The Acolyte Episode 4 Review
‘The Acolyte’ has reached its halfway point, with an episode that attempts to raise tension, but doesn’t quite manage it. It’s a vast improvement over episode 3, with darker tones mixed with . It is though still frustrating, with Qimir seemingly being built as a formidable but obvious foe, a pointless cameo, the off screen death of a cool seeming character and main character that’s literally being dragged along through her own story.
Osha is a difficult character to get behind in this episode. She wants to leave the Jedi to deal with Mae and have nothing more to do with the larger conspiracy at play. But just as she leaves, Sol drags her into the fight, keen to use her as bait for Mae. Osha barely gets a choice on whether she agrees or not, as before she or the audience knows it she’s whisked off to Khofar. She’s trapped on this mission that is thrust upon her, and so far hasn’t had her purpose on it justified.
Khofar is a mountainous planet with lush forests, a combination of Aldani and Kashyyk. It’s somewhat derrivative, but it has creepy wildlife like huge moths. Sol is a standout leader, as when the bug attacks he does kill it in self-defense, but Oshsa mourns its absence instead of Sol, showing that she’s .
Yord continues to be a stickler for the rules is a continued source of levity, and he gets a hilarious partner with the tracker, who’s presence is more than jsut comic relief. There are other parts that worked well. The atmosphere on Khofar builds and builds, with the Jedi taskforce, and Mae and Qimir heading for one another. The audience is waiting for the eventual confrontation, though as will be touched on later. But it provides rising interest, exactly what the middle episode should do.
In an interview with ComicBook, ‘The Acolyte’ showrunner Leslye Headland makes it clear that the show will not pull from characters from other films and TV, only the High Republic and ‘Star Wars Legends’. Well, episode four proves that is a lie. Ki-Adi-Mundi makes an appearance in a speaking role, and it’s one of those things that could have been said by any Jedi, making his appearance a bit pointless. It also seems like Plo Koon briefly makes a cameo, though this isn’t confirmed.
Kelnacca was built up as an impressive Wookiee Jedi, something that’s rare in the ‘Star Wars’ universe. And he’s dead. He died offscreen. It’s a real shame, especially because he’s barely done anything in the narrative so far, making his presence feel rather pointless. If there are future flashbacks, hopefully they do flesh out the character more, otherwise it’s hard to feel anything other than annoyance at this baffling decision.
As the show is billed as a mystery-thriller, the audience is right to expect a bit of intrigue. The season has a few twists to add to this, yet so far the show has telegraphed them from a mile away. The identity of The Stranger is the show’s biggest mystery, yet it’s attempt to tease this is heavy-handed. Qimir has been set up as the red-lightsaber wielding antagonist, but in a way that is extremely obvious. Now, this show could be setting him up as a red herring, but if it does turn out to be him, it’ll be a disappointing resolution to the show’s biggest hook.
But, as much as Qimir being redder than a herring, his conversations with Mae at least have a satisfying conclusion to them. Armed with the knowledge that the Jedi didn’t kill her sister, Mae is able to come back to the light side, coming to the conclusion that her fight is now pointless. It comes along with some pondering of what killing a Jedi without a weapon means. There is some nuance here, and the return to the light is positively surprising and welcome.
The ending of this fourth episode is frustratingly disappointing. Audiences get some strong visuals of The Stranger with a killer mask, floating down towards Osha, igniting his lightsaber in a fashion that teases her death. She’s not dead, and is flicked aside. The Jedi rush the Sith, only to be stunned back. The episode ends. While there are cliffhangers, this just abruptly ends right when the going gets good, unecessarily teasing audiences. It also puts pressue on next episode to resolve this thread instantly, and not tread water with other tedious flasback episode. It must be said though, at least it’s getting involved early on.
Overall, while episode four is a huge improvement over episode three, with Yord’s return and the rising tension, there are parts where it falls flat. The tension is never allowed to release, the story ending far to abruptly to drive future engagement. The Stranger’s design continues the beautiful costumes for the show that it’s had since the first episode, but the episode overcommits to teasing Qimir as the man behind the mask. Hopefully episode five isn’t a flashback, and will be able to answer some questions the audience have about the present.
