I’ve written a few articles defending The Acolyte, but the truth is that despite all the foolish complaints about space fires and whatnot, there are some things about the show that I would change. First, I would tighten up the pacing. Then, I would rearrange some scenes and even some whole episodes to improve the narrative flow of the series; two areas that I just know the fan edit community will go HAM on once The Acolyte airs its last episode.

Fan Edits Can Save The Series

Fan edits, if you’re not familiar with the term, are just what it says on the tin. New edits of famous movies and TV shows done by fans. Some Fan edits are brand-new narratives crafted from multiple sources, while others are just new interpretations of existing stories.

I predict The Acolyte will receive several edits of the second variety.

And how am I so sure that the fans will deliver? Simple. The only reason most people have even heard about fan edits is because of Star Wars.

The Phantom Edit Was A Trendsetter

There’s a prestigious history of Star Wars fan edits, going back to 2000 and The Phantom Edit. The Phantom edit was a re-edited version of The Phantom Menace with scenes moved around to match the original trilogy’s pacing and 18 minutes cut from the film’s runtime. Since I know you’re wondering, yes most of the cut material features Jar-Jar Binks.

Maybe someone can make a fan edit of The Acolyte that does the same thing, but with Yord.

The Phantom Edit was among the first fan edits to gain widespread recognition. It circulated between all of the major Hollywood studios from 2000 to 2001 and was once credited to Clerks director Kevin Smith. Smith didn’t have anything to do with the edit but endorsed it.

The Elusive “Editor Strikes Back”

If (or when) the Acolyte fan edits start pouring in, they’ll have some big shoes to fill. Almost as famous as The Phantom Edit is actor Topher Grace’s Star Wars: Episode III.5: The Editor Strikes Back. Grace took the entire prequel trilogy—all 7+ hours—and cut it down to one 85-minute film.

The That ’70s Show star has never released his edit to the public, but those who have attended private screenings call it the best possible version of the Star Wars prequels.

Other Fan Edit Magic

Then there are restoration edits like Harmy’s Despecialized Edition and Project 4K77. The creators of these edits aim to bring fans high-definition versions of the original trilogy, untouched by George’s digital tampering. Compared to the daunting task of removing excess CGI from the original Star Wars movies, the Acolyte fan edit should be a cakewalk.

Possible Edits To Make To The Acolyte

So, what would a fan edit of The Acolyte look like? Well, I’m just guessing, but I assume it would start by cutting down the length—trimming the fat, as it were. The Acolyte already feels like a movie arbitrarily cut and lengthened to make a limited series. Somewhere in the roughly five hours of footage, there’s bound to be a tight 90-minute film.

I also assume some fan editor will restructure the narrative so that Episode 7 comes earlier in the story, closer to Episode 3. Not right after mind you, but close enough that the two flashbacks feel like different sides of the same coin.

How About A Yord-Less Cut?

Other than that, I defer to the professionals, and by that, I mean the fans who do this obsessively. I’m curious to see what the fan edit community comes up with for The Acolyte. And while I wouldn’t presume to tell the fan editors their job (hobby), I do have one request: please give us a mostly Yord-less cut.

I really didn’t like that guy.