Star Wars: The Acolyte Episodes 1 and 2 Premiere Review

We’re in the High Republic Era now.

Star Wars: The Acolyte™ is finally here, and an intriguing galactic mystery comes with it. I love the world-building in these first two episodes and the narrative seeds they plant. The characters are fascinating, and kudos to Amandla Stenberg for expertly playing twins. (I hope she called Lindsay Lohan for tips.)

I’m excited to see where this crime thriller takes us. Bring on the rest of the season!

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Episode 1: “Lost / Found”

We open on Ueda™ with a masked assassin entering a local noodle shop. Said masked assassin approaches a Jedi, Master Indara™, who sits among a group. She challenges Master Indara to a fight. Indara insists that Jedi don’t battle those without weapons. However, the assassin proves she’s quite formidable using only the Force.

After the assassin beats the snot out of a few other patrons, Master Indara takes her on. She recognizes the assassin. Of course, Indara is more than a capable Force user. Unfortunately, the assassin strikes while Indara saves the bar proprietor from a flying blade. A blade pierces Indara’s chest, killing her.

The assassin moves to murder the proprietor. However, she spies the shop owner’s child as they cower behind their parent. She decides against adding to the bloodshed. Protect cute alien kids at all costs!

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Osha

Later, Osha™ wakes up on a Neimoidian™ ship, where she serves as a meknek™. (A meknek typically does droid work – repairing outer hulls on vessels, an archaic practice since droids have mostly replaced humans in repair jobs.) She seems breathless as if she had awoken from a nightmare. She chats with Pip™, her handheld repair droid.

While repairing the shield generators, the pressure valve explodes. Osha stares into the flames, experiencing a flashback from her childhood. We hear young Osha call out for Mae™ and her mother.

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New Arrivals

At the same time, Jedi Knight Yord Fandar™ and his Padawan, Tasi Lowa™, arrive on the Neimoidian ship. They’re there for Osha. Osha enters her room to find Yord. As it turns out, they have a history. Yord and Tasi question Osha regarding her involvement in Master Indara’s murder. Osha is bewildered. She wouldn’t kill a Jedi.

During this questioning, we learn Osha’s family – her mothers and sister – died in a fire on Brendok™, her homeworld. The Jedi Order took in Osha. She left the Order six years ago, deciding the Jedi life wasn’t for her.

Even after denying the murder accusation, Osha finds herself in trouble when the noodle shop owner barges into the room, identifying her as Indara’s killer. Uh-oh.

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Coruscant

Meanwhile, on Coruscant™, Master Sol™ is in the middle of a lesson with his younglings when Master Vernestra Rwoh™ arrives with news: Osha is in custody. She’s being charged for Indara’s murder and is en route to Coruscant. Osha was Sol’s Padawan at one point. He’s incredulous – Osha has no reason to kill Indara.

In fact, he and Indara saved her from that fire on Brendok. Osha always viewed Sol and Indara as her protectors. Vernestra asks for Sol’s support in “this endeavor” despite his attachment to Osha. We can see the wheels turning in Sol’s head. He clearly won’t let Osha take the fall for a crime she didn’t commit.

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Imprisoned

Next, we see Osha trapped on a prison ship powered by droids bound for Coruscant. The other prisoners are planning their escape. They implement their plan, leaving Osha behind and taking the escape pods. Now, Osha is stuck on a careening, pilotless vessel.

She spots Pip and tries to reach for him. She attempts to use the Force (without success) to reach for Pip, but thankfully, gravity does the trick, bringing the pocket droid closer to her. She uses Pip to unlock her cell.

Then, she sees that the other prisoners abandoned a violent criminal who’s been subdued by a parasite called a dybbuk™. (It’s also the name of a malicious spirit in Jewish folklore.) Osha frees him but, instead of returning the favor, he leaves her to die by taking the last escape pod.

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Crash-Landing

While Osha straps in for a bumpy landing as the vessel crashes onto a snowy landscape, Sol watches a hologram of Osha. Jecki Lon™, Sol’s current Padawan, informs him that Vernestra wishes to speak with him.

Next, we see the convicts from the prison transport locked up on Coruscant. They claim the mutiny wasn’t their idea but that of the “Jedi killer.” Vernestra tells Sol that the transporter crashed on Carlac™, and it looks like Osha didn’t survive. Sol questions the violent criminal about Osha, using the Force to quiet his mind so he can speak. He reveals he left Osha on the transporter, stealing the last escape pod. Sol decides to investigate the crash himself. When you want something done…

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Survival

Osha wakes up in the aftermath of the crash on Carlac. She sees snow swirling around her. Then, Osha spots a young girl as she flees. This is Mae, her identical twin sister who died in the Brendok fire … or did she?

Meanwhile, Sol assembles a team for his trip to Carlac, including Jecki and Yord. Yord has seemingly misplaced his shirt, but we won’t hold that against him (especially if it takes him longer to find it).

Elsewhere, Osha confronts Mae in the psychic vision, admitting she thought the latter was dead. She asks Mae if she killed Indara. Mae confirms this. Hey, at least she’s honest.

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What’s Past Is Prologue

While en route to Carlac, Jecki asks Sol about his connection with Osha. He reveals that he was posted on Brendok at the time. He witnessed Mae start a fire that killed the entire family, except for Osha (well, and Mae). That’s when Sol took Osha under his wing as his Padawan.

Our Jedi trio lands on Carlac, stumbling upon the debris from the prison transporter crash. They spot Osha. She tries to flee but finds herself cornered when she encounters a cliffside. Yord and Jecki stand behind Sol, weapons raised. Sol attempts to persuade Osha to accompany them. She asserts her innocence in all this.

Suddenly, she loses her footing and falls backward off the cliff. Thankfully, Sol uses the Force to catch her, bringing her back to solid ground. He reassures Osha that he believes her. She states that Mae is alive.

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An Acolyte Kills

Later, Mae approaches a figure dressed in black who stands in the distance. He provides ominous narration, declaring that an Acolyte has an advantage over the Jedi. They can kill without a weapon and crush the Jedi dream. The figure unleashes his red Lightsaber™.

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Episode 2: “Revenge / Justice”

We open on Olega™ at a Jedi Temple. Mae pays a young girl to distract the droid guarding the entrance while she deactivates it. Then, she sneaks into the temple, making her way toward Master Torbin’s™ quarters. We see him levitating with his eyes closed in deep meditation. Mae removes her hood and demands he attack her with all his strength.

Next, she tries to initiate the fight, but the Force shield encircling him is impenetrable. Mae departs before an Olega Master senses an intruder is in their midst.

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En Route to Coruscant

Meanwhile, Osha assists Jecki with a technical issue on Sol’s ship. Her meknek know-how is coming in handy. Yord pulls Sol aside, stating he doesn’t believe Osha, their prisoner, should be wandering the vessel without restraints. Sol believes in Osha’s innocence. He knows Mae is alive and well.

Sure enough, Vernestra confirms this when she informs him of an attack at the Jedi Temple on Olega. Osha can’t be in two places at once. So, Vernestra orders Sol to change course for Olega to investigate.

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Olega

Later, on Olega, Mae reunites with Qimir™, her supplier and a former smuggler. He asks if she killed Torbin, but she replies she couldn’t land a blow. She has two more Jedi to kill after Torbin, one of whom is a Wookiee™. She must murder without a weapon to “please the Master.” So, the dark figure from the end of episode 1 is her Master.

Qimir whips up a poison with Bunta™ that Mae can administer to Torbin. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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“I wanted to save you both.”

Meanwhile, our quartet is still traveling to Olega. Sol and Osha relive the past as they come to terms with Mae surviving the fire on Brendok. Once they land, they chat with the Olega Master before searching the Jedi Temple. At the same time, Mae revisits Torbin – this time, with the poison in hand.

The Jedi question the little girl whom Mae paid to help her infiltrate the temple. She recognizes Osha; well, she doesn’t realize Osha and Mae are two different people. Next, Mae presents Torbin with the poison. He can confess his crimes to the Jedi Council or seek the absolution he craves via the poison. Torbin finally opens his eyes and speaks for the first time in a decade. He asks for Mae’s forgiveness. “We thought we were doing the right thing,” he whispers. He drinks the poison.

Side note: It took me way too long to realize Torbin is Dean-Charles Chapman, who played Tommen on Game of Thrones.

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Finding Torbin

Later, Osha discovers Torbin’s body. She closes his eyes. Sol, Jecki, and the Olega Master arrive, with the latter two believing Osha killed Torbin. Yord vouches for her, though, stating he’s been following her since she broke away from the group.

Then Osha explains that Bunta is a poison. On Brendok, she and Mae were taught to use it in hunting. If distilled, its effects don’t last long, so Osha asserts Mae acquired it from nearby. Osha, Sol, and the others watch Qimir enter the apothecary from afar. A Padawan confirms that Qimir isn’t the “regular guy” who works there. Uh-oh.

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A Game Plan

Our crew decides to send Osha into the apothecary as Mae to elicit information from Qimir. Meanwhile, the others will record and monitor the conversation. Osha enters the store; however, Qimir clocks her immediately as Mae’s identical twin sister. Osha whips out her weapon as Sol, Yord, and Jecki storm the establishment. They know Qimir supplied Mae with the Bunta poison.

Sol questions Qimir and his relationship with Mae. He claims he’s merely her supplier. He started gunrunning for the Hutts™ (there’s a name we know). Now, he supplies folks with what they need for the right price.

Then, Sol asks if Mae has a Master. Qimir confesses he doesn’t know anything, only that she wants to kill four Jedi. However, she’ll return to the apothecary later if they want to chat with her.

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Looking for Mae

That evening, everyone keeps an eye out for Mae. Sol believes Osha is too close to this; she’s still grieving. Osha reminds him that Mae killed her entire family. That’s not something you simply “let go.” Sol insists that revenge isn’t the answer – look what that’s done to Mae.

Later, Yord spots Mae approaching the apothecary. Sol confronts her, and they duke it out. Sol demands to know who trained Mae, but Mae remains tight-lipped. Regardless, Mae’s Master failed her. During their fight, Sol tells Mae that her sister is alive. Mae is incredulous.

Then, Jecki flies overhead, shining their ship’s spotlight on Mae. She declares the assassin is under arrest for killing two Jedi Masters. Mae flees.

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A Reunion

Elsewhere in the Olega streets, Osha and Mae reunite as the latter escapes. Osha raises her weapon, training it on her sister. However, she fires it away from Mae as, presumably, a warning shot. Mae drives away.

Later, Vernestra informs Sol via hologram that she’s convened a small council to discuss the next steps. Mae, being the one responsible for the killings, has changed everything. The following morning, Mae confronts Qimir for throwing her under the bus with the Jedi. Qimir defends himself, claiming he did it to protect them both.

Now, they can leave Olega together. For where, you might ask? Khofar™ – a quiet forest retreat in the Outer Rim where Kelnacca™, the Wookiee Jedi, dwells.

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Khofar

On Khofar, two folks speaking Huttese™ wander through the thick forest. They believe they’re lost. Then, they spot a crashed ship. They wonder if they can steal the hyperdrive and strip it for parts.

Suddenly, Kelnacca approaches. He roars at them, sending them running in the other direction. He retreats into his home, seemingly none the wiser that Mae is on her way.

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What did you think of the first two episodes of The Acolyte? Join the conversation with other Star Wars™ fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!