‘The Acolyte’ Episode 4 Writer Addresses Short Runtime and Appearance of Dark Side Characters
The co-writer behind episode 4 of The Acolyte, Claire Kiechel, took to X (Twitter) to explain certain points of contention and questions from viewers of the show (hat tip to r/StarWarsLeaks). In her responses, Kiechel answered why the episode was shorter than others, and whether or not the appearance of a Dark Side character contradicts previously stated lore.
In my review of episode four of The Acolyte, titled “Day,” I stated how I enjoyed the unraveling mysteries within the show’s story, but criticized the episode’s brevity. At just under 30 minutes, the episode cuts off right when things start to get exciting. And it appears I wasn’t the only one who felt annoyed by this as Kiechel fielded questions regarding the episode length.
Spoilers for Episode 4 of The Acolyte below …
Kiechel, who is also involved as a writer for next week’s episode, stated that this week’s episode had to be cut short because Episode 5 needed to be longer. Even though Kiechel acknowledges viewers’ frustrations, she explains that it was the most natural cutoff point between Episodes 4 and 5:
Additionally, Kiechel also addressed the appearance of Ki-Adi Mundi in the episode alongside the appearance of a Dark Side character. Commenters pointed out that Ki-Adi Mundi doesn’t know anything about the Sith by the time of The Phantom Menace, yet, he’s in the show possibly encountering one. But Kiechel’s response points to how Ki-Adi’s interactions don’t contradict anything, possibly pointing to how Ki-Adi isn’t actually at the end of the episode when the villain appears, or how perhaps none of these characters are truly “Sith.” Either way, her answers are up for interpretation:
For more discussions about The Acolyte, feel free to check out our SWNN Live! podcasts that air on Thursdays at 7 pm PT/10 pm ET on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Facebook. Feel free to also check out a video from Star Wars News Net writer Tyler Bradshaw as to whether or not The Acolyte diminishes Anakin Skywalker’s role as “The Chosen One.”
Born and raised in Hawaii, Jay Goodearl runs the YouTube Gaming channel “Good Games, Dude” His channel aims to open up video games to beginners and immediate players and help them understand what makes games the art form that it is.
