This and That (Friday Post)
This and That (Friday Post)
"The Acolyte" and the annoying need for nostalgia
If you’ve been living under a rock this week (good call), you know that the latest Star Wars series, The Acolyte, was canceled after only one season. And I am LIVID! Because as always, the so-called fans of Star Wars, the angry bros who can’t let go of anything Skywalker, ruined it for the rest of us. What really galls me is that Disney listened. The studio let a minority of loud, unhinged, mostly white men dictate what we get to see in that universe and I’m sick of it. Yes, the show had flaws, but so did the original trilogy and the prequels and The Clone Wars, etc. None of the films or shows are perfect, not even Andor (although the “One Way Out” episode is pretty much there). What I enjoyed about The Acolyte aside from the diverse cast (which made me want to watch it even more) was the chance to see a different side of the Jedi.
I am old enough to have seen A New Hope when it first dropped in 1977 (yes, I’m old) and it is one of my favorite films of all time behind The Empire Strikes Back. I remember how I felt the first time I saw Darth Vader and the thrill of watching Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star. But those are the feelings of a child who no longer exists. As an adult, I crave something different, something that represents all of us. I want, no, need to see myself in a world of talking robots, hairy Wookies and beings that travel through space like they’re taking the subway. The Acolyte, for me, is that show. Watching the Jedi be messy and held accountable for their actions was entertaining and intriguing for me. The Jedi, for the most part, have always been seen as the heroes of the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars prequels and The Clone Wars was the first time I’d ever seen the Jedi portrayed differently and I wanted to see more.
MILD SPOILERS AHEAD IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE ACOLYTE
The Acolyte had the potential to go even deeper into the Jedi and the questionable decisions they made. Sol (played by Lee Jung-jae of Squid Game fame) made bad decision after bad decision, and his hubris was his downfall. But Sol wasn’t the only one who made decisions that gave me pause. His colleagues were just as questionable, if not more so (cough *Vernestra Rwoh* cough), leading Senator Rayencourt (played by the amazing David Harewood) to push for an external review of the Jedi as a whole. He had a small part, but when the Senator dropped these lines, I got chills:
You project an image of goodness and restraint, but it's only a matter of time before one of you snaps. And when, not 'if,' that happens, who will be strong enough to stop him?
That man knew in his bones that an unstable Jedi would be pretty much unstoppable, which is how we ended up with Darth Vader.
It saddens me that Disney didn’t give this show the chance it deserved. It’s rare for shows led by white men to be canceled after one season. Instead, they’re usually given chance after chance to be mid until they finally make that leap to great. The Acolyte was better than mid but definitely needed some changes. Had Disney not caved to the crybabies, The Acolyte would have made that leap to great easily.
What I’m reading:
My sleep has been all over the place so I’m STILL reading Night Flyer. I’m almost done though and ready to move on to:
Beautiful World, Where Are You? - I’m preparing myself for Intermezzo, Sally Rooney’s new book (releasing on September 24). As I said previously, I am a Sally Rooney fan and I don’t care what anyone has to say about her books. I don’t read a lot of white authors anymore because there are way too many Black and other POC authors to read and experience. But Sally Rooney is one of a few white authors I’ll always read because I enjoy her writing so much.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois - I’m going back to this one so I can finish it. This book is spectacular, plain and simple. I love beautifully written and well-researched historical fiction.
What I’m watching:
I binged The Umbrella Academy’s last season and oh boy. Some of the choices were head-scratching but I enjoyed it enough to finish it. I’ll miss those characters, especially Five. That kid/old man is a TRIP!
The Bear, Season 3 - yes I know, I’ve said I would watch it for three straight weeks already, but I will this time, I promise! I think.
Interview with the Vampire - Netflix dropped the first season so I rewatched it. I adore this series and highly recommend it. If you have AMC+, for the love of god, watch both seasons!!
A Discovery of Witches - Another AMC+ show that’s now on Netflix. I’m done with the first season, which wasn’t bad. It’s entertaining enough to keep watching, although the vampire Juliette’s storyline is ridiculous. I have no idea why the show even bothered because it made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
That’s it this week. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!