Mini Series "The Acolyte" Season 1 Discussion (Spoilers Allowed)

Watched both episodes last night, and so far I'm liking what I'm seeing. I did feel that the cinematography seemed to be somewhat off early in the first episode, but it wasn't long before it started to look like the Star Wars I know and love. I was surprised to see

Spoiler

Carrie-Anne Moss's character killed off so soon!

I'm definitely interested in where things are going, and hey, it's an era we haven't seen on screen yet. One of my main complaints in recent years is how over the Imperial era I am. It's nice to see things pre-Phantom Menace.

I do have to say I'm not a big fan of Yord, though I'm not sure we're supposed to like him very much. Too self assured, and personally his hair style just reminds me of the the guys in high school who would spike their hair and pop their collars.

 

It was interesting tracking my wife’s reaction last night to the reveal related to Amandla’s characters. She hasn’t seen the promotional materials indicating Amandla was playing two characters. Which shouldn’t require a spoiler tag here, I don’t think, since it was confirmed by her on the press circuit.

At first she was disappointed and asked me “Who are we supposed to be rooting for in this because I’m not sure I can root for this character” (After the opening scene).

Then we had to take our dog out for a pee midway through the first episode when she’s on the ship as we are just getting to know her a little more and I asked my wife what she thought and she thought maybe it was a split personality situation similar to Moon Knight or a situation where someone with the dark side was controlling her mind and she wasn’t aware. Perhaps because we finished X-Men 97 where that was a plot point. That indicated to me that Amandla had done a good job showcasing very different energies into each role because she’d rarely spent time with the Mech character and believed that she was truly nicer and genuine just form small differences in performance.

Even though the twin stuff is almost a cliche within Star Wars and mysteries now she hadn’t considered it until they mentioned she had a sister and then she immediately pieced it together. To be fair, there’s no reason to assume someone has a twin when it hasn’t even been established they had a sibling. I think it’s probably for the best they took that approach and didn’t try to keep casual fans guessing on what my wife was considering for too long. The show doesn’t need that and I was glad they also didn’t drag out too long that the Jedi suspected it was her.

 

I think the meditating Jedi is an example of what happens when instead of dealing with "feelings, attachments, regrets, etc." you suppress them. Whatever these four Jedi did to Mae/Osha must have been seriously unJedi if Master Torbin spent 16 years wait for the opportunity to kill himself. You think the Jedi would have a better handle on mental health.

 

I mean i i care about critics loving it as that means it gets more attention then the supposed fans on RT.

 

Watched the first two episodes. I'd say I am in the "wait and see, not too bad" camp.

While SPOILERS are allowed, I am a bit of a stickler about not ruining things, so...

Spoiler

I thought Carrie Anne-Moss got taken out way way way too easy - the "attack the bartender as a distraction" thing was uber-telegraphed and obvious.

I'm assuming that the meditating Jedi hasn't been meditating for his entire "vow of silence", right? Regardless, I have a hard time buying that this guy has been so wracked with guilt that he commits suicide in thirty seconds, and this went entirely unnoticed all this time. I am sure some will suggest this is another example of how the Jedi have lost touch with the Force, but... no one detected a hint of THAT level of guilt in all this time? Felt weird. Very.

 

People often miss what is said and done in TV shows due to preconceptions about cinematic storytelling. Instead of openly watching and listening, many people are filling things in based on past viewing experiences.

 

The show is growing on me. I think I like it better than Ahsoka now.

 

The problem I have with this is that the Jedi have apparently been "a success" for "a thousand generations". A generation is defined variously, but 20-30 years is often used. That would be 20-30,000 years. Clearly, since the Jedi aren't robots, their teachings and techniques involve a lot more than "don't grieve", "don't dwell on attachment", "don't worry", etc. We see little of this in the movies but then again, they haven't decided to make a "learn the philosophies of the Jedi in depth" movie or series. This concept is hardly alien - it Is, for example, very similar to teachings in Buddhism and Stoicism (and Stoicism is not just "keep a stiff upper lip"), among many others from across the globe. My point is that I feel like because the Jedi don't mesh all that well with a culture that is VERY feelings-centric, some elements of the fan base and the SW creative teams tend to reduce them to (bluntly) stupid deniers of emotion, who have little to offer but "don't feel that way". No offense, but I don't think they'd have lasted for one or two generations, let alone a thousand, if they were that superficial and simplistic.

 

It does need more time to breathe and build though. Things happen way too quickly. It’s like a highlight reel. 40-50 minute episodes would’ve been preferable to 30-40, in my view.

 

Preach! Been saying that for long years! The no attachment rule when strictly applied does not exactly foster good mental health especially if strictly enforced on young padawans isolated from their social group of origin!

Yep! Agreee and I am happy about it!

 

Seems like all Disney shows like their 30-40 minutes

 

Right, but not all Disney+ shows have so many characters to develop. This kind of ensemble needs more time. I think they pruned just a little too hard in order to achieve that OT-style succinctness.

That said, I found it really enjoyable.

 

Im not sure I agree with this. Guilt can't be solved with attachment. Allowing his emotions to embrace attachment won't make guilt better. If anything guilt is a sign of emotional vulnerability. Not a restriction to attachment. Like trying to hold a desire in till it destroys you. I don't think this is that. This is a emotion that is already killing you. Thats guilt.

I don't think this was him struggling to hold it together because the rules said he had too.

As for the Jedi handling his mental health. what else can they really do?

 

Generally speaking from a psychological point of view a healthy attachment to significant individuals in your life and a proper emotional education that avoids suppressing feelings as a strategy to avoid problems generates well balanced individuals who are emotionally mature enough to elaborate feelings like guilt and anger and find proper emotional conduits to let go of the negative ones instead of suppressing everything in sadness anger and isolation and then falling to obvious manipulations and lashing out and killing a bunch of younglings for dinner.
More on focus with the story, if you feel guilty for something you did but you are not allowed to accept this emotion and approach it and try to elaborate it and come to terms with it, if you are not allowed to have someone you are deeply bonded to that can help you carry a part of your burden until you are able to lighten it enough to carry all by yourself… this emotion will be locked inside you and grow exponentially, eating you from the inside… but of course it’s just my opinion so no worries!

 

Official #TheAcolyte episode guides just dropped, with trivia, new Databank entries, and more!

https://www.starwars.com/series/the-acolyte?cmp=smc|13689041766

 

NM

 

Whatever the secret is, I don't think it was general knowledge. There are many Jedi disciplines discussed in books, not evident in movies and series. Or just may have thought it was cool to just meditate for 16 years.

This is like when kids find out what their parents did because they thought it was best and later end up with a serial killer for a child. We thought sending you to the teen hell camp was just what you needed type of cliche.

Just an aside, how cool are the no lightsaber fight scenes?

 

It depends tbh. I think the no attachment thing is often evaluated wrong. I think the jedi are allowed to feel sadness, grief and other emotions. I think we have infact seen that in the PT where characters were emotionally pained by a loss. infact Jedi often sense other peoples pain too. Like yoda feeling the death of the jedi on the wookie planet or anakins own pain while killing the tuskens. Obi Wan sensing the deaths in episode 4.

 

Very interesting. I thought the vow was to be served in isolation away from the Jedi. Thought-provoking that he was in a Jedi temple. Obviously, there's more going on that these first two episodes have let on.

 

No offence taken. .

I do think that there is likely a fair number of atheists who would point out to you though that a shocking number of organized groups are still thriving thousands of years after their human male leaders first began them on Earth with even more rigid dogma, even more problematic cultural concerns, even more ideas in need of modernization and reform than what the Jedi Order seem to be struggling with —all without any of these groups having something as undeniably convincing for recruitment as the promise of teaching how to tap into an invisible force while showcasing that they themselves can literally move objects with their minds during the recruitment pitch.

The fact that the Jedi continue to hold onto their dominant power position despite cultural issues isn’t really surprising. The fact that a line of Sith Lords and apprentices were able to rise up and take that power back for a time despite being massively outnumbered and lacking political power for a long time is what’s surprising and the only logical explanation for how that occurred was that the Jedi Order itself had deeper issues simmering below the surface than what was previously believed and that the Sith were able to spot each of the areas they were most vulnerable and exploit for their own gain.

What’s more, the Jedi need some flaws organizationally narratively or else they are too perfect. Perfection is boring narratively. Almost no one or no organization or no set of rules is truly perfect for all. Zeroing in on some of these imperfections is one of the best things Lucas did within the prequels and it makes sense to continue that exploration further.

 

I don’t have a problem with Jedi who make mistakes. Being a master of emotions amd morality and all that is an ideal they strive towards, not necessarily hitting at all times. So I hope the show delves way further into sketchy Jedi stuff, specifically with mind wiping/control. Like disturbing stuff.

Doing so doesn’t negate the heroics of the Jedi Order as a whole. Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

 

The symbol that Mae hides on her forehead. Is it similar to this one? I googled but couldn’t find a promotional still where her hair is not covering her face.