As we approach the end of the first season of ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte,’ with six episodes already aired, there’s been ample time to assess the show and its various elements.

The show has been the target of both intense review-bombing and enthusiastic review-boosting by fans. Amid this often confusing and hate-fueled discord, the overall quality of the show hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves.

In my opinion, the show is far from the best in the Star Wars franchise, but it’s also not the worst. Here, I’ll summarize some subjective reasons why the show falls short, completely unrelated to the alleged wokeness. Let’s dive in.

The pacing is inconsistent, and the episodes are too short

The show’s pacing has been inconsistent. Episode 3 spent an entire episode on a flashback that could have been condensed into a few minutes. Then, in the next episode, we spent the entire time wandering around Khofar, with all notable moments happening in the last 10 seconds.

In episode 5, we seemingly said our goodbyes to most of the main cast, only for episode 6 to revert back to nothing significant happening. The show lacks a consistent tone for important events, and most episodes have felt like fillers, despite being only around 30 minutes long.

2. The dialogue is often atrocious

This is particularly subjective, and you might not agree, but the dialogue in Acolyte often feels awkward and, at times, incredibly cringe-worthy. For example: “We have unfinished business, attack me with all your strength.” No one talks like that.

3. The characters are unengaging

It was shocking when Qimir killed almost everyone in the Jedi search party, but after the initial shock wore off, their deaths felt flat and I didn’t feel any emotional connection. Yord and Jecki, despite being positioned prominently, had very little screen time, making it difficult to connect with them or any other characters besides Master Sol.

Osha and Mae are some of the most uninteresting main characters in the franchise, Qimir’s motivations seem illogical, and characters like Jecki and Yord are hardly developed. Vernestra Rwoh has yet to make a significant impact in the story. Even Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi teased as a major character, had few scenes and was killed off-screen. The characters suffer from being underdeveloped, which is exacerbated by the show’s short length of only 8 episodes, most of which are around 30 minutes long.

4. The distribution of action scenes needs improvement

This one is straightforward: most episodes lack any action, with the majority of fights seemingly confined to a single episode. With two episodes left until the show’s finale, hopefully, we’ll see more lightsaber duels. The action isn’t bad; in fact, it’s great, which is why I’m eager to see more of it!

5. Another Reylo dynamic is unnecessary!

Headland has clarified that the Qimir-Osha relationship in the show is intentional and not a misinterpretation by fans. While I understand the direction of portraying a “hot Sith” and Osha’s potential seduction by the dark side, I personally feel it echoes too closely to the Kylo and Rey dynamic. Frankly, we don’t need to revisit this storyline. These parallels become even more apparent when considering our theory about the Power of Two, suggesting Qimir’s quest for what might be the Dyad at this point in the show.

There are numerous issues with this show, and these are just the five most prominent ones currently. Hopefully, there will be improvements in the final two episodes. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below!