This week the Acolyte finally got to the big Jedi vs. Sith battle that had been teased since the first promos. It did not disappoint.
THE BIG REVEAL
After teasing it last week, we now learn once and for all that Manny Jacinto’s Qimir, who has been playing as Mae’s helpful buddy, is in fact her Sith Lord master. It’s fine, I guess?, if you like a Sith with bangs. Personally I find his performance comes and goes; sometimes he’s self-assured in a nicely dark and twisty way. Other times there’s a bit more of a creep-nerd vibe, which still kinda works, but not totally.
The fact that he, too, is subjected to some of this show’s ongoing struggles with spiritual word salad does not help. “What extraordinary beings we are,” he says at the end. “Even in the revelation of our triumph, we see the depth of our despair.”
MAGNETO WAS RIGHT
During the Sith/Jedi battle “No One,” as he identifies himself, noted that his helmet protects him from the Jedi mind tricks, just as Magneto’s helmet protecting him from being read or controlled by Professor X. It’s the first time in Star Wars that a masked Force user has been given a good strategic reason for wearing their gear, and I would say it landed pretty great. Of course the Sith should have something like that keeps them free and perhaps also off the Jedi’s radar screen. Love it.
HIGH REPUBLIC JEDI ARE THE NEW MISFIRING STORMTROOPERS
One of the great things about the early going of The Acolyte is that it reimagined combat with the Jedi in terms of character. Each battle for Mae was very much a battle of wits, her little by little working to understand her opponent’s vulnerability not in fighting style but as a character. It’s the kind of adjustment that feels like game-changer going forward.
But in the fight on Khofar, there’s none of that elegance of construction. It is, both in the group scenes and the one- or two-on-one battles, just a free-for-all. Some of that worked well; Dafne Keen’s Jecki in particular is dazzling. But at other times it lacked any kind of coherence. And while it’s true that this is any of these Jedi’s first encounter with a Sith, the fact that one guy is able to put so many down, most of them quickly, gives them an unexpected weak and disposable quality.
He uses the Force to shish kabob two on his light saber, for God’s sake. Then he beheads them. It ain’t great.
POUR ONE OUT FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE YOU LIKED
One of the interesting things about starting in a whole era of a much beloved story world is that you’ve got a lot more freedom in terms of what you do with your characters. You might have guessed that Charlie Barnett’s Yord Fandar was eventually going to die, no doubt doing something heroic, but him AND Jecki Lon, who has quickly one of become a fan favorite. Not likely. (And wow that death.)
It’s a bold story choice to kill so many of the show’s main character, though it does leave the show in a bit of a weird space. Other than the twins and Darth No Name, who’s left for us to follow? Just Sol and Vernestra Rwoh (the unhappy green lady). It ain’t much.
WONDER TWINS POWERS ACTIVATE
Sometimes a weird synchronicity happens between different fantasy/science fiction shows, and this week has a doozie. Over in Westeros, episode 202 this Sunday turned on the Carygll brothers, identical twins who found themselves backing opponent Targaryens’ claims to the Iron Throne. When an assassination went horribly awry, leading to the horrific beheading of a 6-year-old (because Thrones gotta Thrones, I guess?), twin Arryk was sent to impersonate his brother Erryk (yes, it is silly) so as to murder Queen Rhaenyra, who supposedly called for the assassination.
Meanwhile on Khofar, the Jedi confrontation with the Sith Lord Jason Mendoza ends with him being carried away by enormous carnivorous bugs (don’t tell me he’s not Jason Mendoza) and Mae cutting her dreadlocks so that she can impersonate Osha and go back to Coruscant with Sol. Hijinks most definitely will ensue. (Although if she’s so intent on reuniting with Mae, why does she end up leaving her on some dangerous faraway planet?)
Darth No Name also creates some metaphorical twinsies, as he points out that both he and Sol are masters with a lot of darkness who are hiding their identities. It’s great.
Big questions going forward:
What is the deal with Darth No Name’s arms? They effectively blocked light sabers repeatedly, temporarily shorting them out, and gave off a metallic clang. Has DNN skipped the part where someone cuts his arm off and gone right to the cool substitute to follow? (Also what is this Force-blocking metal?)
Who is the Acolyte? Osha doesn’t even have much access to her powers. But once she learns from Creepy what Sol did way back when, maybe that’s all going to change?
Is Mae going to kill Sol without using a weapon? I’d say odds are high.
See you next week…