The Acolyte Comes Packed with Mature Star Wars... for some

 

Instead of a regular review, lets visit a theoretical conversation between audience and creators:

Note- This is not to address fans of the bulk of all Ages Focused Star Wars who didn't like it,  (I'm mostly in this group, I really liked this show, but won't rewatch it nearly as much as the films or The Mandalorian/ Boba Fett which fit in with the original films better than anything else.) or those who will only ever like the Original Trilogy (and shows which fit in with it) no matter what. (Hi Mom!)  Instead this is for that rather specific branch of fandom that demands every Star Wars be specifically tailored for them and only them.

A Certain Type of "Adult" Star Wars "Fan"- Waaaaaaaaaah!!!! Star Wars used to be for me, and now it's only for kids. Star Wars sucks now, boo hoo, it should be focused on me. 

Star Wars Creators- "Going back to the original George Lucas days, Star Wars has always been for everyone. However, introducing children to the wonders of classic mythological and fable based concepts through action, fun and adventure has been the main heart of Star Wars since the beginning."

 A Certain Type of "Adult" Star Wars "Fan"-Waaaaaaaaaah!!!! Star Wars should be more mature, not for kids. It should age with us. Boo hoo!"

Star Wars Creators- "Fine, while most Star Wars content will stay true to the original intent, here is The Acolyte. It features the following mature storytelling elements:

An excellently qualified cast capable of portraying a range of emotions from elevated to subtle allowing reactions to complex situational, moral and ethical happenings.

A time setting that allows a mix of brand new elements (and races) of Star Wars Lore, plus copious references to the existing movies and shows, as well as happenings, technology and individuals from the now "Legends" novels and such that existed before Disney took over, and George Lucas never treated as cannon.

Good guys who sometimes make morally ambiguous decisions and plans.

Bad guys who are clearly evil, yet are capable of making rational and logical arguments.

A non-linear narrative structure.

Characters, including main ones, who can die, ratcheting up levels of suspense and surprises for where the story will go throughout the adventures.

Unreliable narrators, highlighting versions of the truth "from a certain point of view" that Star Wars is known for.

Events that question the concept Yoda presented - "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will." 

Multiple gorgeously created and rendered settings on different planets.

Parallel character arcs going in opposite directions.

Music by an accomplished composer that feels fresh, but still within the Star Wars universe.

Awesome action and battle scenes with and without lightsabers staged by the fight choreographers of Vader's hallway scene in Rogue One. 

Fantastic new spaceship designs and fun droids (for the kid in all of us.)

Resolutions to some plot threads that could be figured out by observation, others that were surprise twists, but leaving a few threads open to continue the story and the world building of that age.

There- how's that?"

 A Certain Type of "Adult" Star Wars "Fan"-Waaaaaaaaaah!!!! The main characters of the show don't look like me, Boo Hoo! We're going to review bomb it with "one star" all over the place before anyone has a chance to see it and make it look like everyone agrees with our uninformed opinion."

Hi, Jeff here.

Look, the show is critically acclaimed, had excellent viewer numbers, and all three members of my heavily Star Warsy family enjoyed the heck out of it. I've already watched it twice and Anabelle is planning on second round. (But we've all gotten involved with her Classic Doctor Who rewatch, meaning that will take a bit.) Speaking as a first generation Star Wars fan steeped (positively submerged in fact) in the lore of a galaxy far far away, while it may not be to everyone's taste, this was high quality Star Wars, built around excellent, complex and mature story telling.

So listen, Certain Type of "Adult" Star Wars "Fan" guys...

(Its always guys...

guys often around my age...

guys who somehow believe they are their imagined concept of an alpha male, even though they whine about everything that isn't exactly tailored to their narrow beliefs.)

I know how you define "mature" stories, I lived through the comic books of the 1990's  If you're looking for muscle bound white guys in the lead roles who are impressively violent and occasional go look at boobs, there is the entire 1980's library of action films plus sword and sorcery flicks to chose from. Go watch those.

Kindly leave Star Wars to the fans who actually understand it, and what the prime focus of a majority of newly released portions of the franchise should be...

The next generation of kids.

And Star Wars Creators, please ignore that "certain type of 'fan'" and keep cranking out quality Star Wars for the rest of us. Including more mature stories once in a while. There's a whole bunch of stuff from this time period a hundred years before the prequels that we'd like to see more of. 

And bring back the little Hamster dude, because I am firmly in the "Star Wars should mostly be for kids" camp. He was a hoot.