Opinion The Acolyte’s 15% Audience Score Is Embarrassing, For The Audience Scorers

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/06/16/the-acolytes-15-audience-score-is-embarrassing-for-the-audience-scorers/

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While Star Wars has had many controversies in the Disney era, viewers have now mobilized a fleet of TIE bombers to obliterate user scores of The Acolyte wherever possible, namely on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB.

I previously reported that this started up right at release, as The Acolyte quickly became the lowest audience-rated Star Wars project besides the infamous Holiday Special. Now, its former 33% score has dipped below the Special’s 20% score, and is all the way down to 15%.

At a certain point, this is just absurd, and it says a lot more about the viewers than it does the quality of the show itself, which has barely even gotten started, now just three episodes in.

No, I am not going to entertain a debate that this is not review bombing. A 15% score is barely more than a third of the last most controversial Disney Star Wars project, The Last Jedi. Nothing is even close except that Holiday Special. On IMDB, it’s even easier to see. A full 54% of all reviews are 1 star, giving it a 3.6/10.



There’s also how fast this happened. For instance, Ahsoka only has 5,000 reviews in on Rotten Tomatoes after being out for months while The Acolyte has aired three episodes in two weeks and has 10,000 reviews in. The last season of The Mandalorian only has 2,500 reviews in. The beloved Andor, 5,000 reviews total, years later.

Rotten Tomatoes has previously tried to curb review bombing in the wake of what happened with Captain Marvel’s release, “verifying” people had watched the movie before reviewing. But there has been no way to enforce such a system with TV, so here we are.

Why is this happening? There are a bunch of dimensions to this, and none of them good. There is absolutely a racial and gender component to this. A clip from star Amandla Stenberg about “making white people cry” was shared tens of thousands of times online, taken out of context from an interview years earlier about her film The Hate U Give. Showrunner Leslye Headland has starred in many YouTube thumbnails lambasting the “woke” nature of the series, but also it allegedly “breaking canon.”

This is the main reason for the surge since episode 3 aired, where fans (“fans”) believe the show has broken canon or destroyed the lore of Anakin Skywalker by implying that like Anakin, the twins are a “virgin force birth.” Anakin was conceived purely through the force alone, part of his “chosen one” mythology. And now they say that’s happened again, ruining everything.

The problem is…we simply have no idea if that’s true, even if that’s what everyone is assuming after last week. Specifically, while they say the girls “have no father” it is implied that their mother did something unnatural to create them, which would not be a “spontaneous force baby” situation. Dark side meddling? Witch magic? Cloning? We simply don’t know yet, but that has not stopped fans from leaping to conclusions and saying that in three half hour episodes the series has destroyed 50 years of canon.

There is also pushback about the portrayal of the Jedi as…not great, acting as space cops rounding up force-sensitive kids to test and train, not by abducting them per se, but you know, luring them away from their families for “their own good,” which is what happened to Osha, and sparked the events that led to the death of her family and community. Of course, the concept of the Jedi as rulers has dealt with this topic many times over the years, most famously in the prequels where the arrogant, clueless Jedi council’s actions, or lack thereof, directly led to the Imperial takeover of the galaxy.

The 15% score is embarrassing. Not for the show, but for those review bombing it to a frankly laughable degree. I’m not even The Acolyte’s biggest fan, as the first two episodes I didn’t love, though I thought episode 3 was more interesting. But the worst Star Wars project by an order of magnitude in the history of the series? And it just so happens to be one mostly starring black women? This whole situation is a parody of the modern toxic fanbase of the series, and if you want to disguise it as being upset about “canon” than it shows a distinct lack of understand of both the material of the show and the wider universe. You can critique a show, sure, but overwhelmingly, that is just not what’s happening here, and it goes well beyond that. While we have seen many things like this happen with Star Wars fandom over the years, I can’t help but feel like it’s absolutely getting worse.

 

[AnotherPleb]

we are reaching unprecedented levels of cope

Haven't seen cope levels this bad since The Last Jedi.

 

[Positron]

You can use a very simple film formula - good but flawed protagonist learns his lesson

A female protag, especially if queer and colored, cannot be flawed at all. And you are not supposed to subject her to true hardship or dire predicaments in order to let her "learn her lesson".

This is the kind of life-defining hardship for a Disney Princess.

 

[AnotherPleb]

I genuinely don’t see how you can fail to produce a good story with a Star Wars franchise. Aren’t there loads of books as well? You can use a very simple film formula - good but flawed protagonist learns his lesson, pretty space princess, animal sidekick, grizzled older partner in crime, use some good chase set pieces, down in the third act and up in the last. Add a twist if you like. It’s like bond films -how can you get it wrong?? It writes itself ffs.
And yet they get it wrong. I could write a bond film plot, just give me choice of stars and a few martinis. Or a Star Wars film plot. Give me an afternoon and let me canvass opinions on what fun monsters and ships the smaller people in the family want to see.

It's simple: the people running star wars aren't focused on making a fun story. They are solely focused on spreading the message and only representing women. You know, in a franchise that was historically aimed at boys.

I was around to see the prequel trilogy and even though it was schlocky thanks to Lucas didn't have to answer to anyone those movies were made to be fun. The media around those movies were also incredibly fun as well, and there's a certain kind of raw joy in the Lego Star Wars games.

Where's the fun in the sequel trilogy? Who's it supposed to be for besides Kathleen Kennedy?

 

[invisibult plus+]

If you write a Star Wars movie and don't have aliens or robots wandering a desert for half the runtime, you're doing it wrong.

It's one thing that Star Wars is nearly 50 years old. It's another that it's the same shit, over and over again, except it's watered down each time. Take away the politics of the Prequels, or the DEI of Disney Wars, and it's just people wandering around a desert, or wandering around space. Some 20% of the time there's fighting, drama, but it's over things that don't matter because it'll be retconned anyway. There's no reason to care. No one wants Star Wars anymore because it's the franchise equivalent to a used up, washed up whore that still wants to be paid like she's brand new.

It's fucking boring and everyone's sick of it.

 

[SIMIΔN]

Haters were at worst indifferent towards Andor, which was also more or less lockstep with all the trappings of modern Star Wars besides the now customary totally atrocious writing

Andor was a great series, the best spy thing the director of the Bourne series made, and the best political thing the West Wing writers ever wrote.
However it really wasn't a starwars thing. No space wizards, or space battles, minimal aliens or wacky robots, just a soul destroying system turning people into oppressors and those-who-fight-monsters willing to cross any line to stop it.

It was mostly practical effects, and deliberately kept the early eighties aesthetic of the originals. I would recommend it to anyone with more than a ten minute attention span.

 

[DumbDude43]

You'd just be doing the first film again - which some argue they basically did with The Force Awakens (although I haven't actually seen it, so I could be wrong).

they kind of did that yes, a lot of the plot of TFA feels like a ripoff of the first film
but they missed the part where the original trilogy had enjoyable characters and really cool villains. the sequel trilogys characters are all forgettable and uninteresting, and the villains are just lame and cringe and sometimes outright nonsensical.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

Is it true that it has a lower scoring than the Holiday Special?

 

[Overly Serious]

If I find that the bread I am served at a restaurant is moldy, the dishes and glasses have old encrusted food on them, and my appetizer has maggots; I think it's reasonable not to dine at that establishment.

Indeed. But if that restaurant used to be good, it is also reasonable to complain about how it's gone downhill under new management.

As an aside, from the clip I saw it seemed to imply that out of Emma's Two Mom's, it was the light-skinned Zabrak woman who had actually given birth to them. Is that correct? Because the twins are human and Black so that would be weird. And suggest clones rather than a nexus in the Force, a la, Anakin.

 

[AssignedEva]

Faggot, you said it! Normally, when you hear "the girls have no father", it means he died or went out for smokes.

These are lesbian space witches on the dark side (although for whatever reason they're being portrayed as good and the Jedi as bad).

I'm not watching this show, but I've seen the relevant clips - Mother Aniseya (the black woman) did something that the Jedi would hate to create these twins, although Mother Koril (the spikey woman) was the one who carried them. The Jedi come to try and convince the twins to join them. One of the twins goes off to join the Jedis while one of the twins refuses, and then starts a fire to try and stop her twin leaving and accidentally burns all the witches to death and then goes off and joins the Sith or whatever.

I would argue the opposite. I'd say it's actually very hard to produce a good Star Wars story, primarily because the formula is so simple. You'd just be doing the first film again - which some argue they basically did with The Force Awakens (although I haven't actually seen it, so I could be wrong). The archetypal 'Star Wars' story already exists. It's called 'Star Wars'. Or 'A New Hope'. Or 'Episode IV' or whatever the fuck.

Disney owns the muppets and Star Wars. They could do a retelling of the original Star Wars trilogy using muppets, with Gonzo as Luke, Miss Piggy as Princess Leia, Kermit as Han Solo and Sweetums as Chewbacca. Maybe make Beaker Darth Vader or something. An old school Muppets movie like Treasure Island or A Christmas Carol (unlike their modern ones which are just tie ins to Disney theme park rides) would clean up.

 

[isalaide]

Muppets Star Wars would do incredible numbers. The merch alone would sell forever.

Can we have Muppet Babies back? I loved Muppet Babies. Put that back on TV.

 

[indigoisviolet]

a retelling of the original Star Wars trilogy using muppets

I've been waiting for you, Albert Snodoloberm. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete.

 

[LeChampion1992]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the show is just boring. Like you want to add queer themes and make it adult yet you try to keep it pg. You try so hard to appease one audience while doing everything you can to pander to the queer rights crowd too.
When you try to please every demographic you end up pleasing no one. When it comes to star wars there is a reason why Andor was somewhat liked but the acolyte is just trash.
Look want to make a story maybe stop trying to make a quasi porno without the porn in a star wars universe that butchers the force.
Again we don't hate women or female jedi. We hate the crap you call films. I bet you fans could create a better fan project.

 

[Overly Serious]

I was going to say, wasn't Anakin created by the Force in the prequel trilogy?

He was a "vergance in the Force", i.e. a kind of nexus of Force energies so strong it manifested as a new life. Though in the novels it's hinted that this was a consequence of Palpatine's master Darth Plageius meddling with experiments to try and achieve immortality. Either way though, yes. He was an immaculate conception. Leading to this deleted scene from Episode II.

To be frank, Star Wars should be kept to movies. Lucas himself said he didn't want it to get diluted with a ton of series like Star Trek and he was right. Keep EU and other stories to books and comics and especially good video games and that's fine. Star Wars TV, besides seasons 1 and 2 of Mando have all been shit going back to the 70s and 80s. Some people liked the CGI animated stuff, but that's not for me.

A big reason that Star Wars can't work for now is that a true 'good vs evil' plot is considered 'problematic'. The heroes journey/Joseph Campbell style plot is also a problem, since you can't have a woman or minority (which have to be the leads now) have to struggle and improve with effort (they have to be perfect inherently)

I very much agree with you about the themes and it's clear that the current writers either don't understand the nature of myth or hate it in favour of their politics. (I actually think they don't understand it). However, I think there's a lot of scope for non-movie material done right. The epic and sweeping themes don't have to be diminished by filling in the broad strokes with finer details. The Clone Wars cartoon series (the second version) which were done under Lucas had lots of little details added which helped make the collapse of the Republic and Palpatine's rise feel more real. Even blink and you'll miss them lines like Hondo saying: "As long as you don't pay me in Republic credits!" alluding to the economic downward spiral it was in. Or novels that talk about how the non-core planets were becoming the main manufacturing and agricultural forces in the galaxy now and this leading to the needs for the trade federation to start building a proto-military to defend its shipping away from the Core. Done well, this sort of material is both lucrative to the franchise holders and adds to the immersion of the setting.

It can also add to the wider themes done well. Like just how much Obi Wan actually knows about Padme and Anakin's relationship. The Jedi are a fusion of Western Chivalric knights and Buddhist philosophy. They're supposed to forego personal attachment and put their duty above everything else. It's not that Jedi might never have a sly romantic encounter on the side - but their devotion to the order is supposed to be complete. That's the "knight" part of what they are. In TCW, we see that Obi Wan suspects there might have been some sort of dalliance between Anakin and Padme but he thinks it's like him and Satine, that Anakin just needs a paternal reminder of his duties to get him back on track. This sort of stuff fleshes it out in a good way, imo.

(Also, note the podracing promotional poster Anakin has as a memento in the background, lots of nice little touches).

Sorry, bit of a long piece but what I'm saying is that if it's done by people who understand the myths and their value, then filling in fine brush strokes amidst the broad ones enhances the picture, not distracts. But the Disney stuff distracts.

I would argue the opposite. I'd say it's actually very hard to produce a good Star Wars story, primarily because the formula is so simple. You'd just be doing the first film again - which some argue they basically did with The Force Awakens (although I haven't actually seen it, so I could be wrong). The archetypal 'Star Wars' story already exists. It's called 'Star Wars'. Or 'A New Hope'. Or 'Episode IV' or whatever the fuck.

You can do it even with simple and epic myths. But you have to be willing to progress the story in keeping with them. The Force Awakens was a retread of the earlier movies done by less competent people. It didn't add or evolve, only imitated. I never watched the subsequent two movies but I read the synopses, saw clips. They over-corrected with The Last Jedi and then over-corrected from that with The Rise of Skywalker. They had no restraint, no actual understanding and no leading vision.

Anakin was supposed to "bring balance to the Force". At the end of Return of the Jedi - he kills Palpatine and dies doing so. The last of the old Jedi are gone as are the last of the Sith. The only two standing (prior to Disney meddling) are his children - Luke and Leia. If you understand myth, and are free of Disney mandates to chase Memberberries at all costs - you can build on that. Leia was a war leader and politician, Luke the humble farm boy turned hero.

You want a simple progression of the story in keeping with Joseph Campbell style epics? Leia turns to the dark side - she never faced her trial the way Luke did - and Luke returns the light. You have one dark, one light - a new beginning and a balance to the Force, as Anakin was supposed to bring about. His actions have wiped the board clear and now all is in balance, one of each, starting their own new generations, finding their own acolytes, etc.

You could write great continuing stories stemming from that. But not if Kathleen Kennedy is appearing and instructing you to re-do Empire Strikes Back.

Andor was a great series, the best spy thing the director of the Bourne series made, and the best political thing the West Wing writers ever wrote.
However it really wasn't a starwars thing. No space wizards, or space battles, minimal aliens or wacky robots, just a soul destroying system turning people into oppressors and those-who-fight-monsters willing to cross any line to stop it.

It was mostly practical effects, and deliberately kept the early eighties aesthetic of the originals. I would recommend it to anyone with more than a ten minute attention span.

Much as I enjoy Andor and feel it was respectful to canon and in keeping with the movies, I am forced to grudgingly concede it's pretty different in feel and subject matter. I'll still watch S2 if it survives the conflagration that is Disney's effect on the franchise, though. I really hope they don't try to force tie-ins to Ahsoka and the Acolyte into it.

 

[Peaches the Wonder Cat]

Is it true that it has a lower scoring than the Holiday Special?

Yes.

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

Muppets Star Wars would do incredible numbers. The merch alone would sell forever.

Can we have Muppet Babies back? I loved Muppet Babies. Put that back on TV.

The actually did a reboot of Muppet Babies a few years ago. I've heard mixed opinions.

Sadly the rights to the original are an absolute quagmire, so we'll probably never have the episodes re-released.

 

[The Taco Santo!]

The problem is…we simply have no idea if that’s true, even if that’s what everyone is assuming after last week. Specifically, while they say the girls “have no father” it is implied that their mother did something unnatural to create them, which would not be a “spontaneous force baby” situation. Dark side meddling? Witch magic? Cloning? We simply don’t know yet, but that has not stopped fans from leaping to conclusions and saying that in three half hour episodes the series has destroyed 50 years of canon.

All of these possibilities are retarded and in no way make me want to watch the show.

But the worst Star Wars project by an order of magnitude in the history of the series? And it just so happens to be one mostly starring black women?

I guess so. Cry harder, faggot.

This whole situation is a parody of the modern toxic fanbase of the series,

Oh no.

You can critique a show, sure

Are you sure, it doesn't sound like it.

but overwhelmingly, that is just not what’s happening here, and it goes well beyond that.

How terrible. People still aren't going to watch it, though, much less like it, and there's nothing you can do about it. Write more whining articles, that's your best tactic.

 

[Unarmed Gunman]

And it just so happens to be one mostly starring black women?

I honestly thought the Stormtroopers from the first movies - the NPC's that couldn't shoot straight, were all black women. Was that not the case?

Mark my words: this isn't just coping and seething; this is setting the stage to justify the federal government eventually subsidizing a failing entertainment industry with your tax money.

Federal Government has been subsidizing Hollywood since day one, it's our most effective propaganda channel.

 

[Sneedenhagen Chew]

So Disney releases black vvitch-core Star Wars, and the media defence strategy is literally "heckin yikes! Just so yall incels know, we're laughing at you in the group chat"?

 

[No Batty Boys in Jamaica]

North Korea needs to launch a nuke at Hollywood. It’s the only way to save humanity.

 

[Agamemnon Busmalis]

The media around those movies were also incredibly fun as well, and there's a certain kind of raw joy in the Lego Star Wars games.

Galactic Battlegrounds was awesome. Like an AOE2 full conversion mod set in the Star Wars universe. I always played as the Trade Federation, always saw myself in the Neimoidians.