After four long years, The Acolyte is finally here, taking us back 100 years before The Phantom Menace to explore the end of the High Republic era and what those in the shadows have been up to, as Jedi begin to die. Despite some pacing and editing issues, The Acolyte’s season premiere, kicking off with Episode 1 “Lost/Found” and Episode 2 “Revenge/Justice,” is an often compelling, mysterious start, with arresting action, wonderful acting, and a great focus on a more personal situation than anyone imagined.
With only a month before The High Republic publishing initiative began, itself set 200 years before The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte series was announced and said to be set at the end of the initiative’s era. As a fan of the era, The Acolyte delivers on a lot of fronts in the first two episodes, not only by having Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Ferguson), who is tied with Keeve Trennis for top Jedi of the era for me, but also bringing a small glimmer of this heightened Jedi era to life that bridges the publishing stories cinematically to the prequels and beyond.
Having the Jedi on many different planets, Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) chilling in a bar, and being part of the fabric of the galaxy, is one of the big differences of THR to the prequels. While the first two episodes don’t unpack its importance much, it’s still valuable to see as it helps immediately set things apart from the Jedi mainly being seen in the towers of Coruscant in the prequels. Yet the show does begin to show the Order’s complacency in small ways.
More importantly though, are the key differences from how things operate in THR to how they do in The Acolyte. While the Jedi and Republic work alongside one another often, they are rather separate entities. In The Acolyte’s first two episodes, we hear Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) and Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) link the two organizations together more closely. While the mysterious Mae Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) is killing Jedi, they are arresting her in the name of both the Jedi and the Republic.
As for Vernestra, seeing her in such a high place in the Jedi Order, with Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) communicating with her instead of even the Jedi Council about the murder investigation, is rather amazing given we’ve followed her story since she became the earliest Jedi Knight at 15. Though her more reserved outlook and unwillingness to consider anything outside of the political considerations of the initial murder investigation’s findings was strange to see. It’s just around 100 years between the end of the books and the start of The Acolyte, so there’s plenty of time for her to change.
As I mentioned in the opening, there are some editing and pacing issues which hold the first two episodes back, more so in “Lost/Found” than “Revenge/Justice.” They cram a lot into “Lost/Found,” making for a very compact, fast-moving opening episode. The characters and the setting don’t get to settle in because of it, as we flit from one group to another, often in the briefest of scenes. The pace leaves one wondering why something was said or happened while leaving viewers unable to spend much time on it.
The clipped way scenes transition doesn’t help, as cuts or swipes seem mercilessly handed out. It’s as if when the end of a line of dialogue hits, the editing team did its best to swipe away to the next scene as soon as possible afterwards. There are some scenes that almost don’t feel necessary for how brief they are. This isn’t as noticeable in “Revenge/Justice,” if only because I’m used to it now and/or the show does slow down a bit. Hopefully, they aren’t as harsh with transitions and let scenes sit a little longer.
It’s one of the smaller things, but I love when shows employ some good episode titles, not a bunch of “Chapter 12 – The SOMETHING” again and again. The Acolyte doesn’t disappoint in this matter. In fact, the episode titles play into a main conceit, and spoiler, of the show, as the split “Lost/Found” denotes both of the characters Amandla Stenberg chews up scenery with: the twin sisters of Mae, the mysterious assassin killing Jedi, and Osha, a former Jedi Padawan who now takes dangerous jobs repairing starships!
Despite the early official reveal of Mae only as Amandla Stenberg’s character, the official poster, subtitles in TV spots, Stenberg’s own outfit change at the premiere event, and very early rumors of the show, the eventual twin reveal was teased in big and small ways leading up to release. In fact, I liked how “Lost/Found” initially tries to dissuade viewers from this truth, with Osha’s fellow meknik Fillik asking where she was the night before we initially see her or even the young girl Osha eventually sees after crash landing. The weird rhyme they say together almost makes it sound like this isn’t a case of twins, but of a girl with a split personality.
Despite learning Mae and Osha are twins early enough in the series, given the mystery surrounding their past, I feel like the twin reveal is less important than what happened and what will come next as Mae seeks revenge on the Jedi she seems to feel are at fault and Osha seeks justice over what she thinks her sister did to their family. After the twin reveal, Master Sol confirms Osha has a sister in the following scene, explaining to his Padawan, Jecki, about how Mae started a fire which killed their entire family, including their mothers, and Osha was supposedly the sole survivor.
When both Jecki and Yord, who initially comes to arrest Osha and obviously knew her from her time training at the Temple, reveal Osha having a twin isn’t in her official records, there’s a look on Sol’s face which is hard to decipher but certainly leaves a lot of questions about the how and why such a decision was made to suppress this knowledge. Yoda and Jedi Master Creighton Sun’s idea to suppress knowledge of a lethal threat known as the Nameless during the High Republic stories leads to more deaths years later, so we know all about the Jedi not always being the most honest or forthcoming. I’m curious why Sol, or the others who knew, decided to omit this detail.
Did they think it would be used against her by other students? Or outside forces? Is there a lot more to the story they aren’t sharing overall? And…did they know Mae survived, despite Sol telling Yord and Jecki he saw her die? Has he been lying to himself or hoping it’s the truth instead of the dark reality she could be out there still, his failure to save them all and bring her in what weighs on him constantly?
I’ve yet to see Squid Games (don’t ask me how), so this is my first show with Lee Jung-jae and the depth of his performance in the first episode alone is riveting. The way he’s layering in hints about what really went down, and how much he cares for Osha, his big, satisfied grin when he saves her at the episode’s end conveying so much history, something Amandla Stenberg rises to and matches, in both roles, time and time again.
And truly, Stenberg is what makes the twin roles work so well, as the exuberance and tenacity of Osha, who has made peace with her time with the Order but not with her twin sister’s actions, and Mae’s determination and ferocity, who simmers in her anger over what she feels has been done to her by the Jedi and hopes to succeed to prove them wrong, make them feel so wholly distinct, they could easily wear the same outfit and viewers wouldn’t be able to tell the difference (someone in the second episode almost doesn’t). It reminded me a lot of Tatiana Maslany’s performances in Orphan Black, as while she was playing clones, she could be playing one clone pretending to be another and it was hard to believe it was the same person, Stenberg managing a similar feat with ease.
Because of this, by the end of the first episode I was a big fan of Osha, and of her cute little handheld PIP droid, while very curious to meet more of Mae, who doesn’t get as much screentime in “Lost/Found,” yet what we did get with Stenberg’s performance left me wondering over the potential for her to come back from her current path. While it’s a newer concept, the way Mae and Osha connect here feels eerily similar to the Force Dyad shared by Rey and Ben Solo, as we at least know they aren’t the first and likely won’t be the last dyad in the Force, so what’s to say Mae and Osha couldn’t be one of the more recent examples?
Its full potential felt like it was just being tapped in The Rise of Skywalker, so it would be fun to see it explored more, especially in a way where the two are opposed, with their own goals and issues with one another. Even if this isn’t the case, Mae’s journey as an acolyte, with her mysteriously masked “Master” seen and heard in the final minutes of the episode (but is he the Master or the Apprentice???), and Osha’s journey to clear her name and help stop her sister, is very compelling despite the crammed feeling of the opening episode.
As for the episode title, I would say I felt like Mae is the one who is Found, as Osha literally finds out her sister is still alive, while Osha is the one who is Lost, having left the Order and only making due in the dangerous role of a meknik, replacing what is typically, and legally, given to R2 astromechs (as we saw in TPM). But I think what makes these great is, in a way, you could apply either word to both of them in some way or another.
We meet a few other Jedi throughout “Lost/Found,” like Sol’s current Padawan, Jecki, and Jedi Knight Yord, as well as Moss’ Master Indara, who meets an impressively fought, but swift end in the opening moments of the episode. Moss imbues so much calm and composure into Indara, it makes sense only trickery allows Mae’s eventual success attainability, using a Jedi’s desire to save light and life against her. It’s clear from trailers, and Mae’s path of revenge, we’ll see more of Indara in flashbacks during upcoming episodes, so thankfully she’s not out of the picture entirely, but their battle sets a great precedent for the level of action we’ll be lucky to enjoy throughout the show.
The opening fight is a grueling, fun piece of action, Indara only drawing her lightsaber at the last possible moment, relying on the Force and her natural abilities first and foremost, especially since Mae seems dead-set on stealing Indara’s blade/wanting the Jedi Master to attack her with a weapon first (something we’ll come to learn a little more about in episode 2). As for Jecki and Yord, there are quick comparisons to Yord and Andor’s Syril Karn, which I totally support, and Jecki’s there to bring him back down to size a bit, in a bit of sibling rivalry, where she knows she’s going to win but doesn’t act like it while he thinks he’s going to win and is always doing right and acts like it.
Either way, Keen, whose memorable turn as X-23 in Logan and as Lyra in His Dark Materials have long made me a fan of her work, and Barnett, who I felt got to do more in Russian Doll’s (Acolyte showrunner/creator Leslye Headland’s previous series) season two and really ran with it, seem to be enjoying their roles and their banter with one another and we’re all benefiting from it (watch out for the YordHorde online, they might just pull you in!). And as I said earlier, Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh, which I’m still coming down from seeing in live-action, represents a more stoic view on the whole situation, initially ready to accept Osha is at fault if only to sweep things under the rug quickly, and barely agreeing to send Sol and a small team to track down Osha after the prison ship crashes. I’ll be interested to see if more of her past self comes out as the story moves along.
Had “Lost/Found” aired on its own, it still would’ve been a good premiere, but its pacing issues and seemingly abrupt ending, which episode 2 also has, would’ve made for a little tougher sell, so I’m glad it didn’t air alone.
The chaotic prison ship escape was a fun sequence, from the weird aliens, those cool ass droids that are also chairs, the creepy Alien-inspired prisoner detaining parasite, and the way Osha struggles with connecting with the Force. Carlac is a planet we’ve seen in not only the High Republic stories before, mainly Tempest Runner from the initiative’s Phase I, but also in a few episodes of The Clone Wars. Loved all the planet hopping we did! Curious what the Trade Federation will have to do with the larger story or if this was just a little reference to them being more active ahead of the prequels…
The youngling in the opening training sequence with Sol talking about a fire which consumes everything certainly seems like she was connecting to him, and what’s always on his mind, though he deftly pivots the dark sense from her thoughts into something important about the Force overall. The Selkath in the background as the small Jedi team goes to their shuttle? Glorious and hopefully we’ll see some more peppered around the place. Honestly, at this point, I’m not even concerned about the identity of Mae’s “Master.”
The pace of “Revenge/Justice” is much better than the opening episode, giving us more time with key dynamics of the series, especially Sol and both Osha and Mae, and is the main reason this premiere really captivated me overall. It still has a rather abrupt ending, but given all which comes before and what it’s teasing, it’s a little easier to put up with, especially if the show continues to follow in episode 2’s footsteps.
Given Sol regarding a holo of Osha in the opening episode, with Jecki inquiring why and his explanation hinting he’s hoping he’s learned from the past by ruminating on it to avoid repeating it, mixed with his joyous expression upon reuniting with Osha, he might tell her he’s made peace with the past but Jung-jae’s performance contains much which says otherwise. Maybe he’s made peace with his role in whatever truly happened 16 years ago, but being unable to save Mae plus Osha leaving the Order weigh heavily on him still, and while Osha tries to take some of the burden off his shoulders, saying she was just a bad student who couldn’t learn to let go of the past, he wonders if he wasn’t the best teacher if she couldn’t learn the lesson.
Later in the episode, as they wait for Mae to show herself after using her contact Qimir (Manny Jacinto) against her, Osha implores Sol to let her confront her sister, but he knows she’s too angry still, blaming Mae for the death of their family, her inability to let go still puzzling Sol all these years later. Though given he wants to try to save Mae now when he couldn’t back then, he has his own baggage he needs to let go of and it seems he hopes, despite knowing he’s one of Mae’s four targets, he’ll be able to do so by confronting her, so in a way they are both trying to overcome feelings by dealing with Mae and he thinks he’s in a better space to do so.
They have an incredible battle, just as good and if not better than the fight between Mae and Indara, as he handily disarms her of most of her knives and avoids her attempts to grab his lightsaber, eventually throwing her and capturing her in the Force before she falls (like he did to Osha toward the end of episode 1), looking through her thoughts to find her Master and coming up short given his mask and modulated voice. While he isn’t able to convince her to come in, he does rattle her with the revelation Osha is alive, as she believed her sister was dead. This sort of cuts at the idea of the twins being a Force Dyad, as it seemed like they were communicating, so who is the young girl Osha’s really seeing and talking with? Is it someone else? The Force itself? Or a part of Mae she’s suppressed?
Regardless, Sol is rather upset with Vernestra when they talk via hologram, as she tells him after Mae gets away he isn’t to follow her and she’s put together a council to discuss what steps should be taken, but is Sol upset with Vernestra or with himself for his failure? And what will he do about it, attempt to save Mae’s next target, Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), despite Vernestra’s orders or await more instructions?
Given how much of “Lost/Found” was focused on Osha, it makes sense we spend more time with Mae in “Revenge/Justice,” letting us learn more about what drives her and what she’s attempting to do, though the mystery of what happened in the past still remains. The episode opens with what looks like an easy kill for Mae, as she finds her next target, Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) meditating in a room, floating in place, seemingly oblivious to the world. Yet when she tries to attack him, she can’t break through an invisible barrier he seems to have around him, his meditation and the Force keeping him from harm without ever opening his eyes.
She regroups, which is when we meet Qimir, a scoundrel type who seems aligned with Mae and her Master, parroting Sith doctrine about peace being a lie and calling out Torbin’s meditation as a mask over his actual problems still deep inside, though since this is Jacinto in the role and he’s a smuggler-type, there’s some fun levity with his character, especially with his hangover attitude in their initial scene together. Mae seems set on her revenge against her four Jedi targets, eager to please her Master by defeating one of them without a weapon.
It’s an interesting goal to set for her, as it both makes sense because they don’t want to leave too much of a mark, given the Sith are considered extinct for over a millennia, per Ki-Adi Mundi in The Phantom Menace, but it reveals a more twisted goal and more worrisome potential for where this show will go, maybe with Sol himself: what better way to defeat a Jedi without a weapon than without lifting a finger, mentally breaking them instead? It would be far more impressive, and more devastating, to break one of them, destroy them, make them fall even, than to straight up kill them with just one’s hands, and I’m hoping it takes too long for Mae to realize that might be what her “Master” is asking of her, as I’m worried for Sol once she does.
Will Osha be able to reach her sister before something like that happens or will Sol be able to resist? Mae’s reaction to seeing her sister alive, and how much more angry Osha was than Mae was in that moment, shows these two will have
