“Star Wars” has remained relegated in a holding pattern of late, with its newest Disney Plus series “The Acolyte,” starring Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-Jae, embroiled in its own online hate brigade.
But its newest episode might well have finally silenced all of the raging noise with a spectacle that was as exciting as it was nail-biting. From major deaths in the midst of an incredibly well-crafted lightsaber battle to the big reveal of the series’ overarching villain, the fourth episode of “The Acolyte” finally brought the “Star Wars” that we fans have been craving.
The show hasn’t been without its faults, though. Poorly executed writing and some choice decisions in its narrative give the series an odd start, but things are now looking quite promising for those invested.
If you haven’t yet tapped into “Star Wars: The Acolyte” and its newly released fourth episode, now’s your time as we’re definitely getting into spoiler territory here. You’ve been warned.
A lightsaber duel for the ages
On everyone’s mind following the latest "The Acolyte" entry is its excellent fight scene, which lasts a particularly long duration of the episode. It sees the masked villain going toe to toe with the entire team of Jedi on Khofar, and it’s a stellar display of what Disney can really do with this franchise.
In its culmination, Lee's Master Sol faces off against the main villain, who is finally unmasked to be Qimir (Manny Jacinto). With his smiley-teeth lined helmet in ruins at his feet, the dark side-wielding foe reveals himself as a Sith.
While it might not have been the most satisfactory of surprises — many saw this very twist coming — Qimir fits his role perfectly. In his new guise, the aspiring evildoer does well in selling his place within the “Star Wars” pantheon leaving a trail of Jedi bodies behind him with seemingly little effort and exuding a force to be reckoned with.
And many more surprises are yet to come as Stenberg’s Mae is whisked off with Qimir, while Osha (also played by Stenberg) leaves Khofar with Master Sol masquerading as her twin sister. Questions still permeate about what exactly Master Sol is hiding from the two twins and what his involvement might be in the fires that destroyed their home.
Where next “Star Wars: The Acolyte” might take us is anyone’s best guess, but one thing is for certain — Rebecca Henderson’s Vernestra Rwoh, the green-skinned Jedi, is up to no good. She also might have a part to play in all of this and could be pulling the strings from the background, but we'll just have to wait and see where the mystery leads.
It’s no secret that the show has been met with plenty of ire, but things are seemingly now shaking up to bring to light a “Star Wars” show worth investing in. Writing and narrative woes aside, “The Acolyte” could be the next hot ticket Disney Plus item for “Star Wars” fans and we’re only a few weeks from its eight-episode climax.
