'The Acolyte' under fire for 'irritatingly short' episodes
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Acolyte' Episode 6 dropped on Disney+ on July 2, 2024, and the gripping episode had a lot to offer to its fans as the episode took the story of Mae (Amandla Stenberg) and her twin Osha forward after the big revelation of the Sith Lord's identity in the previous episode.
'The Acolyte' has been received with a mixed response by 'Star Wars' fans who are constantly unhappy with the storyline, the gaping plotholes, the inconsistencies in 'Star Wars' canon, and even representation being forced upon the series.
Another big reason why the fans are unhappy with the series is the length of its episodes. The episodes are usually about 30-40 minutes in length leaving a lot to be desired. Fans took to the internet to express their frustration.
Fans unhappy with 'The Acolyte' episode length
Fans suggested that the number of episodes could have been reduced to make the show more gripping. A Reddit user who was unhappy with the length of the episodes wrote, "The episode gets into a great rhythm and then credits. Episode 4-6 should really have been 2 episodes. I don’t understand the logic of 8 episodes of 25 minutes each. I know its about money but it still doesn’t make sense. If it was 6 episodes you would still have to subscribe for 2 months. Same if it was 8. I just can’t believe they couldn’t just make it 6 episodes and add a bit more dialogue and make each episode 45-50 minutes each."
Another Reddit user came up with an economics term to describe the situation, "It’s like shrinkflation of our Disney Star Wars TV". Another Reddit user pointed out to the time credits take up in the episode, "The 7 minutes of credits so the episodes don't look as short as they are at first glance - it just adds insult to injury."
Some fans also suggested that the series could have been a movie instead and it would have been more interesting. A Reddit user said, "Honestly, 8 x 25 minutes episode is exactly the reason many Disney series feels like it should just be a 2.5 hour movie. We are essentially getting 300 minutes of show time with a lot of unnecessary build up every single episode. If you take away all the unnecessary build up each episode, this is a 150-180 minute movie."
Leslye Headland doesn't see 'The Acolyte' as a movie
With many fans suggesting 'The Acolyte' would have been better off as a movie, the showrunner Leslye Headland gives her perspective on making it as a movie rather than a series.
While speaking to Jedi News, Leslye said, "You know, I don’t. I would consider Russian Doll that. I think that it was this continuous [thing], like a really good album. It was meant to be sat and watched and listened to and all that kind of stuff. But I actually think that it is a more weekly experience, and I think it’s good that it’s a weekly experience because I think when you’re dealing with really heavy issues, especially in Star Wars, I think having a break for a week is actually a good idea. Because when Luke says in The Last Jedi, 'It’s time for the Jedi to end', it might be nice to have a week after that, you know what I mean? Like, what does that mean? Let’s have a capital-D discourse about it. So I don’t see it as a four-hour movie, no."
Fans do think that the episodes have a lot of unnecessary build and it might have been a better option to make it as a shorter film with the narrative flowing smoothly. The Sith revelation could have made a great interval block then.
How to watch 'The Acolyte'?
'The Acolyte' premiered its first two episodes on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, followed by Episode 3 on June 11, 2024.
The fourth episode premiered on June 18, 2024, followed by the fifth episode on June 25, 2024, and the sixth episode on July 2, 2024. The series will continue airing weekly for its remaining episodes of 'The Acolyte'.
As per the schedule, 'The Acolyte' Episode 7 is expected to be released on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Kogonada directs the episode.
To watch the show, you will need a Disney+ Subscription. To stream 'The Acolyte', you'll need a subscription to Disney+.
The basic membership plan with ads costs $7.99/month while the premium plan (with no ads) comes at $13.99/month or $139.99/year.
'The Acolyte' trailer
'The Acolyte' Episodes 1-6 are streaming on Disney+.