The first two episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+, and the series premiere includes a couple of call-backs to George Lucas' beloved original Star Wars movie.
Though this isn't exactly a massive reveal, if you haven't watched yet and would rather know as little as possible, here's your spoiler warning.
The first was probably to be expected in a show focusing on Jedi, as we hear Master Vanestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) say “May the Force be with you” to Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) as he departs on a mission. The second is also an oft-repeated Star Wars phrase, but some fans seem to think that it felt a little more... forced.
While waiting with a trap laid for Mae (Amandla Stenberg) on the planet Olega, Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) tells his allies that he has "a bad feeling about this.”
During an interview with EW, showrunner Leslye Headland reveals that she had to fight to keep this line in the show.
“That was hard to get that in. I'm going to be honest. I got a lot of feedback that I shouldn't put that in. But I just feel like when you get the opportunity to do Star Wars, you're just going to shoot your shot. And ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ is incredibly iconic.”
“It’s such an iconic line that I think there was some concern of, ‘Well, we don't want to just drop it in there and have everyone go, ‘Oh, I see.’ But I think we found a good way to justify it and make it feel natural and still be an homage,” she added.
How natural it came across is up for debate, but be sure to let us know what you made of the line in the comments section below.
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers.
Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102). Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) round out the directing duties on the series.
"I really wanted to tell a story about the Sith," showrunner Headland told EW in a recent interview. "That was kind of my dream Star Wars idea. But it felt like the time period to do that in would be something pre-Phantom Menace. That seemed to be the most interesting trajectory for the Sith: How did the Sith go from the Rule of Two and being quote-unquote 'extinct' to Palpatine coming into power without the Jedi knowing about it?"
Award-winning composer Michael Abels, known for his work on Get Out and Us, scored The Acolyte.