Andor season 2 received an impressive 14 Emmy Award nominations, but it is not the only Primetime Emmy-nominated Star Wars show this year. From Outstanding Drama Series to Outstanding Production Design, Andor's nominations recognize the show's many strengths, and the series arguably deserves even more recognition, particularly in the acting categories.
While Andor season 2 and its achievements are definitely worth celebrating, it is also important to recognize The Acolyte, which received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour). The nomination is specifically for episode 5, "Night."
As divisive as The Acolyte was among the fandom, one of the few points that most fans generally agreed on was that "Night" was the best episode. This is largely due to the riveting lightsaber combat that ensues as Qimir (Manny Jacinto) is revealed to be the Stranger, and he proceeds to duel and kill numerous Jedi. Even those who were mostly critical of the show were impressed by the lightsaber action, which has been frequently hailed as some of the best in Star Wars since the prequel trilogy films.
It is unfortunately common for audiences to be dismissive of any awards that fall outside the Outstanding Drama/Comedy Series, acting, or directing categories. Sound Editing is essential to all movies and shows, though, and it is one of the reasons why "Night" is such a successful episode.
The seamless sound editing helps the unparalleled lightsaber combat come to life and captures much of the episode's tension. With most of the episode set in the dark, sound becomes even more important, from the moment Osha (Amandla Stenberg) regains consciousness at the beginning of the episode to the noise that is made when lightsabers clash with the Stranger's cortosis armor.
As someone who greatly enjoyed The Acolyte and who is still disappointed by its premature cancellation, I'm glad it got this well-deserved nomination, and I hope it wins, even though it does have some formidable competition. The other nominees are Agatha All Along, The Bear, The Righteous Gemstones, and The Studio.
I would love to have seen Lee Jung-jae, Stenberg, and Jacinto be nominated in the acting categories as well, since all three actors delivered phenomenal performances. Lee's performance is one of my favorites in all of Star Wars through his wise, compassionate, and tragic depiction of Jedi Master Sol.
Stenberg's ability to play both Osha and Mae and to make each of them feel distinct has not been discussed enough and should have been recognized. As for Jacinto, he excelled at essentially playing three different versions of a single character – the goofy and bumbling Qimir, the ruthless Stranger who kills Jecki and Yord and numerous other Jedi, and the seductive Stranger who connects with Osha and lures her to the dark side.
Given how the nominations panned out, Andor is obviously the Star Wars show I will be rooting for the most when the Emmy airs on September 14, but I will also be rooting for The Acolyte.
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