The Reel Rejects - THE ACOLYTE Episode 1 & 2 REVIEW!!

Episode Date: June 5, 2024

DAWN OF THE SITH!! The Acolyte Full Episode Reaction Watch Along: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects The Acolyte Reaction, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, Spoiler Review, Theories, & Easter Eggs for the new Disney+ Star Wars series! Set in the High Republic era, approximately 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, It follows the story of a former Padawan who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes. As they delve deeper into their investigation, they uncover a greater threat involving the emergence of dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. The series promises to explore the Jedi Order at the height of its power and influence, as well as the shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers that threaten the galaxy...as well as great light saber duels and hand-to-hand action fight scenes...along with a disappointing Carrie anne Moss death scene! The cast features Amandla Stenberg as Mae, Lee Jung-jae as Master Sol, Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity from The Matrix) as Indara, Manny Jacinto as Qimir, Dafne Keen (X23 from Logan) as Jecki Lon,  Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar, Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya,  Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra Rwoh, Joonas Suotamo as Kelnacca, a Wookiee Jedi. We just had the end of The Bad Batch Season 3, Tales Of The Empire, and now we await Star Wars: Dawn Of The Jedi, The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Star Wars: Lando, & perhaps more!  Follow Michael Tesslerr:https://www.instagram.com/mjtessler/ Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Music Used In Manscaped Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The acolyte, of course, joined by CEO of Multi House, our Star Wars aficionado, our fallout expert, our man who rose from the dead to walk with the walkers, the Michael, the Tesla. How are you, Michael? I am one with the force and the force. That was very physical, Greg. Do you guys like this show? Leave it down in the comments. That'd be very much appreciated. Be sure to leave a like for Michael Tesler.

Be sure to subscribe and click that notification bell because Michael Tesler and I are covering every episode of the Ackleite for you guys. And hey, thanks to Prepper. for helping Michael look buff. And also, thanks to all who follow us on our Patreon page. It's where you get the full length reaction along, where you sync up with your own copy

and hear all of Greg's offensive things. All the offensive things that get cut out due to monetization purposes. And we cover several things over there exclusively with highlights and watchalongs included. Michael Tesler. Are you ready? I've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time.

Oh, Captain Kirk. Jesus Christ, Craig. No, I'm so excited to be back. This is the beginning of the end of the High Republic. And I'm just, I'm jazzed. I'm excited. Who knows what's going to happen? Not me.

A simple yes would have sufficed. Yes. Let's do it. That's two episodes down, Michael. Two episodes down. I love this show. I love Star Wars. That's amazing to hear.

Yeah. I wonder if that. That's why Yoda loves the wookie so much. Why? I don't understand where you're going with this. Because he was buddies with Kalnaka. Oh, interesting. Yeah.

Well, guys, if you're listening to us on Apple and Spotify, we just watched Ackleite episode one and two. Now Michael Tesler and I are going to review this episode as one giant episode. Overall, it was a good journey. It's got some ups. It's got some mids, I would say. and I feel like some of these mids might actually improve to ups because it's beginning stages, so they're probably getting some things out of the way.

My mids are very specific, but there's a lot to appreciate about it simultaneously. Overall, yeah, I think I enjoyed it. I think I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I'm looking forward to discussing this with you, where Michael's going to monologue extensively. probably talk about theories, probably talk about lore, probably try to connect it to some stuff, and then maybe not even review the actual episode, because you're going to get so caught up and talking about that stuff. Michael, what do you think?

Yeah, no, this episode, I thought the arc act structure specifically of these specific two episodes isolated from any larger theories or lore or any of that, yeah, Damn it, you're right, I do do that, don't know. Do your thing. No, man, I will talk about, I will review the episode while you do that thing. So listen, I have like this weird love-hate thing with the High Republic. I've consumed some of the content, not all the content, but I love the old Republic. And I really, I was like super skeptical of the show going into it.

But I decided I was going to be good and I was going to go into this with an open month. I was going to go to this one, open mind. And I'm having a lot of fun. You know, I feel like they had a pretty bold task in that, like, we have been in live action and era of Star Wars for a very long period of time. And this is our first ever romp into a different major era. And there's a lot of exposition, a lot of sort of stuff. and there's a lot of stuff they could have got lost in. And I feel like, by and large,

they've done a phenomenal job at throwing us in to a really focused story with really interesting characters, some whom I'm already really, really attached to. Others, who I really don't care for, but even that I don't care for, I also kind of love in that I don't like them, you know? Like, I feel like they're there for that purpose.

Yeah. Yeah, you know, I think, you know, the set and how they've managed to, like, take something so familiar like Star Wars and create something beautifully different, but also familiar is just so refreshing. That's Star Wars. I just, it's so nice to not know things. and yet there's like these like subtle little nuances um like uh this was our first time there is a species uh in the old republic that they officially made live action canon in this

which was awesome um and just like little tiny bits and pieces that you can see that the creators went out of their way a mandla Stenberg bodies bodies great actor yes yes um and her twin um yes uh and i feel like the casting has been a plus plus set design the i've really enjoyed the choreography has been fun i just like top to bottom it's been a a really enjoyable show i think the the interesting part about it is that um because of where it is in the star wars lore I don't I don't have to do that thing that I do of trying to like figure out like

okay well does this lead to Palpatine getting cloned or all like the only thing that I can theorize on is a refreshing thing is is like is is does this lead to the training of Darth Plagas and then eventually Palpatine God damn hopes hope and does the Jedi covering it up get hidden. And if so, that just... If so, go. Love it. If so, that had so much more to the plight of the Jedi and their downfall.

Darth Plitis. Have you heard of the tragedy? No, but it's true, though, because if the Jedi knew about this and then decided to just cover it all up and hide it from future generations of Jedi, they just doomed themselves instead of preparing for the reality of what was about to come for political expediency or whatever it is.

And I feel like that gets to the heart of like where the Jedi went wrong and for like, I don't know, I love that. I think that's such an interesting if you're gonna retcon something as big as like the Sith have returned. I feel like that's such a smart way to do it. Sure.

And yeah, and it's just fun. we're going we're seeing jedi temples on different planets we're seeing we're seeing young chorus on we're seeing young chorus on i wonder if we're going to see that tree the tree no the mountain top the mountain top it's the mountain top not the tree when we see the low republic yeah he's coming for the comedy uh the high republic man the high republic uh what did you think Greg? Dude. Michael, is it?

Michael. Steve, actually. Yes. Okay. For sure, positives. I feel like they, we've only gotten a taste of the martial arts choreography. Yeah. I think it's the first couple of episodes.

So they, they're having a build up here on what they're going to integrate with the fight scenes. fingers crossed that that is the case. And as someone who grew up on a lot of martial art cinema, you know, like Billy Jack, lethal weapon, the, I grew up a lot of Hong Kong cinema. And to watch this kind of choreography, because we've seen a trajectory when it comes to fight scenes and films, right?

Like it's like a big cat, like we got like Jackie Chan in their mid-90s. And then we got the Matrix, which had a very specific type of fighting. And then when the born identity films came along, they were like, oh, this is like gritty handheld, realistic sort of, right? And then now with going back to sort of this late 90s, early 2000s era, it's kind of cool to get that type of fighting style back in here again

where you see something that's a little bit fantastical, but very hyper choreograph where it's a lot about form and very much the dance of it is very much alive in it. So I really enjoyed seeing that brought to life and to even have the kind of drum music that's very martial arts-esque music that they play it. But it still feels Star Wars. And so I enjoyed that aspect. I love the aesthetic look of it. I mean, I feel like that's like a common thing you say with these shows.

But specifically this one, we were saying it during the reaction how the way it's shot feels a little bit more akin to the earlier films. Like these shows at Mandalorian specifically have done this thing where like the makeup and the sets are very much hearkening back more towards the older films. But there's something about the look that feels so polished and volumed. And it's where the set pieces feel like the original trilogy. But the lenses and the lighting feel like the preacles. Yeah. Whereas this is the opposite. Yeah.

I'm liking how this feels a little bit more. more like a film, you know? And so I really appreciate that aspect, too, because I don't feel like I'm watching a volume. And I like a mandelaus, you know what? I'm just remembering. I don't believe her is their pronoun. I believe I, it's they. It might be they. And you know what? We are the people who care to respect such a thing. We do. And I'm sorry, I did not realize that was a mandelous number this entire time. I'm going to look it up. I'm going to look it up. Okay. Analystember, pronons, I believe there's a specific one. Okay.

They use a she there. She they. Okay. All right. Okay. Uh, we're not. We're okay. Okay.

So, Amanda Stenberg is doing a really good job at playing the dual roles. You know, um, OSHA is a little bit more the human relatable one. Gets more frantic, which is, which is funny because, um, because they have a light. which is and they're playing too well eventually eventually when they when they get a lightsaber it'll be great because they're playing two roles which is great because she's she slash they and she's going to be slashing and she's she but she's also slashed they you know what I mean this girl thank you there's a really good there's a really good happy pride month everybody happy prime month baby uh no I love I love that um

That's the greatest thing I could ever say. But hey, we know we actually love you. And thank you for being amazing. They're doing a great job. Yeah. No, they are. And amazing work there. And overall, I mean, like, casting is good.

Yeah, I think casting is good. It's, and I do like seeing this because you're so right. You're absolutely right about like we're not in the, I'm like, oh yeah, I'm not like, how does this connect to Pelpatine? coming back in so much of this seems like that

and then even Asoka is kind of in that terrain sort of even though it's like

dealing with something else and like I'm excited for the Mandalorian movie and all that jazz

but there is something specific like the plot is good I like the plot there's something

in the dialogue that is not letting the characters sing for me and it's keeping me

like I think I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that it's early

episode set up. I think that what the issue is, they were so scared that this is like an era that everybody was going to be like, oh, did I have to read the books and blah, blah, blah, blah, that I think they thought that they had to go a little elementary on the dialogue. It's very, that's a great way to put it is elementary, because like everything is very surface, basic, and repetitive. And it's like they really want to make sure that you're following it. Yeah. I cannot help but imagine that now that we're all caught up and there, that it's going to catch up accordingly. Okay.

I hope. Um, because I get it. Like, it's a, like, you're, my biggest apprehension about the show as like a big Star Wars fan is that I was like, God damn. Will this be attainable? I'm, yeah, like, this is like the first time that like, contextually, I know bits and pieces. I've read some of the books I've read some of the comics But I don't know all of the High Republic lore

And I was scared that my entry point Was gonna be like And I think for For people just to be thrown into something new After being exposed to the same old Same old for so long That for the writers You know I think the other thing too is that

They're probably trying to figure out Who their audiences for this show Um, well, they probably should figure that out before filming it. Well, I mean, I think this is the issue with every Star Wars show, if I'm being honest, is who the heck is watching it? Like, because this is a show that if I was 13, I'd love the heck out of this. But I also feel like you could watch this at any age and enjoy this. Um, I mean, it's pretty, uh, it's like the, I'm going to watch the words here because YouTube is insanely sensitive to it. But the way Master Torbin dies.

that's a very sensitive that's like that's not something you see for in like a kid show you know like that's that's an adult well I grew up in the 90s Greg it was different back then well he never did it in Friends or Fresh Prince of Bel Air

okay yeah but his dad did some awful things and friends no in Fresh Prince no it's no it's that episode where he did take speed

yeah yeah I don't want to be the awesome it happens it happens to the best of us that's that's actually in the next episode uh ohia takes drugs ohia tries spice for the first time you want to try a death stick that's the kind of star war show we need the recreational drug show on uh there was no certain issue that i had with asoka was the dialogue and i'm like it it keeps it well it keeps it out of distance of feeling truly lived in. This show, at least is, I think, doing a significantly better job, and I hope we don't get a hate for this, of showing the, a master Padawan relationship that I can vibe with. Okay.

Yeah, that's something I'm really enjoying to, is like, both of them. That's what I mean. I love the ideas. I love the master Padawan stuff. I love the difference in dynamics. I love how they're, they're, like, detectives, like, you know. Well, it's cool. And there's a, you know, even the, like, oh, your former Padawan and current Padawan not getting along, they were able to, like, make that an enjoyable relationship, almost. I was like, oh, actually, I think I'm enjoying this. Whereas I was like, oh, this better not just be like an annoying, better, like, competition.

Whereas in Asoka, it was just. But that's what I feel like when you have, when you have women working on the show, I feel like that's when probably. a woman steps in and goes, you know what? They usually probably make the woman bit, you know, thicker. And I feel like, it's great. I'm not saying, I'm not saying like that's maybe what I just have it. My hunch tells me that there's an awareness that intervenes and goes, this is a cliche and we shouldn't do this. Yeah. No, and I think the camarader in the spirit and the way those two characters are written and how they compliment each other is so, so well done. And I really, I've really enjoyed Master Soul, uh, I feel like he embodies kind of like, I don't know, he's just like

embodies like the essence of like primetime Jedi, you know? Yeah. Um, and it's, I think that we are two episodes in of an eight episode show. Yeah. You know, you're right in an uncharted frontier of, of Star Wars. And, you know, as the kids say, Greg. Mm-hmm. And, and, you know, and, you know, And as Walter White would say, let him cook. Let him cook. Your meth is good, Jesse. As good as why. Somehow we just wanted to bring up drugs today.

I like my lifesavers. Like, I like my meth. Blue. You're right about soul. Because I really like how he's a teacher who just feels this weight of her. responsibility. Yeah. Like I actually really like that exchange of like I wasn't a good student. Maybe I wasn't a good teacher. And you could see he really feels that. Like he feels like I am a failure to you. Um, so I, I do appreciate that aspect. Well, there's, there's an echoing of, uh, we've, we've seen this dynamic before. You know, I mean, it's almost like the what if of, you know, had Anna can not turn to the dark side and, and him and Nisoka had jumped into each other again. Yeah.

You know, and it's interesting, and something that they do explore, um, uh, they've explored it in Duku's arc. Um, so you know in, uh, attack of the clones when Canobie's, I'm going to lose it, Craig. In attack of the clones, uh, when Canobi is going through the Jedi archives and is looking for the planet that was erased by the Jedi from the archives because they do that, which is not good because of their hubris, not hummus. They have statues of the Jedi who have left

the Jedi Order. And there's not a lot of them. I think it's like 20 altogether who they have documented and have left the Jedi Order. Duku being one of them. And they keep those statues of them there. There's a statue of Duku's face

a bust, as they were called. In case you didn't know that's what that's. statue of face was called. And I'm wondering if there's a statue of her in there, although she's a Patawan, so I'm not sure if it's only considered Jedi masters that are on that list. Well, we could have George Duke and CGI it in when he re-released. No, for real.

But it's such an interesting kind of concept of this idea of peacefully walking away from the Jedi order without turning to the dark side, you know, just this idea. of becoming separate from the order and what that means and the impact that it has on the individuals that you leave behind. Yeah. And I love that we get to explore that

in a way that isn't so dramatic or high stakes as it was with Soka, obviously, where the whole Jedi order, you know, blew up and then got... So, you know, I'm really enjoying watching this dynamic and I'm really interested to see what exactly happened on this planet like what egregious thing

did the Jedi do that warranted them all being murdered well four of them oh four of them yeah but clearly I mean for him to you know go out the way that one meditating Jedi

to go out the way that he he did Master Torbman indicates to me that like he was living in some in some serious guilt um you know and you thought like you know jewish or catholic guilt was bad you try jedi guilt yeah that stuff's on a whole different galaxy he meditated for 10 years 10 years no i know yeah it's just how does they go to the bathroom there's so i don't know like

that's he just like that's all what's he doing yeah that's all i could think about the entire i was like there is so much poop is the reproductive system work you think there's like a padawan whose job it is to changes robes. He doesn't have like a catheter situation going to use the fault. Just going to put it out of there. The, this is, I bet this is exactly what they were hoping when they wrote that.

That would be here speculating. Someone in the writers who had to have some questions about what they were doing. Without Palpatine coming back, this is what we have to theorize on. Theirize, yeah. But overall, yeah,

it's good so far. I really do. feel like the dialogue is is it needs needs an improvement like it's a real it's a real thing that is like yeah it's a real issue for me but there's yeah there's so much to storytelling and in in film and and show medium beyond dialogue but when there's this much dialogue it's important to make it feel like you can connect the challenge is they have shown us what they are capable of in terms of writing i feel like after we got and door and I have to say it like um i hate dropping this at least like mandolorean level dialogue like

go there at least on season three i was gonna say please i don't want to have decent enough dialogue season one and two had really nice stuff yeah um but like we hell they were nominated for emmys yeah like they are capable of it um uh but give them time let them let them cook their their blue meth and khyber crystals and you know yeah well guys do you cook blue meth leave it in the comments below and uh what what do you think of the first two episodes who do you think is that sith lord is it somebody that we know probably not are you mad it's not woke enough because i thought i was going to get the wokeish shit in the world and you know what this is not woke enough yeah the force awoke and i got to insert this yeah i was pretty pissed at they

killed off Carriette Moss. Yeah. Because they totally led with her in the marketing. And it's not the psycho effect. It's not that because it's literally just a cameo. And like, that's bullshit. She'll be back. She's dead.

She'll be back. This whole thing's started kicked off with her dead. Somehow. Somehow Carriam Moss and Dara has returned. That was, that is a lot of crap. There's going to be. That was bullshit to me. I think it would have been nice for them to have given us.

a full episode at least and not just a cold open um they should have kept her out of the marketing then it would have been it's fine yeah but i think when you well i mean i think the issue is if they kept her out of the marketing and then you saw her then you'd know she was going to die instantly i i i see their debacle i'm not sure what the ethical was it's a fucking it's a stupid it's a bait it is no no it's a bait and it worked um it got me excited to watch the damn show but but you what, Greg, if you would have asked me yesterday before I watched this, who is going to be the first character to die on this show, I would have said, Carrie Ann Moss. And the reason for it being we already think of her as this incredibly powerful badass. And so who better to show the threat

at hand and to set the stakes to remove from the playing field? What I wish they would have done has given her some time for us to love and respect her character and then remove her from the playing field. Yeah. But she's there for three lines in a destiny. But you know what? She will be back because if there's no way

we're not getting a flashback sequence of what happened when they were, you know, on this planet. So you'll get a little bit more. Was it called Burgerville or something? Murderville. Burgerville. Bukhar. I'm doing a decent job of memorizing people's tapes.

Do you think Keanu Reeves is the Sith Lord? That would be amazing. Would that make it better for you? Yes. Do you think that would be the fair trade? I think Keanu Reeves, anything would be better. I would like if he voiced Pip. That's so funny.

Wait, does anybody voice Pip? I was, while you were talking, I was trying to pull it. They don't actually have a castle. You weren't listening to me? No, you talked too much. And that's all, folks. Be sure to use the force to leave a like and subscribe. And to all of you who joined us on this adventure, we have many, many more to

come. Six to be exact. And may the force be with you all. Thanks, everybody. And also with you.