The Acolyte was axed after one season on Disney+. Here’s why

When, in 2020, Lucasfilm announced the development of a series set during the famous High Republic, it stirred up my interest in the galaxy far, far away. As a person mildly involved in the universe and somewhat immune to the charm of smash hits like The Mandalorian, I felt a new hope.

A series set a hundred years before the Skywalker saga, telling the story from the villains’ perspective (according to showrunner Leslye Headland) seemed promising. Especially since The Acolyte was meant to show the Republic at its height and a Jedi Order in full swing. This had to be epic, right?

The first trailer for the show removed my illusions, and the first episodes didn’t restore them. I quickly realised this wasn’t a series that would make a Star Wars fan out of me, and I lost interest. The same goes for Disney (although it waited until the season 1 finale), as it has decided not to renew The Acolyte for season 2.

What went wrong with the show meant to bring a breath of fresh air to the over-extended Star Wars universe?

Why did Disney cancel The Acolyte?

The decision to axe the series isn’t entirely surprising. Before the premiere, The Acolyte was already met with scepticism, and after the release, it strongly divided the audience. While critics’ reviews were relatively positive, fan reception was crushing. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Acolyte gathered 78% positive reviews from critics, while only 8% from viewers. On Metacritic, the series ended up with a 67 Metascore, while the User Score was 3.9.

Interestingly, the series had a solid debut: the premiere of the first two episodes generated as many as 4.8 million views on Disney+. After five days, The Acolyte even reached Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10 originals chart – but fell off it fast. It seems that the audience quickly lost interest in the series, and viewership dwindled rapidly. With a gigantic production budget (a whopping $180 million), it was quite a blow to Disney.

Sadly, the cast of The Acolyte faced a racist backlash to which Amandla Stenberg, who starred as Osha and Mae, responded in a song on Instagram, but fans also raised quite reasonable arguments for disliking the show. Among other things, Disney’s series was accused of chaotic writing, a dull story, one-dimensional characters and ignoring the lore. Despite a cast that included Carrie-Anne Moss, Lee Jung-jae and Dafne Keen, fans even criticised some actors’ performances.

After wrapping up the first season, Disney must have concluded that continuing the production wouldn’t be profitable and that the show doesn’t serve the development of the Star Wars universe – which is, after all, one of the most valuable brands in the studio’s portfolio.

What was expected from The Acolyte season 2?

Cancelling The Acolyte left fans with several unresolved threads and questions.

The fate of the twins, Osha And Mae, is likely to remain a mystery. In the finale, the sisters decide to separate, with Mae agreeing to have her memory erased in case of capture by Jedi knights. It’s unlikely that Disney will return to the sisters’ plot in other series, so fans must accept that they will never know what happened next.

Also unknown is the fate of Mother Koril, who is unlikely to have died during the extermination of the Witches of Brendok. We also don’t know what happens next with Qimir, who, according to some theories, may not be a real Sith at all.

Most importantly, in season 2, the series creators probably intended to develop the plot of Darth Plagueis, who made a surprising appearance in the season 1 finale. Palpatine’s famous mentor was only shown as a lurking figure in the shadows, watching Osha and Qimir. At this point, it’s uncertain whether Plagueis will appear in another production from the Star Wars universe.

Who was involved in the series?

The series showrunner was Leslye Headland, best known for her work as co-creator, showrunner and executive producer of the Netflix comedy Russian Doll. Headland showcased how she’d made her love for Star Wars permanent with a Princess Leia tattoo – adding how excited she was to take on the new series.

Headland had stated that she’d assembled a diverse crew, with different opinions on the lore of the franchise. 

How to watch the new Star Wars series

The new series is another Disney Plus exclusive, joining The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars. If you don’t have a Disney+ account yet, you can sign up on the website for $7.99 / £4.99 per month for an ad-supported tier. You can also choose an ad-free subscription for $13.99 / £7.99 per month.

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