The Acolyte
Disney+

As a Queer person, I'm always keeping an eye out for Queer representation in new media, so when I heard rumors that the latest Star Wars series was "the Gayest ever," I knew I would have to watch it.
The Acolyte, which released its first episode on June 4, 2024, was directed by Leslye Headland (the first Queer person to direct part of the Star Wars franchise) and features actors that are gender diverse and identify as Queer. However, it's been a highly controversial show, both for its relationship to the Star Wars canon and in terms of Queer content.
Set a hundred years before Episode I: The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte focuses on Force-sensitive twin girls separated at a young age. Now adults, Mae and Osha have grown in their abilities to use the Force through different means, while facing their past and dealing with a rising threat.
Visually, I think this series is fantastic. The casting, costumes, sets, and visual effects make it beautiful to watch, and I appreciated the amount of thought that went into even the smallest details. Viewers are treated to epic light-saber duels and fight sequences.
We are also introduced to other interpretations of the Force, and a view of the Jedi as not the perfect order that we see in other productions. Instead, we see Jedi that are flawed and trying desperately to hide their mistakes, which I thought it was a refreshing take.
However, many fans have brought up issues with the continuity of the storyline. There are a few details that simply do not jibe with the already established canon, which has upset many fans. With the second season not yet confirmed, we don't know if these plot discrepancies will be remedied later on.
Even if they are, the writing left much to be desired. I never felt like I could truly understand what a character's motives or desires were and ultimately found the character development lacking. Part of this could be due to the fact that so many new characters were introduced in just one season. Hopefully this will also be addressed if there is a second season, but throughout, I found myself questioning why a character would make a choice they did based on what we knew about them.

Queer elements
One of the central plot points in the series is the all-female coven that the twins grew up in. The origins of Mae and Osha are not explicitly explained, but it is mentioned that they were created with the help of the Force and have two mothers, who many viewers have speculated are Lesbians. The vagueness does leave room for personal interpretation.
In episode four, we are introduced to a new character named Bazil, which unfortunately, in my opinion, leads to the worst way to be inclusive of gender-diverse people. Osha, upon meeting Bazil, asks awkwardly, "Is he, or they, with us?" This whole encounter made me uncomfortable, because while yes, this is a milestone for Star Wars, it presented the issue of pronouns as something awkward that people would stumble over.
Furthermore, Bazil is not human or even human adjacent... I would say he is similar to a walking rodent, and isn't even gender diverse. In a time when having your pronouns respected can be an uphill battle, I was hoping that, at least in Star Wars, it would be a universe where it could be a natural part of society.
I had very high hopes that Queer people would get actual representation in The Acolyte, yet what we got was awkward or never explicit. In such a vast galaxy, I had hoped that I could find people like myself, but they were sadly lacking.