The two-episode premiere of The Acolyte, the latest live-action Star Wars series, was interesting and refreshing, mainly because the idea alone of a thriller set at the tail-end of the High Republic era is something we'd never seen before. However, we weren't too convinced by the bumpy pacing, some bits of awkward dialogue, and the uneven visual presentation.
Episode 3, directed by Kogonada (After Yang) and co-written by Jasmyne Flournoy and Eileen Smith, finds its voice more easily and actually feels like an episode of television instead of a chunk of a very long movie; the latter has been a recurring problem in many of the Disney Plus shows coming from Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. There's a distinct story arc being told, and scenes have time to breathe and land some powerful hits. The direction also feels more consistent this time around, albeit some moments could have used better-staged shots and lighting.
