I have been a player at Badwolf Adventure Studiosfor almost three years. I have played in two full campaigns, switching from biweekly to weekly. I was not planning on joining a second campaign at Badwolf,considering there’s a financial component since I pay for my sessions. On top of that, our weekly game fills the Dungeons & Dragons itch for me. This was valid until I saw Badwolf advertising a Vampire: The Masquerade campaign starting biweekly on Fridays.
If you read my post about Vampire: The Masquerade, you will know how much I love this system. I have never been a part of anything longer than a one-shot, so having this opportunity to play in a chronicle, I couldn’t pass it up. With anything financial, it’s important to talk about finances with your partner. I wouldn’t have signed up for this campaign without talking to my husband first. After revisiting our budget, we made room for this campaign addition.
We had our session zero last Friday, and I thought it went well. Session zeroes are the pre-session, as it were. This is where players create their characters together, discuss topics that make players uncomfortable, and talk about how our vampires know each other before the game starts. I think session zeroes are something all tables should do, and that’s especially true for Vampire: The Masquerade. With Vampire,being as dark as it is, there’s a bit of vulnerability from the players, and playing Vampire without a session zero is not a great way to start the game. We accomplished a lot with our session zero, and I’m curious to see how this will play out in the ongoing sessions.
Once my character has been finalized, I will post more about her because she is something else. There are some things I’m working through, such as her first name, her backstory, and how she became a vampire. I am looking forward to getting back into Vampire and seeing her develop in the upcoming sessions.
One of my favorite traditions I have with one of my friends is attending the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. We have been going since our college days. As we were reminiscing, we realized we had been going to the Renaissance Festival for ten years. That’s such a long time! There were years I had to miss, including the year when my husband and I were planning our wedding, and last year because we were in Europe. With that said, I always look forward to our trips to Ren Fest and many more trips in the future.
The last time I went to Ren Fest, my friends and I took a bus, which helped immensely! I have addressed this before, but parking at Ren Fest was a nightmare. There were times we had to wait in extremely long lines to park a car. After the Ren Fest’s event in 2022, Scott County threatened to pull the Ren Fest’s event license if it couldn’t figure out its parking situation. I couldn’t agree more because it was becoming a safety issue. I didn’t go last year, so I wasn’t aware of the changes Ren Fest made to parking. When we were planning our day, she preferred driving to taking the bus. In recent years, the Ren Fest started charging to park a car. Before, parking onsite had been free. I don’t mind paying to park if it means a better experience with more staff to direct us on where to park our vehicles. Paying in advance, I paid $15, which I felt was reasonable. For those who didn’t pre-pay, it was $30 on site with cash or card. As we approached, I was expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised when we got to the festival, showed our pre-paid parking pass, and parked within fifteen minutes. It was a huge improvement compared to other years we went. Additionally, it seems Ren Fest added way more park and rides. The only caveat is that most of the park and rides were in the southern half of the metro. I’d love to see more park and rides in the northern or western suburbs because that would also help with decreasing car traffic.
Photo taken by a friend with permission to share.
While every Ren Fest trip is fun, this year felt extra special. This was the first year that both my friend and I dressed up. I have dressed up in the past, and my friend always mentioned how she wanted to, but it didn’t work out. She made it a priority this year, and her whole blue outfit was beautiful. She clearly had a fun time with it, and it was great to see her having a blast. Her boyfriend took pictures of us, which we would have forgotten about had he not said anything. I think we both agreed that dressing for Ren Fest is something we are going to commit to in the years to come.
For my outfit, I went for a green, druidic look. I ordered this green dress as a backup to my Keyleth cosplay. I rummaged through my costume accessories and pulled out this black, faux leather belt I use in my Kylo Ren cosplay, which cinched the look together. Finally, I had an autumn leaves and butterflies headband that I also ordered for my Keyleth cosplay and didn’t need. It all came together, and I already had all the pieces in my closet. It helps to be a cosplayer sometimes!
Since we have gone so often, we have a few staples or things we have to do while we are there. For the most part, we don’t see any shows. Instead, we wander around the fairgrounds and do a bit of shopping. I tend to purchase new earrings, lotions, or perfumes whenever I go. This year, I stuck to a budget, and I didn’t buy anything except for food. Every year, the food I eat varies except for the Apple Cider Float. The Apple Cider Float is so good. It’s Apple Cider, and I always get cinnamon ice cream versus vanilla ice cream. It’s the quintessential fall beverage. It’s become such a classic thing for us that my friend’s boyfriend reminded us we had to get it before we left. He kept us on track, that’s for sure.
This was a Ren Fest trip for the books. I think both my friend and I will put more of an emphasis on dressing up as something every year. As a cosplayer, I always like having an excuse to create a new costume. Here’s to ten more years of Renaissance Festival trips.
I finished my first audiobook on Libby! The last time I listened to an audiobook was when I was a kid. This was back when audiobooks were on CDs. Audiobooks have obviously changed a lot and become more accessible than ever. I went through my Goodreads TBR and settled on The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams as a good audiobook choice. The Babysitter’s Coven had an interesting premise, but I thought this book wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.
Esme Pearl is a seventeen-year-old high school student who babysits for extra spending money. Esme and one of her best friends start a babysitting club to help get more babysitting jobs. While babysitting and attending classes, Esme has some weird things happen to her that she can’t explain. After learning that there might be a connection between the new girl at school and Esme’s mom, Esme knows more about why these events happened to her and what that means for her as a babysitter.
The Babysitter’s Coven is described as Adventure in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From what I read, I think this description is wrong. Instead, I’d say that if you plucked Raven from Teen Titans and had her start a babysitter’s club, that’s what this book was. The original comparison made me want to read this in the first place, so the fact that this book was not what I had hoped contributed to why I didn’t enjoy this.
Since I read this as an audiobook, I found myself picking apart the writing more than if I had read the physical book. Esme is supposed to be seventeen, but the way she’s written, she talks like a middle schooler. She and her friends would say IDK and ASAP in sentences when talking to each other. Yikes. I am trying to remember if I was that cringy in high school. While I know I’m not the target audience for this book, there are YA books on my bookshelf I love to read, even though I’m thirty. That said, if I were to read this when I was in high school, I probably would have loved it.
The Babysitter’s Coven was a cool concept on paper, but this did not work for me. This wouldn’t be a book I would re-read, nor would it be a series I would continue with. I rated The Babysitter’s Coven two stars on Goodreads.
I read Vampire: The Masquerade – The Complete Series, published by Vault Comics. This post was intended to be a graphic novel review because this book was, hands down, one of the best graphic novels I read this year. As I started writing the review, I was bored. It was me talking about how much I loved the graphic novel, and that was it. I decided to pivot and talk about how I was introduced to Vampire: The Masquerade, why I love this system, and what podcasts or live streams I’d recommend watching.
It’s important to note how dark Vampire: The Masquerade is as a TTRPG system. I own the rulebook, and in the beginning section, it says, and I quote, “This is not a roleplaying game where you play the good guys”. This is not Twilight,where vampires sparkle and only feed on animals. This is not a game I would play with kids; this is a game intended for adults. While a vampire character can be designed to be as moral as possible, you are constantly fighting off the beast, trying to influence you to feed all the time. I say this because I don’t think Vampire: The Masquerade is for everyone. It’s okay to recognize that Vampire may not be for you because of the above.
I was introduced to Vampire: The Masquerade at Gen Con in 2019. My brother and I met up with a few of my friends who were also at Gen Con,and they agreed to run a one-shot for us. The first character I created, I named Virginia. In Vampire: The Masquerade, instead of classes like Dungeons & Dragons, the equivalent for this system would be a clan. Each clan has different abilities and strengths. Virginia is a Tremere, a clan in Vampire focusing on blood magic. I’d equate this to a Sorcerer or Wizard in Dungeons & Dragons. Since then, I have played in at least three one-shots; this could be higher. I only found three of my past Vampire character sheets to reference.
What impressed me the most about Vampire was the intricacies of vampire society. In Vampire: The Masquerade, vampires have to abide by a code. “The Masquerade,” hence the name of the system, is a secrecy in which vampires are forbidden to publicly discuss their vampirism. If they do, they risk final death or their characters being killed. There’s a whole political system with The Prince being the leader of a particular area. There are Sheriffs, I’d describe them as being security guards who protect The Prince and The Masquerade. From there, there are several other important political positions to help enforce the vampire code. As a player, I think it provides the right amount of guidance. Without these rules, vampires would do whatever they want, which would be, quite frankly, a blood bath.
Another reason I like Vampire is the amount of customization with character creation. Besides choosing a clan, another choice to make is predator type. Predator type illustrates how your vampire will feed. For example, some players may choose Bagger, meaning they will only feed by stealing blood from hospitals or other medical facilities. In some ways, this might be the moral high ground because you’re not feeding from people, but you are stealing blood from someone who may need it in a transfusion. Another option is Siren, where your vampire feeds during sex or feigns sex. I did say this was an adult game for mature audiences. Each predator type has advantages and disadvantages, but none of the choices make you good. There are many other characteristics to pick when creating a character, but the last one I wanted to touch on was convictions. Each character chooses convictions that they try to uphold. One common conviction I always take is “never expose children to violence”. These convictions offer a sense of humanity to your character because, as long as I never expose children to violence, I’m not all bad. Vampire focuses on morality and what that means for the player. Do you try to be as moral as possible, or will you give in to the beast? The choice is yours.
The last time I played Vampire was a few months ago at Badwolf Adventure Studios. To keep my interest, I find listening to podcasts or live plays helps to keep the rules fresh. The first podcast I’d recommend is Blood & Syrup by Dumb-Dumbs & Dice. Each episode is about forty minutes, so it won’t take long to listen to. There are three vampire characters, which I find makes it easier to follow along. The podcast uploads episodes regularly. As a side note, I find it challenging to discover new Vampire podcasts since many podcasts don’t upload new episodes on a regular cadence. I’d hate to become invested in the story and not see how the story continues. Besides podcasts, I’m watching NY By Night, a live play of Vampire with Jason Carl as the storyteller. Jason Carl is the storyteller of LA By Night, another popular Vampire live play. One last thing I would recommend is to join the World of Darkness Discord. I joined a month ago, and it’s a channel I read often. I don’t post my thoughts; instead, I have read about other players and the characters they create. It’s given me inspiration and determination to find my own game.
I’m glad I played Vampire: The Masquerade; it’s a system I thoroughly enjoy. I hope to eventually play Vampire again soon, whether that be a one-shot or if I’m lucky, a longer-term chronicle.
My husband and I have been having many serious conversations about having kids. Choosing to become a parent is a big decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. In these ongoing conversations, my husband and I decided to undergo genetic testing. One of the main reasons I wanted to write about this is that I haven’t seen other people discuss this. I know genetic testing exists, but most of the time when I hear couples announcing their pregnancy, they skip over the decisions they made prior. If one person reads this and finds it helps them, or even if someone does not want kids at all, but finds this interesting, then I think making this well-known is worth it.
My husband is the main reason why we chose to get our genes tested. My husband’s aunt on his dad’s side died of Cystic Fibrosis before he was born. For those unfamiliar, Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetically inherited disease, meaning it’s not a disease that can be spread like the flu. CF impacts the amount of mucus the body generates. The mucus is thicker, blocking various passages, and can damage organs. There is no cure for CF, and while treatments have steadily gotten better over time, some individuals with CF can have mild symptoms while others have severe symptoms.
My husband wanted a formal confirmation through gene testing if he was a carrier for CF. The first step was to contact a genetic counselor. They asked my husband a series of questions to determine the risk level and if genetic testing was needed. Based on little information my husband had about his family history, they ordered a genetic test to be delivered. To get genetic testing, you can either go into a medical facility and get blood drawn or you can use an at-home testing kit. My husband chose the latter. His results took about 2 – 4 weeks. We found out my husband was indeed a carrier for CF.
It’s not surprising that my husband was a carrier for CF. However, it meant I now had to undergo genetic testing as well. I contacted the same genetic counselor who walked me through the process. She said they would test 613 of my genes. With my genetic test, they would be testing more of my genes than my husband’s because if we were to have a boy, I would pass everything on my X chromosome to my son. I was sent the same test and repeated the process. Now all we could do was wait.
Before I reveal my results, I wanted to share what would happen if I were or were not a carrier. If I were a carrier, this would mean that we would have a 25% chance of passing CF to our children. If I were not a carrier, we would have no chance. For someone to be positively diagnosed with CF, they need the carrier gene from mom and the carrier gene from dad. If I don’t have the gene, then our kid may be a carrier, like my husband, but would not have CF. I received my results shortly after Labor Day and am NOT a CF carrier. I let out a sigh of relief. There is nothing wrong with being a carrier; my husband is, and he is a healthy person. CF will not be a reality for our kids, and it’s one less thing for us to worry about.
There is a cost associated with getting genetic testing done. I hate it when people discuss medical care and don’t share the cost. Each test (before insurance) costs $19,000. $19,000!?!?!?!?!?!?? That’s wild. After insurance, my husband (who has way better health insurance than I do) would pay $200, while I would be looking at anywhere between $500 – $600. I can use my HSA (Health Savings Account) to pay for the cost of genetic testing, which helps make it more affordable.
I wish more people would be more open about genetic testing and the decisions that they make before having kids. Having kids is a big decision, and with the power of the internet, having more resources available makes it easier to make the best decision for you. I want to be clear, not having kids is valid, and I will defend anyone’s right to choose not to have children. Getting genetic testing is something I’m so glad I was able to do, and it provides more reassurance if and when we decide to have kids.
I have watched booktubers rave about If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. I haven’t seen anyone critique or offer anything negative about this book. As such, this book has appeared on several dark academia-recommended reading lists. While I’m not a big Shakespeare or theater person, I couldn’t pass up on the premise. I am in the minority here because while I liked If We Were Villains, I rated this book lower than most reviewers.
Oliver Marks is released from prison after ten years for a murder he may or may not have committed. Detective Colborne picks Oliver up from prison and comes up with a compromise. Before he retires, he wants Oliver to tell him the truth about what happened ten years ago. Since he’s retiring, it’s not like he will take any action, no matter what Oliver tells him. Oliver agrees and directs Colborne to his former college campus, an elite liberal arts college where he and his friends studied Shakespeare. In between auditions, Oliver reminisces about his friends and the moment everything changed for them.
If We Were Villains is, without a doubt, a dark academia thriller. I loved how the college campus is described and how Oliver and his friends live in a tower. It’s completely unrealistic, but I don’t care. With thrillers, I expect to finish these books within a day or two. If a thriller is slower-paced, I will probably rate it lower because it took me longer to finish. If We Were Villains does not fall into this, I ended up reading 200 pages in one sitting and could not be bothered to do anything else until I finished this book.
If We Were Villains has an average Goodreads rating of 4.15 stars, which is pretty high. While reading this book, certain things stuck out to me that bothered me. Starting with the characters, I didn’t like how Meredith, one of Oliver’s friends, was portrayed. Meredith is described as being eye candy for almost every single male character. If I had to read another section about how Meredith was curvy and how her clothes looked on her body, I was going to lose it. To give this book the benefit of the doubt, some of these descriptions were during the college’s plays, but still, we get it, she’s curvy. What bothers me is that’s all I know about her. I don’t know much about her personality or hobbies; she’s attractive, and that’s it. On top of that, the other two female characters, Wren and Pip, were overshadowed by Meredith, so I didn’t know much about them either.
Besides Meredith, Oliver ends up beginning a relationship with her. However, Oliver has feelings for James. This book does a bait and switch of hinting at Oliver and James’s relationship, but never allowing it to happen. It’s interesting because the theater brings so many people with different identities, so I find it strange how Oliver is paired up with Meredith when their chemistry feels forced.
The last thing I will mention is the ending. If We Were Villains has one of those endings that completely shifts the entire book. It’s hard to discuss without spoiling the book, but I found the ending unfair to Meredith. The ending is left open to interpretation, which is fine. I prefer books to have everything wrapped up at the end, but that’s just me.
It makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy this book. I liked If We Were Villains. I disagree with other book reviewers who would put this on their favorites list. I’m glad I read this. I don’t think I need to own a physical copy of the book. I would consider reading from this author again. I rated If We Were Villains three stars on Goodreads.
I played Hidden Through Time back in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hidden Through Time was such a soothing game, which is what I needed to get through that tumultuous time. I was scrolling through Steam,as one does, and I saw that there was a sequel. I was ecstatic! I immediately purchased, downloaded, and spent seven hours playing all the maps. Hidden Through Time 2 improved upon the first game, yet didn’t deviate from what made the game fun.
Hidden Through Time 2 is a hidden objects game with several themed maps. There are four themes within the game: 1001 Nights, Greek Mythology, The Middle Ages, and The Magical 80s. Within each individual map, there is a row of objects at the bottom of the screen. These indicate which hidden objects the player will need to locate. If you hover over the object, a hint will pop up to help direct the player to a specific area where the object can be found. In Hidden Through Time 2, there’s a new feature. Towards the top, the weather on the map can be changed to sunny, cloudy, snowy, or rainy. Some objects can be found in both weather maps, while others can only be found in a specific weather pattern. The goal of the game is to locate all the objects within each themed area.
Screenshot taken by me in-game.
I loved the maps! I was partial to The Magical 80s and The Middle Ages. In The Middle Ages maps, there’s an Owlbear! The Middle Ages felt more like Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons than King Arthur, which I liked a lot. I liked the weather setting. I thought it provided more of a challenge since some objects would appear darker on the map, so it took longer to find them. With the weather setting, it offered more replayability since it added more to the maps. Playing Hidden Through Time 2, I looked forward to getting out of work, driving home, and playing this game.
Hidden Through Time 2 was so cute. I loved every second of it. It’s a game I would absolutely uninstall, reinstall, and replay it again. Hidden Through Time 2 does have a new DLC, which I will be playing next, and of course, I will write a post about it once I finish the game.
Pumpkin coffee is back, and Home Depot has its Halloween decorations, which can mean one thing: it’s officially the start of spooky season. For the next two months, I will pick books to read that feel spooky to me. This could be a paranormal romance, a gothic thriller, straight-up horror, and more. Since my last TBR, I downloaded Libby, my library’s audiobook app, so now I have been reading more than ever. I will share all the physical books I plan to read, along with the audiobooks I hope to listen to.
Photo taken by me.
The first book I will be reading is The Serpent & The Wings of the Night by Carissa Broadbent. When I first heard about this book, it was described as The Hunger Games mixed with vampires. Sign me up. I started this book back in August, and then I got distracted. I’m about fifty pages in and determined to finish the book by the end of the month. The second book I plan on reading is Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. I had this book on my July TBR, but I wasn’t able to read it before Gen Con. The third book not pictured in this photo is We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix. We Sold Our Souls is about a band where one of the lead singers may have made a deal with the devil. I think there’s a nice variety in the books I have chosen, and each book fits the theme of the next two months.
Besides the physical books on my TBR, I also have a graphic novel on hold at the library. I’m planning on reading Crumbs by Danie Stirling. Crumbs is based on a WEBTOONcomic about a young seer who struggles with her powers. As far as audiobooks, I have two audiobooks I’m planning on listening to this month. The first is The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate M. Williams. I’m not exactly sure what this book is about. Esme is the main character, and weird things have happened to her, but I’m not far enough in the book to figure out what’s happening. The second audiobook I plan on listening to is This Spells Love by Kate Robb. This is a romance where a woman casts a spell to erase her ex from her past, but the spell backfires. Both audiobooks are due in two weeks, so we shall see if I can find the time to listen to them.
This is my favorite time of the year, so I love to match what I’m reading with the season.
I have been curious about colored contacts in cosplay, but I wasn’t sure where to start. Last year, I posted in a local cosplayer Facebook group, and I’m glad I did. They advised me to go to the eye doctor to begin the process. It sounds silly because I didn’t even think I needed to visit the eye doctor. I figured I could order colored contacts online, and that’s it. I decided to write my own guide on how I proceeded with colored contacts because I wish this had existed for me before starting this process.
I have seen professional cosplayers use colored contacts, and I thought it made their cosplays look more realistic. It inspired me to want to try colored contacts for myself. After posting in that Facebook group, I took vision insurance when my health insurance open enrollment began last November. I’m not sure if my vision insurance covered much of my vision care, since technically it wasn’t medically necessary. I have no regrets about taking vision insurance, even if it didn’t cover the cost of colored contacts. It didn’t cost much to add on to my insurance, and it’s nice to have just in case.
After CONvergence passed, I remembered how I wanted to prioritize getting colored contacts. It’s funny how fast time passes. I checked with my insurance to find an in-network optometrist and made an appointment at a clinic five minutes from my house. When I called in, I jokingly told the receptionist how I wanted colored contacts for cosplay. She assured me it was more common than I thought it was and booked me for my first appointment.
Photo taken by me.
To get colored contacts, I had three eye appointments. The first appointment was a general exam to see if I needed colored contacts with a prescription. I have 20/10 vision, so I could get away with contacts with little to no prescription. In my second appointment, I had an hour-long lesson on how to put on contacts. I’m not sure what I expected, but I STRUGGLED to put in contacts. I found myself feeling frustrated and wanting to give up. The person who was working with me was incredibly kind, and she encouraged me to keep trying, and that it took some getting used to. I finally figured it out and was sent home with clear contacts to try. For the final appointment, I had to come into the clinic with clear contacts. Surprisingly, it took me ten minutes to put the contacts in myself. I was shocked. When I arrived, the doctor checked my eyes to see if my eyes were getting enough oxygen with the contacts. Everything came back great, so I ordered my colored contacts. I chose green because I felt it complemented my Keylethcosplay. I haven’t picked them up yet, but they have been ordered and should be ready soon.
When I got home from the final eye doctor’s appointment, I had to take out my contacts, and that took much longer. It took me about twenty minutes to take them out versus ten minutes to put them in. Oddly enough, I did much better with my right eye than my left, even though I’m left-handed. I am going to practice with my clear contacts because I want to feel confident in wearing them and taking them out, so when I’m getting ready for a convention, I’m not late to it because I’m struggling to put my contacts in.
I learned so much from this process! I learned about my eyes and how to wear contact lenses. I know how to take care of my contact lenses and how to order colored contacts, so I’m not buying anything that can’t be put into my eyes. I won’t wear colored contacts for every cosplay I do. I will save colored contacts for those cosplays where it feels necessary to get the look I want. In summary, I would highly recommend going to the eye doctor if you’re like me, where you never needed glasses or contacts. If you are already accustomed to contacts, I would be careful about where you order colored contacts to ensure you’re getting them from a good place. I’m happy I made the time to get colored contacts, and I can’t wait to experiment with colored contacts in the future.
I was listening to Geeks Without God, a podcast I recently discovered. They released an episode where they primarily talked about The Acolyte. I would recommend listening to the episode because I think they brought up what they didn’t like about the show in a nuanced way without completely trashing it. I did make the time to finish the series, and while there were portions of the show I liked, there were also things I didn’t like. I wanted to summarize what I liked and didn’t like about the show.
Liked
The characters. My favorites are Sol and Qimir
The lightsaber duels
The detective story of who is targeting the Jedi
I didn’t outright hate The Acolyte, as I think there were things that I enjoyed. First of all, I liked the characters. I felt particularly drawn to Sol and Qimir. I admire Sol’s commitment to the Jedi Order. He wants to do the right thing even though he may not see the consequences of his actions. Qimir was awesome! I liked the look of his helmet and how intertwined he was with the twins. I would have loved a flashback episode of Qimir and why he left the Jedi. Was it noble, like how Ahsoka left? Or was it for his own selfish reasons? This leads me to the next thing I liked, which was the lightsaber duels. The fifth episode was brutal and showed the darker side of losing a lightsaber duel. The dialogue between Qimir and Sol shortly after was top-notch. One of the main reasons I was looking forward to The Acolyte was to see the Jedi in a detective role. There was an element of mystery to figuring out who was going after these particular Jedi. While this is seen from the first few episodes, I think this gets lost once it’s revealed why the Jedi are being targeted.
Disliked
Unanswered questions, particularly around Darth Plagueis
There were not enough episodes for everyone to get a good character arc
Killing off Master Indara right away
Sol’s Fate
Let’s talk about Darth Plagueis. Darth Plagueis was Emperor Palpatine’s master, whom Palpatine killed and told Anakin about in Revenge of the Sith. I think Plagueis’s appearance is odd. Was Plagueis Qimir’s master? Is Plagueis more admiring of or watching Qimir, but has no relation to him? Plagueis’s appearance was neat, but didn’t add anything to the show. It would have been interesting to see Plagueis tied to one of the characters or if Plagueis approached one of the characters in the last episode.
This is classic Star Wars, where the movies or the shows introduce too many characters, and some characters get dropped. I think The Acolyte falls into this. I think the best examples would be Jecki and Yord. They were clearly skilled Jedi, but it felt like their only purpose was to be killed by Qimir, which is sad. I love Dafne Keen as an actress, and I think she was underutilized in the show, which is a shame. Another example is Master Indara, and I’m still salty over the fact that she was killed right away.
The final thing I did not like about The Acolyte was the fate of the characters. I mentioned how much I loved Sol, and I did not like what happened to him. Sol is killed by Osha after Osha learns that Sol killed her mother. When the Jedi discover Sol’s body, they blame him for everything. Sol did some questionable things, but I don’t think he deserved that. It would have been fascinating to see Sol be put on trial or confess to the Jedi what really happened. Additionally, it would have been interesting to see if the Jedi would punish Sol or try to cover up his involvement, which would have spoken volumes as to how the Jedi operate.
After all the episodes of The Acolyte aired on Disney+, it was revealed that there would not be another season. I’m wary of using the word canceled because while that may be true, this might be similar to other Star Wars shows where the intention was to do one season and that’s it. If The Acolyte was renewed for another season, I wouldn’t be excited about it. I think The Acolyte is my least favorite of the live-action shows on Disney+. Despite my thoughts about the show, the review bombing and the negative reactions from fans were uncalled for and exposed the negative side of the fandom. Unfortunately, these fans felt they got what they wanted. As for the future of Star Wars, I hope to see more shows, movies, and comics being developed, but I want the quality to be there.
Bizarre Brunette 