and messages in series and movies has always been a standard practice. However, there was a time when those messages used to be timeless morals that everyone could get behind. Things like perseverance, succeeding despite your background, and hard work always pay off. This used to be what fans could expect to see.
It is a classic message that everyone can support. Yet, somewhere along the line, the plot changed to social messages. We simply know it as identity politics. The Acolyte is riddled with them. Now, before people start yelling or screaming, I do not care about lesbians or black people being represented in TV shows. If I look at how well people have scored in series like Fallout and House of The Dragon, neither have most other people. There has always been one simple rule from fans. As long as your story is good, no one will care what you do.
Sadly, the Acolytes are not good, and thus, they cannot get away with inserting their own personal issues. I am hesitant to talk about these social politics too much because if you do, it is easy for people to dismiss all the valid criticism as you simply did not like the show because you are some sort of Racist or Sexist. While I usually simply ignore that type of nonsense, I do not want to give anyone an out. With that, let’s talk about Lesian Space Witches.
The Lesbian Space Witches Of The Acolyte
Let’s start with the showrunner. Her name is Leslye Headland, and she credits herself with creating the gayest Star Wars Yet. However, many feel that her role as a showrunner is not very deserved as she got her start as Harvey Weinstein’s assistant. Obviously, I am not suggesting that she had a hand in his crimes, but some believe that if you know powerful people in the business, you can also get more opportunities. However, I will give her a pass on this criticism. To work yourself up from assistant to showrunner for one of the biggest IPs in the world is quite impressive.
I only wish that she could have done a better job with the writing. Despite what some people think, your sexuality is not a plot line. If you are going to advertise your show based on how gay it is instead of how good the story is, then we are in for a rough ride. Now, a lot has been made about the all-women Witch Cabin that many refer to as Lesbian Space witches. The creator of the show takes quite the expectation of this framing.
In an interview, she stated, “They’re in a matriarchal society. As a gay woman, I knew it would read that their sexuality is queer, but there also aren’t any men in their community. So a closeness between the two of them would be natural. It seemed plot-driven.” “I would say it’s really reductive to call them lesbians. I think it means you’re not really paying attention to this story.”
Conclusion
Despite all the talk about the show’s queerness, it comes down to one thing: the story is simply not good. Anything else is a secondary issue. Now, I will add this: Making the force female was always going to upset people. Star Wars has always had a majority male-dominated fan base, and there is nothing wrong with that. I do not think that they are trying to appeal only to men, but sometimes these things just happen. Barbie has a majority female audience. If you now just start inserting men in that IP in order to attract a new audience, you will start to upset the existing one.
It does not mean that you are trying to keep anyone away from the fan base. It just means that it is how the story was written, and based on that, a certain sex was attracted to the story. Of course, women, black people, and gay people should feel welcome in the fandom. However, writing subpar stories with a majority queer female cast is not the way you should be going about things. If you want more representation, the least you can do is find competent writers who actually respect the IP to come in and create a story that focuses on quality over sexuality. Once you have done that, you can cast more diverse leads.
I will say it again. Just look at Fallout and House of The Dragon. However, I will also say this once again. Not everything has to include everyone. Sometimes, it is okay to just tell your story and cast who you want. If the leads happen to be men, then that is also fine. If this leads to a male-dominated fanbase, then that is also acceptable.
Epilogue
Not everything has to be changed in order to have equal representation. Again, it does not mean we alienate others, it just means that the story is the story. Maybe instead of making Star Wars Gay and female, we create a new show with new lore and let the old IPs rest. If we are going to continue with the old IPs, at least cast writers and Directors who prioritize story and lore over race and sexuality. Star Wars does not have to be white or male or straight. However, I will argue that it at least has to be good.