"Star Wars: The Acolyte" Series Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

In An Age Of Light A Darkness Rises

Series Premiere: June 4, 2024 (2 episodes) then 1 episode weekly Tuesdays at 6 pm Pacific/9 pm Eastern

Directed By: Leslye Headland (Eps. 101 & 102), Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105), Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108)

Head Writer: Leslye Headland

Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, Carrie-Anne Moss

Rating: TV-14

An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….

Episode 1 "Lost / Found"

The Jedi pursue a suspect after a shocking crime.

Episode 2 "Revenge / Justice"

An assassin strikes again, but this time the Jedi are here to attempt a capture.

Related Links
-Disney+ page

Related Discussions
-The Acolyte News & Discussion
-The High Republic News & Discussion
-Episode I - The Phantom Menace Talkback Thread
-Episode II - Attack of the Clones Talkback Thread
-Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Talkback Thread

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Discuss Star Wars The Acolyte right here at The Entertainment Board!

 

[Yojimbo]

Great opener! I hope this Sith that trained Mae isn't Palpatine. Osha and Mae seem to have a Dyad and we know he's interested in that. On one hand, it seems this Sith lied to Mae and told her the Jedi were responsible for the death of Osha in order to cultivate her hatred. Like the pragmatic in me thinks the Sith is Palpatine manipulating the situation to try to form a dyad with Mae but it fails, he waits, infiltrates Coruscant politics, prequel Trilogy, fails a dyad with Anakin, original trilogy, sequel trilogy. Ideally, I'd like to to be Darth Plagueis, Palpatine's master. I hope it's not some random robot that vanishes like that dude in Ahsoka season 1.

While the 4 Jedi seem have fudged the "twin" aspect for some reason and kept it out of the records and were convinced Mae died in the fire. Maybe they try to suppress dyads from happening in this era because they're deemed to be too dangerous? Torbin clearly felt the most guilty out of the 4 involved in the fire and it overcame him in the end. So totally the start of the Jedi going downhill. Secrets, lies, guilt, a cover-up. And also pretty terrible detective work on the Jedi's part - this bartender says it's her, we have irrefutable evidence! C'mon...

I appreciated this didn't turn out to be a slow burn "whodunnit" and we pretty much got a lay of the land by episode 2. It's still who's that Sith. The Sith's plan seems to be about tainting the Jedi's reputation. Kill without a weapon? So it seems the Jedi in this era don't attack unarmed people so this Sith is trying to get them to break their code and cause fissures in the order and end the Jedi's dominance. Jedi involved in a cover up at Brendok seems to signal the beginning of the fall of the Jedi we see in the prequel trilogy.

Bummer that Carrie-Anne Moss's Indara was killed off in the first episode... even though there will probably be a flashback episode revealed the true events of Brendok. Indara's "who trained you?" comment was intriguing - did she recognize Mae's moves as those from another Jedi she knew? She and Sol clearly had the same fighting style - the sort of Aikido avoidance fighting style with Force pushes mixed in. Was there a 5th Jedi at Brendok? Or could it be their mentor that went Sith? Another interesting aspect is that Mae is an acolyte trying to pass this test. She isn't an apprentice yet. So this is a lot like a Ventress-Dooku relationship. So this Sith could really be an apprentice and the master is still to be revealed.

Only thing that I don't like so far is... Yord. What a tool.

 

[Frontier]

What was Indara even doing in that bar? Catching up with friends? Hanging out with the local people?

A Jedi's greatest weakness...protecting civilians. Although it also comes off as hypocritical of Mae to call out how a Jedi "intends to kill" when they bring out their Lightsaber when Indara prioritized saving someone else over protecting herself. Granted, she's just trying to sound like a Sith.

How many aliens can Robert Atkin Downes voice? A surprising amount.

You can tell Osha is the good twin because she has a cute Droid companion.

Live-action Jedi Vectors! And High Republic robes! Now all I need is a reference to fighting Nihil.

Oh hey, the Trade Federation and Neimodians! Linking to the Prequels. And I like how aide girl saved her boss the indignity of getting Jedi Mind Tricked.

Nothing hurts more than getting arrested by an old friend for a crime you didn't commit. I wonder if we'll see Filik again.

"I see fire" - I feel like that would be a big red flag for Jedi during training.

So I see her hair isn't the only thing Vernestra's lost over the years, she's becoming as focused on optics, obeying the Council, and maintaining strict order as the future Prequel Jedi. It's honestly kind of sad.

Okay, so obviously this Droid-manned prison transport was not adequately prepared to transport the prisoners they had onboard.

So we see firsthand how much not using the Force can atrophy ones skills, Osha can't even use Force Pull.

Jecki is my new favorite Padawan.

Someone who was recruited into the Jedi older than the ideal age, carries deep emotional trauma that got in the way of their training, and is good with and fixing tech...this sounds familiar to me. Especially dealing with anger issues.

100% of the audience by the midpoint of the episode - "She totally has a twin."

Yord feels like he's one-step away from being the Jedi equivalent to a himbo. Honestly if anyone is likely to bite it first against the Sith they end up fighting, my money's on him.

Aw, the classic Master and Apprentice who became too attached and can't give up on each other.

I thought for a second that Mae was going after all four of her targets because they were involved with Osha getting expelled from the Order, but she didn't even know Osha survived the fire. So it seems like it's all personal on her end. It seems more complicated than just that she blames them for not saving her, especially if one of them took a vow of silence and then killed himself out of guilt. Were they partially the reason Mae set the fire? Does Sol know more than he's telling or is he innocent in this beyond just having been there like the rest were?

I wonder how involved Qimir is in all this. Obviously he's invested in helping Mae, he seems to agree with Sith ideology, and he knows about her "Master," but what exactly is his connection to all this?

Yord finally did something right - making sure Osha didn't get accused of yet another murder.

A Wookie Jedi in live-action! Not Burry, but I'll take it. Seem like the dudes' gone native.

 

[Yojimbo]

I wonder how involved Qimir is in all this. Obviously he's invested in helping Mae, he seems to agree with Sith ideology, and he knows about her "Master," but what exactly is his connection to all this?

Would be infuriating if Qimir is really the Sith or a twin of the Sith.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 3 "Destiny" - June 11, 2024

On a mysterious planet, the tragic journey of two sisters begins.

 

[Frontier]

I feel like the twins using the Force to freeze a living creature was the first major red flag.

So the Coven feels like a mix between the Night Sisters and the Path from Phase 2 of the High Republic, people who worship the Dark Side and seek a different path to the Force than the Jedi and are dismissive of them. I don't think the were Sith Cultists per se but it does once again ponder the question of whether people who practice the Dark Side are automatically evil or just seeing a different but valid path from the Light...that obviously gets perverted by the Sith.

It's kind of funny that Mae was the more calm and dutiful twin compared to Osha seeing how Mae is as an assassin and Osha is as an adult. Then again, as soon as Osha acts out of line, she goes full ham.

One mom treated them like kids and was as loving as any mom, while the other mom was serious and focused on them fulfilling their purpose within the coven. Yet I feel their momma ultimately just wanted what was best for both girls and truly loved them as a mother.

Ah, now Torbin looks as he should and we're not trying way too hard to make him look older. He was also Indara's Padawan.

It's kind of ironic that this all came about because Osha wanted to be a Jedi knowing she would end up washing out anyways. But she had enough of being a twin and living in a secluded enclave for...nebulous reasons, and jumped at the chance to meet more kids like her. It's not surprising she went in that direction and even if she left the Order she still got to explore the Galaxy, so I guess she got what she wanted anyways.

The Jedi have lightsabers, what does the Coven have? Sticks? Way better sell.

"The girls don't have a father" - That sounded suspicious enough to tell me there is definitely more going on with the girls' birth, especially if the Momma "created" them in such a way that the Jedi would be concerned. Were they meant to be some kind of...Dark Side conduits? Which also made it necessary to keep them together otherwise they wouldn't be as powerful as they should have been?

I think we usually go through a child just demonstrating their Force Sensitive but I guess you have to test their blood for their midichlorian level and also see if they have enough Force Sensitivity to tell a picture without even seeing it.

Wow, Mae really jumped straight to murder. I don't know if she was serious or if she knew how much damage the fire could cause. Unless the big fire was caused by the Jedi fighting against the Coven.

So...the Jedi probably killed the Coven. I really doubt a fire would have instantly killed so many people like that. So, what, did they think they were saving Mae and Osha by preemptively taking them out? Would the Coven not give either girls up and picked a fight? Did Mae blame Osha because she brought the Jedi to them?

Taking a Padawan out of guilt has never ended well.

 

[Yojimbo]

Already delving into a flashback episode. Huhn, didn't think it would be so soon. But of course, it's not the full story. Presumably the rest answers what led to Torbin's vow of silence meditation thing and Kelnacca living a solitary life. And nothing on the mystery Sith yet.

Sounds like Aniseya created the twins similarly to how Anakin was but purposefully?

Yeah, them having the titles of Mother seems to hint they are of the Path of the Open Hand from the High Republic comics but it and its subgroups believed no one should use the Force. Don't recognize the symbol Aniseya and Mae had though. On the other hand, them being the Path would explain their hostility towards the 4 Jedi. And things would be so tense, a fight breaking out by accident would be no surprise. If the Jedi found the coven, curious if the Sith did, too, and wanted the twins for the agenda to break the Jedi. Somehow managed to hid his/her/their presence, snuck into the fortress, killed the coven, "finds" Mae in the aftermath and takes her in.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 4 "Day" - June 18, 2024

Racing to the next target, the Jedi head to a new world as they close in on a clever assassin.

 

[Yojimbo]

Man, they dangled a Wookie Jedi in front of us then offed him between scenes. But gave us a menacing Sith. Floating down like Dracula then Force pushing 8 Jedi like trash.

They're trying to trick us into thinking Qimir is the Sith right? I hope this isn't leading to an evil twin or split personality disorder explanation.

Was wondering if any of the Jedi from the prequel trilogy would show up. Ki-Adi Mundi it is.

Goes for show how blind and/or arrogant the Jedi were. They wouldn't even broach the possibility it was Sith. The one Jedi believed it was a rogue Jedi from a splinter Order.

Umbramoth was some good nightmare fuel, lol.

Neat to learn Bazil is a Tynnan. The species was introduced in the Han Solo's Revenge novel from 1979.

Half way. The slow burn format isn't a problem for me but I am starting to feel this inclination that this series would be better paced with 2 a week or it would play better if binged all in one day.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 5 "Night" - June 25, 2024

In a dense jungle, the Jedi are put to the test when they confront a rising darkness.

 

[Yojimbo]

Probably the best episode so far because of the prolonged battle scenes finally. But the outcome, brutal and heartbreaking.

Ugh, so Qimir was the Sith all along. Ok. That's pretty sneaky, a light saber hidden within a light saber. And even unarmed, still deadly. RIP Yord, Jecki, and the red shirts that came along. Buuut, he stills has to kill Sol and Mae if he wants his identity kept on the down low. And the question of what he's going to do with Osha. He was intent on decapitating her but at the end heals her wound and puts his cloak on her like a blanket. Huh?

I was wondering why his helmet and arm brace were causing the light sabers fits. Apparantly its an alloy material called cortosis, which shorts out light sabers.

So like Palpatine in the prequel trilogy, Qimir was able to completely mask his Sith nature right in the face of Jedi Masters and Knights.

And Osha notes what Yord described as mental manipulation during the battle was similar to what she saw Aniseya do. Hmm.

I guess next week will be a cat-and-mouse thriller aboard the ship in space between Sol, Mae, and Bazil.

 

[Frontier]

I guess this is why the Sith are what Jedi horror stories are made of.

Ha ha, Osha legit tried to stun blast a Sith. I mean, it saved Yord at least...for half an episode.

That helmet's not Beskar, is it? Whatever it is and whatever he has in his arms to deflect Lightsabers is pretty darn sturdy.

Dude seems to have a thing for Lightsabers, he keeps trying to take them out or negate them.

Points to Jekki for prioritizing what they were there to do, arrest Mae, even it it landed her squarely against the Sith.

What luck that Kelnacca's saber was also green! I love it when they pull out the surprise dual-wielding.
Until it's used against the Jedi. Poor Jekki.

Nothing more Sith than making a teachable moment while trying to kill a Jedi.

It's ironic that the Jedi were prioritizing protecting Mae even when she would never show them the same courtesy.

"You take of your mask" "You first" - Definitely feels like Qimir is trying to bring out the Dark Side in Sol or his less than stellar self, especially when he almost executed him. And this thing with Sol feels more personal.

Qimir doesn't fight like a Jedi but someone had to have trained him.

Yord didn't even have the decency of a Lightsaber death, dude got neck snapped. Poor guy was starting to grow on me.

"Is that it's name?" - Interesting that Qimir dehumanized Jekki like the Jedi were dehumanizing him.

It was so unsettling how he fell back into the act when he talked to Mae.

"I don't have a name" - so has he not earned a Sith title yet?

If Osha turns on Sol I wonder if she'll hold it against him that she sacrificed her beloved droid for his sake.

I feel like this basically comes down to the idea of whether Dark Side users are allowed to exist even though they practice the Dark Side. Is it inherently wrong? Do they deserve to practice their ways without the Jedi's control? Though, I mean, a Sith is still a Sith and I don't think Qimir needs THAT much excuse.

"Well, I did wear a helmet - Okay, he's getting the best lines in this episode.

Even if Mae isn't the cause of all their problems she's still pretty deranged and a remorseless killer.

I'm surprised Sol didn't sense something was off about "Osha" immediately, she was his former Padawan.
Unless he was really thrown off by the fight and he might start to put two and two together when they settle down and talk more. But I guess this is Mae's last chance to prove herself and get her revenge, though I wonder what she ultimately wants to do with Sol.

I'm guessing Qimir will reveal the truth, or at least a version of it, to Osha.

 

[Yojimbo]

That helmet's not Beskar, is it? Whatever it is and whatever he has in his arms to deflect Lightsabers is pretty darn sturdy.

From the SW site, "Originally pulled from Legends lore, the cortosis that is used for the Stranger's helmet and gauntlet is a rare ore that has the ability to disrupt lightsaber blades. Despite its protective qualities, it's not as durable as beskar. In-universe, cortosis can temporarily short out a lightsaber to disable an attacker, but does not permanently damage the blade. The energy absorbing effect the helmet and gauntlet briefly take on matches the color of the lightsaber blade affected."

Also, "The Stranger uses a style of lightsaber combat called Trakata, turning the saber on and off during combat"

Yes, his official name is The Stranger.

Qimir doesn't fight like a Jedi but someone had to have trained him.

"Is that it's name?" - Interesting that Qimir dehumanized Jekki like the Jedi were dehumanizing him.

Kind of makes me wonder if he was an acolyte/padawan that parted ways with his master before he was given a name Darth --- and given his ability to hide his true nature, was he a student of Palpatine or Palpatine's master?