WARNING: Spoilers for the sixth episode of The Acolyte.
“The power of two.”
Master and Pupil
This week’s episode of The Acolyte took a much more elucidative approach than the previous one, but that doesn’t make it bland. We gained some insight into why Qimir pursued another pathway to the force. Opening on an unknown planet (which resembles Ahch-To from the sequel trilogy) Osha awakens to a seaside cove, only to witness Qimir traveling to a pool of water. It is here, that they confront each other, and Qimir reiterates everything Osha is feeling in the moment. Detailing her anger betrays her thoughts, Qimir’s interest piques when pressed about whether or not Sol and Mae are dead, specifically citing the fact Osha brought up Sol first. While Osha is convinced that she is brought there against her will, it seems Qimir brought her there for a different reason – to sway her into learning the ways of the dark side of the force.
Blinded by Guilt
With the entire team slain, Master Sol reflects on how he was unable to sense Qimir’s true intentions. Mae (as Osha) offers him some very sound advice. “When you really want something, it can cloud your mind. You see what you want to see.” This mirrors the situation they’re both in visually. Until Brendock is brought up, that is when Sol finally realizes the truth. Mae is here, Osha is not. Moments before the rescue team arrives, Sol blasts Mae unconscious then hits the hyperdrive and takes off.
Master Vernestra’s Intuition
Debuting in this episode, albeit briefly is the lightsaber whip, held by none other than Master Vernestra Rwoh. While only used to cut down the insectoid life on Khofar, the use of the weapon was visually impressive. But was it coincidental? The scene before Vernestra’s arrival on Khofar showed Qimir’s many scars. Osha asks how he obtained them to which he replies with someone who had “thrown him away.” Upon investigating Khofar, the conclusion that someone is responsible for the bloodshed leads Vernestra to believe that this was done by someone with the intent to “tip the scales”. Was Vernestra the original master of Qimir? With only two episodes left, audiences are sure to possibly find out.
Identity and Truth
The closing moments of this week’s episode of The Acolyte showed audiences two different sides of the same force coin. On one hand, Sol has restrained Mae and is likely going to reveal what happened on the planet Brendock. Between this and hitting the hyperdrive before the rescue team lands on Khofar, Sol’s heavy guilt has clouded his judgment. One might say, this is not the way of the Jedi. On the other side, Qimir has given Osha every opportunity to leave the unknown planet but continues to answer questions from an honest standpoint. The final shot of the episode ends with Osha putting on the Cortosis helmet. This eerily resembles the ending of Revenge of the Sith after Anakin has been rebuilt and put back together as Darth Vader, cementing his allegiance to the dark side. Given Osha succumbed to anger earlier on after admitting failure as a Jedi, the parallels between the two characters become more prevalent as the series heads into its conclusion.
The Acolyte season 1 drops new episodes on Tuesdays on Disney+.