The Acolyte “wokebaited” Star Wars fans with Carrie-Anne Moss

The Acolyte is the TV show that could change everything for Star Wars — but after two episodes, it’s already made one incredibly bad decision. 

If you’ve had the misfortune of seeing Star Wars on your social media timeline, you’ll see plenty of people insulting The Acolyte. Dubbed “The Wokelyte” because of its inclusion of diverse female characters, fans were panning the show before they’d even seen it, making sweeping assumptions from a two-minute trailer.

For those unaware, The Acolyte is basically a true crime show set in a galaxy far, far away, complete with lightsabers, Jedi, and a coven of witches. As showrunner Leslye Headland described at a preview event, it’s set to show Star Wars “in a way we haven’t seen before.” After years of fans complaining that Princess Leia is the only worthwhile woman in the franchise, Headland’s vision is finally bringing female characters to the fore… or at least, it should be. 

The show makes a major mistake in its first five minutes — killing off its biggest name, Carrie Anne-Moss, before the opening titles roll. When you sit down to watch something with a renowned action heroine (in this case, The Matrix royalty Trinity), you expect to see them given a fleshed-out plot that will develop over the course of the series. The shock of Indara’s sudden death left me reeling — and not just me, by the looks of it — and it’s a sign that The Acolyte will have bigger issues further down the line. 

Star Wars’ tetchy history with female representation

20th Century Studios

Could the only reason for killing off a female character first be to appease the never-ending “woke” complaints? As boss Kathleen Kennedy told The New York Times, “I think a lot of the women who step into Star Wars struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male-dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal.” Like it or not, the issues are there. 

Sure, there might be scheduling clashes and practical reasons why “Trinity with a lightsaber”, also known as Jedi Master Indara, is only seen for a matter of minutes, but it feels like a missed opportunity not to utilize someone who could bring some much-needed ambition to The Acolyte’s Jedi cohort. 

If Star Wars isn’t taking its own franchise feminism seriously, then there’s little reason why we should, too. Between Episode IV in 1977 and now, Star Wars has had a smorgasbord of characters across the galaxy — yet only one human woman is doing the heavy lifting. After her start in the franchise, Carrie Fisher single-handedly paved the way for female representation, and as stoic and bold as she was, there’s only so much one person can achieve on their own.

With this in mind, it’s fairly baffling that no other female role has been able to exist without a barrage of negativity against her. Daisy Ridley’s Rey has been routinely called out for “ruining” the franchise, with fans explaining that bad writing is what deems her unworthy of wielding a lightsaber. Other minor roles, including Mon Mothma and Jaina Solo, are easily forgotten amidst the chaos of using the Force. 

Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Padmé Amidala in The Phantom Menace was met with harsh criticism, allegedly causing other film directors to be put off working with her. When you Google “most hated Star Wars characters,” the top three results are women. Against the odds, characters like Ahsoka Tano are beginning to break free, but she’s arguably still on the outskirts of the franchise. 

Then along comes The Acolyte, bristling with women who are poised to change the game once and for all. Moss is obviously the biggest name in the bunch and given her action-packed history on screen, it makes sense that viewers will be looking to her to lead the way. Under the surface, the show’s plot interlinks women’s real-life issues with Jodie Turner-Smith’s Mother Ansieya and her coven of witches.    

The Acolyte doesn’t get off on the right foot  

Lucasfilm/Disney

However, if The Acolyte is set to change women’s roles within the franchise, then why does it begin by pitting two of them against each other to the death? It goes without saying that raising the stakes from the off makes sense in order to show the struggles of female characters — and the rest — in the long run. But doing so by sacrificing one as a victim takes two steps back after such promising steps forward, let alone the fact it’s Moss herself. 

It would be easy to write this off as a true crime trope if it wasn’t for the fact that high-profile guest stars originally joined crime shows as the killer rather than the first victim. Instead, the move feels more like “wokebait,” if you will — reel the viewers in with the promise of someone established and palatable and then annoy everyone by immediately getting rid of them. For someone who wants more from both Star Wars and women on TV, it feels disappointing, to say the least.  

This decision is also likely very telling about where Lucasfilm’s head is at, with Headland herself still the new kid on the block. Of course, The Acolyte needs to blend with the rest of the franchise to a certain degree, but Star Wars will never be able to evolve if it thwarts its own attempts at change. 

Diversity and change aside, Indara’s death is just as disappointing as a fictional plot. We’ve lost the chance to get to know someone who could have been a pivotal Star Wars character, while her death also throws doubt over what the franchise has been prioritizing. If you’re new to the show and start by watching a Jedi Master be overthrown within five minutes, the incentive to see rebel forces do the same thing for the next 100 years isn’t exactly there. 

There is a small plus to hang onto, though. The Acolyte’s trailer showed us that Indara will be appearing in an upcoming flashback scene, but that’s a bit like trying to add something to a shopping cart that’s actually out of stock. Osha and Mae’s backstories are clearly meaty ones, and the show is undoubtedly doing a solid job of bringing a whodunnit to life. The Acolyte might not struggle because it killed off Indara thanks to its wider storytelling, but it’s not made the first impression that it should.  

Continue to jump into hyperspace with everything we know about the Andor Season 2 release date and Tales of the Jedi Season 2. You can also read our Star Wars The Acolyte explained guide for more specific details.

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