Episode 8 of The Acolyte left Star Wars fans with several questions, including whether the Disney+ series will be cancelled or renewed.
Lucasfilm's first-ever live-action High Republic project has proven to be one of the franchise's most divisive, earning a record-low score on Rotten Tomatoes that failed to improve throughout the show's eight-episode run.
However, certain events from the streaming series' eighth episode suggest Lucasfilm may have further plans for The Acolyte.
Is The Acolyte Season 2 Coming to Disney+?
Episode 8 of The Acolyte left the door open for further storytelling, not only with its surviving characters but with the episode's jaw-dropping cameos.
But at the time of writing, Lucasfilm and Disney+ have yet to confirm whether the series will be renewed.
Showrunner Leslye Headland confirmed The Acolyte's uncertain future herself in talking with Nerdist, admitting she has "no idea" about the chances for a Season 2.
However, she acknowledged that sophomore season "conversations" have taken place:
"I have no idea. Well, not that I have no idea. I would say there are conversations. And I don’t know when that will happen. I don’t know when that decision will be made."
Headland also revealed to Collider that she initially pitched The Acolyte as a multi-season show, explaining that she told Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy about "conflicts that I see happening, specifically in the second season:"
"We could make it pretty quickly. We definitely have a timeline. I have a lot of ideas, and again, a lot of it was stuff that I told Kathleen (Kennedy) early on, in terms of where I would like the season to go, and the conflicts that I see happening, specifically in the second season. But I have been working nonstop on this for a very long time, so I am definitely taking a much-needed break before we get the writer's room going."
The fact that Lucasfilm knew from the start that Headland's show was intended to span multiple seasons increases the odds that it will not be cancelled.
But still, the biggest threat facing The Acolyte's future, apart from secret Sith Lords and story issues, is its ratings.
The Nielsen ratings for the show's first two episodes (shared via TVLine) were low in comparison to previous live-action Star Wars Disney+ shows, and Episode 3's numbers suggested a further drop in viewership.
Low ratings, coupled with The Acolyte's poor reception and outright fan backlash, give Disney and Lucasfilm little incentive to do anything but cancel.
[ Why Is The Acolyte So Bad? 5 Biggest Factors That Hurt the Show ]
What To Expect in The Acolyte Season 2?
As previously noted, one of The Acolyte's saving graces was its Episode 8 cameos.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for the season finale of The Acolyte.
During the midpoint of the episode, Darth Plagueis, the Sith Lord Palpatine told Anakin about in Revenge of the Sith, makes a brief but eerie appearance on Qimir's mysterious planet.
Fans have hoped for a Plagueis payoff since 2005, and many hoped the baddie would be the one pulling the strings in The Acolyte due to the show's point on the timeline.
His cameo suggests that may be what is happening after all. The problem is audiences will not be able to find out unless there is a Season 2.
Still, he is not the only heavy-hitter The Acolyte brought to the finale.
Fans were treated to a quick shot of Yoda from behind before the episode's credits rolled, suggesting the iconic Jedi Master will also be involved in the event of a Season 2.
But apart from those two characters, Episode 8 of The Acolyte left Mae without her memory and in Jedi custody, Osha training with the Sith-esque Qimir and fully fallen to the Dark Side, and Vernestra Rwoh involved in a cover-up while now aware that Qimir is her fallen padawan.
Overall, the most likely and logical decision from both a numbers and reception perspective is for Disney and Lucasfilm to cancel The Acolyte and forgo a Season 2.
But that does not exactly solve Star Wars' problems; it adds to them, especially since these newly introduced plot threads within the Star Wars canon will remain unanswered.
In addition, leaving the narrative undone could create problems for future storytelling within this particular era.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see which direction Lucasfilm chooses; but regardless of the decision, it's unlikely to sit well with fans either way.
The Acolyte is streaming now on Disney+.
Check out other stories about The Acolyte below:
Why The Acolyte Got 'Cancelled' by Star Wars Fans, Explained
