What makes the Acolyte Episode 3 so fantastic? It carries weight. Though there aren’t any shocking revelations, the story is filled with nuanced, powerful ideas that are expertly woven throughout. Seeing firsthand the sequence of unfortunate events that led to the parade of dejected, contemplative faces in the first two episodes provides a great deal of emotional context that fully develops each character.
The episode serves as an origin narrative for Mae and Osha (Amandla Stenberg), who were raised among their coven on Brendok 16 years before the events of the main storyline. As we dive into the twins’ past, we uncover a wealth of intriguing topic matter, including familial asymmetry, sibling abandonment, and ideological defection.
The Star Wars drama appears to be coming into its own here in The Acolyte Episode 3, with true content and intense character conflict. As in the first two episodes, the writers done an excellent job of answering just enough questions to pique our interest while deepening existing mysteries and introducing new ones to chew on. The beauty of serialized storytelling is that it gives stories a natural shape, with peaks and troughs, pushes and pulls, suspense and release. So far, The Acolyte has done an excellent job of using the episodic format to its advantage, which is especially tough for a mystery program on a streaming site.
The Acolyte Episode 3: An Awkward Beginning Conceals Compelling Character Dynamics
The conversation in the opening scene between Osha, Mae, and the sci-fi butterfly is a little clunky, which affects the young actors’ performances, which makes it not the most exquisite scene ever. However, the sequence effectively establishes Osha’s compassion and Mae’s toxic nature, as well as setting up the main conflict. Although the twins are practically inseparable by purpose, Osha doesn’t mesh as well with the coven’s goals as Mae does.
There is believable tension between Mother Koril (Margarita Levieva) and Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith), owing to the fact that, while they disagree on how to nurture the children in some ways, they nevertheless adore one another. They both adore the children—even when Koril is harsh on them, you can tell she would be lost without them. In a short period of time, the family dynamic is realistically portrayed, warts and all. As a result, the remaining plot motions are infused with drama because we are acutely aware of what is at stake here—this family is on the verge of disintegration.
The four Jedi who we know will end up on Mae’s kill list are Sol, Indara, Kelnacca, and Torbin, and they are threatening to do so, at least in the eyes of everyone in the coven save Osha. It’s fascinating to see the Jedi through the coven’s eyes because we’re so used to seeing them as calm protectors and spiritual gurus. But will invaders permanently separate children from their families? That is an interesting point of view. It’s also fascinating to witness the Force at the heart of a very different culture and community than the Jedi, and to see how the coven interprets and uses the Force differently.
The standoff between the Jedi and the coven is filled with tension. It’s a dialogue-driven scenario, but it’s powerful because you get the impression that a bloodbath is about to break out at any minute. There is a deep moral and philosophical divide between the two parties, and Osha wishes to overcome it because she sees in the Jedi a future in which she may be her full self.
Naturally, this saddens everyone in the coven, but Mother Aniseya eventually performs a heartfelt act of love by asking Osha to follow her heart, even if it means saying goodbye forever. This episode’s storytelling has a lot of depth, especially in the private, critical talks between family members. And, unlike the prior two episodes, which were occasionally interrupted by unpleasant moments of slapstick hilarity, this chapter is always solemn and serious, which is a great plus in this case. This is the seriousness and grit that the show’s marketing promised but has failed to deliver thus far.
Having said that, the story takes a turn for the worst when Mae threatens to murder Osha for leaving with Sol to join the Jedi Order. Really? I know they didn’t get along well during the episode, but none of their squabbling and tussling seemed out of character for siblings, let alone twins. They clearly love each other…But now Mae wants to burn her alive? It’s a tough sale.
The Acolyte Episode 3: A Powerful Ending Scene
However, the ensuing explosive conclusion is worth suspending disbelief for. Watching Sol and Osha bond through suffering lends weight and realism to the characters’ exchanges in the first two episodes, and the way he looks at her with pity and sympathy is heartwarming. Lee Jung-jae continues to crush it. The Acolyte episode 3 is the greatest yet, and it’s so wonderful that the previous two are worth revisiting with the new information. Aside from the fact that the scenes between the twins come across as forced and inconsistent, the program appears to be settling in nicely now. This is an extremely welcome addition to Star Wars.
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