Warning! This review contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 3.

The Acolyte episode 3 builds on the strong foundations of its premiere with an exceptional flashback episode, filled with compelling fantasy, excellent performances, and a deeper exploration of the show’s philosophical themes. As of The Acolyte premiere’s ending, I was left satisfied. I enjoyed what showrunner Leslye Headland was building, albeit with a few drawbacks in the pacing department. Nonetheless, after watching The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2, I was excited to see more, an excitement that was more than satiated thanks to the brilliant episode 3.

The Acolyte Episode 3’s Flashback Perfectly Deepends The Show’s Mystery

Questions about Mae & Osha’s past are both answered and raised

What I found most compelling about The Acolyte‘s premiere was the show’s central mystery — why Mae was killing Jedi, what happened to Mae and Osha as children, and how the Sith tied into events. The Acolyte episode 3 provides hints at answers to all three, to varying degrees. The episode takes us to the planet Brendok, teased as the site of a tragedy for Mae and Osha. This flashback details the twins’ childhood with their mother, Aniseya, with the two being raised as the future of a coven of Force-sensitive witches.

Not only does episode 3 show the difference between Osha and Mae, but it explains why the latter hates the Jedi where the former does not. Osha’s disillusionment with Aniseya’s coven starkly contrasts with Mae’s devotion, perfectly showing how children can react differently to dogmatic teachings. With the Jedi coming to lure Osha away from Mae’s perspective, the latter’s murderous vendetta from the premiere comes into focus.

These answers are incredibly welcome, but what makes episode 3 even better is the raising of more questions. The climactic tragedy that has been hinted at, a fire that was started by Mae, is shown strictly from Osha’s point of view. As Osha escapes, she finds Aniseya and the witches dead, with only Sol and Mae left. Mae falls to her apparent death and Osha is taken in by Sol. However, the lack of burn marks clouds the witches’ deaths in the unknown, hinting that Mae’s perspective will only reveal more about The Acolyte‘s mystery – and the Sith villain.

The Acolyte’s Cast & Production Design Continue To Impress

The show’s central characters are improved amid the beautiful landscape of Brendok

What immediately stood out as The Acolyte episode 3 opened was how beautiful it looked. The sweeping establishing shots of Brendok were awe-inspiring, and the medieval-like fort that houses Aniseya’s coven sparked a feeling of wonder that only Star Wars can provide. The CGI elements of Brendok — from the spiritual tree and its otherworldly creatures where Osha and Mae hang out to the blue and red moons that lend themselves to The Acolyte‘s logo — all blend seamlessly. This lack of jarring CGI made the cast stand out even more, one the episode’s greatest strengths.

Lee Jung-jae continues to imbue Jedi Master Sol with a sense of compassion and empathy rarely seen from Star Wars‘ space wizards, complete with a stirring show of emotions as tragedy descends in the final act. Where Amandla Stenberg shone as Mae and Osha in The Acolyte‘s premiere, this time the praise falls squarely on young twin actors Leah and Lauren Brady, who play each respective twin. The Brady twins provide subtle differences so that, even with Osha and Mae looking almost identical, it is not difficult to separate the two thanks to the Bradys’ nuanced performances.

The cast member who steals the show in The Acolyte episode 3, however, is Jodie Turner-Smith as Aniseya. Turner-Smith effortlessly strikes the difficult balance of Aniseya’s character, switching between a mother who wants what is best for her children and a leader who wants what is best for her coven with ease. Like Jung-jae, Turner-Smith’s show of emotion is endlessly moving, as she comes to terms with the future of her children and her entire way of life.

The Acolyte Episode 3 Introduces Intriguing Philosophical Star Wars Debates

Who the Force belongs to is a central question of The Acolyte

While I appreciated the themes of The Acolyte‘s premiere, the deeper questions at the heart of the show’s story come to light in episode 3. The exploration of the Force and how that differs between the Jedi and Aniseya’s witches is fascinating to watch unfold. Aniseya’s lesson to Mae and Osha about the power of one, power of two, and the power of many is brilliant, and ties into later exploration that the Force is not a power for someone to possess, but rather something that belongs to everyone. This philosophy comes into question with the appearance of the Jedi.

This marks a standoff where the moral lines are blurred. There are good and bad decisions made on both sides as the Jedi and the witches stand for their own beliefs. Through these scenes, episode 3 explores the morally gray areas of Star Wars better than most other projects. The Jedi and the witches are not so dissimilar, yet both think their way of perceiving and using the Force is correct. As someone who loves when Star Wars delves below surface level, like in The Last Jedi, The Acolyte episode 3’s complex exploration of philosophy was thrilling to experience.

Intriguingly, The Acolyte episode 3 does not clearly define who is right and wrong. The Jedi mean well but are flawed; they take children from their families and dismiss other Force users, believing their way is correct. Conversely, the witches want to live in harmony and pass on their teachings only with dark-side-inclined powers. Whose way is correct is not important to The Acolyte, with the show instead content to explore how these ideologies clash. This is a compelling change from the black-and-white of Star Wars’ Rebellion vs. Empire, Jedi vs. Sith, and light vs. dark.

With themes as heavy as The Acolyte episode 3 tackles, it is remarkable that the rest of the show’s strengths are not lost in the process. This is a testament to Leslye Headland’s clear plan for the show, with these themes and ideologies all tying perfectly to the mystery of the Sith. Despite lacking outright action sequences and a jarring, instant switch of time periods, The Acolyte episode 3 is a remarkable installment that captures the best aspects of Star Wars, such as a deeper exploration of the Force, without losing sight of the mystery the show is telling at its center.