Despite a Stellar Episode 5, Why Are ‘The Acolyte’ Ratings Still Dropping?

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ is arguably the most controversial Star Wars release to date. The show faced heated reactions even before its release, largely due to controversial statements made by the cast and crew.

Headland’s emphasis on the “gayness” of the show aggravated some fans who are frustrated with today’s DEI politics, feeling that the series is being driven by a social agenda rather than focusing on storytelling.

Following its release, the show experienced both review-boosting and review-bombing. After episodes 3 and 4 aired, things took a turn for the worse. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds an 86% critic score but only a 14% audience score.

Other aggregators show similar dismal results, with the show rating a 3.3 based on 69,000 reviews. Personally, I found ‘The Acolyte’ somewhat dull, especially during episodes 3 and 4 where nothing significant happened. Episode 5 improved many aspects of the show, though the protagonist remains bland and the dialogue poorly written.

The action was impressive, and I appreciated Disney’s bold move to take such a brutal direction by eliminating most of the main cast in a single episode. I honestly expected the show’s rating to improve based on this. However, it’s important to note that this is my subjective opinion, echoed by many fans on social media who reacted positively to the episode.

Despite this, the show’s overall rating has worsened, now sitting at 84% with critics and 13% with audiences. There is some hope on IMDb, as episode 5, titled “Night,” is currently the highest-rated episode with a 6.7 approval rating.

So why wasn’t a solid episode enough to recover at least some of the ratings? The answer is simple: a catastrophic PR response to fan criticism exacerbated the situation. Disney needs to learn how to listen to fan feedback and effectively communicate with its loyal fan base.

‘The Acolyte’ is far from the best Star Wars show ever released, and we will have to wait for the final three episodes to draw a final conclusion. While much of the show has been disappointing, Episode 5 showed signs of improvement, especially if the level of action and suspense is maintained until the end. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!