The Acolyte: An Honest Review

I was intrigued to see the High Republic in graphic format because I'm a huge admirer of the Fall of the Jedi Order/Galactic Civil War era. There were definitely highs and lows in this play, but all in all, it was a respectable production that surely didn't hold back.

Episodes 1 & 2: Lost/Found & Revenge/Justice

The Death of Indara

With the idea that Jedi are being killed, I don't think it's strange to kill her off, but I think it's weird that Carrie-Anne Moss' Indara receives half of the marketing attention when she just appears in the opening scene of episode 1. As mentioned in interviews, I understand that Headland intended for there to be a startling cold open, but we were told Trinity brandishing a lightsaber and only saw a few minutes of Indara drawing her lightsaber. At least Ned Stark appeared in nine episodes of Game of Thrones before he was killed off. In order to see more of the character, I'm really hoping for some flashbacks.

The Twin Complex

The fact that Mae is the twin of former Jedi Padawan Osha was not shocking to anyone who has been watching this show. Given that it doesn't seem very surprising in the episode, I wonder if the closed captioning error that revealed Osha was a distinct character was purposeful or just an accident. Sure, a few characters were taken aback, but they didn't prolong the suspense it could have generated before swiftly moving on. It certainly didn't appear like a significant storyline twist was intended. Since we already know who is portraying their mother, I'm curious as to whether we'll see her in flashbacks or if Osha and the Jedi stationed on Brendok were all shown a force illusion that never happened. Mae has been convinced for the past ten and a half years that the Jedi killed or abducted her sister.

Mae's Fighting Style

Even against Torbin, who was wearing a force shield and in a meditative condition, Mae's techniques were repeated throughout the three battles. Leg sweeps, jabs, a tomahawk kick, and then swiping at her opponent's lightsaber were the same routine every time. Because sparring is repetitious, her muscle memory takes over with the same motions, which reveals a lot about her personality and the person training her. If she maintains the same trend when battling Kelnacca, that would be of great interest to me. Because of the size difference, she should start with the typical leg sweep and quickly switch to something new. I kind of really hope he looks down at her after getting smacked in the ankle. Regarding the person instructing her, either this strategy has been successful in the past, or he has no real experience engaging in serious combat with another force user.

Who is the Big Bad?

Although this person is probably new, I still have high hopes for the big reveal. The primary opponent should be a juvenile Darth Plagueis, who I will call Zipper Face until his identity is known. He is said to have been born sometime between 147 and 120 BBY, although there is currently no accepted birth year. Given that Headland has frequently expressed her admiration for the expanded universe, it is plausible that this is Plagueis in his youth, educating an acolyte in preparation for his master Darth Tenebrous's murder. Since I haven't read the High Republic novels, I'll admit that they might provide more information about who it might be than I do now. Darth Plagueis will be the one. No. Is it the Darth Plague? Should I hope? Of course. Plagueis may be playing with life and death because Sol is adamant that Mae is dead and even claims to have seen her lifeless body. 

Character First Impressions

Indara: Too soon gone.

Vernestra: Based on what I've read in the books, she's not who I expected her to be. Given her devotion to her Padawan, I thought she would be more seasoned and unsurprised by Sol's attachment to his old Padawan.

Sol: He's going to be a formidable opponent. It's entertaining to observe his tremendous control.

Jacki: Unquestionably, the show's know-it-all younger sister. I hope it doesn't get out of hand.

Yord: A favorite of all time. He has a youthful Obi-Wan vibe to him, with a little of Gray from Fairy Tail.

Mae and Osha: I'm lumping them together as that's the show's primary objective. Mae was hilariously awkward at the beginning of every bout. For me, Osha is still up in the air, but I'm curious to see where she goes. By the end of the show, I hope to be able to use the force.

Qimir: Curious about his true identity. I'm not sure whether he's just a Han stand-in or if he's more complex.

Kelnacca: After the conclusion of episode 2, I'm really thrilled to see a Wookiee Jedi. It was strange to see Chewbacca without his Jedi robes, even though we've seen Wookiees without clothing since he first popped up on screen. I thought it was hilarious when he yelled "drunk uncle," frightening the kids in the neighborhood.

Episode 3: Destiny

The Witches of Brendok

Are the Witches of Dathomir the only witches in the galaxy thanks to this opening-up narrative, or were these witches banished from Dathomir? Do other worlds have Witches like the Witches of Brendok? If that were the case, I most certainly wouldn't be angry. I like that they are less like the witches Katie Lucas created in The Clone Wars and more like the ones from The Courtship of Princess Leia. This, along with the witches from Ahsoka, felt more in keeping with what I know and love about this sect of force users as I have read that book and the Night-sisters of the Clone Wars never felt right.

In addition, it's really thrilling to see Mother Koril as a true Iridonian Zabrak. She had the ideal personality for the race; she exuded confidence and was prepared to battle at any time. Though I'm dubious about the pointed ears, I'll accept what I can.

Procreation

I had to investigate this once the episode concluded. It is standard practice for Night-sisters to have children without requiring a Night-brother. Right now, I have mixed feelings on the issue. Hopefully, later in the presentation, they will get into a bit more detail about this so that I can actually form an opinion.

The Dialog/Pacing

In this program, it's becoming common for people to quarrel when there is tension, yet whoever has to give in for the plot to go will do so for no cause. The "I don't want to do this thing" statement is really brief. "You must complete this task," "Oh, all right."

I don't know why that aspect of their history needs to take up an entire episode. Although it was unnecessary, given that they only have eight episodes to explain what is happening entirely, it is significant to Mae and Osha's journey. It would have been more efficient to devote half of an episode to the past and the other half to current events.

Prediction

That day on Brendok, nobody died. The clan retreated to another location to hide. Mae never showed up in their room, and no fire was ever kindled. In order to offer Osha closure and make her more compatible with the Jedi, Aniseya and Koril conjured up a force illusion that would surprise the Jedi. That didn't work, mind you. Because she was unable to move past what had occurred to her family that day, Osha washed out. Aniseya probably thought she could move on without remorse if she closed the door for Osha, but it backfired, and now they will be discovered again.

Episode 4: Day

Familiar Faces

Early in the show, we got to see a young Ki-Adi-Mundi, which was both fascinating and perplexing. He is the one who explains that the Sith have been extinct for a thousand years, which makes me wonder where this show is headed (not that I didn't have a lot of questions already). A calm Kel Dor is also seen in the corner, although the end credits make no mention of him.

Family

Once more, our program rejects a perfectly reasonable argument. This time, it was straightforward: Osha claimed she wasn't wearing the civilian robes, but we soon saw her on board wearing them. Although this was intended to be a joke, it occurs far too frequently. Given that he was abducted by the Jedi when he was five years old, Sol's emphasis on the family element was also a little strange. He insists that Mae has excellent qualities, and it's evident that he has a guilty conscience because he abandoned her after she fell—though he doesn't still think she fell anywhere. I appreciate the character development because he's one of the few characters that is actually three-dimensional.

Subtlety

For a significant portion of the episode, Mae wonders why Qimir is there to assist her. I'm not sure which I prefer, but the clues they give that he is Zipper Face are not subtle at all. Either he is Zipper Face, and they made it unbelievably clear, or he is not, and they are making a concerted effort to defy expectations instead of doing it in a way that makes it seem more natural.

Khofar

The enormous, flying rollie pollies of death are horrifying in the most fantastic way, and the forest planet Khofar is stunning. However, it was funny how everyone was surprised to learn that the moth was drawn to light. When Mae stumbled and fell, the fungal spores puffed, and I'm curious to see if they do anything with them. That must be the reason Kelnacca didn't appear to defend themselves.

Mae's "Change of Heart"

The writing in this episode was the greatest thus far. She is terrified of Zipper Face for a significant portion of her on-screen time since she will die if she fails. She gained some respectable depth that she had not previously had when she decided to forsake her lesson and her teacher in order to be with her sister again, along with the plan that went with it. Additionally, I liked that she chose to hide in the cabin rather than join the fight when she was summoned outdoors. In fact, it gives the impression that the antagonist is someone we should be wary of.

The Death

Kelnacca doesn't appear to have retaliated at all. However! Additionally, the fungal spores I previously described may be involved. According to Joonas Suotamo, Kelnacca was a loner, but he was not the kind of person who would have stayed away from reporting for so long. It wouldn't make sense for him to sit in that chair unless something was troubling him, as Joonas has mentioned that he was very disciplined in addition to being a Wookiee. There's never been a Wookiee Jedi in the primary or secondary canon for a reason—they would be incredibly powerful—so how did he get eliminated so quickly? Those spores were probably changing his thoughts in some way. We're hoping to hear back on that shortly.

The Fight

Being a lifelong fan of Star Wars, I must admit that seeing all of those lightsabers was quite thrilling. Zipper Face simply drifting to the ground behind Osha made me a little less excited, although there are other explanations for that. It is debatable whether or not it will occur when we witness the conflict. I'm still hoping that all of the questions this episode has raised will be addressed.

Despite being the shortest episode thus far, this one felt a touch rushed. In fact, it constructively advanced the plot and began to logically combine the tales before coming to a sudden finale. This indicates that next week's show will start with combat rather than more flashbacks.

Episode 5: Night

Cortosis

In this episode, we saw none other than Darth Zipperface using a familiar metal! How can we determine that it's cortosis? We witnessed this occur several times during the program. The metal is infamous for short-circuiting lightsaber blades that strike it. Seeing yet another visually appealing addition to Legends' canon was fantastic.

Not Pulling Punches

In this episode, we witnessed the deaths of Jecki and Yord, in addition to a number of other unnamed Jedi, at the hands of Qimir. Even though I believe that Jecki was more critical to the audience, Yord's death was ruthless because he was only given a broken neck instead of a lightsaber beating. When Sol tells Qimir that Jecki was a child, his retort, "You brought her here," is undoubtedly my favorite line of the episode thus far.

Practical Lightsabers

The useful lightsabers, like those available at Ultra-sabers, created gorgeous lighting in a way that is impossible to achieve with just post-production. With half of Sol's face being blue from his blade and half being red from Qimir's, it produced a far better look than I had assumed Kenobi could achieve. When employing metal rods for the blades in lightsaber combat on screen, it did appear to cause them to drag their swings a bit more than we usually see (*cough cough* looking at you, Hayden *cough cough*).

The Parent Trap

I hope Qimir recognizes Osha despite the clothing. I believe he would have slain Mae where she lay if he had thought it to be her. I don't understand if Sol is unaware that he is with Mae. Even if Mae was concealing her thoughts from him, his repeated displays of telepathy should be a clear indication.

Where is this going?

In the end, this doesn't paint the Jedi as the villains. I thought Mother Aniseya employed a force illusion in episode 3, but I'm not so sure now. We still don't know how everyone else passes away, even if Mae says that they are the only two people remaining living. Did the Jedi genuinely destroy the coven? I'm not prepared for the Jedi to be evil, but subversion to try to turn Osha to the dark side would be OK. Not Sol, in particular. You always know who the bad guys are and who the good guys are, which is a lovely simplicity of Star Wars. Many people fall somewhere in between, but they are neither Jedi nor Sith.

Episode 6: Teach/Corrupt

Sol, the IT Guy

One of my favorite parts of this episode involved Sol turning the panel off and back on again to fix the communications system's glitches.

Sol and Mae

Did I feel let down that Sol was unaware that he had been with Mae the whole time? Indeed. Do I understand that Osha had to drag him out of a dark moment since he was so shaken by losing his entire team to one person? Indeed. I'll give him some leeway, even though the embrace was incredibly awkward and should have been the red flag. Regarding what truly transpired on Brendok, I'm still unsure of their plans, but it was a masterful move for Sol to give Mae sixteen years to consider what he would say to her if he ever saw her again. Lee Jung-Jae has been the most notable of these.

The Stranger and Osha

These episodes are too brief to accommodate everything they appear to want to. Osha declares once more that she will not be readily persuaded to become corrupt, yet she immediately attacks the stranger and stokes her ire. They're making do with what they have, but additional time would have made that feel more natural. Unlike most programs, modesty wasn't a problem in a risky scenario for once. Osha didn't take her eyes off The Stranger when he left the pool, even though she shouldn't have. I expected her to turn away, but she refused to back down and remained safe—or as secure as she believed she could be in that circumstance.

The Infamous Light-whip

I sincerely hope we see more of Vern's lightship than that brief moment when he cuts an umbra moth in half. We don't know if we'll see it again or if it was just a quick ploy to get people interested because that's what we saw in the trailer.

Hyperspace Travel

This episode's journey went by far too quickly, which further detracted from the plot. However, I really liked the Easter egg for Vern. In the books, she has forced visions when traveling through hyperspace, which explains why she finds the experience so unsettling.

What's Going To Happen Next?

Because of the director, everyone is speculating that the upcoming episode will likewise be a flashback, and I agree. Will this be the same as what transpired on Brendok? Will we see what became of The Stranger as well?

What I want to happen: Brendok is explained without implying that Sol is a villain. Additionally, we learn about The Stranger's past, including the possibility that he was one of Vern's former trainees who fell and that the scar on his back is from her light whip (which we get to see again).

What I anticipate: We're going to get an explanation on Brendok; it will depend on whether or not it's a satisfactory one. I wonder if The Stranger will remain unfinished, considering Headland has made it clear that she has ideas for season two. Either that, or we'll finally learn why Kylo Ren's theme was performed in episode 5, which pushed the Knights of Ren's creation earlier than initially thought.

In any case, I hope the next two episodes will give the plot enough time to develop naturally.

Episode 7: Choice

All things considered, this is the season's best-written episode to date. It has provided answers to several questions:

Vergence

How did the twins come into being? Aniseya has sufficient strength to accomplish so thanks to a force vergence.

Why were the Jedi unaware that the planet was home to witches? The force vergence shrouded them.

The vergence on Brendok explained both the Jedi's ignorance of the witches' presence and the manipulation that enabled Aniseya to conceive the twins. Thanks to vergences, force users, like Yoda on Dagobah, can conceal their existence. Some of the questions that earlier seemed more like narrative holes are finally being addressed.

Aniseya Breeding Her Destruction

Why would Torbin voluntarily consume the poison? Because Aniseya was the reason behind the entire mess.

It makes sense now that Torbin drank the poison. Although I understand that Aniseya was attempting to keep her daughters and her coven safe, she ultimately met her demise by pushing Torbin and getting into his head. I'm curious about the power that allowed Koril and Aniseya to teleport successfully. Is it a more ancient or distinct type of spirit, ichor? Is it something new altogether? I don't remember the Witches of Dathomir having this kind of power.

Wookiee With A Lightsaber

Are the Jedi now malevolent? Not at all.

How did the witches perish in a stone cave fire? They didn't. They exerted every effort to subjugate Kelnacca, and their demise resulted from Indara's expulsion.

Because they weren't accustomed to controlling a body so much larger than their own, I admire that not only did it take a whole coven of witches to mind control a Wookiee Jedi, but that his fighting was slugging. This is my interpretation of that altercation with Kelnacca, anyway. We also received the Trinity that we had been promised, even if she wasn't brandishing a lightsaber at the time.

The Choice

Why does Mae's collapse make Sol feel so bad? He picked Osha over her because he lacked the strength to hold her.

When Sol was getting weaker and had to decide between Mae and Osha, my heart ached for him. Comparing his telekinesis strength in the current episodes to this flashback, we can see that he has undoubtedly improved his ability as a result of what transpired. Even though he is a die-hard Qui-Gon fan, his character development throughout this series has been extraordinary.

We anticipate finding out next week that Qimir is a long-lost apprentice of Vernestra and that the Jedi are being investigated because of her past interactions with padawans.

Episode 8: The Acolyte

The Fights

There were many action scenes in this episode. It was entertaining to watch the space battle in the asteroid belt, and it was lovely to watch them really move the debris. I have the impression that this scene alone accounted for a sizable portion of the show's enormous expense.

The hand-to-hand fighting between Mae and Osha was terrific. The effects, which included digitally projecting Amandla Stenburg's face onto the body double, were excellent. In fact, this battle seemed to be going full speed without the need to accelerate the "tape" in order to do so.

The battle between Sol and Qimir was expertly performed; it was far better than the one in episode 5. The practicality of the lightsaber blades was less of a problem in this episode. However, I'm not sure of the shooting order. The episode's second most exciting moment was arguably Sol shoving the sabers away as they reappeared, though I still liked how Qimir used them like boomerangs the first time.

Bazil's Betrayal

I don't understand what Bazil did at the start of this episode. Instead of seeing him and asking what in the world he was doing, I believe it would have been better for us to wonder why we didn't notice him. Although I am grateful that he prevented Sol from shooting down Mae's escape spacecraft, it is still unclear why.

It's not really addressed anywhere, but Bazil might be working with Vernestra and wanting her specially brought in alive. His level of intelligence is unknown to us, hence we are unable to infer motivation in this situation.

I understand Headland's desire for a second season, but considering Disney's track record of abandoning projects and even snatching up original material for the platform, this should have always been handled as a stand-alone.

Sol's Death

This didn't feel right. Did I think he would end up dead? Yes, without a doubt. Was the corruption of the kyber crystal in her palm a cool effect? Yes, without a doubt. However, the directing and acting here were lacking. This could have been a very moving moment if Osha had displayed more rage, pain, or anything else, but instead, she just stared at him with deep intensity.

I understand that he feels as though he let her down, and in some respects, he did, but it did not feel right for him to simply give in and tell her that it was acceptable to strangle him to death, letting her slide into the dark side. He had the opportunity to elaborate further but chose not to, which gave the impression that the conflict was being hurried through and the plot was being forced.

Even while I found this to be a little strange, it was nonetheless incredible to watch a bleeding crystal in real-time when Osha wielded Sol's lightsaber.

The Padawan

When Qimir sensed his old boss Vernestra, he instantly put his helmet back on and fled into hiding, which was my favorite part of this episode. In a positive sense, it was almost cartoonish. As most people assumed, a light whip undoubtedly caused the wounds on his back, but we were not given any backstory.

The Lies

Since I'm not very interested in this era of the Star Wars universe and haven't read the High Republic books, I'll admit that I don't know Vernestra other than from a cursory look at her Wookieepedia page. Is she becoming a villain? Were there references to Qimir throughout the novels? Was she trying to avoid shocking the Republic's citizens by lying about Sol? Sincerely, I have no idea, and I doubt that any answers will be forthcoming. Whatever the case, I was enraged. Does this imply that the Jedi are dishonest? If that's the case, what story does that serve? Too many questions were raised by this.

The Cameos

A plague reveal was something I had all but given up on, but we finally got it! Similar to the problems with the Grand Inquisitor's appearance in Kenobi, the head shape was a little off, but it was also a mask rather than computer effects.

When Ki-Adi Mundi realized someone was chasing Jedi, the same line of inquiry was opened, and we did end up with Yoda. At least Vernestra's decision to put Sol under the bus puts Mundi out of the picture, but what did she say to Yoda? To be honest, I was far more thrilled about Plagueis than I was about this announcement. He wasn't permitted to be used for a pilot season with a new creator, but we knew he was here somewhere. Dave Filoni wasn't involved in this program enough for Yoda to be truly present, and I don't see him letting anyone write for Yoda without strict supervision.

Final Thoughts

I hope Dave Filoni plays a more significant role if we get a second season. This show lacked his monitoring and input more than anything else. Sam Witwer would also be helpful. With stringent guidelines for the novels, George was always involved in some way, which is why Star Wars was always so unified. Even as an executive producer, Filoni's absence was apparent.

I was thrilled that a fan of Star Wars and the EU (Expanded Universe) would be able to play in the sandbox, given what I've heard in the lead-up to this program, but this felt more like fan fiction. I am aware that both John Favreau and Dave Filoni are Star Wars enthusiasts, but John Favreau was influenced by Dave Filoni, who George Lucas formally schooled. I want them to stick to those three at this time and give Sam Witwer an opportunity if he wants one. I know that Star Wars is a vast sandbox, but before anyone can do any quality checks or create a user manual, people are playing with new toys and damaging them.