WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte!
Summary
The Acolyteepisode 7 provided audiences with much-needed answers aboutwhat happened on Brendokthe night Mae and Osha’s family died, but it fell into a similar (and annoying)Star Warspattern. After getting Osha’s limited perspective of the events that transpired on Brendok, audiences got to see the Jedi’s perspective of what happened inThe Acolyteepisode 7. The episode did a great job of showing the Jedi as imperfect and as people who made a series of mistakes that cost many lives, includingthe witches of Brendok.
I enjoyed the episode, even if it wasn’t my favorite of the series so far. However, immediately afterThe Acolyteepisode 7, I kept thinking the same thing over and over again; that waswaytoo short. This particular feeling festered a bit for a couple of days until I realized why the runtime of 44 minutes bothered me so much; allThe Acolyteepisodes have been too short.With only one episode remaining and no confirmation ofThe Acolytegetting a season 2, this problem is likely going to mean that many of our questions will go unanswered.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide - Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
Star Wars Has A Runtime Problem
And It’s Not New
Overall, in the last few years,Star Warshas been turning out many shows, live-action and animated alike; however, most of them suffer from the affliction of short runtimes.Especially in the last two years, manyStar Warsepisodes have often felt too short, to the point where audiences are noticing.It’s an interesting occurrence considering that while many other franchises are following the same model of putting out series and seasons with only 8 episodes, they aren’t getting the same negative feedback.
Having low runtimes can potentially affect the quality of the show, and as we’ve seen with multipleStar Warsseries, it limits an audience’s time with certain characters that could’ve been utilized in a better way.
Star Warsshows likeThe Mandalorian,Ahsoka, and nowThe Acolytehave had this issue on full display. When there is this kind of repeated behavior throughout a franchise as big asStar Wars, it poses the question of why this is consistently allowed to happen. Having low runtimes can potentially affect the quality of the show, and as we’ve seen with multipleStar Warsseries, it limits an audience’s time with certain characters that could’ve been utilized in a better way.
The Mandalorian
Cast
Released on July 28, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
Seasons With Limited Episodes Are Fine, As Long As The Episodes Are Long
Characters Need Time To Evolve Onscreen
TV shows don’t need to have large episode counts; a limited number eliminates the filler episodes common to network TV shows with 20+ episodes each year. This does, however, mean a shorter series faces a huge challenge in terms of letting characters grow and mature over such a short period of time. That is currently one of the biggest criticisms aboutThe Acolyte. If Osha does fall to the dark side and joinManny Jacinto’s Sith Lord Qimir, there’s been so little development to make it seem convincing.
The purpose of the short seasons is to drive plots forward and avoid “filler” episodes and to stay true to the central conflict.However, with a show likeThe Acolytethat has so many complex storylines and great characters, it’s hard to give everything its due time and things fall through the cracks.Extending episodes would’ve given audiences more time with fan-favorite characters like Yord and Jecki prior to their demise. Other franchises don’t have this runtime issue, and it’s curious as to whyStar Warshasn’t copied them.
Other franchises regularly release 8 episode seasons; however, their runtimes often land at or near an hour.BridgertonandThe Umbrella Academyoften have episodes north of an hour, whileStranger Thingshad multiple episodes in season 4 that ran over an hour and a half.Engaging shows can keep viewers drawn in for much longer periods of time, meaning there’s no need to impose an artificial 44-minute time constraint.
The Acolyte Episode 7’s Brendok Revelations Were Really Kind Of Disappointing
The Acolyte episode 7 has finally revealed what really happened with the Jedi on Brendok, and, to be honest, we expected much more than that.
Star Wars Can’t Keep Having Audiences Left Dissatisfied
Feeling Like An Episode Short Is NOT Good
Having audiences notice how short an episode’s runtime is indicates that the storytelling wasn’t effective. Just inThe Acolyte,there have been shorter episodes that felt complete in themselves, such asThe Acolyteepisode 5; however, there are others likeThe Acolyteepisodes 3 and 7 which felt the opposite. Stories either felt incomplete or rushed in order to ensure the episodes came out below 45 minutes.Extending scenes or adding in a few more would’ve made these episodes so much better and would’ve allowed the storytelling to flourish.
This isn’t anything new withStar Wars. Audiences particularly noticed this afterAhsokaepisode 3, where the episode was 37 minutes after a two-part premiere where the episodes were 57 and 44 minutes. The same goes forThe Mandalorianseason 3, episode 4 where the runtime was a mere 33 minutes.It’s alright if episodes are shorter, but only if they feel complete and aren’t just episodes where a lot of the plot is dumped on audiences.If this trend continues, it’ll be a major annoyance for viiewers who are expecting episodes that are longer and push the story forward.
Ahsoka
Ahsoka follows the journey of former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Released in 2023, this series takes place within the Star Wars universe and features Ahsoka navigating through a complex political and cosmic landscape.
The Acolyte Is Star Wars’ Latest Victim
But They Can Fix It With Season 2
WhileThe Acolytehas had some missteps in its overall storytelling, it’s clear that many of these issues could be fixed with a little time and attention spent enriching these stories so that they are told properly, regardless of runtime. IfThe Acolytegets a season 2, which I truly hope it does, showrunner Leslye Headland should push for longer episodes so that audiences can grow more attached to get a better understanding of these characters.
The Acolytehas a lot of potential for a season 2, especially after what will likely be an exciting season 1 finale. However, to keep audiences like myself engaged, Lucasfilm needs to find a solution to their runtime issues. WithAhsokaseason 2 officially in development, and hopefully more newStar Warsshows on the horizon, taking a page out of other franchises’ playbooks may not be the worst thing in order to engage audiences. Hopefully,The Acolytewill be the last of a long line ofStar Warstitles that suffer from inconsistent and short runtimes.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
