The Acolyte is the latest addition to Disney’s corner of the galaxy far, far away, putting a fun twist on the whole “evil twin” trope for what’s been described as a mystery-thriller set in the Star Wars universe. So, following its two-part premiere, when can fans expect to see episode 3 roll out on Disney+?
Fans of the High Republic era are being well fed because The Acolyte drops viewers smack dab in the middle of this generally unexplored point on the Star Wars timeline for the first time in live action. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the show, created by Poker Face alum Leslye Headland, will dive deep into the moral ambiguity of the Jedi Order, putting the question of what makes a person truly good at the heart of its story. It’s an intriguing and fresh take on George Lucas’ beloved IP, even if the Star Wars fandom isn’t entirely on board yet, to say the least.
What’s happened in The Acolyte so far?
Starring Amandla Stenberg as Force-sensitive sisters Mae and Osha, The Acolyte picks up 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and sees the latter being investigated by her former teacher Sol (Lee Jung-jae) after she’s framed for the murder of Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss). And yeah, the series is holding no prisoners when it comes to critiquing the all-mighty Jedi Order. Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, and Jodie Turner-Smith also star, among others.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for episodes 1 and 2 of The Acolyte.
Without giving too much away, episode 1, titled “Lost/Found,” introduced us to Stenberg’s Osha, a strong-willed but downtrodden meknek with a shadowy past. Meanwhile, her identical twin, Mae, is up to no good, wreaking havoc throughout the galaxy as we get a brief look into her motivations, as well as her elusive master. Osha (inadvertently) escapes Republic custody after she’s wrongly arrested for Indara’s murder, and not unlike Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), her former master’s sentimentality spares her from an unsavory fate after the two reunite on the ice planet Carlac.
The premiere aired back-to-back with episode 2, “Revenge/Justice,” which picks up immediately after the events of episode 1. Although Sol’s Padawan, Jecki Lon (Keen), and by-the-books Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Barnett) aren’t too sold on Osha’s innocence, they quickly come to the conclusion that Mae, who was thought to have died in a fire that destroyed the sisters’ home planet 16 years prior, is, in fact, alive, and going on some sort of Jedi-slaying rampage. Things come to a head on Olega, where Mae tries—and ultimately, succeeds—in killing Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman), who appears to have some skeletons in the closet. Mae and Osha briefly lock eyes before the former jets off in a stolen landspeeder, this time, with a new destination: Khofar, a.k.a., the home of a certain Wookiee Jedi (Joonas Suotamo).
When does the next episode of The Acolyte premiere on Disney+?
Thankfully, Disney and Lucasfilm have blessed us (North American viewers, at least) with much earlier release times for new episodes of The Acolyte, meaning eager fans can, at last, forgo midnight watch parties. The Acolyte will consist of eight, roughly 40-minute chapters, with new episodes landing on the streaming platform every Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. This means that episode 3—which remains untitled—is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, June 11.
As The Acolyte continues its slow crawl towards the finish line, it’ll be interesting to see if even the most devout naysayers will have a change of heart. Despite having just premiered last week, The Acolyte has already been the victim of an ugly smear campaign, with disgruntled Star Wars “fans” taking to social media to review-bomb the series in droves. Although critics shared their generally positive feedback, The Acolyte‘s Rotten Tomatoes page suggests otherwise. It currently sits at a startling 26% audience score—yikes!
It’s important to note that there are some valid criticisms of The Acolyte that factor into this rating, but even so, public perception of the series has definitely been impacted by the sheer amount of negative noise surrounding its release. Hopefully, episode 3 can help turn things around as the mystery continues next week on Disney+.
