Part 3/12:
Central to the show's issues is the involvement of Leslie Hedland, who is widely perceived — and rightly so, as critics argue — as an unqualified, untalented, and perhaps incompetent writer and director. This persistent incompetence is not a slight but an observable fact, which paradoxically fuels viewers' curiosity. Few moments are more revealing than witnessing a creator or team attempt to helm a complex TV series without the necessary expertise.
Unlike film or television, where skills like storytelling, editing, and directing are honed over years, The Acolyte seems to suffer from a glaring lack of experience and coherence. The show's inability to deliver a seamless narrative becomes all the more glaring when considering the importance of editing in filmmaking.