The Acolyte Premiere Gets Blasted By Star Wars Fans: Abject Bigotry or Legitimate Criticism?
Tyler Johnson
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The long-awaited Star Wars series The Acolyte premiered on Disney+ last night.
As expected, the show quickly became a trending topic across every social media platform.
What was less anticipated, however, was the backlash the show received from fans of the franchise.
The Acolyte has become the latest series to experience a major gap between the response it's received from critics and the reaction from its most outspoken viewers.
The series -- which stars Amandla Stenberg as twin sisters Osha and Mae Aniseya -- received a mostly favorable reaction from critics.
Raves have been few, but the show is currently certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 88% rating based on 69 reviews.
Unfortunately, the reaction from non-critics has been far less positive.
The series holds a 45% audience score based on ratings from more than 500 viewers.
"I don't even know what they are trying to accomplish with this show. It's dry and boring. Loved Andor. Liked Ashoka. But this.. just no..." wrote one Rotten Tomatoes user.
"Doesn't feel anything like Star Wars. The characters are uninteresting, and plot is boring," added another.
Related: Ahsoka Series Premiere Review: The Star Wars Rebels Follow-Up We Deserve
"Just terrible as usual. Disney has no clue as to what a Jedi is or how to make a good storyline knowing the history of the franchise," a third chimed in, adding:
"The protagonists are silly little kids that don’t come off as serious Jedi what so ever. Might as well be a Disney on Ice show."
Critiques centering around Disney's handling of the Star Wars franchise have been widespread, and they're not without basis.
The House of Mouse has flooded the market with a deluge of Star Wars content that's served to dilute the potency of what was once the most marketable brand in any galaxy.
But there's likely more going on here than mere disapproval of the studios' strategy regarding the expansive universe created by George Lucas.
Sadly, the negative reaction from fans was not entirely shocking.
That's partially due to the fact that there's a sharp decline in the consistency of the Star Wars franchise in recent years.
But it has more to do with the disturbing tendency of fans to "review bomb" Star Wars properties that feature diverse casts.
The Acolyte takes place roughly 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, and it focuses primarily on the characters played by Stenberg, a talented star who is also a young, queer woman of color.
It's a major step forward in terms of representation -- but unfortunately, that sort of progress usually meets with resistance.
We're sure some of the fans giving one-star reviews to The Acolyte are offering their honest assessments of the quality of the show, but there are quite a few who seem to be spewing hateful invective without having watched a single scene.
The situation is further complicated by allegations that Disney has been manipulating the online critics' community in an effort to ensure high RT scores
There's no easy solution to these issues, but it's enough to make us long for the days of Siskel and Ebert.
What do you think, TV fanatics? Should Rotten Tomatoes do more to weed out the bigots? Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
