The twisty mystery of season 1 of The Acolyte wasn’t a ‘whodunit’ after all, but focused on why the murders were happening instead.
While the first half of the season felt underbaked, it was episode 5 that turned things around, with the following two chapters doing most of the season’s compelling character and thematic work. Last week in episode 7, we finally found out what really transpired on Brendok 16 years before the main events of the series. Now, the finale closes that story arc, gives some characters closure, and teases where things might be going next.
Mind you, The Acolyte has yet to receive a season 2 renewal, though recent interviews with creator and showrunner Leslye Headland, as well as some Star Wars social media posts, seem to suggest there’s an interest in taking this story further and closing the gap between the late High Republic era and The Phantom Menace.
Episode 8 has almost everything you’d want out of a compelling season finale: with every player who hasn’t bitten the dust clashing into each other, and the veils being lifted on remaining questions linked to the plot and themes. Also positive is the choreography work once again, which confirms The Acolyte’s lightsaber fights might be the snazziest since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. Moreover, there are two killer cameos that every Star Wars die-hard fan was surely waiting for.
Still, the weight of the messier first half of the season ultimately crushes Mae as an interesting character; she goes from being a mere pawn to having flimsy convictions and acting however the plot demands her to in each scene. This had been happening ever since she and Osha essentially swapped roles, and while the once-good twin gets the space needed to grow and become a more mature version of herself, it feels like Mae remains at a crossroads and even takes a couple of steps back in the finale. Likewise, there are a couple of plot beats and character moments in this (partial) conclusion that don’t feel nearly as well justified as the rest.
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Spoilers ahead for The Acolyte episode 8: “The Acolyte”
Who’s the mystery Sith Lord hiding in the shadows?
Of course, most of the fan conversations over the next few days will center on the big Sith Lord cameo we’ve all been waiting for: Darth Plagueis himself, lurking in the shadows and taking an interest in Qimir and Osha while on the unknown planet which we suspect to be Bal’demnic. The name isn’t really uttered in the episode, as the character only gets a small cameo and doesn’t interact with anyone. However, much like in the Legends stories, he’s a cloaked Muun who looks creeeeeeepy.
This raises the question of whether Qimir knows him or if the Sith Lord has an entirely different agenda and has simply been stalking the potential Sith wannabe. As of yet, there isn’t a definitive answer to Qimir’s (aka the Stranger) dark side history after becoming a fallen Jedi. Either he’s planning to overthrow his Sith master with an apprentice of his own – a very Sith thing to do – or he truly has no ties to the actual Sith Order that’s been plotting in the shadows for centuries, and Qimir 100% wants to be free of rules. Honestly, the latter option sounds far more interesting and creates an explosive three-sided conflict for season 2 and beyond (should the needed renewals happen).
Plagueis’ long-awaited appearance also confirms Headland’s many teases that she’s very interested in exploring the space between the late High Republic period and Sheev Palpatine becoming his apprentice, regardless of Qimir and Osha’s key roles as the overarching story of the show progresses. It certainly looks like whatever comes after this first season (if it happens) will have a distinct feeling to it, as the ‘Brendok mystery’ plot has been wrapped up for good, or so it seems.
Has Osha and Mae’s complicated relationship been fixed?
One thrilling chase sequence through an asteroid field later, Mae manages to flee from Sol inside a smaller escape ship (with help from our favorite little guy Bazil who turns on the Jedi Master in hopes of saving the ship and their lives). Mae crash lands on Brendok, where Sol wants to convince the Jedi about his side of the complicated story.
Lee Jung-jae’s character Sol has been the most fascinating one in the series. As Sol is a skilled Jedi who truly meant to do some good, but was clouded by suppressed feelings and eventually ruined things for almost everyone, all while never fully stepping into the dark side. There’s a hidden passion inside him that makes the later developments more believable and, in most cases, more human in a way that Star Wars hadn’t really applied to a Jedi since Luke’s divisive arc in The Last Jedi.
If the franchise is never leaving the guardians of peace and justice behind, then exploring the more intriguing gray areas should be a priority. Both the Jedi religion and the very concept of what a Jedi is individually are arguably the most interesting ideas the shows and movies could explore, and we’re glad we’ve moved further in that direction with The Acolyte.
After another duel with Qimir – full of wuxia and Star Wars prequels callbacks – in which Sol gains the upper hand after focusing and putting the rage aside for a while, Mae and Osha are the ones that actually decide the troubled Jedi Master’s fate. The former isn’t embracing the Jedi (while she’s rejecting Qimir’s teachings now, she still believes they ruined her life and hunted them down), but has let go of her anger and want for revenge. Osha, however, is going in the opposite direction and even fights Mae for a while before realizing there wasn’t a problem between them; they’d just been used and twisted by external forces.
This realization leads to Sol’s kind words and apology not mattering in the end. With tears in his eyes, he’s Force-choked by Osha and dies. We all know that path only leads to bad things, but this development seemed inevitable after Qimir offered her a sincere alternative to years of repressed feelings and being ‘used’ by Sol to cover up his sins. Plus, we get to see the bleeding of a kyber crystal on the screen for the first time ever, with the blade of Sol’s lightsaber changing from blue to red. How cool is that?!
Was Qimir’s truly Vernestra’s old Padawan?
Episode 8’s closing scenes also favor Osha, who chooses to leave with Qimir to forge her own path forward at long last (even if it’s a dark one). Meanwhile, Mae asks for her memory to be partially wiped by Qimir in order to protect her sister’s whereabouts and cover up what really happened on Brendok 16 years ago. It’s a bit of an unneeded plot contrivance, especially when Vernestra immediately realizes on Brendok that Qimir is there and is convinced that Mae is the key to finding him. It does, however, provide a way out of the ‘Why did the Jedi not know about the living Sith?’ question that’s been plaguing the most unimaginative fans for weeks though.
Yes, Vernestra Rwoh, a ‘legacy’ High Republic character from the pre-Acolyte books, isn’t as pure as we thought she’d be decades later. Much like the now-deceased Master Sol – who she totally throws under the bus to save the Jedi Order’s reputation and placate the Senate and their most burning criticisms – she’s become a Jedi that, while staying in the light side of the Force, lacks self-awareness and foreshadows the end of an era. She also had a failed apprentice, Qimir, and isn’t willing to let her superiors know that she messed up. Chances are that in the future we’ll learn more about the two characters shared past, although we do hope this story isn’t a simple retread of Sol and Osha’s.
With Qimir and Osha looking at the horizon Attack of the Clones-style (we’re counting on more romantic vibes going forward) and Darth Plagueis looming over them, the plot for a potential second season seems pretty clear, but it’s nice to have a sense of closure by the time the credits roll. Before that, however, we get a brief look at Yoda, who may or may not have a proper role in a second season. Saving Plagueis for the end made more sense, especially with Qimir and Osha back on the mystery planet, but we’ll take it.
Stay tuned for news on The Acolyte’s future and prepare for a lighthearted return to the New Republic era with Skeleton Crew, which promises a lower-stakes adventure, later this year on Disney Plus.
