The Acolyte Season 2: Will It Be Renewed or Buried?
And the answer is not that obvious.
For almost a year after the release of Ahsoka, fans of the Star Wars franchise have been waiting for a new series. Adding to the intrigue was the announcement of the first live-action project that tells the story of events 100 years before the classic Star Wars.
The Acolyte reveals many mysteries, but it does not answer the main question: why was it made in the first place?
The Acolyte Killed Viewers' Hope in Disney Projects
Previous projects have largely restored audiences' faith in the future of the Star Wars universe.
The Mandalorian is the story of a bounty hunter who gradually changes after meeting an unusual child. It is a Western in which there is always a gap between fictional and real duty, between conscience and tradition, between social demands and family. It is a perfect product for family viewing: smart, stylish, and brilliantly acted.
The Book of Boba Fett was interesting – a kind of gangster drama about an elderly killer trying to change in his declining years and justify himself to the world for all the evil he has done.
Andor is about futile attempts to escape fate, about how a weak-willed introvert follows a path that leads him to heroism and sacrifice. Obi-Wan Kenobi filled the plot gap between the third and fourth Star Wars films, and Ewan McGregor brilliantly played the drama of an old knight who blames himself for the tragedy that has befallen the world.
All this raised the stakes, made us wait for new series in the franchise, and last year's rather mediocre Ahsoka seemed like an unfortunate accident, a forgivable mistake on the part of Disney screenwriters. And then – The Acolyte comes out.
All we were shown were old-fashioned battles and an ultra-conservative structure of the Jedi organization that was made so monumental, static, and bland that it looked like a parody. Unfortunately, it was unintentional. The best way to illustrate The Acolyte's failure is to look at its Rotten Tomatoes rating – 16% from viewers.
But even with all its flaws, The Acolyte has managed to find its audience – the show is praised especially by parents who admit that this show keeps their children glued to the screen. Or The Acolyte is just good old guilty pleasure.
Will The Acolyte Get Season 2?
But will The Acolyte be renewed for a second season? After all, it is officially one of the worst projects in the Star Wars universe.
The most logical answer would be that The Acolyte will fade into oblivion with its one season and terrible reviews. But it's not that simple.
The show managed to get 4.8 million views on the day of its release, and by the fifth day, as many as 11.1 million views – it became the best result for the original Disney projects released in 2024.
In addition, all Scooby Doo fans remember the case of Velma. Currently, the show has 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is even worse than The Acolyte. However, this did not stop Max from releasing a second season this year. In fact, the poor ratings only helped – Velma's popularity and high viewership are a product of hate watching.
Considering all these facts, we can conclude that we can most likely expect a second season of The Acolyte – it is unlikely that Disney will abandon the show that brought them record viewership.