Episode 3 of Disney’s newest Star Wars series The Acolyte introduces a new group of Force-users to the galaxy, sparking backlash from some fans who accused the series of breaking canon.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show’s favorable critic score stands in stark contrast to its dismal audience score.
What Happens In Episode 3 Of ‘The Acolyte’?
Episode 3 Of The Acolyte, titled “Destiny,” explores the backstory of twin protagonists Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg), showing how the two were raised in a cult-like coven of witches on the planet Brendok, before being separated after a disruptive Jedi intervention.
The witches view the Force differently from the Jedi, dubbing it “the Thread” and seemingly viewing it as something that cannot be controlled, only pulled in a certain direction.
The idea of different religions inspired by the Force isn’t new to the franchise, but The Acolyte is the first time that splintering Star Wars belief systems have been shown in live-action.
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In the all-female coven, the question of who fathered the twins gives way to a surprising answer — the Force (or rather, the Thread). Like Anakin Skywalker, the twins appear to be the result of an immaculate conception, carried to term by Mother Koril (Margarita Levieva).
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Unlike Anakin, who was canonically created by the unknowable will of the Force, the twins appear to have been the result of some kind of experiment, with Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) claiming credit for their creation.
After the Jedi ask to test the Force-sensitivity of the twins, the growing rift between the two children widens, with Osha seeking to join the Jedi and Mae demanding they both stay in the coven.
While the witches lean toward the Dark Side of the Force, the Jedi don’t seem on the right side of history; they radiate with sinister vibes, politely insisting that they have the Force-given right to take the twins away from their home planet.
They might not force the children to come, but they do pressure them; one even hands Osha a lightsaber, as though the deadly blade is a toy. In a disorienting plot twist, the entire coven of witches appears to die from a fire that Mae started by accident.
It’s obvious that there’s another side to the story, but it’s too early to draw conclusions.
What Sparked The Backlash To Episode 3 Of ‘The Acolyte’?
First off, there’s the “anti-woke” fans and content creators who dislike the show’s diverse cast and LGBTQ themes, claiming that the franchise is “booting their male fan base.”
This segment of the fandom has been stoking culture war grievances since The Last Jedi, with melodramatic critique and frantic thumbnails of “anti-woke” YouTubers being something of a meme at this point.
Repetitive identity fixations aside, some Star Wars fans have accused The Acolyte of breaking canon and reducing the significance of Anakin Skywalker, as Anakin was believed to be uniquely conceived, his creation tied to his destiny as the “Chosen One,” fated to bring “balance” to the universe.
Other Star Wars fans dislike the way the Jedi have been portrayed, as the series appears to be questioning the moral authority and competence of the space monks. However, this nuanced, critical view of the Jedi is far from a new development, having been introduced by George Lucas in the prequel trilogy.
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The ability to create life using the Force was mentioned in the prequels, when Palpatine tells Anakin that a powerful Sith lord, Darth Plagueis, learned how to do so by using Midi-chlorians.
Incidentally, Midi-chlorians — the microbiological, scientific explanation that demystified the Force — proved so incredibly unpopular with fans that Star Wars doesn’t really mention them anymore (amusingly, George Lucas wanted to double down on the concept with his proposed sequel trilogy before Disney bought Star Wars and scrapped his ideas).
Did ‘The Acolyte’ Really Break ‘Star Wars’ Canon?
Maybe? At this point, Star Wars canon has been broken so many times that it looks like crackle glass.
Many of the movies have retconned plot points made in the previous entry, such as Rey becoming Palaptine’s granddaughter, C-3PO being invented by Anakin, and Boba Fett surviving his grisly death.
Other retcons have proved immensely popular and iconic — Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father was a retcon, as was Leia being Luke’s sister (which explains their uncomfortable kissing scene).
Anakin being a Chosen One who brings “balance” to the Force doesn’t make sense in hindsight; George Lucas seemed to take inspiration from the false (yet accurate) prophecy of Dune, but all of Anakin and Luke’s decisions are made irrelevant by the end of the sequel trilogy — balance is never really restored.
In Star Wars, canon is just a suggestion.
That being said, many fans are enjoying The Acolyte, and others are reserving their judgment for the end of the season.
One of the biggest reasons why there is so much friction within the Star Wars fandom is the clashing expectations between old and new fans.
The series began as a simple, good vs. evil space opera that grew increasingly confused and convoluted over time, as moral ambiguity was introduced, but not thoroughly explored.
Imagine if the black-and-white worldview of the Narnia series was clumsily injected with the philosophy of Game of Thrones halfway through the story, and never quite managed to strike the right tone — that’s where Star Wars is.
The Acolyte is experimenting with that limited moral ambiguity; fans will soon see if the series can hit the nuanced heights of Andor, or slump into The Book of Boba Fett.
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