The Acolyte knocked the breath out of all of us with last week’s episode. It was exciting, it was dark, and it was an excellent piece of the Star Wars universe. I’m sure we all wondered how they might top it. Well, The Acolyte 1×06 shows that they didn’t try, at least not in terms of action. Instead, this episode puts the show’s themes center stage in a brilliant way.
The Acolyte has shown interest in examining opposing ideas from the very beginning. The first two episodes were even titled in this way: “Lost/Found” and “Revenge/Justice.” This episode does the same. Episodes 4 and 5 took place over 24 hours that changed everything, and those two episodes were called “Day” and “Night.” Again, dichotomies. Twins Osha and Mae (both played by Amandla Stenberg) have been set up in the same way. Mae is the one who has been influenced by a dark Master to commit crimes, while Osha is the former Jedi student who is trying to live her life in peace. In this episode, they find themselves isolated with each other’s mentor. What a narratively rich situation that is!
The Acolyte 1×06 takes full advantage of the storytelling possibilities that the plot offers. It is a breather when it comes to action — but not when it comes to character development or conflicts. It’s an excellent follow-up to the previous episode.
“Your anger betrays your thoughts.”
Mae blamed the Jedi for the loss of her family in a fire (which SHE started, by the way) when she and Osha were children. Now that she knows Osha is alive, Mae blames the Jedi for her current conflict with her sister. “They’ve turned you against me,” she said to Osha, sounding very much like Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. Mae knocked out Osha and took her place. She wants to attack Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), the final Jedi alive who was stationed on her home planet 16 years ago. Meanwhile, Mae’s master, Qimir (Manny Jacinto), has taken an unconscious Osha with him to an unnamed planet.
Sol is a strong, capable Jedi. We don’t expect Mae’s trick to work on him for long, and it doesn’t. But he is also empathetic. His guilt over Mae and Osha has been clear from the beginning. Whether there is something specific to blame him for, we don’t know yet. Mae thinks there is, though. Sol (pronounced like “soul,” which fits his character and Jung-jae’s performance) obviously has things he wants to say about the past. I’m invested in hearing that. Even more intriguing, Jedi Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) is investigating the deaths from the last episode, and one of her team casts suspicions on Sol. We know he didn’t kill them, so WHERE did that come from?
“That’s the path to the Dark Side.”
What most viewers are going to be talking about is what happens between Osha and Qimir. When Osha wakes up, she is alone. She goes looking and finds Qimir walking somewhere, so she follows him. He told Sol in the last episode that he wants a student to teach. As a Sith, Qimir believes in the power of two. He thought Mae would fill that role, but she disappointed him. He wastes no time in stealthily seducing Osha toward the Dark Side. And I mean seducing. He strips down and bathes in a picturesque pond while Osha follows him. He clearly knows she’s there. This sexual energy doesn’t show up much in Star Wars, and the story is all the better for it. It adds a delicious layer to the viewing experience.
Nothing romantic has happened between these two. Osha is aware of the murders he’s committed and resists his persuasion. She doesn’t pay much heed to his insults toward the Jedi. So far. He tries to convince her that the Jedi threw her away, but Osha insists she is the one who failed. We don’t know which path these feelings will lead Osha down, and we root for her to stay in the light. Qimir has tempted her well, though, like Palpatine did with Anakin by telling him the story of Darth Palgueis. This episode draws another parallel between Osha and Anakin in the final moment. Qimir has repaired his helmet and encourages Osha to try it on. She dismisses him, but when he leaves, she does put it on. The POV shot inside the helmet, along with the breathing noise on the soundtrack ends The Acolyte 1×06 with a stunning image. How are there only two episodes left?
The Acolyte is streaming on Disney Plus.
