Star Wars The Acolyte S1E8: The Acolyte

The Force was definitely not with "The Acolyte," making it more of a dark side detour than a thrilling new chapter in the Star Wars universe.

The one thing I will say about "The Acolyte" is that it’s been consistent. Unfortunately, that's consistently inconsistent, trying to showcase a story that nobody ever cared about and ultimately giving us the worst Star Wars series Disney+ has produced.

I've struggled to write this review because the series genuinely frustrated me. It feels like I was promised something, only to have the rug pulled out from under me. Despite being heavily promoted as taking the saga in a new direction, the series failed to deliver anything substantial at all. As an avid Star Wars fan, I fiercely defend George Lucas's vision, but I'm also open to stories that explore new directions - provided they stay true to the world Lucas created.

The season finale, "The Acolyte," features a couple of cool cameos, but it was a little too late. The episode was predictable, much like most of the series. Despite some cool moments here and there, it did nothing to salvage the season.

In the finale, the episode begins with Osha (Amandla Stenberg) in The Stranger's (Manny Jacinto) helmet contorting and breathing heavily. He's able to get the helmet off her, and she details the vision she saw, it was Mae (Stenberg) killing Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), but not with a lightsaber. And remember, her final act to become The Stranger's Acolyte was to kill a Jedi without using a weapon. Osha says she knows where Sol and Mae are, and the two head off. As their ship leaves, we glimpse a Darth Plagueis peering from the shadows.

Hovering above the planet Brendok, Sol initiates a plan to gather all the key figures, including The Stranger, Osha, Mae, and a team of Jedi led by Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) on the planet. This sets the stage for Sol's confession regarding the events 16 years ago. He reveals to Mae that he orchestrated this gathering to disclose the truth about what happened to herself, Osha, the coven, and the origins behind their creation, providing context to explain the actions of the Jedi.

But before the Jedi can arrive, Sol is confronted by The Stranger, and the two engage in a fierce battle. This fight is one of the best in the series, featuring a slow-motion sequence that I typically dislike, but it worked remarkably well in this episode. Throughout "The Acolyte," Sol reminded me of a samurai from classic Japanese films, with his smooth, deliberate movements contrasting beautifully against The Stranger's rageful flailing.

There's also a fight between Osha and Mae in their former bedroom and a Great Value "Duel of the Fates" choral-accompanied musical score that's pretty terrible. The tension that should exist between the two has been non-existent throughout the series and doesn't get much better in the finale.

During Sol and The Stranger's fight, Sol gets the upper hand, but before he can deliver a killing strike with his blade, Mae joins the fray and is able to disarm Sol, cracking the Kyber crystal in his lightsaber. He tells her that he couldn't confess what happened 16 years ago to Brendok until he found out that she had survived. Her survival could help him prove the truth about her and Osha's creation. Osha overhears Sol admit to killing their mother, and that's when all hell breaks loose.

Taking up Sol's lightsaber, she confronts her former master and, while he's trying to explain his actions, begins to choke. As Mae and The Stranger look at each other, Osha raises her hand, and it's her who's choking her former master, demanding that he stop talking. She ultimately kills Sol, and when The Stranger steps and touches her, she ignites the lightsaber to drive him back and watches as the blue blade begins to turn red as she screams in pain.

The moment is cool as we are actually able to see her bleed her lightsaber crystal. If you don't know what bleeding a lightsaber crystal is, a dark side makes their Kyber crystal turn red, using their hate, anger, and pain to make the crystal bleed. For me, I thought she bled the crystal a little too easily, but maybe that's why they showed the Kyber crystal touching her hand when she was holding the lightsaber.

The Jedi land on Brendok and Master Vernestra immediately senses The Stranger, someone with whom she obviously has a history. As the Jedi try to find Sol, The Stranger, Osha and Mae are trying to escape. Osha accepts her role as The Stranger's apprentice and agrees to wipe Mae's mind to protect her and themselves.

The Jedi finally find Sol dead but are unable to locate the others. Master Vernestra continues the trend of being the worst Jedi in the order as she informs those back on Coruscant that Sol was a rogue Jedi and pins all the crimes on him to protect the Jedi Order. Osha and The Stranger retreat to their island. The episode ends with Master Vernestra entering a room at the Jedi Temple, and as the camera pans down, we see the back of Master Yoda.

Even with two major league cameos, the finale of "The Acolyte" was as disjointed and lacking as the rest of the series. We did, however, get to witness one of the greatest portrayals of a Jedi by Jung-jae. Every step of the way, he was consistently wonderful. Unfortunately, his performance might be overshadowed by the mess that was "The Acolyte," which would be a travesty. It's an outstanding performance that shouldn't be missed.

For me, the series that we were presented doesn't feel like the series that was pitched to Disney or that was shot. It seems too disjointed and all over the place for that to be the case. It almost feels like it was shot and assembled and then was chopped up and pieces moved around. I could be completely wrong, but it would at least explain why the pacing has been very weird from the very beginning.

There are only a few moments in the series that actually work, and in my opinion, this is by far the worst series set in the Star Wars universe that Disney has put out. I know they left the finale on a cliffhanger with two major cameos that beg for a second season, but if this gets a second season and the “Kenobi” series does not, there are major issues happening at Disney and Lucasfilm.

The Force was definitely not with "The Acolyte," making it more of a dark side detour than a thrilling new chapter in the Star Wars universe.