Max Nocerino 
Like many modern TV shows and movies, the whole plot of The Acolyte seemed to be built around the clear intention of having a second season.
I don’t know what to say about the final episode of The Acolyte. The old me would find it exhilarating, but the new older me can’t help but feel a lack of novelty. In the last episode, we saw what happened on that tragic day 16 years prior on Brendok. I liked the behind-the-scenes-fill-in-the-blanks motif that they used. It was cliche, but it worked well. No complaints. The season finale follows Qimir and Osha’s dysfunctional, not-quite-allies relationship with this troubled young man. Qimir has not attempted to hurt Osha and almost seems wary of her (a big difference from his domineering of her twin), so he asks to train her. Osha declines.
She is not as corruptible as her sister and plans to save Sol from Mae. It’s such a strange arrangement; the two travel on the same ship, and it is almost like a game of manhunt. Whoever gets their first wins. I find this bizarre alignment quite insane, and it is very different from any other unlikely duo I’ve seen in Star Wars.
MAE AND SOL
Sol follows an escaping Mae to Brendok, and all four of them end up where it all started. The shining strength of this episode is the decaying moral ambiguity of the Jedi characters. Sol feels remorse for killing Mae and Osha’s mother. But he keeps insisting that he did the right thing. Really?! Murdering a (relatively) innocent woman impulsively was the right thing? Doesn’t Mother Aniseya have a right to practice her religion and raise her “children” as she sees fit? The Jedi’s intent to staunch this coven led to the problems in the first place. Sol’s obsession with the Force vergence of Mae and Osha and his desire to make Osha his apprentice is selfish and very un-Jedi-like.
THE EROSION OF JEDI PRINCIPLES
Speaking of corrupt Jedi, Vernestra Rwoh is almost worse than Sol, if possible. Gone is the kind and by-the-rules Jedi that we grew to love as a guiding voice in “The High Republic” novels. In her senior age, Vernestra has become cold, curt, passively aggressive, and arrogant. She verbally spars with Senator Rayencourt, who wants the Jedi to be investigated as part of an official review. Vernestra is rude and dismissive of this senator. The guy makes some good points. He even has the guts to accuse Vernestra of not liking him. To which Vernestra agrees! Admitting dislike of someone is very un-Jedi-like and further proves Rayencourt’s point.
Rayencourt accuses the Jedi of thinking that they control the galaxy’s fate. Vernestra monotonously tells him that Jedi do not entirely control the Force. Yet that’s not what Rayencourt meant. The Jedi think they can control emotions. He claims that they try to give off this perfect polished image of morality, essentially a holier-than-thou mentality, and honestly, is he wrong? The Jedi think they are perfect and are always the most moral in the room when, in actuality, they are just like you and me. They have emotions, and they make mistakes. They could be very dangerous if one decides to snap. Rayencourt seems to have a crystal ball for the next century, as we all know that that is precisely what happens. Anakin’s turn to the dark side could be seen as the Jedi elders forcing him to repress his emotions. They created the monster!
LIGHTSABER DUELS
The action in this show is a mixed bag. While I enjoyed Osha and Mae’s hand-to-hand combat, I am getting a little sick of these mediocre lightsaber duels. The choreography is unpolished and definitely cannot be put in the same category as the Nick Gillard duels of the Prequels. It would behoove Disney to rehire him and maybe drop some mula for the lightsabers. They are simply a joke compared to the Prequel and Original Trilogy lightsabers. The special effects of the blade are pretty terrible and resemble oversized glowsticks. They just don’t have that brilliant, blinding color of a highly advanced piece of Clarktech that they should have.
VERDICT
I was satisfied with the ending. However, like many modern TV shows and movies, the whole plot seemed to be built around the clear intention of having a second season. It’s all Hollywood cares about. Making more money. I can’t say this was a waste, but I’m not overly blown away. However, I love that the Jedi are finally being looked into, thanks to the brave insistence of a Senator who actually seems to care about the Republic. And some of the Force things were cool and unexpected.
All episodes of The Acolyte are streaming on Disney Plus now.
Our team covered this series comprehensively, providing traditional review coverage and prominent character posters, bios, and teasers. To stay updated and never miss a story or review, please subscribe to our mailing list on our homepage.
FORCE FACTS
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One of Brendok’s twin moons has its own ring system. As of the premiere of this episode, there is no official confirmation of a moon with a ring system in the real universe
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Both Vernestra and Sol seem to have the power of Psychometry, as they “hear” the anguished cries of Mae from 16 years ago when they set foot on the grounds that the coven was destroyed.
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Qimir has the advanced Force ability to remove the memories of someone with just a wave of his hand. The Father (Mortis) himself needed to make physical contact to memory rub Anakin and only erased the memories of a few hours. Qimir effortlessly removes a quarter decade of memories in Mae.
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Osha is so powerful in the Force that her anger unknowingly “bleeds” Sol’s lightsaber crystal, changing it from blue to red. Sith and Dark Side adepts often performed a ritual called bleeding to turn their crystal red. Using the Dark Side, they literally bled the crystal and changed its molecular structure as a quasi-living creature. Vader does this to a lightsaber from a Jedi he killed shortly after the Revenge of the Sith, making it his.
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The true Sith hiding in the caverns of Qimir’s home looks like a terrible old-man human-like vampire and NOT a Muun like Darth Plagueis originally was.
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Before he turned to the dark side, Qimir’s former Jedi Master was Vernestra Rwoh herself. Surprise.
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Vernestra covers up this whole incident by lying, pinning it on Sol, which ironically is her lie covering Indara’s lie in a nested Russian doll of Jedi duplicity and cover-ups.
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At the very end of the episode, we see another familiar face. Let’s hope he plays a more significant role in Season 2.
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!
