#It's just really hitting me today how much I'm in Fandom Limbo

[whysamwhy123]

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[masterskywalkers]

The Acolyte finished airing today and I can honestly say that having seen the last episode I find this show to be the most conflicted I have felt about a SW entry.

It truly is an example of 'interesting story, weak method of storytelling'. There is so much of this series I loved - the lightsaber battles, the cast and the characters, some of the ideas and reintroductions of past legends content (cortosis armour!) - however, there are weaknesses that show, and boy do they make things frustrating.

The Acolyte is yet another example of how these eight-episode structures don't work half the time. Whilst the Obi-Wan Kenobi show felt like it would have worked better as a movie, the Acolyte feels more like it would benefit from longer seasons, ones that would also lend well to a better story structure. The fact we had to sit through two of those eight episodes as flashbacks to the same events (told from a certain point of view) just felt like such a waste of time which the story could have used elsewhere to flesh out areas more. I've been saying to friends who are also watching the show for weeks now that the story could have been two seasons -- now three given what the last episode has shown. The first season should have been the Jedi investigating Brendok, trying to find the vergence that brought the planet back to life, discovering the sisterhood along with Osha and Mae, and ended with the events that lead to the Jedi being hunted. Season two should have been the hunting of the Jedi / reveal of Qimir, the truth of what Osha and Mae are, pressure on the Jedi council from the senate for the truth of what was going on / the want to investigate into the council, Osha's turn and Sol's death, and ended the way the last episode did. And season three onwards being whatever is to happen next with the search for Qimir and dark side adventures with Osha, Qimir and Plagueis (Plagueis, my guy, you really saw 'the rule of two' and just went 'I don't want that' didn't you? Love you, you freaky little cryptid sithlord). It's a shame, because there is so much to love about this show if it was structured correctly; the story is interesting and intriguing, giving so much weight to things like how Anakin came to be and how Plagueis found the power to influence and create life. The characters are great! - I was mostly annoyed at their deaths because they often felt too early, whereas another season would have been enough to build the connections to make those moments hit harder. Give us viewers reasons to care for losing these characters. The one I cared most about was Sol, and his death was impactful because you had been given enough time to learn who he was as a person.

The Acolyte also brings interesting questions forward that are often debated in fandom circles - one being just how are we supposed to see the Jedi Order? Are they the good guys who can do no wrong, or are they just as fallible as any other person, despite what they try to believe?

I dunno. Maybe it's just me. The Acolyte wasn't bad - I certainly don't understand the overreacting hate towards it - but it could also be better. I do not instantly dislike it the way I did The Last Jedi, but I do feel that for its strengths, it still has a lot of work to do to become a standout. Maybe, if it does get a second season, it'll earn that. But right now, I'm stuck in some weird limbo of wondering how much I actually enjoyed it. It does have some of the best lightsaber battles in Star Wars, though. There's no disputing that.