Max Nocerino 
The sixth episode of The Acolyte utilized an unusual storytelling method that raises many questions, and we NEED those answers.
The sixth episode of The Acolyte utilized an unusual storytelling method that I found quite illuminating. It didn’t have much action, but it stirred up my imagination and had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the shoe (or shoes) to drop.
TWIN SWITCH
Previously, Mae cut her hair to trick Master Sol into believing she was her twin. Osha wakes up in a makeshift home in a cave on some odd island on an unknown planet. The whole sequence is trippy and has some profound psychological vibes that make the viewer feel like they are watching one of those movies where everything is confusing and designed to be a scary mind “freak.” The island is the home of Qimir, the new “Sith” who, the last we saw, went on a murder streak and killed every Jedi on Master Sol’s team. Yet, we see a different side of him in this episode.
Osha is not his prisoner; he lets her know she can leave anytime. The guy takes a brief naked swim and talks to Osha about how the Jedi make it seem that their way is the only way to connect to the Force. He also used to be a Jedi until they threw him away, and he only killed the team because they were threatening his existence.
QIMIR
Qimir is an interesting character because when he isn’t killing people, he makes a lot of sense regarding how the Jedi treat people. He also scoffs at Osha’s new friendship with Jecki. He dismisses it as “one-sided,” and in some ways, that may be an accurate statement. Osha is much more robust in her morals than her sister Mae and even tells Qimir she is not so easily corrupted. But time will tell if this is 100% true.
SOL & MAE
The Sol/Mae plot thread is also very compelling. Sol shows a lot of anger and sorrow at his team’s loss and almost spills the beans to “Mae” about what happened to Brendok 16 years prior. Yet Sol isn’t a fool and sees things through Mae’s disguise. Again, I am on the edge of my seat, waiting for the big revelation. I think that is a good thing and proof that this series should not be underestimated.
Sol also prefaces another future revelation, thinking out loud and letting the audience know that he DID encounter Qimir before, on Olega, a planet EU fans may be familiar with. What happened on Brendok and Olega? Why is Qimir keeping Osha alive? These questions are like monoliths in the center of my mind, and when the credits rolled for the end of the episode, I hungered for more. I can excuse a lack of action when everything is deep and compelling.
VERNESTRA RWOH
Lastly, I want to touch on Vernestra Rwoh. As I said in a previous review, the sweet and caring teenage Jedi prodigy fans know from The High Republic books are gone. Vern has evolved into a hardened and joyless adult. Her bald head signifies her changed nature. I’m unsure if I like this new character, as she may have become the Mace Windu-esque Jedi who may botch up essential things later on. Thankfully, she still believes Sol is not the individual who killed his team, but she may start to think so after Sol sends a distress signal but then leaves Khofar. It does seem suspicious. But let’s hope she trusts in the Force and sees Sol isn’t the enemy.
VERDICT
There are lots of questions, and we NEED those answers.
The first six episodes of The Acolyte are streaming on Disney Plus now.
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FORCE FACTS
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The planet that Qimir lives on is revealed to the audience as an “Unknown Planet.” It reminds me of Ach-To, the distant island retreat Luke Skywalker exiled himself to in the Sequel Trilogy. Also, like Ach-To, the island Qimir lives on is isolated, with mountainous terrain and a strange group of tiny elephant-like bird creatures that are an homage to the Porg. These things have wrinkly skin and small trunks, and while not as cuddly as a Porg, they are still pretty cute.
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Vernestra briefly uses her lightsaber to protect a padawan from a residual Umbramoth when she assesses the Khofar disaster. It’s so cool to see the light whip mode in action (even for a split second), and this is the first time in Star Wars history that this weapon has been portrayed on the silver screen. Also, we get a throwback to The High Republic as one Padawan questions Vernestra taking a journey to Khofar as hyperspace doesn’t always “agree” with her. This refers to the disturbing Force visions that Vernestra frequently received in hyperspace.
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Mae finds Pip and threatens to reset him to “factory mode.” This seems to imply that droids can be easily memory wiped by their masters by resetting them to the condition and mental state they had when they were first manufactured. This is an exciting feature, and since Pip is handheld, it is possibly easier than wiping an astromech or protocol droid. I hope Mae didn’t wipe him, as it could jeopardize his strong bond with his owner, Osha.
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Before Vernestra gets the news of Sol’s distress call, she speaks with an alien senator about a disturbing situation in the Senate. A Senator is making waves and does not like the Jedi. He is calling for a full review of the Order, and Vernestra dismisses it as just a power grab from an ambitious senator, but it gets me wondering. Politics constantly plagued the Order in the Prequel Trilogy, and 100 years prior, Senators are starting to get fed up with the Order and question its autonomy and perceived “corruption”. This is very interesting to me, and I hope it comes back up in the next two episodes or the following season. The High Republic is in its twilight era, and perhaps this is the push to end it
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Qimir reveals to Osha that his helmet is made of cortosis. Die-hard fans will know this metal is resistant to blaster bolts and lightsabers. However, we also learn for the first time that cortosis blocks out all senses and can be used as a sensory deprivation training helmet. This is quite a new and exciting bit of lore, and it appears that this metal has many properties that can make it both a boon and bane to a force-sensitive.
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
