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I Don't Think We Give The Acolyte Showrunner Nearly Enough Credit, and Here's Why

written by Dean Black
I Don't Think We Give The Acolyte Showrunner Nearly Enough Credit, and Here's Why
Image credit: Disney+

Making teenage and adult men genuinely not care about lesbian space witches is no small feat, and we should recognize it as such.

Tackling a massive IP with millions of fans from a fresh angle can never be easy. Especially, if you’re Disney, and you have already managed to antagonize the franchise’s entire fan community. The one time a new Star Wars project was positively received was with The Mandalorian; other than that, Disney has been continuously worsening the situation as if testing the depths of fans’ frustration.

The Acolyte managed to achieve new heights (aka new lows) on this path.

Star Wars Sunk Lower Yet with The Acolyte

You all know the deal with the post-George Lucas Star Wars. As a wise man once eloquently put it, the new movies suck. The new TV shows, for the most part, too. I’ll be the first to admit that I genuinely believed in The Acolyte: a murder mystery set in the era of the High Republic, it did pique my curiosity immediately.

And then, it just didn’t deliver on its charming promises.

I Don't Think We Give The Acolyte Showrunner Nearly Enough Credit, and Here's Why - image 1

It only took a couple of episodes for The Acolyte to become the worst-rated Star Wars project ever. It has a miserable 3.3/10 IMDb score, and it’s current status on Rotten Tomatoes once again highlights the difference between making a product for social credit and caring about its lore: with a solid 85% Critic Score, The Acolyte has a disastrous 13% Audience Score from the outraged viewers.

But I still don’t think we give enough credit to The Acolyte showrunner. She did manage to achieve something truly spectacular and equally as amusing.

The Acolyte Did the Impossible (Somehow)

I Don't Think We Give The Acolyte Showrunner Nearly Enough Credit, and Here's Why - image 2

Fan service can present itself in different forms, from specifically targeting OG fans to attracting major audiences. The latter is arguably much easier, especially when both your current and target audience is predominantly male. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what appeals to men: it’s not like they’re quite about it, to be honest.

The Acolyte has all the makings of doing just that. It was right there in the series description. It could have been the perfect attention trap, but it reverted expectations.

I Don't Think We Give The Acolyte Showrunner Nearly Enough Credit, and Here's Why - image 3

Between campfires in spaces, musical scenes, and retconning The Chosen One prophecy, showrunner Leslye Headland did something we should all give her much more credit for. Making a 16-52 y/o male audience genuinely not care about lesbian space witches is one hell of an achievement, and it’s not easy to pull off. I’m in awe!

Star Wars has always been about the fantastical and the impossible, and in this regard, Headland did just that. I never thought I’d see the perfect target audience turn its back on its perfect attention trap, but it just happened. It might have cost a whole ton of money and reputation damage to pull off, but still — impressive.