The Acolyte’s opening episode caused quite a storm on its arrival, by killing off a character who, according to the show’s marketing, was set to be a big part of the newest addition to theStar Warsfranchise. In a new interview, series starAmandla Stenberghas shared her thoughts on the shocking introduction toThe Acolyte, and how the daring decision by showrunner Leslye Headland is one that really helps to set up the unexpected nature of the series.
The Acolyte
Star Wars series that take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.
The Acolytehas not had the best start when it comes to audience reactions, with the show’sRotten Tomatoes approval rate crashing to a franchise low of 29%- a stark contrast to the impressive 91% Tomatometer score. However, according to Disney+ figures, the show has also scored the highest debut on the platform with a first-day total of over 4.8 million views. While it is hard to gauge exactly how many of the reactions to the show are genuine and how many are simply fans airing the usual grievances against modernStar Warsprojects, there is no way to deny that the latest release has continued to draw strong opinions.
In an interview withVariety, Stenberg, who plays the twin roles of Mae and Osha in the series, defended complaints aboutthe death of Carrie-Anne Moss’s Master Indarain the first episode of the series. She said:
“I thought it was a good tone-setter for the show. [It shows] that the Jedis are going to take some losses, and that the good guys and the bad guys are not always who you think they are.”
The Acolyte Plot Twist Is a Knights of the Old Republic Callback
Following The Acolyte’s two-episode premiere, the Star Wars series pulled off a popular development from the Knights of the Old Republic video games.
Of course,The Acolyteis set a century before the events ofThe Phantom Menace, towards the end of the High Republic era. As the original posters suggested, this is a time when the power of the dark side is on the rise, and the Jedi order is set to take a fall, so Stenberg’s comments certainly make sense that not all of the “good guys” will get a happy ending in this particular story.
Amandla Stenberg is the Hero and Villain of The Acolyte
While there have been several actors who have playedStar Warscharacters that have changed sides over the course of the franchise, Stenberg’s dual roles as Osha and Mae inThe Acolyteputs her in the unique position of playing both the hero and villain of the story. This is a challenge that the actress was well aware of when accepting the parts. She added:
“I thought a lot about the concept of Yin and Yang — because that is such an influential force on the Star Wars universe, Eastern philosophy and religion. And these characters are kind of physical manifestations of that. The backstory really helped. Writing is really important to me, and reading. So being able to read into the psyche of a character, even if I’m writing it myself, is so helpful for me. And I always reference it over and over again.”
The first two episodes ofThe Acolyteare currently available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes released on Tuesdays.
