Star Wars exemplifies the best and worst of what Hollywood has to offer. Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars project, The Acolyte, brings in to focus what really works and Disney studio executives should take notice if the watch numbers and social media buzz for the show continues. (Yes, I’m aware of the folks that hate anything Disney or Kathleen Kennedy produces.) It’s no secret that Hollywood is struggling to find a winning formula for both television and theater screens that can bring in revenue for each studio. Disney has even struggled with Star Wars since they purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012. While they’ve had some great hits in the past, The Acolyte is only one of two shows from a galaxy far, far away that feels refreshing and different. (Andor is the other one.)

The Acolyte provides familiar places, but new faces

What has made film and TV successful over the years has changed. For years people would seek out their favorite movie stars or directors. Put Marlon Brando or Bette Davis in a picture. Is it a Steven Spielberg film? You could guarantee a minimum at the box office. While some of that still exists with exceptions like Zendaya and Christopher Nolan, the majority of Hollywood’s stars are now just interesting trivia to add to IMDB.

For a few years, audiences were sold on characters. Put anyone in the batsuit and the next Batman film will be great. Spider-Man? We’ve had at least 3 actors play him in live-action. More if you count the animated stuff too.

What I believe works for The Acolyte isn’t its stars or characters. At least not at first. What sells it is the setting. When the original trilogy was introduced, we were shown a far-off mystical place that was rich with religion, politics, and social structure. What makes Star Wars fascinating is not that it’s the hero’s journey; there are a ton of those stories out there. Star Wars works because of how everything in the background interacts with our main characters. When Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan walk into that cantina, you get a sense of history. It’s a long-standing dive that someone like Luke Skywalker sticks out in.

The Acolyte brings us back to familiar places. We get to explore this world on screen again. It is a treat to see the cityscape of Coruscant and how it differs over the years, while also finding ourselves in new places with new customs.

Leaving behind the legacy

When The Mandalorian launched with Disney+ in 2019, it felt like something had finally changed with Star Wars. We’d spent decades talking about Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. With a setting like “a galaxy far, far away” it struck me as odd that we were constantly focusing on the same group of characters every single time. Then it unfortunately fell back on familiar characters. It was like Rogue One all over again. A fresh crop of characters doing something new with a world that was expanding into unique stories got bombarded with legacy characters in order to remind us all that this is still Star Wars.

Setting The Acolyte during the High Republic era almost guarantees a lack of on-screen legacy characters. (I haven’t read the books but Geekritique has a great overview of the characters of the High Republic.) We can forget about Han Solo’s fuzzy dice or how Leia climbed the political ladder. This is an opportunity to feature new characters. It’s a chance to understand more cultures. We get to see this world we are familiar with through a different point of view. It makes the familiar new again. Who doesn’t love feeling like they are seeing something again for the first time?

Emotional investment creates deeper connections

Even the biggest George Lucas fans can understand that screenwriting and directing were not his strong suit. He’s a great world-builder and knows a good idea when he sees it though. His characters are usually without emotion. Both the Sith and Jedi feel like religious cults in that way. One of the benefits The Acolyte is bringing to the table is emotion. The Jedi are a group of people who aren’t perfect. Thanks to a cast filled with younglings, padawans, and masters, we get a sense of relationship within the system. The story being dominated by padawans makes this feel like a teen drama filled with raw emotions. After the 2-episode premiere, there are a bunch of characters, both good and bad to be invested in. They’ve already given you a reason. As we march into the ongoing season, I can only imagine that emotional investment will grow.

Master Jedi Sol feels much more compassionate than any other Jedi before him. He feels like the kind of teacher you want in school. His association with both Mae and Osha feels layered. When getting through the first episode, it is easy to understand his connection to the twin sisters. Mae and Osha have different emotional attachments to him. It’s on their faces, what they say, and how they interact with Sol.

Can the Acolyte lead the way?

Only time will tell if both audiences and executives react well to Lucasfilm’s newest Star Wars installment. Initial response seems mixed but I’m hopeful that the pre-show release discourse turns to praise with each new episode. There are signs that The Acolyte could light the spark for what Star Wars fans across generations have been looking for. The show seems like a good mix of the adult drama that was Andor and the fun of classic Star Wars. Just keep Luke Skywalker out of it!

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