Throughout Star Wars lore there are many apprentices. One might say a Padawan is a perfect example and we all know there are plenty of those in the numerous movies, TV shows, graphic novels, etc. in the Galaxy. However, Disney+ is now offering an alternative with their new limited series called The Acolyte. What might that be, you wonder? Well, if you look up the meaning of an acolyte, you find the following definitions: a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession; an assistant or follower. Having seen the first four episodes, I can tell you the description fits the premise of the show perfectly.
When we meet Osha (Amandla Stenberg; The Hate U Give) she is working on a cargo ship that is boarded by Jedi Masters. The Jedi are there to arrest her for the murder of a Jedi named Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss; The Matrix Series). Insisting she is not guilty; she is still sent to the Jedi central location to stand trial. However, on the way there the transport she is in crashes, and while she looks for shelter, she sees an image of her deceased twin sister, Mae. Discovering Mae is alive, it soon becomes apparent who killed Indara.
Stenberg is a smart casting choice, as she is a terrific actor and does a great job playing two, identical sisters with very different agendas. Lee Jung-Jae (Squid game) portrays Osha's former Jedi Master, Sol, as she had once been a trainee in the ways of "the force". Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim) plays the twins' mother and the leader of a coven of witches. Charlie Barnett (Chicago Fire) is Yord Fandar, a Jedi Master and former friend of Osha, and Dafne Keen (Logan) is Sol's current Padawan. Together this ensemble works well to create a completely immersive world.
Of course, with anything Star Wars, there are always special effects including odd creatures, ships flying through space at warp speed, no less, and light sabers used during fight sequences. These effects are decent for the most part with the occasional slip up such as when Osha frees another prisoner from a parasite rendering him immobile. As the creature flies off his face the special effects are obvious which is distracting and takes the viewer out of the moment. Yet other scenes, such as a giant, flying, forest bug, are well done and unique.
While a part of the Star Wars saga, The Acolyte takes place one hundred years before Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace so it takes the audience further back than ever before and depicts a time when the Jedi were thriving and the Sith don't yet exist. However, Mae (who I can only assume is considered the Acolyte) has a dark master who has trained her like a Jedi but whose face she has never seen. This fact, at least at this point, brings up numerous questions that will hopefully be answered by the end of the limited series. Who is this dark master? What do they want with Mae? How does the witches' coven play into the force and the realm of the Jedi and the future "Empire"?
The basic themes of The Acolyte have their origins in the Star Wars world, but it is definitely its own entity. This makes the show both familiar and unique at the same time which helps keep the audience interested. The various questions asked are also a draw as one will most likely want to find out the answers and see what other questions those answers might raise.
The Acolyte brings a fresh, new, and exciting dimension to the "Star Wars Verse" that hopefully will continue for a second season.
Grade: B
