Summary
The Acolyte’s viewership proves the backlash and review bombing is confected, not reflecting reality at all.Star Warshas long been one of the most controversial franchises of all, with a particularly divided and divisive fanbase. George Lucas himself wasn’t immune to their ire (as the comedy documentaryThe People Vs. George Lucasproved), but the Disney era has gotten caught up in the culture wars. EvenSouth Parkparodied Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, envisioning her as a power-hungry feminist who demands diversity in everything.
The Acolyteis the latest point of dispute. Created by Leslye Headland ofRussian Dollfame, the new Disney+ TV show is set a century before the events ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.The Acolytehas been review-bombedon Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and the effect is particularly notable when comparing the Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience scores of the various live-actionStar WarsTV shows (at time of writing).There’s always a gap, but not usually anything like this.
Critic score
Audience score
86%
69%
19.77%
Andor season 1
96%
10.42%
82%
62%
24.39%
66%
53%
19.7%
The Mandalorian season 1
93%
92%
1.08%
The Mandalorian season 2
91%
2.15%
The Mandalorian season 3
85%
51%
40%
30%
67.74%
So what’s really going on withThe Acolyte?
Why The Acolyte Has Proved So Controversial For Star Wars
Controversy is hardly unusual forStar Wars, butthe last few years have seen it drawn into the culture wars. This is largely because of an intentional drive to increase diversity and representation in the franchise, accompanied by an attempt to reach international audiences rather than focusing just on the traditional demographics. Oddly enough, this is most visible not in canon, but in the innovativeStar Wars: Visionsanimated show - which invites animation houses from across the globe to tell their own non-canon stories playing in George Lucas' sandbox.
MostStar Warsbacklashesare really about ownership at heart; they’re an attempt by a portion of the fanbase to claim ownership of the franchise, insisting it should conform to their expectations or to the pattern of their childhood. Given that’s the case, it’s no surprise the focus on diversity and representation - accompanied by a broadening of the target audience - has proved controversial.The Acolyteis a case in point.
It’s telling thatThe Acolyte’s castis much more diverse than a typicalStar WarsTV show, and that hasn’t been received well by some portions of the fanbase. There are literally YouTube videos in which individuals watched every second of the trailer, counting for white characters - an approach that hardly sounds like it’s made in good faith. Matters are made worse by the culture wars, the fact showrunner Leslye Headland is a gay woman, and a comment she made about this being the gayestStar Warsshow ever.
The Acolyte Is The Biggest Disney Plus Launch Of 2024
For all the controversy, Disney report thatThe Acolyte’s viewershipis very pleasing indeed. The Disney+ TV show accrued an impressive 4.8 million views in its first day of availability - making it the streaming service’s biggest 2024 series debut. Exact comparisons are difficult, and that’s a deliberate choice on Disney’s part; the House of Mouse tend to release different figures for each show, making it harder to compare. ButX-Men ‘97’s premiere is known to have taken five days to break the 4 million barrier, in spite of the positive buzz, giving a comparison.
Note: Disney define a “view” as total stream time divided by runtime.
Disney’s definition of a “view” is particularly vulnerable to audiences switching off partway through if they weren’t engaged, suggesting most people are continuing through the full episodes - which wouldn’t be expected if one-star reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were representative. In fact, the current Rotten Tomatoes audience score hides a surprising degree of variation; two days ago, it stood as low as 26%, at 2,500+ reviews. It’s now at 30% with 5,000+ reviews, which seems quite a remarkable change given the numbers involved.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide - Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
How Useful Are Audience Scores In This Kind Of Situation?
In theory, audience scores on review aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes serve a valuable purpose in that they show how everyday viewers are reacting to a series rather than critics. The problem, though, is thatthese figures are so easily manipulated; in this case, it’s pretty clear review bombing is happening at scale, and it’s likely reports of this activity are now generating counter-reviews and perhaps even counter-campaigns. It all feels rather messy.
Disney’s viewership data doesn’t necessarily mean people are enjoyingThe Acolyte, but it at least offers a datapoint that suggests people are continuing to watch the story. The real measure, the proof ofThe Acolyte’s performance, will be viewership at the end of the season; how many people tune in through all eight episodes, continuing the story rather than leaving it in disappointment. For now, though, it’s sadly necessary to discount the review scores completely as part of the latest fandom culture war.
The Acolyteepisodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on Disney+.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
