The Acolyte viewers were left divided after the season finale of the Star Wars spin-off aired on Disney+ last night (Tuesday, July 16). The series, set at the end of the High Republic era and preceding the events of the Skywalker Saga, follows a Jedi investigation into a series of crimes.
It stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett and Dafne Keen. As new episodes were released weekly, reviews varied greatly.
Some fans criticised earlier episodes as 'the worst ever', while episode five managed to win some over with its intense fight scenes. The eighth and final episode dropped this week, causing a stir among fans by revealing the show's true Sith Master for the first time in live action.
However, some viewers were disappointed that the character was only shown on screen for a few seconds. This has led to speculation about a potential second season, and whether fans actually want one.
Fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the finale and the possibility of a second season, with opinions remaining split, reports the Manchester Evening News.
X users have been voicing their mixed reactions to The Acolyte's finale, with @Just_Drew13 commenting: "Wow what a finale of The Acolyte. Some parts were a bit rocky, but overall I liked where this finale went and it left on a cliffhanger that I'm very eager to see more of. Overall this show was very up and down. The plot was good for the most part but the short runtimes didn't help it".
@TheNadohs shared a less enthusiastic view: "So Acolyte ends up as a very average show for me. Enjoyable enough whilst it is on but ultimately frustrating. There were lots of great ideas muddied by poor execution, and the overall story is poorly structured and paced, I suspect, as a result of warping it to fit 8 episodes."
Meanwhile, @Hughes4Norris weighed in: "#TheAcolyte finale wasn't as bad as I expected. Good action scenes. Still a very flawed series and there shouldn't be a season 2. This show has just been breaking canon and trying to change what Jedi are."
On TikTok, @korbyndallas3 made a clear demand: "No second season until we get a new writer and director."
On the flip side, some fans are clamouring for more. @Nicholas713011 expressed their enjoyment: "Really enjoyed the Acolyte show despite the minor problems I had with the show. So much of this hate was unwarranted and I'm glad I was able to get invested into this show and enjoy it as much as I did! " They continued: "The finale had some crazy moments and did not disappoint even though I was sad that certain things happened. I'm totally in for a season 2."
Die-hard followers of The Acolyte took to Twitter and TikTok to express their desperate plea for a second season. One fan wrote: "We need a season 2. #RenewTheAcolyte #TheAcolyte", while another begged: "RENEW THE ACOYLTE I BEG".
No confirmation about a sequel has been announced as yet, with showrunner Leslye Headland stating that the future of the show depends on its viewing figures.
All eight episodes of The Acolyte are available to stream now on Disney+.
