Starring Amandla Stenberg as Osha Aniseya and her sister Mae, The Acolyte followed the twins’ estranged journeys after being split up as children and eventually reuniting amid a dark plot involving several Jedi murders, and also features a new Sith Lord known only as the Stranger (Manny Jacinto). While certain elements were worth their share of criticism, the show’s diverse cast and female leads also generated unacceptable levels of intolerance and toxicity (before the show had even begun streaming). Keeping that in mind, an Acolyte cancelation was always a concern, but it’s no less devastating considering how much I had been looking forward to a potential Acolyte season 2.
The Acolyte Finally Introduced The Live-Action Darth Plagueis
I Was So Excited About The Sith’s High Republic Future
One of the things I was most looking forward to in future seasons of The Acolyte was seeing more of live-action Darth Plagueis, the Sith master of Palpatine himself. Making a brief cameo lurking in the shadows in The Acolyte’s finale, it would have been fascinating to learn more about his activities during this era 100 years before The Phantom Menace. After all, the show did feature an entire plot regarding the twins’ unique conception via midi-chlorian manipulations, a power Plagueis himself was said to have had.
Having been killed by his apprentice either just before or during the beginnings of the Skywalker saga, Darth Plagueis had never been seen on-screen prior to his appearance in The Acolyte’s finale. As such, it made me very excited to see where showrunner Leslye Headland might have taken the Sith Lord next, considering his clear fascination with Osha and/or Qimir, as well as what he had been doing at a time with the Sith were believed to have been extinct and were working solely in the shadows. Now, it’s very unlikely that Plagueis will be seen again with The Acolyte’s cancelation, unless certain elements are retooled into some other project (which feels doubtful).
It Honestly Felt Like Season 1 Laid The Groundwork For The Sith
Future Seasons Had So Much Potential
Ignoring the blatant intolerance, racism, and toxic elements that emerged from darker corners of the Star Wars fandom, The Acolyte did have several problems and flaws. Execution of certain ideas were lacking, there were several issues with the writing regarding a few character motivations and decisions, as well as the construction of the overall show and its use of flashbacks. However, the true tragedy regarding The Acolyte’s first season was that everything it was setting up sounded far more interesting and exciting…and now it’s more than likely gone.
There was undeniable potential regarding an Acolyte season 2. Qimir and Osha were set up to be a new Sith duo, while Plagueis was lurking in the shadows as a likely rival to their rise to power. At the same time, the Jedi Order’s cover-up was established by Vernestra and likely Yoda himself, while also having connections to Qimir. The Order’s tensions with the Republic Senate were bound to grow into some fascinating spaces as well. However, I’m deeply saddened that these ideas set up in The Acolyte season 1 will likely be left unrealized (especially because they sound far more intriguing than the first season).
Manny Jacinto’s Sith Lord Deserved The Chance To Shine
The Stranger Was The Best Part Of The Acolyte
Manny Jacinto’s The Stranger aka Qimir was the best part of The Acolyte. His acting was incredibly dynamic, as well as the impressive choreography and lightsaber sequences, such as his brutal victory over multiple Jedi during his full Sith debut. Jacinto’s training and dedication was well-documented, having been inspired by training videos of none other than Hayden Christensen during the filming of the prequels. Having had the chance to briefly meet the actor at D23 just last week, I can personally say that Manny Jacinto has great love and enthusiasm for his Sith role he clearly put a lot of effort into.
Now, The Acolyte’s cancelation was unfortunately announced on Manny Jacinto’s birthday (which feels like an oversight and some brutal salt in the wound). That said, if any one character from The Acolyte deserves to have some sort of future in the Star Wars galaxy, my hope is that is would and should be The Stranger. At any rate, time will tell if Lucasfilm will try to salvage anything from The Acolyte (and there are things that should be salvaged). It would be a travesty if the decision is made to leave the High Republic Era behind altogether outside the books and comics.
All episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.
