The Acolyte - Spoiler Discussion

[AC_808]

Originally Posted by Augen

I did feel at times the wooden and stiff performances were very "prequel Jedi" feel to them.

In terms of the criticism of the Jedi dying, my main guess is the big reveal as to what happened to the girls explains why she didn't finish the assassin off and why the other Jedi committed suicidie (which feels very un Jedi).

I had this same thought. What happened to those 2 girls on their home planet with the fire must be significant enough for 2 Master Jedi to behave very un-jedi-like. That just raises the question even more ....what happened on that planet?

[AC_808]

Originally Posted by Sonic Boom

Sabine Wren: Oh no, a lightsaber just went through me. Just a flesh wound.
Carrie Ann: Oh no, a tiny knife. Guess I'd better die.

Originally Posted by statman

Also Reva got impaled TWICE by a light saber and did not die. Go figure...

I could be wrong, but didn't the knife hit her heart or close to it?

Getting sabered in the gut is one thing, but getting stabbed in the heart or in the aorta is a whole different thing.

[qz33]

1. Carrie Ann's time and not Wrens
2. It's just a TV show

[AC_808]

Originally Posted by jeremydmc

I really wanted to like this show going in. The writing on this show makes Boba Fett look like it was masterfully written.

The Acolyte threatens a Jedi *Carrie Ann Moss* in public. Then beats the crap out of a bunch of bar patrons. Jedi watches and then finally gets involved after several people are seriously injured or killed. Jedi clearly over matches Acolyte in hand to hand combat, so Acolyte takes a hostage. Jedi saves hostage and gets attacked, still not using her lightsaber. After some more hand to hand the Acolyte starts throwing lot's of knives and finally the lightsaber comes out. More close quarters combat, for some reason, and Acolyte has told Jedi several times "I am here to kill you". Jedi could have easily taken advantage and ended this fight at any time but still does practically nothing. Acolyte telegraphs that she will injure a hostage. Jedi uses zero initiative or force powers to stop her from threatening another hostage and at the very last second stops the hostage knife and then gets killed by yet another knife behind the Acolytes back she was hiding. I rewinded this scene a few times and there were multiple times the Jedi could have ended this but never did. Makes no sense to me other than to move the story forward.

Now we go to another couple of inept Jedi that come to arrest the Acolytes Sister, who is a former Jedi herself, thinking she is the Acolyte. They just straight up take her into custody and do not even check the fact she was on a ship systems away at her job with witnesses.....no let's just take her into custody and do no investigating at all. Someone suspected of being a Jedi killer......Are we going to take her in ourselves.....nah, let's put her on a droid controlled prison ship instead.

Prison ship antics ensue and this Woman, who was trained for multiple years as a Jedi cannot even do a basic Force Pull to get her gear to escape.....something Luke Skywalker trained himself to do on his own.....she cannot do herself with years of actual Jedi temple training. Could be a glaring reason she left...she's completely inept. Luck brings her the tool she needed anyway. She gets out, has a lot of trouble working a seat belt, are we going with inept again? Ship crashed while gracefully gliding down to the planet....with no pilot or engines. It should have dropped like a meteor into the planet. I guess physics work different in this show. The chair she had a hard time strapping herself into is completely obliterated....she is no longer belted in and the ship is in shambles. She has absolutely no injuries.....not even a scratch.

Then we get to meet her former Jedi Master teaching students at the main Jedi Temple. In walks a green skinned Jedi, who is a really bad actor, to stiffly tell him about his former apprentice being a Jedi killer. Some more stiff dialogue ensues. He insists to be the one to go and find her and bring her in. He is told No multiple times by the green Jedi. She says he is too valuable and they cannot afford to have him away. He asks one more time and then she says sure, take a team. So what happened to him being too valuable to leave and what changed her mind all of a sudden? Bad writing is the reason I am assuming.....nonsense again to further the plot.

So he decided to take the inept Jedi that arrested the girl with no investigation and led to her being able to escape by not actually bringing her in himself.....so....yeah....makes zero sense but by all means lets further the plot.

On the way to find the "Fugitive", I say that because a scene coming up is a straight ripoff from that movie. Anyway, on the way they find out that the Fugitive is a twin. Useful info that for some reason is not in any of her records. The Master says he saw the twin die himself and there is no way she is alive. So they get to the planet. Track down the Fugitive Richard Kimble style to an opening on the edge of a cliff. The Fugitive backs toward the edge saying she did not do it....falls off. Master force pulls her back. She says her sister is still alive and he says "I believe you".....did he not just say in the scene before that he saw her die!?!?!?!?, and there is no way she could still be alive....and now......OK she's alive. Just decided what he saw with his eyes did not happen. Terrific writing.......

There are so many other things I could go into with this show. The second episode has just as many issues. My initial reaction to this has not been good as you can clearly see. I will continue to watch because I am a Star Wars junkie but I have to say the writing on this is really, really bad. Other than the actor playing the Master *Lee Jung-jae* the acting is in my opinion not great. A lot of stiff dialogue and actors showing zero emotions while speaking.

Oh, another thing that bugged me, so the twins thought each other were dead for 10+ years. Have not seen each other since they were children. But somehow have the EXACT same haircut and style........which leads to the mistaken identity. Again bad writing to further the plot.

Originally Posted by Iko Iko

Some great points here. I like the fact that this is a new time period with some new characters but I agree that the execution was flat. Hopefully it improves.

Yup, I agree. Some great points there.

[IcedDog]

Master Indara (Carrie Ann Moss)...she uh...lost the will to live

[jeremydmc]

Another thing that just popped into my thoughts while thinking over the first episode.......why did they send a Knight and a Padawan to "arrest" someone who killed a Master? Wouldn't it have made more sense to send a couple Masters to detain her?

[statman]

Originally Posted by jeremydmc

Another thing that just popped into my thoughts while thinking over the first episode.......why did they send a Knight and a Padawan to "arrest" someone who killed a Master? Wouldn't it have made more sense to send a couple Masters to detain her?

Those same Jedi also sent her back to Coruscant with only one security droid to keep her in check. That's some top notch writing!

[Augen]

I'd say one element of Andor I really liked was how smart villains are vested by clever heroes.

Acolyte, similar to Ahsoka, is fine and even enjoyable at times, but I agree has moments where I question the actions and decisions of characters.

[IcedDog]

Originally Posted by Augen

I'd say one element of Andor I really liked was how smart villains are vested by clever heroes.

Acolyte, similar to Ahsoka, is fine and even enjoyable at times, but I agree has moments where I question the actions and decisions of characters.

Agreed, Andor is the gold standard so far in terms of quality writing for a Star Wars production...basically a prestige drama in the SW universe. Shows like Mando and Ahsoka are quite entertaining, but the writing can definitely be tightened up and bring a bit more sophistication.

And Disney, please stop with this 35 minute episode BS and take a cue from other streamers like AppleTV+ and Max that typically give you close to an hour per episode for their top shows, a meal as opposed to an appetizer. It would work for 12+ episode seasons (like Andor), but 6-8 not so much.

[SDguy]

Speaking of the itty bitty Jedi killing dagger,. the end of EP01 you hear the voice (presumably of her master) saying not to attack a Jedi with weapon (steel or laser); you will fail. Um, tell Carrie-Ann that. Maybe the Jedi would have fared better long term had they switched from light sabers to little daggers?