:/

[rogueslayer452]

The Acolyte was cancelled.

On one hand, it wasn't something I was interested in so I didn't watch it.

However, on the other hand, that means there will be no more incredibly sexy Sith!Manny Jacinto.

Yes, I know I can see him being amazingly talented and hot in other things, but Qimir was such an fascinating and intriguing character. I didn't watch the show directly but I have seen his scenes online, and there was a lot going on there that was introduced that I wanted to sink my teeth into that potential. He had this presence that was charismatic yet calm and charming, something quite alluring yet dangerous, and there were layers to his character that we barely got a chance to peel back and it makes me yearn to learn more about him, and now we'll never get the chance to. Unless Qimir appears in another Star Wars property to have his story be told, that is. Manny ate that role up, he obviously put a lot of thought and effort into that character so it sucks that this had to happen, especially since the cancellation was announced on his birthday. Could be a mere coincidence, but still, the audacity.

What's pissing me off, though, is the way some are acting. I don't pay attention to the Star Wars fandom, but upon reading comments from some of the places where this was announced (big mistake, btw) so many were gleefully celebrating its cancellation. Most were probably the ones already bashing and negative review bombing the show from the jump, but a lot of it were just disgruntled Star Wars fans who didn't like it and got swept up in the hate bandwagon.

I think this is why I'm feeling weirdly upset by this, even though I didn't watch the show and was only invested in one aspect of it. Imagine enjoying a show, it being cancelled, and then finding out a lot of loud people online are celebrating its cancellation, saying things like "good riddance" and "they took the trash out" and calling anyone who liked it stupid. Regardless how one personally feels about a piece of media, that is deeply immature and not okay. I know that I've been guilty of this kind of attitude myself in the past, and it's why I actively try to be more mindful when expressing my feelings about something. Because I know what it feels like from the other side, and it's horrible. Even if you think something is objectively bad, there's always going to be someone out there somewhere who genuinely truly does enjoy and love it, flaws and all. You can have your opinions, just don't be an asshole about it. It really should be that simple, but alas, it's the Internet. Mob mentality is a poison no matter where you are.

I also think this speaks about how bad the current state of television is right now on streaming platforms. It's also a prime example of why I'm wary of getting into any new US shows these days. One season with eight episodes before getting cancelled and/or possibly being removed from the service with no physical media to be released. Why bother get invested at all?

Comments

[rogueslayer452]

True. There's been many cases of shows being renewed despite negative reviews and reactions. Apparently the viewership dipped towards the end and perhaps that's the reason why (adding in how expensive it was to produce), but by how much measured by the other Star Wars D+ shows I don't know. And the fact that this is the first Star Wars show cancelled by D+ only shortly after the season ended is bewildering to me.

Even if the show had its flaws, I think people were way too harsh on it. Having critiques is fine, but the straight-up hate directed towards it was completely uncalled for and unwarranted.

Okay, coming back in because my brain literally just put it together that Manny Jacinto is Jason Mendoza AS WELL AS Qimir. Holy shit, that man is an amazing actor.

Hee, yeah, I had the same kind of reaction too. Obviously he's been in other things than The Good Place and he is an actor after all, but Qimir and Jason are such polar opposites it's amazing how good he is.

[rhoda_rants]

I honestly haven't seen most of the criticisms; my fandom sphere has been full of people yelling, "It's so good, please watch it!" so I'm even more mystified. Like, fans complaining about Star Wars has been a thing since the 80s. It's never slowed down the franchise before, so why would it now?

---

[rogueslayer452]

I'm mainly a casual watcher of Star Wars so I've avoided the toxic side of the fanbase for the most part. I had heard rumblings of the criticisms, some valid while others just harsh and mean-spirited, and it wasn't until recently that when reading the news I saw how bad people were talking about it. But like you, in my curated fannish circle I've only seen mostly positive things about the show, and especially after the reveal of Qimir being Sith that definitely spiked people's interest in my corner, for sure. So it's truly like day and night when it comes to the reactions I've seen.

[rhoda_rants]

I can't even imagine what people wouldn't like about it. The fight scenes are better, the storytelling and writing are better, and the characters are amazing even though they're unfamiliar to us. I guess the parts where they're forced to shoehorn in annoying bits of the Official Lore (like midichlorians) are something, and there's that one character who's clearly supposed to be a collectible toy, but other than that? Like, what's their problem?

[rogueslayer452]

From what I know of the Star Wars fanbase, there is no winning or appeasing them. They'll find something, anything, to complain about, even if it's something very mild it'll be treated like it's the biggest offense to the franchise ever. Even with legitimate criticisms those will be drowned out by the nasty hate comments that flood every review, every comment section, social media outlets, etc.

[rhoda_rants]

Haha, that is very true. I used to be much more adamant about what Star Wars should and could be than I am now. Meeting someone who genuinely loved the prequel trilogy and made good arguments in its favor changed my mind. Plus, just deciding the "canon" is dealer's choice and not worrying about it if the official channels add something I think is silly.

And like Star Wars IS silly. It is a silly franchise. It's a space story with wizards and magic in it, and also a surprising amount of heart and pathos. But it's still very silly when you look at the details too hard. People who forget that tend to ruin it for me.

[rogueslayer452]

And like Star Wars IS silly. It is a silly franchise. It's a space story with wizards and magic in it, and also a surprising amount of heart and pathos. But it's still very silly when you look at the details too hard. People who forget that tend to ruin it for me.

Yeah, I think the ones that focus too hard on the "original canon" forget that the original canon was essentially just....space wizards. That's it. Everything else kind of grew from that, and that's why there's been so many arguments of what is considered "canon" because whatever lore has appeared depends on the era of SW content and what someone personally prefers. It's not that serious, and those who do take it too seriously to the point where they think anything that goes against what they feel is "proper" canon tend to be the most aggressive and ruin the fun for everyone else.

Like, there are genuine criticisms to be had with the way Disney has been handling the IP for sure, but what I've seen they're misdirecting that frustration and just taking the piss out on the stories trying something new, the fans who enjoyed it, and attacking the actors involved.