‘The Acolyte’ Episode 6 Review: A Quiet Build-up to a Murky Finale

Reviewing the latest episode of ‘The Acolyte’, titled ‘Teach / Corrupt’, is a bit tough because it’s quite uneventful. Despite a few intriguing exchanges between the characters, this episode lacks significant developments.

In this episode, we see Manny Jacinto’s character, The Stranger / Qimir, engaging in a conversation with Osha, played by Amandla Stenberg, on a mysterious planet resembling Ahch-To from ‘The Last Jedi’. While it’s unclear if it’s the same planet, the setting sparks some curiosity.

The dialogue gives us hints about The Stranger’s past and touches on why Osha didn’t fully become a Jedi. There’s also a scene where Osha tries on a Sith helmet, suggesting a potential shift in her character towards the Dark Side. However, the twin storyline, central to this series, doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Another subplot involves Mae and Sol, portrayed by Lee Jung-jae, as they flee from Khoftar. Here, the narrative drags out the mystery of the sisters’ past, which is frustrating as the revelation could be simple and straightforward. This prolonged mystery feels unnecessarily stretched.

There’s also a subplot with Vernestra Rwoh and her new Jedi pupil, Mog, who are investigating Jedi murders. This part of the episode doesn’t offer much excitement either.

The episode concludes abruptly, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction. The shorter episode format seems to be a problem, cutting off scenes just as they start to build interest. I think releasing the episodes in larger batches or all at once might have served the series better, even though I’m not a fan of binge-watching.

What I did appreciate in this episode was the callback to the ‘power of two’. Manny Jacinto’s character, Qimir, is compelling, and it feels like the show could have benefitted from focusing more on him and less on the less engaging twin plot and Jedi storylines.

Mae resetting a droid was a notably cold moment, highlighting her darker traits. And it was a relief to see that the deaths in the previous episode were indeed permanent, providing some much-needed stakes.

We also learn about cortosis, a material that makes the Sith helmet powerful. This detail adds some depth to the lore but doesn’t fully compensate for the episode’s overall lack of action.

Hints about Qimir’s past, including a potential connection to his former master, Venestra, add a layer of intrigue. Venestra, a long-lived Mirilian, might have been Qimir’s mentor decades ago, suggesting a deep-seated vendetta driving Qimir’s actions.

With only two episodes left, I’m not sure how the series will wrap up satisfyingly unless the remaining episodes are significantly longer and more content-rich. The potential is there, but the series feels like it needed more time to develop.

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