Thomas Storai 
“The Acolyte delivers an incredible finale with impressive lightsaber action and exciting surprises.”
Last week’s episode revealed the truth about what happened on Brendok. And now, it’s time for the season finale of The Acolyte!
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS BEWARE
DOWNFALL OF A JEDI
This season finale is a time of reckoning for Sol. He returns to Brendok, where it all started. We witness a lightsaber duel between him and Qimir that surpasses what we saw in episode 5. That episode raised the bar pretty high, but it’s a finale, so it had to do better. And it’s an impressive fight! It uses slow motion at the right time without doing too much. The choreography is worthy of what we see in the Prequels. Plus, Sol makes excellent use of the Force in this fight. It’s a natural spectacle. Indeed, we get to see Sol and Qimir in all their glory. Qimir’s use of his lightsaber and dagger saber is exceptionally cool! Undoubtedly, it is one of the best Star Wars lightsaber fights.
It’s incredibly satisfying for Sol as it is his last fight. It’s an overwhelming victory for him. But his demise is brought by who I expected – his former padawan Osha. He kept the truth from her for too long. So, when she learns what he did, it makes sense that she taps into the Dark side and ends his life. It doesn’t help that he justifies killing her mother. He still doesn’t see that what he did was wrong. He did it because he was trying to protect Osha, but he doesn’t see it as a mistake. Shockingly, he only feels remorse for being unable to save both “twins.” In his death scene, Sol exemplifies the hubris of the Jedi. His so-called good intentions lead to his fall.
This character has been on quite a journey throughout this season. He started as a Qui-Gon Jinn type of Jedi, only to be revealed as a young Dooku type of Jedi. Lee Jae has delivered an outstanding performance that deserves an Emmy nomination and even a win.
FALLING TO THE DARK SIDE
The sexual/romance tensions seen in episode 6 between Osha and Qimir go further in the finale. Qimir holding Osha’s hand and the lightsaber in their final scene makes it clear that the two have feelings for each other. Wherever that leads them is another question. These two have an exciting and complex dynamic. Qimir sees her potential and seeks an acolyte in her. Osha is attracted to him and what he has to offer, but she resists until she kills Sol. It’s the moment that changes everything for her. Everything she believes in falls apart, so after that, what Qimir has to offer doesn’t seem that bad. He is the one who has been honest with her, unlike the Jedi.
Osha’s turn to the Dark side is a brilliant scene. Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jae’s performances are so powerful at this moment. It’s one of the best scenes of the series because of what it means for both characters and for the overall story. This scene also has an exceptionally cool Star Wars moment. We finally see a lightsaber bleeding and changing colors in a live-action series. This is a satisfying moment!
MAE’S SACRIFICE
However, Mae is the part of Osha who gets sidelined. I say the part of Osha because they are not twins but one consciousness divided into two bodies created through the Force. When Sol reveals that to them, Qimir has an exciting reaction; he isn’t aware that these two were created by the Force and who they were exactly. This finale opens a lot of doors for what season two will explore. Even though we won’t have Lee Jung-jae anymore, things still look pretty exciting! Manny Jacinto as Qimir is one of these exciting things.
To return to Mae, she takes a side step in her role. Indeed, she sacrifices her memory of Osha to let her achieve her dream of being trained. It’s a touching sacrifice. Mae did everything she did for her sister, and now she doesn’t remember her. She becomes a prisoner of the Jedi. It’s a sad fate for her.
THE THREAT OF THE SENATE
If this series has made me hate a character, it’s Vernestra Rwoh. This season finale reveals everything that’s wrong with her. She had been through a lot in The High Republic books, but her younger self would have hated what she had become. Indeed, she is so blinded by politics that it influences her decision-making. And it only makes things worse. She covers up the truth with a big lie. It’s a lie for the Senate to save the situation but also a lie to save herself. The episode confirms that Qimir was her former padawan before he turned to the Dark side. This will be an exciting second season as she tries to hunt him down.
In addition, Senator Rayencourt finally makes his appearance, and the talented David Harewood plays him. Another actor that I am happy to see in Star Wars. This episode doesn’t show the Senate, but we see several Senators and the Chancellor. It may be something trivial for the casual audience, but for us, the fans, it’s exciting to know these little details, like who the Chancellor is during this time. I do think they will play a more prominent role in the future. Senator Rayencourt is after the Jedi, and he will not stop. His character may seem unpleasant, but he is speaking the truth about the Jedi. He says everything that we, the audience, think about them. I love this character. Harewood is the right pick for him!
In addition, seeing all these senators also gives us Vernestra in her senatorial robes. Jennifer Bryan has done outstanding work with all the costumes. Like everything in this series, it’s influenced by both the Prequels and the Sequels, and I love that.
CAMEOS
Finally, let’s talk about the cameos. There are two cameos in this finale. It is a no-brainer, but it is still exciting to see. The second one is the real surprise. The finale shows Darth Plagueis emerging from Qimir’s cave as he watches Qimir and Osha leaving. I honestly didn’t see this one coming. So it makes me so happy. He looks menacing; that’s a Sith Lord right there! Is he Qimir’s master? Because, if he is, why would he let him have an acolyte? Or if he’s not Qimir’s master, maybe he’s spying on him? This could be how he learns about the vergence on Brendok and, thus, how he learns to create life. His presence in this very cave asks many questions that I can’t wait to see answered in the second season.
The final shot of the season is the most exciting thing about this finale after Plagueis’ cameo. We do get to see Yoda. With things like that, we all want a second season, and I genuinely hope that Lucasfilm will renew the series. The story is far from being over. We only see Yoda’s back, but they used a puppet, probably the one from The Last Jedi. It seems pretty familiar. For one shot, that’s acceptable. But in season 2, they need to use CGI for this character; it’s what’s right for the period. And since Plagueis is CGI, they will also be willing to use that for Yoda.
VERDICT
The Acolyte delivers an incredible finale with impressive lightsaber action and exciting surprises. It’s a satisfying closure for the first season that also teases what’s to come for a possible second season. This season has been a fantastic introduction to The High Republic era in live-action. Leslye Headland has shown her love for Star Wars and made perfect use of it for this series.
All the episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney Plus.
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Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
