Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte
Summary
After watchingThe Acolytein its entirety, one has to wonder if it ultimately works as a prequel toThe Phantom Menace.Set 100 years before the events ofEpisode Iand the dawn of the Skywalker saga,The Acolyteis set at the end of theHigh Republic Era, an age of relative peace and prosperity for both the Republic and the Jedi Order. That said, how well does this newStar Warsshow serve as a prelude to the very first prequel film?
Coming from showrunner Leslye Headland, it’s no secret thatThe Acolytehas faced more than its fair share of controversy and criticism. While the vast majority comes from a place of toxicity and intolerance coming from vocal subsects of theStar Warsfandom, there are justified criticisms to be made regarding the series' writing and overall structure. Keeping that in mind,it certainly begs the question 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
Firstly,The Acolytedoes feature some intriguing ties toThe Phantom Menace, as well as to the greater Skywalker saga. This includes simple references, such as featuring the Trade Federation in the show’s premiere. However, there are also much bigger revelations, including lore expansions around Anakin Skywalker’s unique birth and existence as a living vergence in the Force as was revealed in the firstStar Warsprequel film. The show’s primary reveal was that twin sisters Mae and Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) were artificially created by their mother using aForce vergence on the planet Brendok, originally one being split into two.
This primary focal point and reveal inThe Acolyteconnects to Anakin’s more natural conception as the Force’s destined Chosen One. It also has ties withPalpatine’s Sith master Darth Plagueiswho also had the power to create life through the Force as well.The Acolytealso has more connections toThe Phantom Menacethat are more aesthetic, such as the impressive lightsaber choreography and stunts inspired 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. Case in point,Master Sol (Lee Jung-Jae)and his desire to train the uniquely powerful Osha despite being too old is an intentional mirror to Qui-Gon and Anakin. It’s certainly a prime example of the classic line by George Lucas about theStar Warstimeline being like poetry with repeated stanzas from era to era. There are also newfound pressures from the Republic being placed upon the Jedi, seemingly foreshadowing how the Order eventually becomes too subservient to the galactic government as seen in the prequels.
How The Acolyte Doesn’t Work As A Phantom Menace Prequel
There Are Still Unanswered Questions The Acolyte Failed To Answer
That said,there are still some key ways in whichThe Acolytefails to set up the events ofThe Phantom Menaceas much as some might have expected. The biggest example was the show neglecting to fully explain why the Jedi believed the Sith were extinct before the debut of Darth Maul inThe Phantom Menace, even as dark threats were rising and being sensed by masters such asVernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). A full cover-up was even instigated to hide the truth 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 orders” and “rogue Jedi” were voiced, the show ultimately didn’t go as far as many were likely hoping in terms of setting up the Jedi’s blindness to the Sith’s existence. Furthermore,Vernestra herself is teased at the ending ofThe Acolyteseemingly revealing her suspicions of dark side users to Grandmaster Yoda himself,complicating the issues about the Jedi’s ignorance of the Sith (or lack thereof) inThe Phantom Menaceeven further. Likewise, it’s also never shown how the Jedi are aware of the Sith’s Rule of Two inThe Phantom Menace, an enduring mystery many hoped would be revealed in this newStar Warsshow.
The Primary Mae/Osha Mystery Took Precedence
Instead, the primary mystery about Mae and Osha’s unique conception took precedence for this first (and hopefully not only) season ofThe Acolyte.While that’s not necessarily a bad thing,there are plenty of avenues that could have been set up forThe Phantom Menacethat were ultimately left unexplored. As such, it makesThe Acolytefeel like the first chapter in a much bigger prelude toEpisode I, one that will hopefully still be told with more seasons for the sake of continuity and completion (despite the show’s very divisive reception).
What The Acolyte Could Still Do To Become A Dynamic Phantom Menace Prequel
More Seasons Could Serve As A Stronger Prelude
More seasons 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 role in future seasons ofThe Acolytewould certainly go a long way in terms of setting up the events ofThe Phantom Menace, particularly when it comes to the Jedi Order and their gradual decline. However, much of the opportunity for greater storytelling and setup for the future likely lies with the dark side.
With so many ofThe Acolyte’sJedi cast having met their demise in this first season, there’s so much more room for Qimir and Osha’s stories to continue. To that end, their arcs could also reveal more about the legacy of the Sith and their operations before Palpatine’s rise to power.ForThe Acolyteto truly feel like a strong prelude toThe Phantom Menace, the dark side and its primary players before the Skywalker saga need to be primary focal points. As such, the show did set up the perfect character who could help make that happen: Darth Plagueis the Wise.
Darth Plagueis Has The Strongest Potential
Having been briefly featured observing Qimir and Osha from the shadows,Darth Plagueis clearly has a role to play in futureAcolyteseasonswhen and if Lucasfilm orders subsequent seasons ofThe Acolyte. His power was already teased with the Force vergence and the artificial creation of Mae and Osha, so seeing Plagueis himself in the show’s finale is very exciting. The cameo also promises an even greater focus on the dark side and how the Sith’s ultimate revenge was put into motion by Palpatine’s master.
All in all,Plagueis more than likely holds the key to helpingThe Acolytefeel more like the true prequel toThe Phantom Menaceit could still become.The Acolyteas it currently stands feels like a half-measure and first act. On its own as a single season, it fails to fully set upThe Phantom Menacein many of the ways one would have hoped, though it could likely do more if given the space to do so (preferably with a stronger and more focused storytelling structure going forward).
All episodes ofThe Acolyteare now streaming on Disney+
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
