Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her coven of witches from Disney's “The Acolyte”
Episode 3 of Disney's newest War of the galaxies series the acolyte introduces a new group of Force users to the galaxy, prompting a backlash from some fans who accused the series of breaking canon.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show's favorable critic score is in stark contrast to its dismal viewership score.
What happens in “The Acolyte” episode 3?
Episode 3 of the acolytetitled “Destiny,” explores the backstory of twin protagonists Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg), showing how the two were raised in a coven of cult witches on the planet Brendok, before being separated after a Jedi intervention disruptive
Witches see the Force differently than Jedi, calling it “the thread” and apparently seeing it as something that cannot be controlled, only pulled in a certain direction.
The idea of different religions inspired by the Force is not new to the franchise, however the acolyte it's the first time it's broken War of the galaxies Belief systems have been shown in live action.
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 out by mother Koril (Margarita Levieva).
Unlike Anakin, who was canonically created by the unknowable will of the Force, the twins appear to have been the result of some sort of experiment, with mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) claiming credit for their creation
After the Jedi ask to test the twins' Force sensitivity, the growing rift between the two children widens, with Osha seeking to join the Jedi and Mae demanding that they both stay in the coven.
While the witches lean towards the dark side of the force, the Jedi don't seem to be on the right side of history; they radiate sinister vibes, politely insisting that they have the Force-given right to remove the twins from their home planet.
They may not force the children to come, but they pressure them; one even gives Osha a lightsaber, as if the deadly blade were a toy. In a disorienting plot twist, the entire group of witches appears to die in a fire that Mae accidentally started.
Clearly there is another side to the story, but it is too early to draw conclusions.
What caused the reaction to 'The Acolyte' episode 3?
First, there are the “anti-woke” fans and content creators who dislike the show's diverse cast and LGBTQ themes. claiming that the franchise is “uprooting its male fan base”.
Since then, this segment of the fandom has been fueling culture war grievances The Last Jediwith the melodramatic criticism and frantic thumbnails of “anti-awakening” YouTubers being something of a meme at this point.
Repetitive identity fixations apart, some War of the galaxies fans have accused the acolyte of breaking the canon and diminishing the importance of Anakin Skywalker, as Anakin was believed to be uniquely conceived, his creation tied to his destiny as the “Chosen One,” destined to bring “balance” to the universe.
others War of the galaxies fans dislike the way the Jedi have been portrayed, as the series seems to question the moral authority and competence of the Space Monks. However, this critical and nuanced view of the Jedi is far from a new development, having been introduced by George Lucas in the prequel trilogy.
The most important part of being a War of the galaxies The fan, of course, complains bitterly War of the galaxies.
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 using Midi-chlorians.
Incidentally, Midi-chlorians, the microbiological and scientific explanation that demystified the Force, proved so incredibly unpopular with fans that War of the galaxies he doesn't actually mention them anymore (interestingly, George Lucas wanted to double down on the concept with his proposed sequel trilogy before Disney bought War of the galaxies and dismissed his ideas).
Did 'The Acolyte' Really Break the 'Star Wars' Canon?
May be? At this point, War of the galaxies The canon has been broken so many times it looks like cracked glass.
Many of the films have rehashed plot points from the previous entry, such as Rey becoming Palaptine's granddaughter, C-3PO being invented by Anakin, and Boba Fett surviving his gruesome death.
Other retcons have proven immensely popular and iconic: Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's father was a retcon, as was Leia being Luke's sister (which explains their awkward kissing scene).
Anakin being a Chosen One who brings “balance” to the Force doesn't make sense in retrospect; George Lucas seemed to be inspired by the false (but accurate) prophecy of dunebut all of Anakin and Luke's decisions are rendered irrelevant by the end of the sequel trilogy: the balance is never restored.
In War of the galaxiesthe canon is just a suggestion.
That said, many fans are enjoying it the acolyteand others reserve their judgment for the end of the season.
One of the main reasons why there is so much friction within War of the galaxies Fandom is the clashing expectations between old and new fans.
The series started out as a simple good vs. evil space opera that became increasingly confusing and complicated over time as moral ambiguity was introduced, but not fully 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 got the tone right, that's where War of the galaxies is.
the acolyte he is experimenting with this limited moral ambiguity; fans will soon see if the series can reach the nuanced heights Andoror sink The Boba Fett Book.
