SPOILER WARNING!!! I am watching all Star Wars in Chronological order; I have seen the Original Trilogy but nothing else beyond the Bad Batch so please be careful of spoilers in the comments.
11:15 Vernestra is a character from the High Republic novels, she became the youngest knight at 15 and used a special lightsaber that required lots of skill, but she hid it as a child do to the negative association with the lightsaber she wielded, it was more commonly used by dark siders. At the time of The Acolyte, she’s over 110 years old. She’s also a Mirialan just like Barriss and Luminara.
@Rwhalt You think yourself clever? That comment is quite possibly the highlight of your entire life. And it makes no sense. Your generation seems to struggle with reading comprehension. It would be amusing, if it wasn't so pathetic.
16:37 Ceremonial temple robes vs. mission robes. Notice that the mission robes become the only robes the Jedi wear during the Clone Wars. The point of Yord being caught ironing his robes is that he’s a bit superficial and a rule follower… usually.
5:24 We’re in a different era, there’s no galactic wars and the Jedi are the peacekeepers they were supposed to be during the Clone Wars. They’re not warriors, they pull out their lightsabers when it’s necessary if unable to de-escalate a situation. However, you’ll see some characters pull them out randomly, but that doesn’t speak to the etiquette of the Jedi, that’s intentional to speak about the characters that do that. I’d recommend going into this without the expectations of the Clone Wars era of Star Wars. This is the High Republic, but it’s nearing the end of it.
I think I was just shocked that even a century before the Empire, the Jedi were very similar to how they were then, a lot can change in 100 years but they still feel very politicised. The Lightsaber thing is slowly making more sense to me but to come out with a line like that and then to contradict it multiple times is an odd choice especially when no emphasis is placed on it, if it's true that Yord is just a young, inexperienced Jedi who wielded his lightsaber as a torch, I think it would be better for a veteran Jedi like Sol to call him on it and say to use a torch instead to back up the rule.
@@benspillerWell.. Sol’s not a role model Jedi either.. Also the finale shows more of how the Jedi actually avoid politics and overreach from the Republic.
I’m glad you’re watching this. I really enjoyed it. Just so you know - not a spoiler - Jedi were stationed at different places during the High Republic time. They were kind of on-site keepers of the law and protectors of the people in their community. Indara was hanging out at a noodle joint with the townspeople. Hope you enjoy the show. Also, the show is set up to keep you asking what’s going on and doesn’t tell the story in a traditional way.
8:41 Labor from people is cheaper, that’s why there’s still slaves in Star Wars. (Speaking of slaves, Yord’s padawan is a Zygerrian, from the Zygerrian slave empire we see in Clone Wars) It’s a bit like that scene of Ahsoka and the Martez sisters on Kessel, they think they’re using droids until Ahsoka points out that they’re people.
I’m just gonna copy paste what I said to one of the comments to address all the negativity coming at this show left and right: “Well then maybe the Star Wars incels should stop making all their “criticism” about race, gender, sexuality… and claim they’re talking about the “story.” Like even when they are discussing the story, they disregard things that have already been in George Lucas’ Star Wars that they’d never judged before but only judge in the context of this show. Even fire in space.. a staple in Star Wars. They’ll even complain about witches as if that’s new.” People are saying this show is woke and political since it features a diverse cast, despite the fact that Star Wars is inherently woke because it was designed to be political and aware of the real world. Yes there are issues, my only real issue is with the editing that has made some moments feel abrupt and I feel like the episode schedule should’ve dropped eps 4 and 5 together, but complaining about female leads and people of color is just stupid.
You think SW fans can be bad.... have you seen how Star Trek fans are losing their minds over how "woke" Trek has become? I mean... you want to talk about "woke from the beginning"... the first pilot for the show had a female first officer, and the series (once given the green light) had a black woman on the bridge, treated as.... *GASP* an EQUAL!! In the 1960s! At some point in the series, they REALLY went insane and had her *DOUBLE GASP* kiss the WHITE captain!! What the Hell has this country come to, to allow THAT on television! Okay, jokes aside... I really enjoyed this series, for reasons I can't say right now, because "spoilers" (I had to catch myself before I typed too much). Also, have you seen the movie "Chasing Amy"? There's a scene in the beginning of the movie where a "militant" black comic book writer (who is gay in "real life") who uses Darth Vader as the ultimate example of gentrification. The scene is outwardly hilarious, but also really deep if you think about it.
It’s just bad writing and acting. Some blame on directing because young actors need more guidance from a director especially when you deal with green screens and effects. This was a prequel issue with Star Wars also.
@@jennym2276 Like I said, it was bad editing and some* meh dialogue at times. It was not the acting or writing. Also The Acolyte was entirely practical like the Original Trilogy, unlike the Prequels.
I completely agree, having issues with a show based on the actor's race or sex is a very bad take as it has no substance and says nothing about the show itself. I honestly quite like political stories and how someone can navigate something so intricate that everyone can relate to and have an opinion on it. That said I am having a few issues with the show's writing, this could relate to how the show feels abrupt at times but it feels like the characters make certain decisions which seem to come out of nowhere and so far a lot of the characters haven't been as well developed as I would want them to be.
Hey, Ben! Give this series a chance. It got a lot of hate, but I loved it! Now, to put that into context.... I studied many different religions when I was about your age (guessing early 20s), including witchcraft. So, there is a LOT going on in this series that a lot of people don't understand because "witchcraft is evil" based on their limited perspective. But no spoilers... but you might want to write down the names, as they can get confusing at times. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, because this show gets complicated. 3:35 - At this time, Jedi were "stationed" at various places around the galaxy. As what would amount to a small police force. Master Indara was in the pub just hanging with the locals when "the assassin" showed up. I'll wait to drop names until they've been revealed, because "spoilers". Also, this is what is referred to as "The High Republic" era, and something a lot of people miss is that this isn't 100 years before Phantom Menace, but 100 years before "Operation Nightfall", aka "Order 66", so, tracking back, Phantom Menace was 14 years before that, so this would be 86 years (give or take) before Episode I. It's a minor detail, but that's the thing... the smallest details have a habit of being the most important. 6:25 - Yeah, pay attention to details like this. You THINK she's "the bad guy", yet she doesn't kill a parent/witness in front of his child. A Sith (or even a true villain) wouldn't hesitate to. 7:10 - "Mechniks" = Mechanics. Except that non-droids working on the outside of space craft is illegal (Republic law) because it's so dangerous. But when have the Trade Federation ever given a damn about laws? ;) 7:50 - Yeah, that was people's first complaint... that fire "in space"... but never stopped to think that it is being fueled by something escaping the ship..... (I mean, WE have rockets that work in space, because the oxygen required for it comes from within the engine). 10:20 - "I'm confused", that's okay, Ben. The pieces of this puzzle get revealed rather slowly. But very little is as it first seems. 12:20 - Heh.... Have you ever seen the movie Braveheart? There was a relevant line in that movie that applies to the question you just asked: "The dead cost nothing." Meaning that (in this context) "droids are expensive. Why risk losing a droid when we can pay a person to do the same job, and if they die... can be replaced much more cheaply." That's actually a corporate mentality, these days. Not to get political, but why else do you think manufacturing jobs went to places like China? The labor costs are minimal (if not absolutely abysmal), robots doing that job would be expensive, and first world countries have that pesky thing called "minimum (or worse, a "competitive") wage", as well things like "benefits", "unions"... and other things that cut into the almighty profit margin. 16:05 - I don't think Sol believes Osha committed the murder, which is why he wants to go himself. He's to take a "small team", because the Jedi really don't want this story to get out. Sending a small team for this will not look suspicious or even likely to be noticed, and Sol DOES have a connection with Osha. 17:00 - It's a subtle hint that Yord is displaying a level of "Vanity", by wanting his robes properly pressed, and presentable. You're basically getting to see some of the flaws of individual Jedi. 17:35 - Correct. I'm only confirming that because all of the clues were there, and you put them together quite well. 18:50 - Why, indeed. 20:25 - Osha is putting the pieces together, and it only looks like she's "flip flopping" about trusting the Jedi. There's a lot that hasn't been revealed yet, that Osha knows. At this point, she now knows that Mae is alive and is the one who killed Indara. But how can she prove it, if Sol and the other Jedi believe Mae is dead? Also, consider this: Mae wasn't rescued by Sol from the fire, only Osha was. So, Mae saying things like "The Jedi only draw their lightsabers when they intend to kill" obviously didn't come from being trained as a Jedi. So, where would she hear something like that? 21:10 - Listen to what that modulated voice said more than once. That is a very important piece of information. You might even want to write that down. Okay, I'm going to leave this tab open, and I'll get back to you on your "post episode" thoughts, and see how I can help you along. But I have something to do that will take about an hour.... See ya in a bit.
Okay, Ben..... I'm back and watching your "post episode thoughts". Something I want to point out, is that this series has a lot of "misdirection" in it. And yes, that is done "on purpose". I want you to think back to Return of the Jedi, and I may have mentioned this before but let's cover it again to be sure. After Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke's father, and dies.... Luke ponders his future, and Obi-Wan appears to him (the ONLY time in the OT that Luke calls him "Obi-Wan", BTW) and says, "Luke, you're going to find that *many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view*." That statement (especially the part I highlighted) is absolutely a KEY component to this series. While it's not perfectly clear whose point of view we're seeing at any given time (and I think that may be a key weakness to the show), it's from SOMEONE's point of view, thus "limited" to that point of view. That is going to make it a little hard to follow, but honestly, I found it making watching the series more than once, absolutely critical to fleshing it all out. So far, I've watched it more than half a dozen times, looking for every little detail I can find, because I know the "clues" are there. Even though I enjoyed it my first watch through, I'm finding that I'm liking it even more with every successive viewing. I continue to spot little things, nod my head and go, "oh, yeah... it was right there all along!" So, don't feel bad if you're confused right out of the gate. I was, too... but I also recognized the kind of storytelling they were going for. But it's one of those, "Okay, let's settle in for the long ride, and see not only "where this goes", but "if they can manage to pull it off". Also, this is why I highly recommend taking notes. There's a LOT to sort out, and in doing so, you have to figure out who saw what and how they interpreted what they saw. Okay, let's address some of your questions. 22:15 - I'll just call "him" "The Stranger" (so as not to spoil anything)..... The Stranger tells Mae that attacking the Jedi with weapons won't work, yet we also saw that it will, because Mae killed Indara with a throwing knife. BUT... she also used a "non-weapon" in order for the weapon to be effective. There's a lesson to be learned here.... attack A Jedi directly with a weapon you will fail. But attack THE Jedi (notice the difference in wording here)... and you have to destroy the IDEA of the Jedi and what they represent. Which is what Palpatine did later down the timeline. This is the kind of really subtle stuff you're going to need to look for in this series. 22:35 - Also, this episode didn't drop by itself. The first two episodes dropped together. This was done for a reason. Because of how the storytelling is done. Personally, with this style of storytelling, I think they should have just released the entire series in one go. Or, maybe the first 4 episodes, wait a couple of weeks and drop the other 4..... let people try and figure out where it's all going... make predictions.... that kind of thing. 24:00 - Okay.... you're making some assumptions here.... while I won't "correct" you on anything, I will say that, there was a "War of the Worlds" television series back in the 1980s (IIRC, episodes of it can be found on RUclips), that was a "sequel series" to the 1953 movie based on the novel/radio show. In one of the first episodes, one of the main characters said something that has stuck with me to this very day, and you just "triggered" that memory, because it's VERY applicable here: "To assume the obvious is to overlook the obvious." I can't tell you how many times in my life that THAT piece of philosophy has popped into my head. Right now, you're doing exactly that, in trying to figure things out. You're assuming that Mae is the Acolyte, and that "The Stranger" is a Sith.... It's a "logical assumption", but also "a little too neat" (Lethal Weapon reference, there).... or.... too "obvious". To assume the obvious is to overlook the obvious. 26:50 - But, doesn't it make you wonder WHY that particular Jedi Master was targeted? To me, it didn't exactly seem "random". The whole fight had this air of "this is personal" to it. Especially when Indara saw Mae's face, and the mark upon her head. But even from the beginning, this wasn't just someone looking to make a name from killing just any Jedi. So that introduces the question.... WHY did Mae want to kill Indara? 29:27 - "The eyes turning black, that's kinda demonic"..... Remember.... "from a certain point of view"..... 30:40 - Sol has very kind eyes, and demeanor. There's no doubt about that. 31:45 - I refused to watch some of the videos regarding the controversy, because I noted that there were snippets of interviews which I (being an American Gen-Xer) already know will be trimmed to further someone's particular ideology and put their bigotries on full display while using those clips as "evidence" to support their arguments. So, for the most part, you're not going to get much out of me regarding that nonsense. Frankly, I just let the show speak for itself. Did I see some flaws in it? Of course I did. I'm not blind. But did any of those flaws make me enjoy the show any less? No, not really. I could go back to the very first Star Wars and nit-pick until the cows come home... But I won't because I actually enjoy the movie. Something I may have covered before you started watching this, is that some people (who claim to be fans) "set themselves up for disappointment" by expecting certain things, then have a tantrum when the show/movie doesn't go exactly how they had it scripted in their heads. I don't do that. I watch the show, and while there are some things I hope to see, I won't pitch a hissy-cow if it doesn't happen.. But hey, that's why I don't have ten bizillion subscribers and views.
Thank you so much for all this, definitely will need more help with the episodes I've have recorded. The show so far does seem really interesting with all these plot points it's establishing but I have to say it feels like it requires a lot of work to be able to understand it all and get to that level of enjoyment, what I'm hoping for is that as the show goes on the pieces will fit into place and I'll be easily able to understand what's going on and everything will make sense, but for the start of the show to jump right into the confusion is a bit much for me. It's definitely a bold move and it has my respect for that but ideally, I would have preferred to ease into the mystery while establishing some fundamentals in the first episode. I'll keep track of all this info as I head into further episodes as I do really want to enjoy this show, and so far there have been some great moments but they have been surrounded by 'iffy' writing, if that writing ends up working itself out and looking back it all makes sense I'll be very happy but right from the start it's just overwhelming 😂😂
@@benspiller You're more than welcome. I took the time to write all of that confident that you would read it. I know that you are open minded and have an honest desire to enjoy all of Star Wars. They are really stepping outside the box with this one, and it's important to understand that from the start. But, having watched it all, it honestly didn't take me long to figure out the "from a certain point of view" thing. Which is why I really wanted you to keep that in mind. have a great day, and I look forward to your next episode.
19:55 No, Mae was right. This is meant to show that even though Yord usually sticks to the rules, he kind of leans towards acting as a sort of police which leads to him escalating situations instead of what he should be doing.
Yord is coming off as very annoyed to me at the minute, hoping that can change and I can see some development in that regard but right now it feels like he's meant to represent the Jedi at their worst as a militant police force.
@@benspillerYes, he’s not my favorite either lol. Knowing that you’ve already seen what happens to him, I think there were some redeemable qualities towards the end.. but he’s not my favorite. I’m glad Jecki and Yord are getting a novel to expand their characters when they were younger‼️ Vernestra will also be getting another novel featuring Indara 20 years before The Acolyte, I’m very excited. Kelnaaca has also gotten a one-shot solo comic and will be featured in the end of the current High Republic comic run. Lots of tie-ins!
One thing is the Acolyte, taking place ca. 100 years before the Phantom Menace and all that... But I would recommend you check out some of the cinematic trailers for the Old Republic game honestly. They are quite well made. And they takes place around 3900 years before A New Hope, so there is much more going on there... Though, those ARE only 6 trailers, but they ARE amazingly well made still. I'd recommend to watch them in this order: Return, Hope, Deceived, Sacrifice, Betrayal and then Disorder. Return, Hope, Deceived and Disorder showcases some characters, but most notably an ancient sith named Darth Malgus. Sacrifice and Betrayal focuses on the children of the "Palpatine of the time", Valkorion. So yeah, Acolyte is... Something... But the Old Republic cinematic trailers are TRULY masterpieces to behold.
😂 Okay didn't know George Lucas said that and it makes the scene better for me, since it's used as a theme to show off Osha's trauma I like it more now but not knowing anything about this and just outright seeing it takes you back a bit.
Though that is fair, especially the way the Acolyte ended... I am personally afraid to see what a Season 2 could possibly end up doing... We barely managed to maintain continuity for the Phantom Menace in this first season... Yet they intend for a second season to continue the plot? I am honestly scared about what this could cause... And they better be clever about how they execute the second season of this show honestly.
@@TheTrytixLeslye is extremely knowledgeable about star wars canon. If you read any of the long form interviews she does, it comes across so clearly. She's a massive nerd. I trust her!
21:03 Once again, that’s also the point. She failed. The master is also talking about the idea of the Jedi, steel and laser are no threat to the Jedi’s existence. You must destroy their belief, their dream. You have to kill someone unarmed as that’s the antithesis of what the Jedi believe in. This is why Mae tries to take Indara’s weapon before she kills her and leaves it after she failed to.
I actually realised later that instead of the line being a rule it's a challenge for Mai to accomplish, wish it was phrased this way to begin with as it feels unnecessarily confusing to word it this way, it may add to the convictions of this shadowy villain but doesn't help the audience member who's trying to follow the story.
@@benspillerThis series is meant to be a mystery type series so it leaves lots of questions to be answered later on but I figured I’d contextualize it for you to avoid you being confused about that, but then again you’ve filmed episodes ahead of time already.
If he said that I'm cool with it then 😂 Wish that was just a thing that was said as I'm perfectly fine with air being here as it's a fictional world but having it come out of nowhere just makes my mind automatically think of real-world logic.
At the end when he's talking about killing a jedi, it's not about killing a jedi, it's about killing the jedi reputation and "dream". Killing the jedi without a weapon will be explained later but it's not about literally killing a jedi is not possible with those things.
@@benspiller one of the most controversial aspects of the show I've noticed is that the idea of the show is supposed to be a mystery, but people aren't used to that in star wars and the episodic nature is not ideal for that type of show. If it was a movie or binged in one sitting it'd be a much smoother experience
I almost forgot this series existed, lol. There's a few decent moments throughout it (won't spoil anything), but overall, it's not the best. I normally say a lot, but I don't really have much to say about any episode, so good luck getting through it. 😅
Alright, let's start with the facts: Who is a Sith now? Plagueis is 15 years old and has probably not yet become a Sith. The Sith Master at this time is Darth Tenebrous (He looked different so it wasn't him) or perhaps even his master (we don’t know his/her name; potentially Twi-Lek but we realy know nothing). I’ll say right away that I’m not a specialist in this era, but I do know some things, so I might be wrong. As for what’s happening in the Republic during this time, well, it’s a period of relative peace. I say "relative" because the Jedi and the Republic are recovering from a war with an anarchist group called the Nihils. (100 years before "The Acolyte") The Nihils weren’t super large organized group, but they used very unconventional and radical methods. For example, blowing up a giant ship while it was in hyperspace and then watching as it collides with other ships and debris randomly destroyed entire live on planets. The Jedi had a problem, and in the Republic, there began to be a thought: Do we need the Jedi if they can’t defend peace and allow chaos to happend? Why do they consider themselves the defenders of peace? Well, public opinion and politics became important and it was the Republic that had more say in this war, not the Jedi who allowed themselves to be politically subjugated in the name of peace or defense of opinion about the order. This war led to the Jedi becoming not just defenders of peace but a political organization - they became dependent on the Senate and slowly turned into what we saw in the prequels. (There will be minor references to this war.) The Jedi robes are a nod to the transition from the Golden Age (High Republic) white-and-gold to the more prequel-like "yellow-brown." Regarding Vernestra, she is a character from the books (so she’s over 100 years old, but Mirialans can live up to 200 years). Well, the only thing I can say is that Vern has changed a lot over the years. I’ll provide details later. 16:13 The planet where Ahsoka and Lux had a meeting with the Death Watch. 21:08 Red lightsaber My reaction: Please, not a Sith, let it be one of the first of the Rens - also dark side users but not seeking power or knowledge. They cared most about their personal strength - especially physical strength Power too, but less, we still know very little about them. Now I can tell you that what he says is more his personal philosophy and not a tutorial on how to kill Jedi. Now to the bad things: Regarding the changes I would make to make this more sensible, I will be rewriting "The Acolyte" with friends. Maybe we’ll finish and share our conclusions with you. I can already say that this episode could be the first, but a short flashback should be added, and episode 3 should be entirely removed, as I do not consider it canon but rather very bad fan fiction. I don’t know if revealing the identity of the killer was a good solution. Maybe it would have been more interesting if we didn’t have Mae in the first episode at all and only observed Osha. That way, we would share something with the main character - not knowing what’s going on and trying to figure it out together. Mae could appear in the last scene. That would be better. Additionally, Mae as a POV character just doesn’t work. A POV character is someone you should sympathize with and understand. The problem with Mae is that you can’t sympathize with her in the first few episodes, and you don’t understand her at all, and by episode 3, you consider her a psychopath. Additionally, the writing seems to force you to like this psychopath. “She has a reason for killing the Jedi - what reason?” “She found out her sister is alive - so?” “She just wanted to live with her family so she try to kill her sister.” Why doesn’t it work? Well, the answer: To sympathize with her, I need to understand her. Mae is not understandable, so she’s not sympathetic, and her actions only provoke cold antipathy. I’ll say it now, just now, introduce Mae like Azula in Avatar. Azula isn’t a POV character but still perfectly shows her perspective and isn’t portrayed as a victim. As a villain, she earns your respect or even more. There she isn’t presented as a victim, but you know she is one, and you can decide for yourself whether to even sympathize with her. I’m not saying to make her a copy of Azula (We already have it and in my opinion it's the best written character in all of SW) but to present her as a huge threat to the main characters rather than a lost victim. (The very concept of revenge often involves the victim becoming the perpetrator, which means you don't treat Mae as a villain/threat.) To emphasize: When did we really start to sympathize with Azula and we even considered her a victim? Not after the first episodes, but the episode on the beach was the most important in this case - the next season. Previously, we considered her a dangerous villain, and it should be the same with Mae - we should slowly receive new information and not be forced to like her, as she is still the antagonist. And you, as a viewer, would have the choice to try to understand Mae and delve deeper or hate her for her actions or like her as a villain/anti-villain. Characters like this evoke every possible emotion at the same time and I really saw wasted potential after these episodes. 16:43 Well, this scene is the most primitive way to gain viewer sympathy for a character. It’s a psychological game - show a half-naked, attractive man. Then the viewer will believe he’s right/gain sympathy for the character. I’ve seen other reactions, and it works; people liked Yord and didn’t even know why. Well, if instead of showing it this way, they showed his actions and decisions and the real chance for this character to grow in the eyes of the viewer, then maybe he’d be a much better character. Yord was supposed to be like Windu - a Jedi who does everything by the book. Windu didn’t have to undress - he showed us through his actions something that aroused our sympathy and hatred. Well, the writing is a literal disaster, and I’ll quote the best villain from SW, which I will quote again in the final episode because it fits perfectly: “I do not know which I hate more, cowardice or incompetence.” - Valkorion
@@hehu4025 No he isn't. Quote from the book: "Plagueis allowed a laugh. “I’m just an old Muun who wouldn’t know about that.” Seeing through him, Palpatine snorted. “Just how old are you?” “In human years I would be well over one hundred.” Someone calculated his age and he would be AT LEAST 33 years old. But again, that's all Legends, not canon
Happy that there are options for who this 'Sith' is if it even is a Sith. Wish the show gave this explanation for the politicization of the Jedi, in the show it just comes out of the blue but it works with this reason of the galaxy recovering from a war. With the 'Sith' and his philosophy, again this is something that should have been made clearer, I don't understand the need to write it in this way to cause confusion when wording it as a philosophy from the start would have been much better. I'd love to hear your rewrite when it's done, I've been coming up with so many ideas for ways this could have been more streamlined and I'd love to know what you come up with. This episode is just meh for me, it's missing the hook for a premier episode and it sets up an interesting story in a flimsy way. Completely agree with Mai being introduced at the end, have the story revolve around Osha as the Jedi are investigating a conspiracy to kill Jedi where Osha is the lead suspect only for the first Jedi to die at the end, clearing Osha's name, and revealing the twin. Also wouldn't mention the twin thing in this episode as it gave so much away so quickly and that could be a fun thing to do in flashbacks where you see the children but initially think it's one child only to realise upon the reveal that there are two. Mai should not be the person we are following and after episode 3 and don't know what they can do to fix that, you put it perfectly that she's a psychopath yet the show continues to try and create a sympathetic connection between her and the viewer which just isn't going to happen. Azula is the perfect example of how a psychopath is written and gives the viewer the choice to empathise or not, feel like this show could have gone in a different direction by just having the two sisters be trained but a Jedi and Sith without the Psychopathic element, and create a debate within the audience about who to follow rather than forcing the audience to like certain characters. I can't believe that was the point of Yord's scene and I can't believe something so basic worked on people! it showed nothing of his character and that segment just interrupted the flow of events while adding nothing significant. It's shocking that he's meant to be like Mace as these characters are so far apart.
Reminds me of what Marvel does, pretty sure every male character has had a shirtless scene at this point and it can work but Yord's just lacked purpose and interrupted the build-up between Sol going to find Osha.
As always, a highly enjoyable reaction! I'm glad you're tackling "The Acolyte" and I hope the comment section will remain respectful as you go along. There's an interesting setup but I agree that the writing is deeply flawed. It took me a few episodes for the series to grab my attention and to feel invested in the story. Sol was the standout character for me as well.
Glad you enjoyed the video 😁 Completely agree, there was a really interesting story being built here but there were so many flaws in the writing which distracts you from it and just forms a cluttered story. Hoping it improves though as Sol is easily the best character and very invested in following his story.
@@benspiller Thank you for the reply! For me, the story greatly improved 3 episodes in, and I hope it will for you too. This is a show where the mystery is a slow burn, and its languid pacing can be off-putting. A lot of what we see could have easily been condensed and rearranged to create a more cohesive narrative. I won't say more out of fear of spoiling you. Having said that, I'm looking forward to your future reactions of the series.
Acolyte? Well, I wouldn't recommend it, of course. I have long been accustomed to the fact that among Star Wars fans there are some very unpretentious individuals who like what Disney is doing with the franchise... Many people like Obi-Wan (people simply cannot understand logic), some even Acolyte. Even here in the comments there are already those who say “Acolyte is good, I want season 2.”(meh) The Acolyte is the quintessential downfall of the Disney-led series.
Overall wasn't the biggest fan of the show but I think it's still enjoyable to watch. Many people just wanted to hate it before it even came out claiming it was "woke" whatever that's supposed to mean. But it has some really fun characters and an amazing fight choreography in my opinion
I was actually annoyed by how many people just CHOSE to hate the show before it even came out. I entered it with an open mind and praised it where it did good... But even then, MAN is the show still flawed unfortunately. I don't wanna say the people who chose to hate the show JUST to hate it was right, they obviously weren't... But the show wasn't anything spectacular either.
So far my biggest issue with it is just the writing quality, I definitely don't like it when people just automatically hate something without even watching it especially since hate is a really strong word, I imagine most may dislike it but hate seems way too strong. The characters of this show are interesting at the very least, some haven't been developed as much as I want but Sol is the standout to me right now.
Acolyte unfortunately continues the trend of modern Star Wars where any form of criticism from the fanbase is met by the cast and crew labelling the fanbase as racist/sexist.
Well then maybe the Star Wars incels should stop making all their “criticism” about race, gender, sexuality… and claim they’re talking about the “story.” Like even when they are discussing the story, they disregard things that have already been in George Lucas’ Star Wars that they’d never judged before but only judge in the context of this show. Even fire in space.. a staple in Star Wars. They’ll even complain about witches as if that’s new.
@@willfanofmanyii3751 I mean, a lot of the fanbase IS racist. Have you seen how The Fandom Menace appouched Andor and The Acolyte since they were announced? They never even gave it a chance before throwing racists remarks and misogyny
@@redvitproductions2829 OBVIOUSLY there are people out there who were far too quick with their criticism of the show, even going as far as to dislike the trailer without knowing how the show would even turn out. And then even by the first episode, they were trying to complain about anything and everything that they could complain about. Hence how they made such a huge deal out of a small fire in space for instance or a Jedi dying from being stabbed in the heart by a knife, as if that is impossible or something. HOWEVER. After having watched trough the entire series, the RATIONAL fans of Star Wars who were willing to give it a chance, STILL noticed flaws with it's writing and characters that were much more significant than anything the haters had focused on from day one. And THAT is what was going on. The Acolyte IS a flawed show. It's unfortunate that the shows creators and the like only use the first wave of haters as evidence EVERYONE hate the show because the fans are sexist or racist, without even listening to a single word the rational, dedicated fans are saying with their constructive criticism. And therein lies part of the problem. The shows creators hear people dislike the show, and instead of owning that criticism and be responsible about it, they choose that "No, our show can't POSSIBLY be bad, since WE made it. And therefore, it's just the fans who hate the show because... They are racist or sexist!" In other words, redirecting the blame over towards the fans and using the most aggressive ACTUAL moronic haters out there as the example to describe everyone, to try and make themselves as the show creators, sound reasonable and rational, even though they aren't.
And Tarkakovsky's Star Wars Clone Wars, despite the fact that it is a children's cartoon, is about 1000 times better than the Acolyte and some other Disney TV series based on Star Wars.
Very soon, got Solo, Kenobi then the last two episodes of TofE and then Rebels, it was going to be Andor but I found out it's got a season 2 in the works which is meant to tie into the movie after it.
I think the contradictions could have been handled better if they were meant to be there, as an audience member going in blind to this show it feels like it comes off as very jarring and if the intent is to make me think then there should at least be a clear narrative of what is the correct side of the contradiction.
Argh, I was looking forward to whatever you were reacting to next but not this show. It’s my least favorite and maybe if it came back a year or so down the road, I would not feel so ick from it but here it is. At least it’s short. Let’s see what you think about it.
This show was not for me, definitely. Main complaint: The inconsistency of the characters, i.e., their motivation. I'll reserve the rest for later, after you finish it.
Yeah, having recorded a few more episodes now, I worry for anyone going to Star Wars chronologically and being greeted with this as the first thing, definitely not what you want someone new to Star Wars to see first.
SPOILER WARNING!!!
I am watching all Star Wars in Chronological order; I have seen the Original Trilogy but nothing else beyond the Bad Batch so please be careful of spoilers in the comments.
11:15 Vernestra is a character from the High Republic novels, she became the youngest knight at 15 and used a special lightsaber that required lots of skill, but she hid it as a child do to the negative association with the lightsaber she wielded, it was more commonly used by dark siders. At the time of The Acolyte, she’s over 110 years old. She’s also a Mirialan just like Barriss and Luminara.
The actress is also married to the show-runner. Glad to say she does an excellent job, regardless.
No one cares
@@elusiveDEVIANTBoohoo
@@elusiveDEVIANT …yet… you cared enough to comment? 🤔🤷♂️🤡
@Rwhalt You think yourself clever? That comment is quite possibly the highlight of your entire life. And it makes no sense. Your generation seems to struggle with reading comprehension. It would be amusing, if it wasn't so pathetic.
16:37 Ceremonial temple robes vs. mission robes. Notice that the mission robes become the only robes the Jedi wear during the Clone Wars. The point of Yord being caught ironing his robes is that he’s a bit superficial and a rule follower… usually.
5:24 We’re in a different era, there’s no galactic wars and the Jedi are the peacekeepers they were supposed to be during the Clone Wars. They’re not warriors, they pull out their lightsabers when it’s necessary if unable to de-escalate a situation. However, you’ll see some characters pull them out randomly, but that doesn’t speak to the etiquette of the Jedi, that’s intentional to speak about the characters that do that. I’d recommend going into this without the expectations of the Clone Wars era of Star Wars. This is the High Republic, but it’s nearing the end of it.
I think I was just shocked that even a century before the Empire, the Jedi were very similar to how they were then, a lot can change in 100 years but they still feel very politicised. The Lightsaber thing is slowly making more sense to me but to come out with a line like that and then to contradict it multiple times is an odd choice especially when no emphasis is placed on it, if it's true that Yord is just a young, inexperienced Jedi who wielded his lightsaber as a torch, I think it would be better for a veteran Jedi like Sol to call him on it and say to use a torch instead to back up the rule.
@@benspillerWell.. Sol’s not a role model Jedi either.. Also the finale shows more of how the Jedi actually avoid politics and overreach from the Republic.
I’m glad you’re watching this. I really enjoyed it. Just so you know - not a spoiler - Jedi were stationed at different places during the High Republic time. They were kind of on-site keepers of the law and protectors of the people in their community. Indara was hanging out at a noodle joint with the townspeople. Hope you enjoy the show.
Also, the show is set up to keep you asking what’s going on and doesn’t tell the story in a traditional way.
8:41 Labor from people is cheaper, that’s why there’s still slaves in Star Wars. (Speaking of slaves, Yord’s padawan is a Zygerrian, from the Zygerrian slave empire we see in Clone Wars) It’s a bit like that scene of Ahsoka and the Martez sisters on Kessel, they think they’re using droids until Ahsoka points out that they’re people.
I put this together after I watched this 😂
I’m just gonna copy paste what I said to one of the comments to address all the negativity coming at this show left and right:
“Well then maybe the Star Wars incels should stop making all their “criticism” about race, gender, sexuality… and claim they’re talking about the “story.” Like even when they are discussing the story, they disregard things that have already been in George Lucas’ Star Wars that they’d never judged before but only judge in the context of this show. Even fire in space.. a staple in Star Wars. They’ll even complain about witches as if that’s new.”
People are saying this show is woke and political since it features a diverse cast, despite the fact that Star Wars is inherently woke because it was designed to be political and aware of the real world. Yes there are issues, my only real issue is with the editing that has made some moments feel abrupt and I feel like the episode schedule should’ve dropped eps 4 and 5 together, but complaining about female leads and people of color is just stupid.
You think SW fans can be bad.... have you seen how Star Trek fans are losing their minds over how "woke" Trek has become? I mean... you want to talk about "woke from the beginning"... the first pilot for the show had a female first officer, and the series (once given the green light) had a black woman on the bridge, treated as.... *GASP* an EQUAL!! In the 1960s! At some point in the series, they REALLY went insane and had her *DOUBLE GASP* kiss the WHITE captain!!
What the Hell has this country come to, to allow THAT on television!
Okay, jokes aside... I really enjoyed this series, for reasons I can't say right now, because "spoilers" (I had to catch myself before I typed too much).
Also, have you seen the movie "Chasing Amy"? There's a scene in the beginning of the movie where a "militant" black comic book writer (who is gay in "real life") who uses Darth Vader as the ultimate example of gentrification. The scene is outwardly hilarious, but also really deep if you think about it.
It’s just bad writing and acting. Some blame on directing because young actors need more guidance from a director especially when you deal with green screens and effects. This was a prequel issue with Star Wars also.
@@jennym2276 Like I said, it was bad editing and some* meh dialogue at times. It was not the acting or writing. Also The Acolyte was entirely practical like the Original Trilogy, unlike the Prequels.
I completely agree, having issues with a show based on the actor's race or sex is a very bad take as it has no substance and says nothing about the show itself. I honestly quite like political stories and how someone can navigate something so intricate that everyone can relate to and have an opinion on it. That said I am having a few issues with the show's writing, this could relate to how the show feels abrupt at times but it feels like the characters make certain decisions which seem to come out of nowhere and so far a lot of the characters haven't been as well developed as I would want them to be.
Hey, Ben! Give this series a chance. It got a lot of hate, but I loved it! Now, to put that into context.... I studied many different religions when I was about your age (guessing early 20s), including witchcraft. So, there is a LOT going on in this series that a lot of people don't understand because "witchcraft is evil" based on their limited perspective. But no spoilers... but you might want to write down the names, as they can get confusing at times. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, because this show gets complicated.
3:35 - At this time, Jedi were "stationed" at various places around the galaxy. As what would amount to a small police force. Master Indara was in the pub just hanging with the locals when "the assassin" showed up. I'll wait to drop names until they've been revealed, because "spoilers".
Also, this is what is referred to as "The High Republic" era, and something a lot of people miss is that this isn't 100 years before Phantom Menace, but 100 years before "Operation Nightfall", aka "Order 66", so, tracking back, Phantom Menace was 14 years before that, so this would be 86 years (give or take) before Episode I. It's a minor detail, but that's the thing... the smallest details have a habit of being the most important.
6:25 - Yeah, pay attention to details like this. You THINK she's "the bad guy", yet she doesn't kill a parent/witness in front of his child. A Sith (or even a true villain) wouldn't hesitate to.
7:10 - "Mechniks" = Mechanics. Except that non-droids working on the outside of space craft is illegal (Republic law) because it's so dangerous. But when have the Trade Federation ever given a damn about laws? ;)
7:50 - Yeah, that was people's first complaint... that fire "in space"... but never stopped to think that it is being fueled by something escaping the ship..... (I mean, WE have rockets that work in space, because the oxygen required for it comes from within the engine).
10:20 - "I'm confused", that's okay, Ben. The pieces of this puzzle get revealed rather slowly. But very little is as it first seems.
12:20 - Heh.... Have you ever seen the movie Braveheart? There was a relevant line in that movie that applies to the question you just asked: "The dead cost nothing." Meaning that (in this context) "droids are expensive. Why risk losing a droid when we can pay a person to do the same job, and if they die... can be replaced much more cheaply." That's actually a corporate mentality, these days. Not to get political, but why else do you think manufacturing jobs went to places like China? The labor costs are minimal (if not absolutely abysmal), robots doing that job would be expensive, and first world countries have that pesky thing called "minimum (or worse, a "competitive") wage", as well things like "benefits", "unions"... and other things that cut into the almighty profit margin.
16:05 - I don't think Sol believes Osha committed the murder, which is why he wants to go himself. He's to take a "small team", because the Jedi really don't want this story to get out. Sending a small team for this will not look suspicious or even likely to be noticed, and Sol DOES have a connection with Osha.
17:00 - It's a subtle hint that Yord is displaying a level of "Vanity", by wanting his robes properly pressed, and presentable. You're basically getting to see some of the flaws of individual Jedi.
17:35 - Correct. I'm only confirming that because all of the clues were there, and you put them together quite well.
18:50 - Why, indeed.
20:25 - Osha is putting the pieces together, and it only looks like she's "flip flopping" about trusting the Jedi. There's a lot that hasn't been revealed yet, that Osha knows. At this point, she now knows that Mae is alive and is the one who killed Indara. But how can she prove it, if Sol and the other Jedi believe Mae is dead? Also, consider this: Mae wasn't rescued by Sol from the fire, only Osha was. So, Mae saying things like "The Jedi only draw their lightsabers when they intend to kill" obviously didn't come from being trained as a Jedi. So, where would she hear something like that?
21:10 - Listen to what that modulated voice said more than once. That is a very important piece of information. You might even want to write that down.
Okay, I'm going to leave this tab open, and I'll get back to you on your "post episode" thoughts, and see how I can help you along. But I have something to do that will take about an hour.... See ya in a bit.
Okay, Ben..... I'm back and watching your "post episode thoughts". Something I want to point out, is that this series has a lot of "misdirection" in it. And yes, that is done "on purpose".
I want you to think back to Return of the Jedi, and I may have mentioned this before but let's cover it again to be sure. After Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke's father, and dies.... Luke ponders his future, and Obi-Wan appears to him (the ONLY time in the OT that Luke calls him "Obi-Wan", BTW) and says, "Luke, you're going to find that *many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view*."
That statement (especially the part I highlighted) is absolutely a KEY component to this series. While it's not perfectly clear whose point of view we're seeing at any given time (and I think that may be a key weakness to the show), it's from SOMEONE's point of view, thus "limited" to that point of view. That is going to make it a little hard to follow, but honestly, I found it making watching the series more than once, absolutely critical to fleshing it all out. So far, I've watched it more than half a dozen times, looking for every little detail I can find, because I know the "clues" are there. Even though I enjoyed it my first watch through, I'm finding that I'm liking it even more with every successive viewing. I continue to spot little things, nod my head and go, "oh, yeah... it was right there all along!"
So, don't feel bad if you're confused right out of the gate. I was, too... but I also recognized the kind of storytelling they were going for. But it's one of those, "Okay, let's settle in for the long ride, and see not only "where this goes", but "if they can manage to pull it off". Also, this is why I highly recommend taking notes. There's a LOT to sort out, and in doing so, you have to figure out who saw what and how they interpreted what they saw.
Okay, let's address some of your questions. 22:15 - I'll just call "him" "The Stranger" (so as not to spoil anything)..... The Stranger tells Mae that attacking the Jedi with weapons won't work, yet we also saw that it will, because Mae killed Indara with a throwing knife. BUT... she also used a "non-weapon" in order for the weapon to be effective. There's a lesson to be learned here.... attack A Jedi directly with a weapon you will fail. But attack THE Jedi (notice the difference in wording here)... and you have to destroy the IDEA of the Jedi and what they represent. Which is what Palpatine did later down the timeline. This is the kind of really subtle stuff you're going to need to look for in this series.
22:35 - Also, this episode didn't drop by itself. The first two episodes dropped together. This was done for a reason. Because of how the storytelling is done. Personally, with this style of storytelling, I think they should have just released the entire series in one go. Or, maybe the first 4 episodes, wait a couple of weeks and drop the other 4..... let people try and figure out where it's all going... make predictions.... that kind of thing.
24:00 - Okay.... you're making some assumptions here.... while I won't "correct" you on anything, I will say that, there was a "War of the Worlds" television series back in the 1980s (IIRC, episodes of it can be found on RUclips), that was a "sequel series" to the 1953 movie based on the novel/radio show. In one of the first episodes, one of the main characters said something that has stuck with me to this very day, and you just "triggered" that memory, because it's VERY applicable here: "To assume the obvious is to overlook the obvious." I can't tell you how many times in my life that THAT piece of philosophy has popped into my head. Right now, you're doing exactly that, in trying to figure things out. You're assuming that Mae is the Acolyte, and that "The Stranger" is a Sith.... It's a "logical assumption", but also "a little too neat" (Lethal Weapon reference, there).... or.... too "obvious". To assume the obvious is to overlook the obvious.
26:50 - But, doesn't it make you wonder WHY that particular Jedi Master was targeted? To me, it didn't exactly seem "random". The whole fight had this air of "this is personal" to it. Especially when Indara saw Mae's face, and the mark upon her head. But even from the beginning, this wasn't just someone looking to make a name from killing just any Jedi. So that introduces the question.... WHY did Mae want to kill Indara?
29:27 - "The eyes turning black, that's kinda demonic"..... Remember.... "from a certain point of view".....
30:40 - Sol has very kind eyes, and demeanor. There's no doubt about that.
31:45 - I refused to watch some of the videos regarding the controversy, because I noted that there were snippets of interviews which I (being an American Gen-Xer) already know will be trimmed to further someone's particular ideology and put their bigotries on full display while using those clips as "evidence" to support their arguments. So, for the most part, you're not going to get much out of me regarding that nonsense. Frankly, I just let the show speak for itself. Did I see some flaws in it? Of course I did. I'm not blind. But did any of those flaws make me enjoy the show any less? No, not really. I could go back to the very first Star Wars and nit-pick until the cows come home... But I won't because I actually enjoy the movie.
Something I may have covered before you started watching this, is that some people (who claim to be fans) "set themselves up for disappointment" by expecting certain things, then have a tantrum when the show/movie doesn't go exactly how they had it scripted in their heads. I don't do that. I watch the show, and while there are some things I hope to see, I won't pitch a hissy-cow if it doesn't happen.. But hey, that's why I don't have ten bizillion subscribers and views.
Thank you so much for all this, definitely will need more help with the episodes I've have recorded. The show so far does seem really interesting with all these plot points it's establishing but I have to say it feels like it requires a lot of work to be able to understand it all and get to that level of enjoyment, what I'm hoping for is that as the show goes on the pieces will fit into place and I'll be easily able to understand what's going on and everything will make sense, but for the start of the show to jump right into the confusion is a bit much for me. It's definitely a bold move and it has my respect for that but ideally, I would have preferred to ease into the mystery while establishing some fundamentals in the first episode. I'll keep track of all this info as I head into further episodes as I do really want to enjoy this show, and so far there have been some great moments but they have been surrounded by 'iffy' writing, if that writing ends up working itself out and looking back it all makes sense I'll be very happy but right from the start it's just overwhelming 😂😂
@@benspiller You're more than welcome. I took the time to write all of that confident that you would read it. I know that you are open minded and have an honest desire to enjoy all of Star Wars. They are really stepping outside the box with this one, and it's important to understand that from the start. But, having watched it all, it honestly didn't take me long to figure out the "from a certain point of view" thing. Which is why I really wanted you to keep that in mind.
have a great day, and I look forward to your next episode.
19:55 No, Mae was right. This is meant to show that even though Yord usually sticks to the rules, he kind of leans towards acting as a sort of police which leads to him escalating situations instead of what he should be doing.
Yord is coming off as very annoyed to me at the minute, hoping that can change and I can see some development in that regard but right now it feels like he's meant to represent the Jedi at their worst as a militant police force.
@@benspillerYes, he’s not my favorite either lol. Knowing that you’ve already seen what happens to him, I think there were some redeemable qualities towards the end.. but he’s not my favorite. I’m glad Jecki and Yord are getting a novel to expand their characters when they were younger‼️ Vernestra will also be getting another novel featuring Indara 20 years before The Acolyte, I’m very excited. Kelnaaca has also gotten a one-shot solo comic and will be featured in the end of the current High Republic comic run. Lots of tie-ins!
Can tell the character introductions are legit where there has to be life story exposition for everyone.
One thing is the Acolyte, taking place ca. 100 years before the Phantom Menace and all that... But I would recommend you check out some of the cinematic trailers for the Old Republic game honestly. They are quite well made. And they takes place around 3900 years before A New Hope, so there is much more going on there... Though, those ARE only 6 trailers, but they ARE amazingly well made still.
I'd recommend to watch them in this order: Return, Hope, Deceived, Sacrifice, Betrayal and then Disorder.
Return, Hope, Deceived and Disorder showcases some characters, but most notably an ancient sith named Darth Malgus.
Sacrifice and Betrayal focuses on the children of the "Palpatine of the time", Valkorion.
So yeah, Acolyte is... Something... But the Old Republic cinematic trailers are TRULY masterpieces to behold.
Yes i totaly agree you should watch them
I actually have these jotted down! Planning to react to them when I start Livestreaming.
@@benspiller will you livestream on RUclips open for everyone?
7:48 To reference something George Lucas said when talking about fire in Star Wars, there’s air in space when it’s needed.
😂 Okay didn't know George Lucas said that and it makes the scene better for me, since it's used as a theme to show off Osha's trauma I like it more now but not knowing anything about this and just outright seeing it takes you back a bit.
Acolyte is way over hated! it’s far from perfect but I enjoyed it enough to be looking forward to season 2.
Though that is fair, especially the way the Acolyte ended... I am personally afraid to see what a Season 2 could possibly end up doing... We barely managed to maintain continuity for the Phantom Menace in this first season... Yet they intend for a second season to continue the plot? I am honestly scared about what this could cause... And they better be clever about how they execute the second season of this show honestly.
@@TheTrytixLeslye is extremely knowledgeable about star wars canon. If you read any of the long form interviews she does, it comes across so clearly. She's a massive nerd. I trust her!
21:03 Once again, that’s also the point. She failed. The master is also talking about the idea of the Jedi, steel and laser are no threat to the Jedi’s existence. You must destroy their belief, their dream. You have to kill someone unarmed as that’s the antithesis of what the Jedi believe in. This is why Mae tries to take Indara’s weapon before she kills her and leaves it after she failed to.
I actually realised later that instead of the line being a rule it's a challenge for Mai to accomplish, wish it was phrased this way to begin with as it feels unnecessarily confusing to word it this way, it may add to the convictions of this shadowy villain but doesn't help the audience member who's trying to follow the story.
@@benspillerThis series is meant to be a mystery type series so it leaves lots of questions to be answered later on but I figured I’d contextualize it for you to avoid you being confused about that, but then again you’ve filmed episodes ahead of time already.
The Trade Federation were lacking their accents, a side effect of the aliens having accents being criticized as stereotypical.
I honestly didn't even realise 😂 It seems weird though to remove that since it's an accent for an alien species.
We need to talk about the war crime commited by Jecki in this episode. She told Yord to put his clothes on.
😂😂
"There's air in outer space, when I want it" - George Lucas
If he said that I'm cool with it then 😂 Wish that was just a thing that was said as I'm perfectly fine with air being here as it's a fictional world but having it come out of nowhere just makes my mind automatically think of real-world logic.
At the end when he's talking about killing a jedi, it's not about killing a jedi, it's about killing the jedi reputation and "dream". Killing the jedi without a weapon will be explained later but it's not about literally killing a jedi is not possible with those things.
Realised this after, wish this was phrased better as it comes off as a rule that the villain believes when it's their asperation.
@@benspiller one of the most controversial aspects of the show I've noticed is that the idea of the show is supposed to be a mystery, but people aren't used to that in star wars and the episodic nature is not ideal for that type of show. If it was a movie or binged in one sitting it'd be a much smoother experience
Carlac was the planet Ahsoka and Lux met Bo Katan.
Love that call back!
I almost forgot this series existed, lol.
There's a few decent moments throughout it (won't spoil anything), but overall, it's not the best. I normally say a lot, but I don't really have much to say about any episode, so good luck getting through it. 😅
The Jedi don't use their lightsabres unless they're ready to kill. But Sith are not Jedi!
Ah true!
Alright, let's start with the facts:
Who is a Sith now?
Plagueis is 15 years old and has probably not yet become a Sith.
The Sith Master at this time is Darth Tenebrous (He looked different so it wasn't him) or perhaps even his master (we don’t know his/her name; potentially Twi-Lek but we realy know nothing).
I’ll say right away that I’m not a specialist in this era, but I do know some things, so I might be wrong.
As for what’s happening in the Republic during this time, well, it’s a period of relative peace. I say "relative" because the Jedi and the Republic are recovering from a war with an anarchist group called the Nihils. (100 years before "The Acolyte")
The Nihils weren’t super large organized group, but they used very unconventional and radical methods. For example, blowing up a giant ship while it was in hyperspace and then watching as it collides with other ships and debris randomly destroyed entire live on planets.
The Jedi had a problem, and in the Republic, there began to be a thought: Do we need the Jedi if they can’t defend peace and allow chaos to happend? Why do they consider themselves the defenders of peace?
Well, public opinion and politics became important and it was the Republic that had more say in this war, not the Jedi who allowed themselves to be politically subjugated in the name of peace or defense of opinion about the order.
This war led to the Jedi becoming not just defenders of peace but a political organization - they became dependent on the Senate and slowly turned into what we saw in the prequels.
(There will be minor references to this war.)
The Jedi robes are a nod to the transition from the Golden Age (High Republic) white-and-gold to the more prequel-like "yellow-brown."
Regarding Vernestra, she is a character from the books (so she’s over 100 years old, but Mirialans can live up to 200 years).
Well, the only thing I can say is that Vern has changed a lot over the years. I’ll provide details later.
16:13 The planet where Ahsoka and Lux had a meeting with the Death Watch.
21:08 Red lightsaber
My reaction: Please, not a Sith, let it be one of the first of the Rens - also dark side users but not seeking power or knowledge. They cared most about their personal strength - especially physical strength Power too, but less, we still know very little about them.
Now I can tell you that what he says is more his personal philosophy and not a tutorial on how to kill Jedi.
Now to the bad things:
Regarding the changes I would make to make this more sensible, I will be rewriting "The Acolyte" with friends. Maybe we’ll finish and share our conclusions with you. I can already say that this episode could be the first, but a short flashback should be added, and episode 3 should be entirely removed, as I do not consider it canon but rather very bad fan fiction.
I don’t know if revealing the identity of the killer was a good solution. Maybe it would have been more interesting if we didn’t have Mae in the first episode at all and only observed Osha. That way, we would share something with the main character - not knowing what’s going on and trying to figure it out together. Mae could appear in the last scene. That would be better.
Additionally, Mae as a POV character just doesn’t work.
A POV character is someone you should sympathize with and understand. The problem with Mae is that you can’t sympathize with her in the first few episodes, and you don’t understand her at all, and by episode 3, you consider her a psychopath. Additionally, the writing seems to force you to like this psychopath.
“She has a reason for killing the Jedi - what reason?” “She found out her sister is alive - so?” “She just wanted to live with her family so she try to kill her sister.”
Why doesn’t it work? Well, the answer: To sympathize with her, I need to understand her. Mae is not understandable, so she’s not sympathetic, and her actions only provoke cold antipathy.
I’ll say it now, just now, introduce Mae like Azula in Avatar.
Azula isn’t a POV character but still perfectly shows her perspective and isn’t portrayed as a victim. As a villain, she earns your respect or even more.
There she isn’t presented as a victim, but you know she is one, and you can decide for yourself whether to even sympathize with her.
I’m not saying to make her a copy of Azula (We already have it and in my opinion it's the best written character in all of SW) but to present her as a huge threat to the main characters rather than a lost victim.
(The very concept of revenge often involves the victim becoming the perpetrator, which means you don't treat Mae as a villain/threat.)
To emphasize: When did we really start to sympathize with Azula and we even considered her a victim? Not after the first episodes, but the episode on the beach was the most important in this case - the next season. Previously, we considered her a dangerous villain, and it should be the same with Mae - we should slowly receive new information and not be forced to like her, as she is still the antagonist.
And you, as a viewer, would have the choice to try to understand Mae and delve deeper or hate her for her actions or like her as a villain/anti-villain.
Characters like this evoke every possible emotion at the same time and I really saw wasted potential after these episodes.
16:43 Well, this scene is the most primitive way to gain viewer sympathy for a character. It’s a psychological game - show a half-naked, attractive man. Then the viewer will believe he’s right/gain sympathy for the character. I’ve seen other reactions, and it works; people liked Yord and didn’t even know why.
Well, if instead of showing it this way, they showed his actions and decisions and the real chance for this character to grow in the eyes of the viewer, then maybe he’d be a much better character. Yord was supposed to be like Windu - a Jedi who does everything by the book. Windu didn’t have to undress - he showed us through his actions something that aroused our sympathy and hatred.
Well, the writing is a literal disaster, and I’ll quote the best villain from SW, which I will quote again in the final episode because it fits perfectly:
“I do not know which I hate more, cowardice or incompetence.” - Valkorion
Correction: Plagueis is not 15 during this time. He actually could be in his 40s
@@redvitproductions2829 According to legends, he is 15
@@hehu4025 No he isn't. Quote from the book:
"Plagueis allowed a laugh. “I’m just an old Muun who wouldn’t know about that.”
Seeing through him, Palpatine snorted. “Just how old are you?”
“In human years I would be well over one hundred.”
Someone calculated his age and he would be AT LEAST 33 years old.
But again, that's all Legends, not canon
@@redvitproductions2829 Even if he is 15 here, he would still be over 100.
There was probably such information on Wookiepedia, but I'm not sure.
Happy that there are options for who this 'Sith' is if it even is a Sith.
Wish the show gave this explanation for the politicization of the Jedi, in the show it just comes out of the blue but it works with this reason of the galaxy recovering from a war.
With the 'Sith' and his philosophy, again this is something that should have been made clearer, I don't understand the need to write it in this way to cause confusion when wording it as a philosophy from the start would have been much better.
I'd love to hear your rewrite when it's done, I've been coming up with so many ideas for ways this could have been more streamlined and I'd love to know what you come up with. This episode is just meh for me, it's missing the hook for a premier episode and it sets up an interesting story in a flimsy way.
Completely agree with Mai being introduced at the end, have the story revolve around Osha as the Jedi are investigating a conspiracy to kill Jedi where Osha is the lead suspect only for the first Jedi to die at the end, clearing Osha's name, and revealing the twin. Also wouldn't mention the twin thing in this episode as it gave so much away so quickly and that could be a fun thing to do in flashbacks where you see the children but initially think it's one child only to realise upon the reveal that there are two.
Mai should not be the person we are following and after episode 3 and don't know what they can do to fix that, you put it perfectly that she's a psychopath yet the show continues to try and create a sympathetic connection between her and the viewer which just isn't going to happen.
Azula is the perfect example of how a psychopath is written and gives the viewer the choice to empathise or not, feel like this show could have gone in a different direction by just having the two sisters be trained but a Jedi and Sith without the Psychopathic element, and create a debate within the audience about who to follow rather than forcing the audience to like certain characters.
I can't believe that was the point of Yord's scene and I can't believe something so basic worked on people! it showed nothing of his character and that segment just interrupted the flow of events while adding nothing significant. It's shocking that he's meant to be like Mace as these characters are so far apart.
It feels like a fan film with a high budget to me
Oh... You're... Watching the Acolyte?... Uhm... Alright, he he, good luck to ya... You'll need it... Cuz THIS ONE's a doozy!
Lot of current material has a obsession with male character randomly having their shirts off during a serious moment.
Reminds me of what Marvel does, pretty sure every male character has had a shirtless scene at this point and it can work but Yord's just lacked purpose and interrupted the build-up between Sol going to find Osha.
As always, a highly enjoyable reaction! I'm glad you're tackling "The Acolyte" and I hope the comment section will remain respectful as you go along. There's an interesting setup but I agree that the writing is deeply flawed. It took me a few episodes for the series to grab my attention and to feel invested in the story. Sol was the standout character for me as well.
Glad you enjoyed the video 😁 Completely agree, there was a really interesting story being built here but there were so many flaws in the writing which distracts you from it and just forms a cluttered story. Hoping it improves though as Sol is easily the best character and very invested in following his story.
@@benspiller Thank you for the reply! For me, the story greatly improved 3 episodes in, and I hope it will for you too. This is a show where the mystery is a slow burn, and its languid pacing can be off-putting. A lot of what we see could have easily been condensed and rearranged to create a more cohesive narrative. I won't say more out of fear of spoiling you. Having said that, I'm looking forward to your future reactions of the series.
Here comes something positve about this show coming from me (There may only be a few) The fight choreography is top tier. Fantastic.
I completely agree, the fight scenes have been really creative and really well done, love how Mai is gliding around and using the Force like this.
Acolyte? Well, I wouldn't recommend it, of course. I have long been accustomed to the fact that among Star Wars fans there are some very unpretentious individuals who like what Disney is doing with the franchise... Many people like Obi-Wan (people simply cannot understand logic), some even Acolyte. Even here in the comments there are already those who say “Acolyte is good, I want season 2.”(meh)
The Acolyte is the quintessential downfall of the Disney-led series.
Overall wasn't the biggest fan of the show but I think it's still enjoyable to watch. Many people just wanted to hate it before it even came out claiming it was "woke" whatever that's supposed to mean. But it has some really fun characters and an amazing fight choreography in my opinion
I was actually annoyed by how many people just CHOSE to hate the show before it even came out. I entered it with an open mind and praised it where it did good... But even then, MAN is the show still flawed unfortunately. I don't wanna say the people who chose to hate the show JUST to hate it was right, they obviously weren't... But the show wasn't anything spectacular either.
So far my biggest issue with it is just the writing quality, I definitely don't like it when people just automatically hate something without even watching it especially since hate is a really strong word, I imagine most may dislike it but hate seems way too strong. The characters of this show are interesting at the very least, some haven't been developed as much as I want but Sol is the standout to me right now.
Acolyte unfortunately continues the trend of modern Star Wars where any form of criticism from the fanbase is met by the cast and crew labelling the fanbase as racist/sexist.
Well then maybe the Star Wars incels should stop making all their “criticism” about race, gender, sexuality… and claim they’re talking about the “story.” Like even when they are discussing the story, they disregard things that have already been in George Lucas’ Star Wars that they’d never judged before but only judge in the context of this show. Even fire in space.. a staple in Star Wars. They’ll even complain about witches as if that’s new.
Only the actual racists and sexists.
@@Aewon84 The actress literally said there's nothing wrong with her character, and labelled the fanbase as racist, bruh.
@@willfanofmanyii3751 I mean, a lot of the fanbase IS racist. Have you seen how The Fandom Menace appouched Andor and The Acolyte since they were announced? They never even gave it a chance before throwing racists remarks and misogyny
@@redvitproductions2829 OBVIOUSLY there are people out there who were far too quick with their criticism of the show, even going as far as to dislike the trailer without knowing how the show would even turn out. And then even by the first episode, they were trying to complain about anything and everything that they could complain about. Hence how they made such a huge deal out of a small fire in space for instance or a Jedi dying from being stabbed in the heart by a knife, as if that is impossible or something.
HOWEVER.
After having watched trough the entire series, the RATIONAL fans of Star Wars who were willing to give it a chance, STILL noticed flaws with it's writing and characters that were much more significant than anything the haters had focused on from day one. And THAT is what was going on.
The Acolyte IS a flawed show. It's unfortunate that the shows creators and the like only use the first wave of haters as evidence EVERYONE hate the show because the fans are sexist or racist, without even listening to a single word the rational, dedicated fans are saying with their constructive criticism. And therein lies part of the problem.
The shows creators hear people dislike the show, and instead of owning that criticism and be responsible about it, they choose that "No, our show can't POSSIBLY be bad, since WE made it. And therefore, it's just the fans who hate the show because... They are racist or sexist!" In other words, redirecting the blame over towards the fans and using the most aggressive ACTUAL moronic haters out there as the example to describe everyone, to try and make themselves as the show creators, sound reasonable and rational, even though they aren't.
The Acolyte? Ok! Now let's get serious.. When will you start watching Rebels?
And Tarkakovsky's Star Wars Clone Wars, despite the fact that it is a children's cartoon, is about 1000 times better than the Acolyte and some other Disney TV series based on Star Wars.
Very soon, got Solo, Kenobi then the last two episodes of TofE and then Rebels, it was going to be Andor but I found out it's got a season 2 in the works which is meant to tie into the movie after it.
24:32 The contradictions are supposed to be what makes you think about it.. and you are.
I think the contradictions could have been handled better if they were meant to be there, as an audience member going in blind to this show it feels like it comes off as very jarring and if the intent is to make me think then there should at least be a clear narrative of what is the correct side of the contradiction.
Btw I think you should plan to watch episodes 4 and 5 together‼️
I'm afraid I have now recorded those episodes and they definitely should have been together.
@@benspillerI didn’t think you’d be so far ahead 😭
This will make you hate star wars.
This show is absolutely terrible.
But the fight scenes are some of the best I've ever seen.
Argh, I was looking forward to whatever you were reacting to next but not this show. It’s my least favorite and maybe if it came back a year or so down the road, I would not feel so ick from it but here it is. At least it’s short. Let’s see what you think about it.
😂😂 Yeah this show seems very divisive and so far there are far more issues than there should be for something like this.
This show was not for me, definitely. Main complaint: The inconsistency of the characters, i.e., their motivation. I'll reserve the rest for later, after you finish it.
Exactly this! Became very evident in the episodes I recorded recently and it's really stopping me from getting an attachment to these characters.
It took me a while to remember that for chronological viewing technically The Acolyte would come first. But ugh, this show is embarrassing.
Yeah, having recorded a few more episodes now, I worry for anyone going to Star Wars chronologically and being greeted with this as the first thing, definitely not what you want someone new to Star Wars to see first.
Fair warning friend, this show is going to be extremely awful and filled with beyond terrible writing. Be prepared for further disappointments
Great! It is very interesting to see your joint detailed reaction to the film Robocop 1987. This is a cool movie 🦾🤖🔥
Do you have any plans to do it?