Just to clarify ... no, I'm not gloating.
As I've said several times when I've been asked by fans on my opinion of Star Wars Disney+ streaming series The Acolyte is that I didn't watch it. In fact, I've confessed that I cancelled my subscription after the dismal finale to Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an animated diversion that I enjoyed up until its last season in which creator Dave Filoni kinda/sorta switched dynamics and went in a markedly different direction with the ensemble project. (No, I didn't hate the last episode or two, but I was disappointed.) Since I've never seen so much as a single episode of The Acolyte, I can't effectively comment on it critically.
Now, I can say that I followed a lot of the program's controversy, along with the drubbing it took online from fans. While I'll concede that some of the criticisms were occasionally over the top, I think a good portion of what I saw seemed logical, cogent, and well-conceived. No, I didn't see -- as has been widely reported in the media -- a "bunch of bigots" spouting out their shared hatred of people who look and/or act differently than they do; instead, I watched and listened to thinkers dissecting why scenes and characters and even settings didn't quite work as seamlessly as the way even a modestly produced effort should. Truth can be difficult to swallow, but that doesn't suggest one opinion is any more divisive or ill-founded than others. Reality is likely somewhere in the middle.
But I did see yesterday that word has finally reached the World Wide Web of The Acolyte's cancellation; and I can't say that I'm all that surprised. The show's ratings were not good, and -- ahem -- the way the studio, the stars, and the showrunners were lashing out at anyone who held an assessment contrary to theirs probably didn't exactly win over the vast majority of potential viewers who were 'sitting on the fence minding their own business.' Rarely do such campaigns turn out well, and had any employee with an understanding of history been behind-the-scenes then perhaps a cautionary word or two might've brought a different fate. Again, truth can be difficult to swallow ... but I've already said as much.
At the very least, The Acolyte joins that growing mountain of Science Fiction and Fantasy shows that were fortunate enough to get a single season but not relevant enough to earn a second. That's no testament to quality, frankly, as a great many shows have come and gone in the same fashion, some of the good, some of them bad. Having been around on this Big Blue Marble longer than most, I can tell you my heart, too, has been broken from having suffered alongside fans in the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, and more; so -- if nothing else -- those of you who enjoyed The Acolyte have minimally my understanding and an appreciation for how you're feeling today. Yes, it hurts ... but you'll get over it.
Here's the thing, though ...
History also tells us that just because a studio cancels something that doesn't mean that fandom simply walks away.
Indeed, where would we be if those legendary Star Trek fans -- Trekkies, Trekkers, general Trek enthusiasts, etc. -- had left the Final Frontier behind? Each and every time the television show was up for cancellation, they responded. They bought the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew a full three seasons; and even then when the show resurfaced in television syndication they kept pushing and pushing and pushing for more. It wasn't all that long before an animated incarnation turned up -- along with novels, fanfiction, and the like -- and then once Star Wars lit the fuse it was inevitable that Paramount followed suit with the franchise of their own.
The Acolyte can live on ... but only if you lift it up.
Yes, it'll take a significant amount of effort. Yes, it's likely going to be an uphill battle. But if enough of you can convince the powers that be -- along with Harvey Weinstein employee Leslye Headland -- that you want more, then you're likely going to get something. It might be a graphic novel or a series of books. It could even be an animated show. The sky's the limit ... but you're going to have to show them that it's worth the investment. That's what scores of folks did back in Trek's days; and if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and do a good day's work then you, too, can seize the day.
Regardless ... The Force can still be with us.
-- EZ
As I've said several times when I've been asked by fans on my opinion of Star Wars Disney+ streaming series The Acolyte is that I didn't watch it. In fact, I've confessed that I cancelled my subscription after the dismal finale to Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an animated diversion that I enjoyed up until its last season in which creator Dave Filoni kinda/sorta switched dynamics and went in a markedly different direction with the ensemble project. (No, I didn't hate the last episode or two, but I was disappointed.) Since I've never seen so much as a single episode of The Acolyte, I can't effectively comment on it critically.
Now, I can say that I followed a lot of the program's controversy, along with the drubbing it took online from fans. While I'll concede that some of the criticisms were occasionally over the top, I think a good portion of what I saw seemed logical, cogent, and well-conceived. No, I didn't see -- as has been widely reported in the media -- a "bunch of bigots" spouting out their shared hatred of people who look and/or act differently than they do; instead, I watched and listened to thinkers dissecting why scenes and characters and even settings didn't quite work as seamlessly as the way even a modestly produced effort should. Truth can be difficult to swallow, but that doesn't suggest one opinion is any more divisive or ill-founded than others. Reality is likely somewhere in the middle.
But I did see yesterday that word has finally reached the World Wide Web of The Acolyte's cancellation; and I can't say that I'm all that surprised. The show's ratings were not good, and -- ahem -- the way the studio, the stars, and the showrunners were lashing out at anyone who held an assessment contrary to theirs probably didn't exactly win over the vast majority of potential viewers who were 'sitting on the fence minding their own business.' Rarely do such campaigns turn out well, and had any employee with an understanding of history been behind-the-scenes then perhaps a cautionary word or two might've brought a different fate. Again, truth can be difficult to swallow ... but I've already said as much.
At the very least, The Acolyte joins that growing mountain of Science Fiction and Fantasy shows that were fortunate enough to get a single season but not relevant enough to earn a second. That's no testament to quality, frankly, as a great many shows have come and gone in the same fashion, some of the good, some of them bad. Having been around on this Big Blue Marble longer than most, I can tell you my heart, too, has been broken from having suffered alongside fans in the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, and more; so -- if nothing else -- those of you who enjoyed The Acolyte have minimally my understanding and an appreciation for how you're feeling today. Yes, it hurts ... but you'll get over it.
Here's the thing, though ...
History also tells us that just because a studio cancels something that doesn't mean that fandom simply walks away.
Indeed, where would we be if those legendary Star Trek fans -- Trekkies, Trekkers, general Trek enthusiasts, etc. -- had left the Final Frontier behind? Each and every time the television show was up for cancellation, they responded. They bought the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew a full three seasons; and even then when the show resurfaced in television syndication they kept pushing and pushing and pushing for more. It wasn't all that long before an animated incarnation turned up -- along with novels, fanfiction, and the like -- and then once Star Wars lit the fuse it was inevitable that Paramount followed suit with the franchise of their own.
The Acolyte can live on ... but only if you lift it up.
Yes, it'll take a significant amount of effort. Yes, it's likely going to be an uphill battle. But if enough of you can convince the powers that be -- along with Harvey Weinstein employee Leslye Headland -- that you want more, then you're likely going to get something. It might be a graphic novel or a series of books. It could even be an animated show. The sky's the limit ... but you're going to have to show them that it's worth the investment. That's what scores of folks did back in Trek's days; and if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and do a good day's work then you, too, can seize the day.
Regardless ... The Force can still be with us.
-- EZ
RSS Feed