'The Acolyte' Season Finale Review: A Fun, Fitting Ending
Well, folks, that’s all she wrote. Perhaps the only thing that those who’ve been tuned into The Acolyte for the last two months can agree upon is that it’s officially over, given this week’s finale in the eighth episode of this debut season.
The show, and its reception, have been up, down, and all around, with fans splitting in a way that has become normal since Disney’s infamous takeover of the Star Wars property. Yet again, a release has turned social media into a battlefield, viewers into soldiers. Though that can spark another discussion entirely of its own; we’re here to focus on the finale itself.
It’s good, almost surprisingly so. The Acolyte may not have inspired much hope for those looking for a franchise savior, but for fans who never fell off the falcon, this finale is pretty much all you could’ve asked for.
Sure, the thing is still lit like a grocery store and framed with the same variety as a white-walled, padded on all sides room, but the meat of the story comes to a head here in a satisfying way.
For what feels like the first time in this series, at least to this extent, character journeys roll over onto one another, and fully finish out. These stories all collide in a way that takes all the incessant setup from previous weeks and attempts to necessitate it; this isn’t a total success, but the attempt alone warrants a thumbs up.
It’s refreshing to have huge franchise content not hang on cliffs and go fishing for future seasons. Where it ends, it ends. Doors are open, as always, but if the show ended with this first season, it could easily be looked back on as a self-contained story in the Star Wars universe that adds context here and cool choreography there.
Though last week’s barrage of flashbacks, nothing this week is unexpected, and that may dampen the impact for some folks. Even with this fair ending, the show can’t fully escape the struggles of its past. That sounds like something the Jedi would say, no? Are they even the good guys anymore?
There are plenty of worrying questions to be asked here, but whether or not this show worked things out in the end isn’t one of them. The Acolyte, all things considered, stuck the landing. There is a previously unmatched air of importance in episode eight that really takes it over the top. It earns the effect that it has, and for that, the show deserves a final round of applause from all.
Star Wars fans, those who liked the show and those who didn’t, should come together to appreciate the sponsoring of an unadulterated vision from a creator within this franchise, for better, worse, or in-between. Star Wars needs more aggressive creativity, and regardless of your opinion on this show, it’s a proper start.