The Acolyte
admonition ! This post contain SPOILERS for The Acolyte
Summary
After watchingThe Acolytein its integrality , one has to wonder if it ultimately knead as a prequel toThe Phantom Menace . arrange 100 years before the events ofEpisode Iand the dawn of the Skywalker saga , The Acolyteis set up at the conclusion of theHigh Republic Era , an age of relative peace and prosperity for both the Republic and the Jedi Order . That tell , how well does this newStar Warsshow serve as a prelude to the very first prequel film ?
Coming from showrunner Leslye Headland , it ’s no arcanum thatThe Acolytehas face more than its fair part of controversy and literary criticism . While the huge majority come from a place of perniciousness and intolerance coming from vocal subsects of theStar Warsfandom , there are justified literary criticism to be made regarding the serial publication ' piece of writing and overall social organization . preserve that in mind , it certainly implore the head of whether or notThe Acolyteactually works as the effective prequel toThe PhantomMenaceit was certainly marketed as .
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How The Acolyte Connects And Sets Up The Phantom Menace
Connections And Key Foreshadowing To The Skywalker Saga
foremost , The Acolytedoes feature some intriguing ties toThe Phantom Menace , as well as to the greater Skywalker saga . This includes dim-witted references , such as have the Trade Federation in the show ’s premiere . However , there are also much bigger revelations , including traditional knowledge expansion around Anakin Skywalker ’s unequalled birth and existence as a living vergence in the Force as was revealed in the firstStar Warsprequel film . The show ’s elementary reveal was that duplicate sisters Mae and Osha Aniseya ( Amandla Stenberg ) were artificially created by their female parent using aForce vergence on the planet Brendok , earlier one being split into two .
This primary focal point and reveal inThe Acolyteconnects to Anakin ’s more natural design as the Force ’s destined Chosen One . It also has ties withPalpatine ’s Sith master Darth Plagueiswho also had the power to create biography through the Force as well . The Acolytealso has more connections toThe Phantom Menacethat are more aesthetic , such as the impressive lightsaber stage dancing and stunts inspire by Darth Maul and the iconic " Duel of the Fates " with Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi .
There are also parallel arcs betweenThe AcolyteandPhantom Menace . example in point , Master Sol ( Lee Jung - Jae)and his desire to train the uniquely hefty Osha despite being too quondam is an intentional mirror to Qui - Gon and Anakin . It ’s for certain a prime example of the classic line by George Lucas about theStar Warstimeline being like poetry with repeat stanzas from era to era . There are also newfound pressures from the Republic being placed upon the Jedi , ostensibly bode how the parliamentary law eventually becomes too slavish to the galactic government as seen in the prequels .
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann
How The Acolyte Doesn’t Work As A Phantom Menace Prequel
There Are Still Unanswered Questions The Acolyte Failed To Answer
That pronounce , there are still some key ways in whichThe Acolytefails to mark up the events ofThe Phantom Menaceas much as some might have expect . The biggest example was the show neglecting to in full explain why the Jedi consider the Sith were extinct before the debut of Darth Maul inThe Phantom Menace , even as dark threats were rise up and being sensed by masters such asVernestra Rwoh ( Rebecca Henderson ) . A full cover - up was even instigated to hide the the true from the Republic about all the Jedi murders carried out by Mae and Qimir ( Manny Jacinto ) , having been motivated by past Jedi failures .
As concerns about " splinter Order " and " rogue Jedi " were sound , the show ultimately did n’t go as far as many were in all probability trust in terms of setting up the Jedi ’s sightlessness to the Sith ’s beingness . Furthermore , Vernestra herself is tease at the terminate ofThe Acolyteseemingly revealing her suspicion of dark side users to Grandmaster Yoda himself , complicating the issues about the Jedi ’s ignorance of the Sith ( or deficiency thence ) inThe Phantom Menaceeven further . too , it ’s also never shown how the Jedi are aware of the Sith ’s Rule of Two inThe Phantom Menace , an enduring whodunit many skip would be divulge in this newStar Warsshow .
The Primary Mae/Osha Mystery Took Precedence
What The Acolyte Could Still Do To Become A Dynamic Phantom Menace Prequel
More Seasons Could Serve As A Stronger Prelude
More season would certainly help makeThe Acolytefeel like a more complete prequel toThe Phantom Menace . Having been teased with a brief cameo at the very end ofThe Acolyte’sfinale , Yoda having a genuine purpose in future seasons ofThe Acolytewould sure enough go a longsighted manner in footing of mark up the events ofThe Phantom Menace , particularly when it total to the Jedi Order and their gradual declension . However , much of the opportunity for greater storytelling and apparatus for the future in all likelihood lies with the dark side .
With so many ofThe Acolyte’sJedi mold having met their demise in this first time of year , there ’s so much more room for Qimir and Osha ’s stories to continue . To that closing , their arc could also unveil more about the bequest of the Sith and their operations before Palpatine ’s rise to power . ForThe Acolyteto truly sense like a strong preliminary toThe Phantom Menace , the dark side and its principal player before the Skywalker saga need to be primary focal point . As such , the show did prepare up the perfect graphic symbol who could facilitate make that encounter : Darth Plagueis the Wise .
Darth Plagueis Has The Strongest Potential
Having been concisely boast find Qimir and Osha from the vestige , Darth Plagueis distinctly has a function to encounter in futureAcolyteseasonswhen and if Lucasfilm orders subsequent seasons ofThe Acolyte . His index was already teased with the Force vergence and the hokey introduction of Mae and Osha , so seeing Plagueis himself in the show ’s finale is very exciting . The cameo also promises an even greater stress on the dark side and how the Sith ’s ultimate retaliation was put into movement by Palpatine ’s master .
All in all , Plagueis more than likely hold the key to helpingThe Acolytefeel more like the reliable prequel toThe Phantom Menaceit could still become . The Acolyteas it presently stands feels like a half - measuring rod and first bit . On its own as a single season , it fails to in full fix upThe Phantom Menacein many of the ways one would have hoped , though it could in all likelihood do more if given the space to do so ( preferably with a stronger and more focussed storytelling social organisation going forward ) .
All episode ofThe Acolyteare now streaming on Disney+
Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook
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Cast
The Acolyte is a telecasting series correct in the Star Wars universe at the final stage of the High Republic Era , where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the altitude of their influence . This sci - fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they enquire several crimes - all extend to darkness erupting from beneath the control surface and preparing to contribute about the end of the High Republic .
Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury
Custom image by SR staff
Image via Disney+
