It’s only been out for a few hours but The Acolyte Episode 3 is already being dunked on. Some have described the latest episode as “garbage,” and it’s dividing the fanbase.
Releasing on June 11, The Acolyte Episode 3 takes fans back in time by 16 years, exploring how Osha and Mae were split up, alongside the real involvement of Mother Ansieya’s coven and the Jedi Order.
The episode has quickly stoked the fires, with fan opinion well and truly divided — and it’s all thanks to one review slamming the Star Wars show as “boring, drawn-out, nonsensical garbage.”
Writer Matt McGloin says of the episode, “George Lucas should have never sold Star Wars. Bob Iger should have never appointed Kathleen Kennedy as the head of Lucasfilm. Star Wars is a complete joke. Disney is a complete joke. #RIPSTARWARS.”
Similar reviews dub Episode 3 as the worst and most disappointing episode of The Acolyte to date. But, while some fans agree, others just aren’t having it.
#TheAcolyte Episode 3 does not deserve all the hate it got over the last week. The “woke” themes were very subtle and were blown out of proportion online. pic.twitter.com/E4Vr0l0VKQ
— Austin Medeiros (@austin_medz) June 12, 2024
“The Acolyte Episode 3 does not deserve all the hate it got over the last week. The “woke” themes were very subtle and were blown out of proportion online,” one fan posted on X/Twitter.
A second agreed, tweeting “Episode 3 of #TheAcolyte is some of the most interesting and fresh storytelling in Star Wars canon so far. I love when Star Wars gets weird and we LOVE the family drama.”
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“Oh, I was assured all week that episode 3 would be the killing blow that would make everyone hate The Acolyte. That was great! And I’m DYING to see the next one. My intrigue is through the roof now,” a third weighed in.
“The people who said episode 3 of The Acolyte would kill Star Wars are just plain dumb,” a fourth added.
Given it’s such a deviation from typical stories in the Star Wars timeline, it’s unsurprising The Acolyte has been so polarizing. In Episode 3, we’re introduced to new characters who actively challenge what we’ve known the franchise to be since 1977, and an unexpected relationship will have made that all the more pertinent.
However, change is all part of showrunner Leslye Headland’s bigger plan. During an interview with the Star Wars website she explained “Whatever you think The Acolyte is, it’s not that. It’s a drop in the bucket, baby. Just hang in there and check it out.”
The show currently has a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 85%, while the audience score shows a massive decline to 25% — so it’s safe the say the division isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
The Acolyte is streaming weekly on Disney Plus. Find out about more Star Wars characters, the best Star Wars quotes, and more TV shows streaming this month.