The Acolyteis lighter on its ft than you might retrieve . The serial , created byRussian Dollco - creator Leslye Headland , is the tardy entrance inDisney+‘s progressively long line of reasoning of unrecorded - actionStar Wars show . The Acolytenonetheless has an identity all of its own — one that allows it to subsist both alongside and whole disjoined from every other Star Wars TV show and film that has fall before it .
Set around 100 years before the events of 1999’sStar Wars : Episode I — The Phantom Menace , it ’s unburden by the same unneeded connections , Easter bollock , and timeline restraint that have drop behind down so many of its fellow Disney+ show , includingObi - Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka , andthe most recent season ofThe Mandalorian . This makes watching the new series a refreshfully easy and — most importantly of all — genuinely fun experience .
Despite share with darker textile thanThe MandalorianandAhsoka(i.e . , the potential reemergence of the Sith at the end of the High Republic era),The Acolytebalances its leaden and lightest moments with relative ease and develops its characters so efficiently that becoming invested in its story and key human relationship bring little to no exploit on the viewer ’s part . The economy of storytelling on display and earnest performance given by its plaster bandage make it even easy to look pastThe Acolyte‘s few flaw .
The first matter that stands out aboutThe Acolyteis its pace . The series lay waste to niggling to no clip . Its first instalment , save and directed by Headland , throw you headlong into its story with a thrillingly staged fighting sequence that not only serve as a dramatic starting point for its story but also concisely alludes to crucial past events thatThe Acolytebegins to fill in throughout its subsequent episodes . The show makes a forgivable fuckup too soon in its season when it pauses its momentum in parliamentary law to dedicate an entire instalment to a protract flashback that ’s necessary to empathize the full orbit of its story but could — and in all likelihood should — have been cut down or interspersed with more present - day scenes .
For the most part , though , The Acolytekeeps itself and its story moving at a healthy clip by root its central whodunit firmly in the relationships between its booster cable . tax with inquire the murder of a fellow fellow member of the Jedi Order , the series abide by Sol ( Squid Gamestar Lee Jung - jae ) , a respective and meditative Jedi Master , as he tracks down one of his former educatee and his display case ’s No . 1 defendant , Osha ( Bodies Bodies Bodiesstar Amandla Stenberg ) . Before long , Sol key out that the crime he ’s investigating is connected to a larger confederacy require a vengeful Force user and at least one masked person wield a ruddy lightsaber .
As Sol begins looking into the dark forces now surrounding the Jedi Order , he take the chance to reverberate not only on the radioactive dust of his and Osha ’s relationship but also the disaster that brought them together in the first place . Their story , one of deep regret , miscommunications of the utmost grandness , and deal guilt , is straight off reminiscent of past Star Wars relationships — namely , those partake in by Obi - Wan and Anakin , Anakin and Ahsoka , and Ahsoka and Sabine . Together , Lee and Stenberg rest novel life into Sol and Osha ’s bond , though , communicating recondite emotions even in the most succinctly written of scenes .
Lee , in particular , shines as a Jedi Master grappling with the stoicism take by his occupation and the emotional intensity of his own personal connections , while Stenberg change by reversal in a double - sided performance that only seems to turn more impressive the long one spends with it .
AcrossThe Acolyte‘s first four episodes , which were the only installment cater early to critic , Headland and her fellow writers surround Sol and Osha with a befittingly ragtag group of memorable bomber and villains . Dafne Keen makes a memorable impression as Jecki Lon , Sol ’s smart and inquisitive new Padawan , while Jodie Turner - Smith brings considerable heat and power to her public presentation as Mother Aniseya , a beldame with a mysterious connexion to Stenberg ’s Osha .
Of the show ’s other remarkable faces , Carrie - Anne Moss strikes an telling form as a Jedi Master key out Indara and Manny Jacinto similarly stand out as Qimir , a scalawag whose dislike for the Jedi seems to go further than he lets on . The Acolytedoesn’t always succeed at casting its oddest case , include Aniseya and her fellow crone , in the most convincing light , but its actor and consistently fresh pace always prevent it from losing complete control of its tone and sprawling narrative .
Visually , The Acolyte‘s trust on quick , golden hues and vivacious purples , yellow , and Bolshevik aid it stand up aside from its fellow Star Wars render . The wash out - out exterior scenes ofThe Mandalorianand the steely blues and grays ofAndorare nowhere to be seen here . The series ’ use of firm pans and static shots throughout its hand - to - hand fight scenes similarly make its debt to martial arts - inspired literary genre movie likeThe Matrixexplicitly clear-cut and also giveThe Acolyte‘s action sequences a neat boundary that both elevates it and further reinforces the refined nature of its High Republic setting . The show , notably , succeeds at simultaneously commune the Jedi Order ’s power at the clip ofThe Acolyteand suggest through key details and procedural rules how the organization will go on to change for the worse in the intervene years between its story and the events ofThe Phantom Menace .
In addition to the flashback - driven miscalculation it makes betimes in its season , The Acolytestumbles over a few break in logic that are all but undertake to pull out you out of it at different points — if only momentarily . The serial publication lacksAndor‘s sharp wit and constant thrum of stress and , therefore , falls unretentive of that show ’s high standards . It is , however , more focussed thanThe Mandalorian , more original thanThe Book of Boba Fett , advantageously paced and performed thanAhsoka , and freer to actually do what it wants thanObi - Wan Kenobiever was . Whether it will finally adhere the landing rest to be seen , but it does enough decently in its first four instalment to inspire trust in this author that it will . The series reminds you how vast and inviting the Star Wars universe once feel before it was translate stale by so many sterile movies and TV show . That in and of itself is an achievement .
The first two episodes ofThe Acolytepremiere Tuesday , June 4 , on Disney+ . New episodes free weekly on Tuesdays . Digital Trends was given former access to its first four installments .
