The Acolyte Episode 3 / Force Baby Controversy
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Overview
The Acolyte Episode 3 Controversy, also known as The Acolyte Force Baby Controversy, revolves around the third episode of the Disney+ original series The Acolyte, in which a group of force-wielding lesbian witches use the universe's iconic power to conceive the two main characters of the show. The episode itself created a large amount of controversy within the Star Wars fandom, with many calling it out on things that seem to break previously established canon, as well as being perceived as very far removed from all prior Star Wars shows in terms of tone and plot.
Background
Prior to the episode's release in June 2024, many fans who claimed to have been part of the test audience or seen leaks of the show had said that episode three of The Acolyte would be divisive among fans.
On June 1st, 2024, film and show reviewer @mypalal[1] posted a QRT on X / Twitter claiming that episode 3 of the show would finally kill the franchise for pre-Disney Star Wars fans, sparking early arguments over the premise of the show two weeks before the episode released (shown below).
![Alan Ng @ Film Threat @mypalal FINAL VERDICT: The third episode of The Acolyte will finally kill Star Wars for the vast majority of Pre-Disney Star Wars Fans. Based on LucasFilm comments of late, they are OK with that. THR The Hollywood Reporter @THR Mar 19 'Star Wars: The Acolyte' Creator Leslye Headland Talks the Unique Perspective of Her Upcoming Series hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features... 12:32 PM ⚫ Jun 1, 2024 136.5K Views 199 192 978 ☐ 90 <]](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/838/018/7dd.jpg "The Acolyte")
On June 11th, the episode premiered on Disney+. Shortly after its debut, many fans were already picking out parts of it and posting online to either trash or call attention to certain things that happened.
The X account for the content creator @Nerdrotics[2] uploaded a video from the Witches chant, simply captioning it with a laugh and pointing out how Star Wars is different now with Disney at the helm, earning over 6.5 million views in two days (shown below).
This is Disney Star Wars
BWHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA#Acolyte pic.twitter.com/EZ4FcnNWb8— Nerdrotic (@Nerdrotics) June 12, 2024
Online Reactions
As more people watched the episode, further reactions to the "Force Baby Conception" began to be posted online across various sites and platforms.
For example, on June 12th, 2024, the X account @XwingsHangar[3] created a post in which he openly lamented the direction that Star Wars had taken and wondered what went wrong behind the scenes to allow for the show to be made. The post, along with a video contrasting the fight between Revan and Darth Malak to the Witch Force Conception scene, earned over 284,000 views in one day (shown below).
Where did it all go wrong with #StarWars ? What cues did we not give as fans to show what was needed for them to make money? Who in their right mind would greenlight #theacolyte or any show LIKE the #acolyte to EVER air in front of Star Wars fans? #Disney has LOST THEIR MINDS pic.twitter.com/5cfqca010O
— Xwing (@XwingsHangar) June 12, 2024
Moving on from the topic of the "force baby," fans began to note that the series is unusually expensive, with each episode reportedly costing between $22 and $25 million. This was called out by fans as a way of increasing the amount of scrutiny the series should be getting, with X user @TheBugleDaily1[4] pointing toward the film Godzilla Minus One as costing less than that while being generally well received by fans of both Godzilla and monster films, earning over 350,000 views in less than a day (shown below).
![Hell Acolyte era @hellikait #TheAcolyte spoilers This scene was f------ amazing. To see the jedi from a POV that isn't their own, that doesn't hide the weird morality of their actions. Spying and invading a home to "invite" a highly impressionable child to be tested. "The jedi don't take children" /1] Hell Acolyte era @hellikait Jun 11 I guess they don't take children, but that doesn't stop them from using their power (political or physical) to threaten the families of the children they "invite" into their ranks. Not even Osha's clearly favorable POV was able to disguise it, because it's so clear to see. /2 Hell Acolyte era @hellikait Jun 11 They act as if they were just passing by, with no underlying meaning, as they scout a planet and subsequently break into a home to force the mothers' hands into testing (for something they already know the result) and eventually absorbing the kids into their ranks /3 The all-knowing Jedi were ignorant of their surroundings? Hell Acolyte era @hellikait Jun 11 And then there was Sol. He appears as such a gentle soul, sweet and So idealistic. He was one of those children "invited" so early into the jedi ranks (he was 4! Who makes a decision like that at 4??) and clearly taught that this was the correct way. He believes, trusts it. /4 Hell Acolyte era @hellikait⚫ Jun 11 The adults in the room know what is going on, though. Everything is tense. This isn't a happy or sweet scene, it's a thinly veiled hostage situation. I've never been ok with how the jedi find and take force sensitive kids and I'm glad a show is finally talking about this /5](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/002/844/736/308.jpeg "Acolyte ep 3’s effect on the perception of the Jedi")
Top Comments
Red123
Jun 13, 2024 at 05:51PM EDT
martinprince12345
Jun 13, 2024 at 03:34PM EDT