This review contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 1, episode 4.
The Acolyte’s fourth episode ramps things up, bringing Mae, Osha, and their respective allies back into direct contact and finally revealing Mae’s Master to the Jedi. This is a better installment, giving us some nice character interaction and fun Star Wars action and creature moments, even if there are still some stumbles along the way.
We don’t know all the exact specifics about Osha leaving the Jedi yet, but in this episode we see how she’d now be interested in rejoining the Order. Her disappointment that Sol wanted her to continue working with them, but not as one of them, was clear. This longing is a nice undercurrent to her character and something that adds to Osha feeling like a fleshed-out character, even as Mae’s motivations feel much murkier and vague, sometimes to a frustrating degree.
In last week’s flashback episode, we saw that Mae outright attempted to kill Osha when they were kids, furious that her sister was going to leave the coven on Brendok. And we know that, believing the Jedi killed her coven, she has been hunting down those she thinks are responsible. Yet now, she’s willing to give it all up and turn herself in to the Jedi to be reunited with Osha? Yes, there’s a lot of specifics we don’t know, and regrets she might feel, but what we do see of Mae so far just feels like a jumble when it comes to her characterization.
If Mae turns back to the Light Side, it’ll feel pretty predictable.
Also, if she turns back to the Light Side, it’ll feel pretty predictable. It seems like almost anytime a Star Wars movie or TV show gives us a Dark Side user with any inner conflict – think Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Reva, Asajj Ventress, or Barriss Offee – they’re on the path to redemption. It would be more interesting for Mae to have some inner turmoil and regrets, but ultimately not be redeemable, so that’s what I’m hoping for.
We’ve so rarely seen a large group of Jedi team up together in live-action – even the prequels really only did this at the end of Attack of the Clones – so it’s exciting to see Sol lead Yord, Jecki, and several others in an attempt to stop Mae. And it seems that when The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland said the series would be free of major cameos from characters like Yoda, she didn’t mean other, less beloved, pointier-headed future members of the Jedi Council, as prequel character Ki-Adi-Mandi pops up here as well.
The Jedi’s encounter with some creepy creatures on Khofar makes for a very fun and oh-so Star Wars moment: What first appear to be large growths on the local trees turn out to be huge, bug-looking critters. It’s a bit surprising that it’s not those same creatures who attack our crew, but the protective Umbramoth (that’s how it’s spelled in the captions) that swoops in is effective as well. But it’s the aftermath that matters most, as Osha discusses the creature with Jecki and says she feels responsible for its death. It’s a strong scene that adds more layers to how the Jedi perceive death not as an ending but as something intrinsic to the connection all living beings have to the Force. Or, as Jecki puts it, “It’s always an honor to get to witness anything or anyone transform into the Force.” We know Force Ghosts are eventually a thing, but Jecki and her peers don’t, so I appreciate this insight into the Jedi perspective on the afterlife and how they attempt to be at peace when someone they know passes away.
I appreciate this insight into the Jedi perspective on the afterlife.
There’s a lot of fan theorizing that Qimir might in fact be the very Master he claims to be working for. As the theory goes,he’s pulling a Padme by hiding in plain sight as his own subordinate. Episode 4 certainly has moments that could back that theory up: Qimir claims he’s never seen the Master’s face, indicating he and Mae have never been with the Master at the same time, which is a bit convenient. His clumsiness and awkwardness – dropping things, getting caught in a trap – could all be part of his subterfuge. It would be interesting to see Manny Jacinto playing against type as a Sith Lord (or Sith type, at the least), though I continue to enjoy Qimir as a scoundrel who’s actually a full scoundrel. Either path forward holds promise.
What we said about the first four episodes of The Acolyte
Setting its story in a longer, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away allows The Acolyte to feel fresh and different from other recent live-action Star Wars series, with an intriguing storyline that seems to be setting the stage for the return of the Sith we know is coming. However, outside of its exciting Jedi fight scenes its execution sometimes feels off, with frequent cheesy moments and a lack of visual flair that contributes to the ongoing concern that all these Star Wars streaming series have diminished the epic nature of the franchise and what makes it special. Taken on its own terms, The Acolyte does offer some enjoyable character dynamics and an enticing mystery, but its first four episodes fail to coalesce into something that truly shines. But look, it does have a wookiee Jedi, and that’s always a plus. – Eric Goldman, June 4, 2024
Score: 6
Read the complete Star Wars: The Acolyte Spoiler-Free Review.
What doesn’t hold any promise is Kelnacca, because he’s dead! This is pretty frustrating, because if you’re gonna have a freaking wookiee Jedi on your show, let him do some cool wookiee Jedi fighting before you kill him off. Are we really not going to see that wookiee swing a lightsaber?! Okay, sure, he’ll likely still appear in more flashbacks to what happened on Brendok, but right now, this feels like a lot of build up to nothing for the character. Mae was already gearing up for an intense fight when she found him!
This feels like a lot of build up to nothing for the wookiee character.
Kelnecca’s sliced-open corpse is an extremely graphic image by Star Wars standards (give or take some Tauntaun guts) – and it sets up the powerful entrance of Mae’s Master. This is a well-done sequence, as Sol is the first to sense the Master’s presence, then all the other Jedi, who turn towards him. Seeing them all ignite their lightsabers, only for him to use the Force to send them all flying, makes for a great cliffhanger.
Other Thoughts
Jecki and Osha have a sweet scene at the episode’s start, when it seems Osha is going to leave, and they speak about meeting up again for a drink down the line. And yes, it also feels rather flirty, though Jecki seems pretty big on the whole “no attachments” rule for the Jedi. It remains to be seen if she’d actually allow herself any sort of romantic feelings. Seriously, where is Yord’s padawan, Tasi Lowa? She’s been absent since her single scene in the first episode. And now, with Sol bringing in Jedi reinforcements to help track Mae, it seems even more odd to leave her not unmentioned. Maybe she’s the Master! (Probably not.) High Republic book and comic character Vernestra Rwoh gets more screen time here, and it’s intriguing to see her insist they should not tell the Jedi Council what’s occurring. Shefeels “they’d be obliged to inform the senate,” which would lead to a scandal that in turn would “inspire fear and mistrust.” Jedi are by and large fairly rigid when it comes to the rules, and so it’s always good to see someone like Vernestra who is more in the Qui-Gon mode of sharing what she feels needs to be shared. On top of that, the prequels (and episodes of The Clone Wars) established that Senate-Jedi have a precarious partnership. It’s notable that even a century earlier, there are Jedi who seem to have some big reservations about this dynamic. The shape of the Master’s costume, coupled with the red lines running through it, are highly reminiscent of Kylo Ren’s helmet, particularly after it was fused back together in The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, if it turns out The Master is a true Sith, it’s possible Kylo was adding in a bit of an homage to someone besides his dear grandfather. The Jedi are clearly convinced the Sith are a thing of the past here, with one suggesting Mae is working with a “splinter order,” while Vernestra assumes it was a Jedi who has trained her. Given we now know Vernestra is cool with keeping secrets from the Council, we have one more potential avenue (barring the ol’ “Everyone Dies” possibility) that the Sith’s return could be revealed to some by season’s end yet still remain a secret from the Jedi at large by the time of the prequels. Derek Arnold takes over from prequel actor Silas Carson as the younger Ki-Adi-Mundi here. Both a puppeteer and actor, Arnold has played several other alien roles in Star Wars already, including in The Force Awakens and Rogue One. The line of the week is Qimir’s funny and biting jab at Mae: “I’m just curious how you’re going to do it this time. You’ve failed so much!”
