Hyped for Acolyte…
There is no hype like new Star Wars hype. In the last few years we’ve had so much to anticipate and enjoy, including surprises, stories, characters and amazing action that I never ever expected to see on screen.
Obi-Wan and Vader going back at it after Revenge of the Sith, with the finale beautifully reinforcing Obi-Wans ‘certain point of view’, catching up with live-action Ahsoka, Ezra and Thrawn after the events of Rebels, seeing prime Luke Skywalker in the Mandalorian, learning how Han met Chewie and ‘what he pulled’ to get the Falcon, and uncovering Boba Fett’s rebirth among the Tuskens.
This isn’t to mention loads of the other shows including animations, movies, books, comics and games that have expanded and coloured in the universe in fun and surprising ways. Its a good time to be a Star Wars fan, and while not everybody likes everything, there really is something for just about everyone!
Across the new content I’ve loved seeing the timeline explored around the Original Trilogy era, and after it, seeing the tyranny of the empire at its peak and the struggle between peace and complacency after it fell. Seeing the saga continue years after the Original Trilogy has also been exciting, with the exploits of some great new characters, and our old favourites, told in stories that have really grown on me and have some epic moments.
We’ve also started to learn more about an era on the timeline that is enticing for obvious reasons, but has not really been explored until recently. The golden age of the Republic, or ‘The High Republic’. The Jedi approaching their peak many years before the Phantom Menace, with the Outer Rim still unexplored and a tone of optimism, balance and control. Not a Sith in sight.
Something I remember after watching The Phantom Menace for the first time as a kid, was the amazement at the number of Jedi (all the lightsabers!) and how established and widespread they seemed. The marbled Jedi temple felt like a far cry from Ben’s dusty hut on Tatooine. Watching the Prequels more as an adult and picking up on the nuance and ‘hubris’ in the story I know now this was a Jedi close to their demise, not in their golden age.
The High Republic era novels have started to expand this timeline before the prequels, the real golden age, but the Acolyte will be the first time we get to see this in live action, the original Star Wars medium, I can’t wait. There is something very exciting about a show with new on-screen characters top to bottom (unless we get some surprises…which is possible). We’re quite used to seeing established characters in live action, with stuff to know about them going in.
A time period unknown but clearly important, and with little preceding it to swot-up on, outside of the High Republic reading material. A crime-thriller tone and story which is sure to be intriguing, a mysterious red bladed villain, a great cast and what looks like immense visuals and fight choreography - the trailer shot of the line of Jedi lighting their sabers gave me vibes like watching the Prequels as a kid.
What probably excites me most is that this feels like a cocktail of things that could both be absolutely epic for people deep into Star Wars lore, potentially enhancing the Prequels the way Rogue One did A New Hope, but it could also be an amazing and enjoyable watch for people who know a little bit about Star Wars but just like a good series to binge and will be happy with ‘its set way before everything else’ to tee them up.
If we’re lucky we could have another Mandalorian effect on our hands, and I might get my wife and family to willingly watch some new Star Wars with me! We might also get some breadcrumbs that lead into the Prequels in some way, and start to colour in the history of the Jedi and the origins of the Sith. If you’re interested in the Star Wars timeline and where everything sits, check out this great link, https://www.starwars.com/eras#era2 , and see you on the other side!
MTFBWY
