All Stories Change: The Actual Problem

[@WhatTheForce]

Obsessed with this Robert Bly Quote: “When I was younger the Mood for men often involved Ascension... The Attempt to become a man by Ascending has not worked somehow. The moment I have found valuable in my life has been to go down into certain earth energies or shallows. Recently, I have found that to be a descent into Childhood and into the suffering and loneliness I felt in childhood. In the story of Iron John, the wild man sits below us. This is strong in the female mythology with Persephone who descends, this is also strong in the Greek male mythology with Hermes who descends into the underworld. Men have a strong connection to descending but I think sometimes it can appear as Alcoholism or appear as grief, I think it’s important for the western male that he isn’t wrong when he goes down, he isn’t wrong when he goes into his grief. When he feels a separation from his Father, when he begins to weep. When he goes down, it isn’t wrong for him to do that.” TLDR: The Acolyte is important for everyone.

[@WitandFolly]

pinned!

[@WhatTheForce]

@@WitandFolly 😘

[@grandsome1]

I wasn't far off symbolically when I posited that Qimir Sith name might be "Darth Alqimir" (Darth Alchemist) because of his use of poisons and special metals if he's a deliberate Hermetic figure.

[@WitandFolly]

That's awesome! I didn't know about this one... I must look into it 🙌🏻

[@Hollowshape]

Osha giving up Pip's flashlight head is symbolic of her leaving the light and turning to the dark side.

[@barleigh234]

Rewatching as I try to cope over The Acolyte😭 a truly beautiful synthesis, thank you💜

[@Precious_princessyaya23]

This analysis of The Acolyte is the best analysis I've seen ever! i loved how Ancient Mythology shows up in modern media in different ways!!

[@ianthorp5761]

I've been saving this for when I had time to really savor it and... it was absolutely worth the wait! Truly exemplary of SW fandom's biggest outpouring of creativity and excitement since TLJ. I am in awe of your ability to distill these ideas and symbols into such an exciting, visually beautiful, and satisfying analysis. Thank you for your work!

[@shoyahaaruni]

Excellent analysis. tbh, though i wasnt a fan of some of the writing decisions in the acolyte, there are other aspects to it under the surface that people write off out of hand, but deserve appreciation, or at least consideration and credit. subbed 👍

[@moviedean123]

Another fantastic analysis, I could never tire hearing you talk about this subject matter!!

[@Lily-ni5po]

Hey, I am a long time fan of your and Marie-Claire's work (including these incredible videos on F4). I just wanted to say thank you for the video. Especially what you said about some fans' assumptions that the witches learnt how to make a baby from an old man. It's been driving nuts. It just seems so obvious that birth giving is a female coded power, and the Sith had to have learnt it from sacred feminine figures and not the other way around. It all read like some unconscious womb envy. I hope you and What the Force team up to make an analysis together of the whole series. Listening to you three together now that the series is concluded would be very interesting.

[@AuntyKsTarot]

Queer Indigenous Woman who fell in love with Star Wars at age 5 when the Leia Movie (sometimes called the empire strikes back) came out. Andor was the Star Wars I wanted, the Acolyte was the Star Wars I needed. I am so thankful those in charge realize that white men were never the whole fandom. I really needed to want Osha to kill Sol.

[@guineabable08]

I KNEW there was some deep symbolism happening with the Mae/Osha and that Qimir represented one of the gods but I could not find anyone talking about it. This analysis validated me and allowed me to be confident in why I enjoyed the story of the Acolyte

[@tiffanygarrison275]

I meant to leave a comment sooner, so sorry I didn’t. This is such an incredible video. I am not kidding, once I watched the finale, my first thought was ‘wow, I really hope Wit and Folly makes a video.’ And then a day or two later, the video dropped.

[@Panau_chocolat]

Incredible analysis. One of the best I’ve heard about this show/pairing.

[@ohnoida7664]

"He makes me dumb." SAME!

[@matheusfernandesdocarmo922]

Absolutely the best piece of analysis/discussion about the Acolyte I have seen online and one of the best essays about Star Wars ever made, beautiful and inspiring, congratulations for the job, I needed to know that are more of us out there, that understand Star Wars as human heritage, it's for everyone, the Great sandbox for creativity and stories that is this universe is the legacy of George Lucas and everyone who helped him realize his vision.

[@evendia]

It's truly a shame that the people who need to see this video completely lack the mental capacity and will to understand it. Fantastic work, as always!

[@WitandFolly]

Yeah 😭 this one is for you all and myself

[@matthewberby8200]

It's too bad you need to watch this video to get any of this from the actual show. It's not there by the way. Secondly, these brilliant ideas aren't what people were wanting to begin with.

[@evendia]

@@matthewberby8200 Plenty of people got all of what she says in this video FROM watching the show because, you know, we actually possess critical thinking skills and trust me, A LOT OF PEOPLE wanted EXACTLY this. You didn't and that's fine. Go watch all the other Star Wars shows you like but I find utterly boring. There's plenty of Star Wars for everyone.

[@matthewberby8200]

@@evendia So this show isn't for me you say. Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion does it? Hmmm? I know that the show did not express itself in the way that this KZbin video does because I have a mind that can discern the difference between one thing and another. If you think the plot and dialogue of the tv show are in any way similar to the exposition in this KZbin video then you are mistaken. If it is a case of dumb it down for the masses then they overshot their mark by a mile. They missed coherence even. Who knows, maybe they were aiming for feeling rather than thinking. The Little Platoon's season finale review is more argument on this assertion then I could ever type and you could ever refute. The show is torpedoed and sunk. Personally, I'm just here to point out that you have no idea who I am or how I define myself in the framework of the current political and social divide. It won't stop you from deciding though I bet and carrying on thinking whatever you want about my agenda. For myself I would say that I used to love Star Wars and I am offended by the current belligerent ineptitude displayed by a corporation that wants to sell me Styrofoam packing peanuts advertised as trail mix while demonizes me for feeling ill. To put it bluntly, I am not of the opinion that an individual's freedom should come from breaking every perceived restaint the world has on you. It is impossible anyway. No one lives that way. We are all constrained by other people whether we like it or not. True power comes from understanding yourself and defining yourself in the company of others.

[@andrewdyson5451]

"everyone is dumb but me!!!"

[@walterscherk3112]

Whenever I watch your videos I feel that I am given a better understanding of life, and people. Love them all so much! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@WitandFolly]

I'm touched! Thank you 💗

[@Infinite_Repeat]

I haven't watched all of The Acolyte wasn't super interested in the show but I always appreciate a well researched video essay keep up the good work.

[@jamesblackwell7497]

I found your essay compelling. Though I wish more examples came from the script, it seems a lot is pulled from interviews. But I can’t judge I haven’t seen the show. the sequels really quenched my enthusiasm for the franchise. It is hard for me to look beyond the cynical capitalism of the Mouse.

[@WitandFolly]

I used clips to supplement but you would only know what's going on in them if you watched the show 🤧

[@ledafrost]

Ive always loved your work and then i saw gimbutas and was happily stunned! Havent finished yet but had to leave that comment!

[@WitandFolly]

I spent *a lot* of time trying to fully understand the concepts in that Gimbutas book so it's really nice that someone appreciates it 😄💗

[@ledafrost]

she's definitely someone id call an original resource, very archeological. I find her same ideas are easier to understand in the great cosmic mother (sjoo/mor) and the early chapters of the chalice and the blade (eisler) if you want further references. loved the video, I am going to have to watch it again and take notes!

[@WitandFolly]

Thank you so much for the additional references!!

[@jenf8804]

Would LOVE to see some more deep dives into The Acolyte from you!!!!

[@azuredivina]

so wonderful. thanks for giving us a great thinkpiece about The Acolyte & SW as a whole.

[@marinelleuy5517]

Cool analysis, as always. I haven't seen the show, but so many ppl like you guys keep pushing me to watch it ❤ I was determined to stay away from anything SW since TROS, because I was so thematically disturbed. More than the 'technical' problems, I was more troubled by the lack of care and all the cynicism. And based on stuff I've read abt this show, I'm just so happy that this could be something that can feed my heart and brain.

[@marinelleuy5517]

Like, I don't even need something technically perfect, or perfectly reverential to the lore. I just need something that can feed my soul for once. But I guess not every aspect of the fandom will get it 😅

[@JoeAllenD]

Hoooooboy, I've been looking forward to your thoughts and synthesis!

[@kreijay]

This was beautifully put together. ❤

[@RZFl4sh]

Came here from reddit and this is actually really good!

[@inkasaraswati7625]

Thank you! I'm actually interested in the show now, I'll have to watch it. As someone who is frustrated with non-Andor Star Wars show, I didn't want to watch it if it'll just waste my time. Disregarding of the interesting theme, is it actually good or not? Just so I can adjust my expectations

[@WitandFolly]

I don’t know why people try to classify media this way?? I don't do that. I don't get it. I clearly enjoyed the show enough to write an essay about it - the longest one I've ever written 🙃 that said - the quality of the show is incredible. The saber fights, the directing... truly amazing and I've watched it several times

[@inkasaraswati7625]

​@@WitandFollyI'm sorry if I offend you in some way! Your essay is truly marvelous, and the sole reason why it's on my watch list now. With new parenthood and pursuing a PhD, I truly don't have much down time and is very selective with the shows I watch now. Although I do admit that I personally think interesting theme and good execution are two separate things, probably we're different in that way.

[@WitandFolly]

​@inkasaraswati7625 no, sorry, I just get a bit rattled when people use that language. I do think the execution in The Acolyte was great, but that just feels so hollow and subjective to me. I wrote this essay explaining why I think it's great.

[@lcwebsxoxo]

If you can enjoy it for what it is, it's good. It's Star Wars good. All of the beats and themes and archetypes are there, but it is undercooked at points. I enjoyed it and I still keep studying it like a science project. It has a higher than average amount of trust in the watcher to suss certain things out, but the Big Bad Reveal (which you're already spoiled on if you're watching this,) is intentionally telegraphed ahead of time. So the surprise isn't who he is, but how he operates. The multitudes he contains. I've seen a lot of complaints about Amandla's acting, but her repressed expression is a character choice, and the 180 in ep 8 is really something.

[@inkasaraswati7625]

@@lcwebsxoxo Thank you! I've actually just finished the series. You guys are right, it's good and a really interesting exploration of the theme. I had to go to this comment section because ooooooof, the way that "other" comment sections misunderstood the whole point of the show or the entire franchise is kinda amazing it's making me lose faith in humanity. For those of you who were apprehensive of The Acolyte because of those types of comments, I can confirm that it's "actually good".

[@gabriella9897]

this video is absolutely excellent! Thank you for this, it's been so difficult to find a video on the Acolyte that isnt just a bunch of weirdo men screaming about the woes of wokeness.

[@zayjay6082]

This was excellent!! So many great points.

[@reubzdubz]

I've been watching a lot of hate videos about the Acolyte, so it is a bit interesting to hear someone talking about the show in the different lens. There are some good insights as to what Leslye Headland intended to be the core message of the show and certain themes she'd want to explore: the power dynamic, the patriarchy, masculine vs feminine, and maybe a bit of toxic parenting too? This has been really well-put together and I don't see anything wrong with your premise that it's okay for themes to change; the Acolyte is after all supposed to be a show that takes place in a period unexplored in canon, and so to challenge the status quo is not a bad thing. And I think what you're trying to say in this video (correct me if I am wrong), is that the original Star Wars story offers a rather simple view of the world, good versus evil, but we should move beyond this, and the Acolyte has done its job in showing us the failure of the Jedi as an institution. However, I feel to say she's neither Jedi nor Sith any longer at the end of this series... is quite a stretch, because an Acolyte is still a dark side user nonetheless and her following Qimir doesn't quite help with that. I believe that as much as we try to have some grey area, we can never really be free from a duality in a sense, because there will always be a line that we draw somewhere. What is a wiser way to handle the power imbalance between men and women? Revolution or reform. Of course, some situations aren't so clear cut, such as handling toxic fathers. You don't necessarily have to cut them off completely, but you also shouldn't submit to them completely. It is ultimately down to a case-by-case basis A person seeing the world in good vs evil and a person seeing the world beyond good and evil, is a duality in itself, is it not? Like all ideals we strive for, we will also have good elements and bad elements. There is toxic masculinity and toxic femineity, but there are positive traits to them. I do think that the Acolyte got a little too much into these themes you discussed and derailed itself lost some of the simpler ideas that I love about Star Wars. and sometimes, it's okay to have dualities and see the world in a simple light! My question about the Acolyte for you then is, how much change is too much change? We know that the Star Wars fanbase is predominantly male, and telling the story to explore these themes you mentioned are mostly from a woman's experience, that we can't expect all men to identify with on day one. It is a bit like the Barbie movie, my male friends find it nonsensical while my female friends could write an essay about it. On a side note, have you played the Knights of the Old Republic series? I personally enjoy it more than the movies. The characters that came out of there definitely are a different breed compared to your conventional Jedi from the movies. Kreia has a unique mix of utilitarian/nihilist in terms of her perspective on the Force! I also realized this is the 66th comment so yay to me!

[@WitandFolly]

word of advice - don't watch hate videos. just don't. it's such a waste of time and space and thought.

[@reubzdubz]

​@@WitandFollyI would take that into consideration! Would definitely appreciate some of your thoughts on my question! But still, a great video! Mtfbwy!

[@WitandFolly]

I haven't played KOTOR games but I did a lot of research on them when I initially got into Reylo because Revan/Kylo parallels. It's a shame that in a lot of your comments, I think you have predominantly missed my points. I'm hesitant to respond because of this. I'll just say that men should be trying to identify with the things that women enjoy, period. Start looking at the world through the lens of humanity instead of your prejudices. When I love something and my husband does not, he is curious about why I love that thing and talks to me about it. More often than not, he ends up loving it too, because he loves me. So yes, I expect more out of SW fans and I think it's sad that they can't be curious or imaginative about something that others love. They're going to be responsible for this show being cancelled because they simply couldn't talk to women. That's just pathetic.

[@rem1051]

so excited for this! 💕

[@bradyda14]

Can't wait to have the time to listen Ty!

[@WitandFolly]

Thanks David 💗💜💗

[@bradyda14]

Just got to it. Insightful and eyeopening as always! I feel like a lot of the people mad at Acolyte for being woke or for girls are ironically unaware of the unbalanced binary view they hold that the show is trying to lead them out of.

[@sahaljeilani8417]

ANOTHER WIT & FOLLY MASTERPIECE

[@WitandFolly]

It's so long 😭

[@sahaljeilani8417]

@@WitandFolly you had a lot to say, and we love that 🙏

[@mariaijebd1637]

Amazing analysis ❤

[@ThunderCrey]

This was a really great video! Thank you for making this ❤

[@nightmare1641]

I've always wondered who was the person that plagueis loved enough the keep from dying now I'm starting to think it's qimir it would explain the "long time ago" what do you think

[@WitandFolly]

Yessss this is all about Oshamir methinks

[@lastformorian5188]

Himself. At least according to the book. He is a true Dark Lord of the Sith afterall.

[@ViridisAmbrosia]

I remember from the book he wanted to stop people from dying for his experiments, but I can't remember anything else. The character can go beyond this ofc.

[@lauralicianeri4383]

Well. Qimir was Vernestra's padawan, i don't know how old she can be.

[@starflowy]

I really enjoyed this 💜

[@kaygee2121]

Beyond WELL SAID 💖

[@tovesaiko2319]

Amazing as always ❤

[@WitandFolly]

Thank you!

[@poenpotzu2865]

Glad to see more content from you. I just wished we got more of the witches. I felt we only scratch the surface of this unique force culture.

[@WitandFolly]

I don't mind the ambiguous bits because it always leaves room for expansion in additional stories. That's what keeps the myth evolving. That said... I think Koril and her archers are still out there.

[@persephone3585]

This essay was amazingggg

[@djmcbratney]

I've been saying after the finale that as powerful as the ending was, with the Sol/Osha story told, so many characters dead and Mae memory-wiped, I couldn't fathom what an S2 could really do and feel like a necessary part of the story. This video has convinced me otherwise. = ] I don't think I fully understand it yet, though. I'm still struggling with the Novalis quote about moral codes, as well as the dichotomy of approaching a given text as history or as myth, in relation to a Star Wars story. To me, the Acolyte, being well researched and consistent with existing Star Wars lore, but transforming the meaning of its symbols, seems like something (successfully) wielding "history" in one hand and "myth" in the other. For instance, Osha's transformation in killing Sol, communicated in part by the transformation of the crystal in his saber, is a transformation of the simple good and evil color coding that Star Wars lives by, facilitated by a bit of lore about kyber crystals previously seen only in comic books. I just really feel like I'm missing the point of the distinction Campbell and this video are getting at and misunderstanding this history / myth binary completely. Edit: And I know the video makes a point to say that the Acolyte is consistent with SW canon, that's part of what's indicating to me I just don't understand this distinction correctly.

[@WitandFolly]

A simpler push: Star Wars isn't a morality play. There is no good or bad, only the choice you have in front of you right now. The saber turns red because she poured her emotions into it. Emotions themselves are not "bad" nor are they "good." That's Qimir's lesson too: it's all just semantics. Because at the end of the day, every choice we make has negative and positive consequences. That's the issue with duality. The see-saw just keeps tilting back and forth. Campbell would say "put your mind in the middle." That's where the truth is.

[@djmcbratney]

@@WitandFolly Oh, yeah, I see how I was looking at it wrong now. There's a whole layer of what was going on that I wasn't appreciating. I should probably rewatch "Teach / Corrupt" in particular with that in mind. (Thanks so much for taking the time!)

[@georgecisneros5281]

Don’t worry, my friend. You were not “missing” anything to begin with. She is merely attempting to do to Campbell’s work here what Disney/KK and crew have already been doing to Star Wars and Lucas’ work this last good while. That is to say…”tweak” (of course, I use that in lieu of a somewhat harsher word) it towards their new “vision”.

[@lisdolannetherlands]

@@WitandFolly Holy head canon, Batman. Okay I was attempting to take you seriously, but you're clearly just trying to inject things not brought up on screen. This is pretty bad. Have fun rationalizing how this trash is good. Please go ahead and make a video explaining the motivations of the characters in the final episode. It'll be amusing seeing you try to explain why on a dime without any catalyst every single character acts completely against their desires from 5 minutes prior. I love these fake pseudo-intellectual videos. They're so damn amusing.

[@djmcbratney]

​@@georgecisneros5281 Don't underestimate my benightedness. If I'm a fan of Star Was, it's because of Disney shows and movies (Mando, Rebels, Rogue One, TLJ) that managed to catch my surprise with something new and clever that made SW relevant again for me. There was a Star Wars project that brought a strong new vision to the property that I've never been able to get over and find some good in, the reason SW had stopped being relevant to me in the first place, but that was the prequels, Lucas's own work. And while Lucas is consequently no authority for how I interact with media, his prequels and special editions also put him firmly in the pro camp for both tweaking and the reinterpretation of myth. (On that note, Empire Wreckers has a fascinating video detailing the evolving nature of the Force and good and evil in Lucas's thinking across the OT and onward, as well as contrasts from other canonical interpretations, which I hope I can recommend without staining that recommendation too much by my otherwise odious opinions.)

[@ravendelacour1917]

I will have to stan Hades here and point out that except for the questionable consent of his marriage, which is a later rewrite of an older myth, Hades never opposed Zeus or acted in a malevolent manner except for the dudes who broke into his palace and tried to steal his wife. Which is understandable. He's been rewritten into a Satan like figure by Western appropriation. Normally he just quietly keeps the Underworld runnning. Some recent retelling of myths like Wunderland and Lore Olympus have restored a more lore accurate Hades.

[@lorinaumann2404]

Loved this!

[@Kaitain]

Great analysis! I appreciate the symbolism in The Acolyte much more now. As a lifelong but casual Star Wars fan who doesn't care at all about canon or lore, I came into watching The Acolyte with high hopes and an open mind. But by about half way through the series I had become disappointed by what I felt was simply a low quality TV show. Every episode had one or two moments in it where I just laughed at how daft it was. These moments of unintentional hilarity kept breaking any immersion in the story and characters (although they did provide entertainment in their own way). It had it's moments, but overall was uninspiring. Unfortunately I think this lack of quality gives a lot of muddled ammunition to people who hated it for reasons of canon/lore/misogyny/etc.

[@WitandFolly]

Like what?

[@Kaitain]

@@WitandFolly The funny parts? Everything from fire extinguishers in space to the adult twins having the same haircut, surviving crashes from orbit without a scratch, Mae being able to leave the room silently in literally 2 seconds while Osha looked up. Stuff like that.

[@WitandFolly]

​@Kaitain oh. That all seems very Star Wars to me lol 😂

[@Kaitain]

@@WitandFolly Ye true. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if those things happened in the Clone Wars cartoon (surviving spaceship crashes unharmed is almost a running joke in the cartoon), but I think the tone of the more recent live action stuff makes it feel comparable to non-franchise TV shows where things... make more sense 😊

[@hoos3014]

@@KaitainI seem to recall Luke surviving two ship crashes in The Empire Strikes Back alone.

[@cheskuns]

ANOTHER WIT AND FOLLY BANGER LESSGOOOOO

[@PoorMuttski]

It seems that Lucasfilm is learning the lessons from The Force Awakens and is continuing with that philosophy of creation. That is, make something new. Delve deep into the inner workings of Star Wars and write intelligent, profound stories that bring meaning and value to the viewers. Ignore the screaming "fans" who only live to complain about women and minorities.

[@roxaslove23]

Welcome back, I missed your videos! ❤

[@WitandFolly]

I LIVE 😈

[@dejureclaims8214]

Agree with your premise, although still not a fan of this show. An attempt was made. Something about the SW fandom that bothers me comes through in their reaction to Luke in TLJ. His change from a hopeful character to a downcast one was rushed, sure, but a new direction for a character isn't fundamentally a problem. Fans generally percieve that change as 'ruining' the character or 'taking him away' from them. I don't see why TLJ's Luke couldn't have provided a mature and engaging new direction, except for the lazy writing of course.

[@blancadsalazar]

Interesting topic. ❤❤❤

[@chasep3241]

Comment for the algorithm

[@gabriella9897]

@14:05 you're so real, because same😭

[@user-yl4lf9mh1w]

Great video!

[@pjny21]

I'm reconnecting with Campbell very very very recently, oddly enough. This was fantastic! Thank you!

[@angeldejorge1075]

Again, an extremely interesting and inspiring analysis. Thank you!

[@BethWillRise]

This was fantastic! What a treat 🥰

[@callmev3531]

13:39, What's interesting about The Acolyte specifically is that sure, the Darksiders (specifically Darksiders and not Sith) within the story are intended to be more sympathetic, tragic characters, only for various instances in the show to have them be cruel, unstable and dangerous individuals. The witches contributed to their own downfall by trying to keep Osha (who they viewed more as a religious figure and future leader than as a person), who wanted to be free of the confines of their coven (her goal to leave the coven conflating with Sol's offer to test and train her, mingling with his own desire for a padawan), Mae threatening to kill her and (somehow) setting a stone building on fire, Aniseya probing Torbin's mind, not immediately telling the Jedi her'd commanded Osha's release, turns into Force ichor (a black version of the green element the Nightsisters use, which was a neat continuity detail that appears to tie "Force Magic" to the same source in Force Vergences), provoking Sol to stab her in response to a power he wasn't familiar with. Fear, jealousy, aggression, all these are typically negative traits associated to Darksiders, who in the past have been depicted as corrupted by that anomalous element in the Force, degrading morality and sanity as those exposed it and channel it become addicted to the feeling of power it gives, hungry for more power until their greed destroys everything around them and then themselves, (not unlike the fire Mae caused) and the coven members actions against the Jedi instead of being able to allow Osha to leave (which on that note, the Jedi eventually also allow Osha to leave without issue when she failed to overcome her trauma and regulate her negative emotions...or rather, suppress them to a degree they deemed acceptable, wherein she got the freedom she initially sought, somewhat disproving Aniseya wrong that "women like them", as in Force mages/Force witches (though it should be noted that without the Vergence or the presence of Force ichor that seems to come from it, they appear to just be regular Force-sensitives, regardless of if they call the Force by a different name or claim it isn't meant to be a weapon while training their members to weaponize their powers) wouldn't be allowed peace by the Jedi, until Mae's rampage and the Jedi's investigation of it destroyed the fragile peace she'd found) to follow her wishes lead to their demise. Ultimately, the show isn't necessarily awful as some would say, but combined with pacing issues, sometimes uneventful episodes, limited relationship building between core characters, and character arcs that weren't as fleshed out as they perhaps could have been (notably, Mae's initial decision to betray her mission happening off screen, as well as Mae not having to reckon with her behavior as a child for more than two lines addressing it, Osha never rebuking her for legitimately being domineering and possessive towards her or even that one instead where she squeezed an insect with her powers on a whim), I personally wouldn't call the show great, thought what was indeed very great about it were the environments and action choreography, as well as the characters Sol and Qimir being very entertaining to watch.

[@dumbghost3109]

i think the difference is that no one has the right to change SOMEONE ELSES stories.

[@WitandFolly]

and where has that occurred?

[@dannaakagriss]

Fantastic

[@nickdickinson59]

Really interesting analysis. I wonder what you think of the contrast between Osha’s choices in this show and the only queer couple in Star Wars- Vel and Cinta in Andor. For them the fight for freedom goes the opposite way, to a restraint and selflessness in the name others (“Everything for the cause and we take what’s left”). It seems to parallel the feeling of many queer activists that it’s not possible to just opt out of the broader struggles in favour of a personal journey to liberation. No one is free until everyone is free etc.

[@WitandFolly]

Leslye talks a lot about being queer in one of her interviews and how ultimately, everyone feels similarly about the world and their place in it. I can't speak on that as well as she can because I'm straight-presenting, but I think it's beautiful that The Acolyte plays with gender traits and tropes along the binary. And I've seen a lot of openly queer people talk about how much they relate to many of the characters for those reasons.

[@TheAdarkerglow]

I'm going to go ahead and point to where you said, 'rewriting and reinterpreting myth', and then point out that you don't seem to mention, once or at all, preservation. It's the same perspective, I imagine, that the writers of the Acolyte have. We need not respect things as they were, but distort them from our present lens, OUR interpretation of what came before. And that is why the fans reject it; it does not show respect to the property. Everything is up for a rewrite, an alteration to make it 'fit' with their new story, their interpretations. Any aging or 'outdated' perspectives and interpretations are worthy of scorn and dismissal. And that's not even getting into the TERRIBLE story they told. You might've found something in digging through the themes and metaphors which resonated in you, but the story as written is an Idiot Plot that only works because Time occasionally stands still and the characters act like morons and makes every possible decision to NOT resolve any of the conflicts when they can. It's awful, and if you watch it from the beginning knowing how everything got the way it was, none of it follows. I still don't understand why Torbin drank poison; he did literally nothing wrong.

[@WitandFolly]

Truly loving that you're proving several of my points here.

[@evendia]

@@WitandFolly LMAO I told you they wouldn't get it. 🤣

[@iansarantos2930]

so, you yourself must not have watched the series again from the beginning because if you did, you wouldn't be having difficulty understanding why that happened, if for some reason you missed it the first time while actually paying attention. if you're being honest about that, I am deeply concerned.

[@TheAdarkerglow]

@@WitandFolly I'd love to know which ones. I understand you're likely quite busy, but even one example to show you're not just sniping would be incredible.

[@TheAdarkerglow]

@@iansarantos2930 and yet, you do not wish to simply say it, despite it being so obvious. Perhaps I do know what the writers thought, but don't believe what's presented on screen supports it. Maybe I'd like to hear people defend it, rather than deflecting back to 'watch it again'.

[@PoorMuttski]

this makes me sad that I don't want to pay for Disney Plus. Acolyte, Andor, The Mandalorian... there is some good, smart stuff being written for Star Wars, and I am missing out.

[@WitandFolly]

There are other ways to watch! :)

[@VegasAtPinehaven]

arrrgh

[@HighHeelKnight]

03:43 = "I want to state up front this story doesn't break any existing cannon at all. The arguments stating such are coming from people who are purposefully representing it or are jumping to conclusions that are based on hate. So if you're just here to drop a comment with any of that in there, you're just telling on yourself." I guess you missed the part where Ki-Adi-Mundi, a character that wasn't supposed to have been born yet during the time period of The Acolyte, attended on of the meetings about the assassination investigation. That is a straight up cannon breakage. Not only does it break cannon, but it kind of wrecks the point of setting The Acolyte 100 years before the prequels. That time period was supposed to give the show an almost complete blank canvas, unbounding itself from all the other Star Wars programs, books, and films. And yet, here's a prequel character that is *somehow* alive and well and fully aware of a Jedi assassination investigation. Ki-Adi-Mundi was also the Jedi Master in The Phantom Menace that scoffed at Qui-Gon Jinn's suggestion that the Sith had returned. The Master said, "The Sith have been gone for a millennium." Therefore, The Acolyte has to jury-rig its story so that Qimir, Verosha, and Mae-ho were not "Sith" - despite the fact that they use the Dark Side and red lightsabers and want to kill the Jedi - in order to not completely shatter what Ki-Adi-Mundi said in the movie. This is how The Acolyte handles Star Wars cannon. Imagine if a person was on a game show and was asked to name who sung "Purple Rain". The contestant answers Prince. The host says, "No. I am sorry. We were looking for Prince And The Revolution." Then the contestant is asked who sung "Diamonds And Pearls." The constant answers Prince And The Revolution. The host says, "No. I am sorry. We were looking for Prince And The New Power Generation.' Finally, the contestant is asked to name who sung the theme song to the original The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air show. The contestant answers Will Smith. The host says, "No. I'm sorry. We were looking for DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince."

[@WitandFolly]

Lol 🤣 please tell me you're joking

[@HighHeelKnight]

@@WitandFolly There is humor in my writing style, but the information is accurate. There are legitimate reasons for the fans to criticize how The Acolyte handled the established history of Star Wars, and Ki-Adi-Mundi is The People's Exhibit A. No hatred necessary. If you are going to claim that a program doesn't break cannon, especially Star Wars, then it's best to triple check your information. You even used footage from the episode with Ki-Adi-Mundi in your video essay for crying out loud.

[@WitandFolly]

The show itself is canon, sorry to tell you. That's kind of the whole point I was making in the beginning of the video. Stories change. And if you really care that much about one nonconsequential background character, then you're consuming stories in a way that is kind of pitiable. I'm sorry.

[@AstroMechanix]

Ki-Adi-Mundi doesn't have a canon age nor does his species have a canon life span. It doesn't break canon. Star wars has always tiptoed around canon. George did this himself with the prequels. And the OT. Your proving this videos point with your close minded thoughts.

[@HighHeelKnight]

​@@AstroMechanix You know full well that there are numerous "encyclopedias" style publications and websites that were official released, both before and after Disney acquisition. If there is an official name for a random extra running with a trash can in Cloud City, then I am 99.9% certain that some kind of book, magazine, webpage, or newsletter that mentioned age range of a major Jedi Master during the Clown Wars. And as far as George Lucas goes, I have a video highlighting some of the small and big changes he has made to important characters. However, you are not considering that George Lucas was creator of the franchise and he was making things up as he went along. Some changes were good. Some changes were bad. As the creator, the changes were completely at his discretion. His to make. His to break. His to fix. His to trash. Whereas, Leslye Headland and her team didn't create Star Wars, the Jedi, The SIth, lightsabers, hyperspeed, the Force, the prophesy of the Chosen One, the rule of two, the Galactic Republic, the Force Dyad, midi-chloreans, Wookies, kyber crystals, or the concept of quirky robotic tool supporting characters. Heck, they probably weren't even involved with Disney's launch of The High Republic Era of media. Not even so much as the white and gold robes the Jedi wore. Instead, Headland and her team were invited to join a franchise that had been created and cultivated for nearly half a century before they came along. They tossed in a significant prequel character that should not be there just to drive us geeks and nerds crazy. You can take Ki-Adi-Mundi out of that Acolyte scene, and the story would be completely unaffected. All his presence does is send fans like us into continuity debates because his statement in The Phantom Menace. The whole point of including Ki-Adi-Mundi was to break canon and get the show a bit of extra attention. Mission Accomplished. PS: The Cloud City guy is named Willrow Hood.