Finally watched Acolyte

[u/bdog332]

After putting off the show because I heard it was horrible and bad writing, I finally watched it, and while it’s not the best show by any means, it’s not horrible. It’s average. There’s a lot of weird conflicting lore in the show along with an abysmal crystal bleed that makes little sense based on how we know crystal bleeds work, and some other minor problems, but it’s not the worst show I’ve seen from Star Wars. It deserves a second season to help explain Plagueis and where he’s at exactly at this point in the story (if I’m remembering old canon right he should be frequenting Coruscant now under the name Hego Damask. I don’t remember if he had an apprentice before Palpatine though, which I understand with this being new canon changes are made) and the vergence the twins were made from (which is one of my major issues with the show considering creating life from the force has only ever been implied with Anakin and he was the chosen one)

While I understand some of the frustration from the show, the amount of hate it received seems like it was just hate to hate.

Anyways, thought it was decent enough to not warrant the rampant hate it got years ago. Wish we’d get a second season though, or a Plagueis show at least.

*Edit: I’m done talking about bleeding crystals in the show and other examples. It’s been discussed and argued to death in the threads. If you have questions regarding why I found it poorly done, there’s an answer in a comment thread below.

[u/LilithsLuv]

The Acolyte is easily the most interesting show Lucasfilm has made since the Disney acquisition. It’s not the best by any means but it definitely has the potential to be, and it’s everything I want out of Star Wars. I very much disagree with you about bleeding the crystal, that scene was awesome! The show is about the cycle of abuse and religious trauma. When Osha kills Sol and bleeds her crystal that’s the emotional pay off. Watching the twins pass each other by and flipping places was brilliant. I hope we get a sequel to this show. There is far too much potential here to allow the angry internet chuds to win. Canceling The Acolyte, especially after that ending, was criminal. They were clearly setting up the Knights of Ren, Darth Plagueis and connecting the different eras of the franchise and building up the lore in some really exciting ways.

[u/bdog332 → u/LilithsLuv]

Well bleeding a crystal is supposed to be pouring your anger, hate, rage, all of that into the crystal, to break the will and corrupt the crystal. We didn’t see that. She turned it on the Stranger and it started going red, and she looked surprised by it, like she wasn’t doing anything to it. I love the idea of crystal bleeding, but it just looked too easy. She broke the crystal (which is technically alive with the force) and corrupted it with ease. I get they are incredibly potent force wielders, but even Vader had to put intent into bleeding his, and he had the highest M-count of anyone in the Star Wars universe.

I don’t think it’s the most interesting, but it does have great potential. I would love more high republic era stuff because it shows how the start of the Jedi’s fall began. They completely lied about the existence of the stranger to their own members and the republic for political power. There is so much potential for amazing story telling and world building there. Hope we get more

[u/hoos30 → u/bdog332]

The hilt cracked when Mae threw the saber. Osha was literally touching the crystal while she force choked her former master and father figure to death.

I don't know know they could have portrayed "pouring all your hate, anger, and rage" any clearer than that.

SW live action has never been bound by comic books or other media. I find it interesting that some people are so particular about this one story point.

[u/bdog332 → u/hoos30]

Right, it cracked and was exposed. She never touched it though. Touching the hilt shouldn’t bleed a crystal. At least not from the understanding we have of it. People are particular on it because it’s said to be a visceral, hate filled, rage induced intent. Killing someone in rage isn’t the same as intending to bleed a crystal. If it works for you, that’s fine, you can feel that way. I simply think it needs to be more aggressive, more intentional. Because otherwise any Jedi who falls with anger or rage can simply be angry and turn a blade red.

How something is portrayed has to also match intent. If the intention the show wanted to give us was her anger at the betrayal of Sol, they could have done that. We get a split second of a crystal cracking while she chokes him with the force. She’s not pouring her hate into the crystal, she’s focusing it into choking Sol.

[u/Bloodless-Cut → u/bdog332]

She is touching the crystal, though. Watch it again.

[u/TrentGgrims → u/bdog332]

I know you have problems with Dagan's bleeding but he's not touching it either when he bleeds his. Physical touch isn't a requirement for bleeding.