Episode 4 of The Acolyte has dropped, and it’s my favourite episode yet. Titled “Day,” this episode has me the most excited about this series since it started. This episode, while it still hasn’t made me that invested in the characters, gave me enough hints and fun moments that the time flew by. Granted, the episode was only 30ish minutes, which I hope isn’t a trend going forward. Regardless, I was intrigued, and I’ve already got some theories on what could happen next. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before theory time, let's break down what worked and what didn’t in Episode 4 of The Acolyte.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 4 OF THE ACOLYTE
After the flashback-filled Episode 3, Episode 4 takes us back to the present day. Sol has informed the Jedi about Mae’s (Amandla Stenberg) Jedi killing spree and clears Osha (Amandla Stenberg) of all crimes. But before Osha can skedaddle back to her life, Sol (Lee Jung-jae) asks for her help capturing Mae. It turns out that the Jedi are keeping this ordeal under wraps and want to get rid of the problem discreetly. Good guy Sol doesn’t want that, so he’s going after Mae with some backup. This includes Osha, Yord (Charlie Barnett), Jecki (Dafne Keen), a few nameless Jedi, and a Tynnan tracker named Bazil. Together, they head to Khofar to track down the Jedi Kelnacca and capture Mae. But, before our heroes make it to Khofar, Mae and her associate Qimir (Manny Jacinto) arrive on the forest planet and are already tracking the Wookie Jedi, and they’re quickly closing in.
This episode’s story is my favourite of the series so far (even if the episode was the shortest). It finally felt like it was pushing the plot forward at a decent pace instead of meandering through. It ramped up the tensions throughout, and by the time those final few minutes happened, I was almost on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed how it further showed the failings of the Jedi Order, with them not entertaining the possibility that the Sith could be involved. It was also cool how politically motivated they were by not informing people of the acolyte threat because it could weaken their standing with the people.
I also really enjoyed it when the story shifted to focus on Mae and Qimir, and I wish the whole episode were just about them tracking through the forest. The Jedi could have shown up only at the end for dramatic effect. There were fewer major character moments than I would’ve liked, but I think the overall plot makes up for it. But it’s not like we didn’t get any character development. Even if small, some moments started to endear me a little more to these characters.
This episode proved that I would’ve been 100% on board with this series if it focused solely on Mae and Qimir. I loved their dynamic in this episode, with Mae getting desperate to kill Kelnacca and Qimir trying to keep things calm (maybe trying a little too hard). I also liked the uneasy feeling I got when they made their way through the forest, adding another layer to their relationship. It felt like, at any moment, one would betray the other. When Mae finally ditches Qimir, it feels earned in this episode. Now, Mae’s sudden change to turning herself in after (presumably) years of training to kill Jedi was a bit fast, and I hope this isn’t the end of her murderous ways. Sure, seeing her Sister alive could’ve been the only reason she needed to flip, but I hope her character doesn’t do a 180. I also hope this isn’t the last we see of Qimir, as he’s been the best part of each episode he’s been in.
Osha also had some interesting moments in this episode. Her reluctance to have anything to do with Mae once Sol gives her hope Mae could be redeemed, showing that Osha still cares. I also liked her initial reaction, which was that she thought Sol was inviting her back to the Jedi. It was also interesting that it was revealed that Osha could still sense living things through the Force after she disturbed a giant bug on Khofar. Sure, it ended up attacking her, but Sol was able to kill it (she did feel guilty about it afterward). Speaking of Sol, I liked how he had to beg to be the one in charge of tracking down Mae. Lee Jung-jae did an excellent job of conveying Sol’s desperation. There was also a surprise cameo from Ki-Adi Mundi, who I didn’t know would be alive at this time. He must’ve had a killer anti-aging routine. This episode also made a reference to The Lord of the Rings (a series I have not seen), with Sol’s Jedi group crossing a mountain range in a straight line, similar to The Fellowship of the Ring.
It’s time to discuss the elephant in the room, who the frick frack was that masked dude at the end of the episode. After Mae finds Kelnacca dead in his chair (RIP) and the Jedi squad rolls up the house, this menacing dude (Mae’s master presumably) floats down and looks like he’s going to kill everyone. I thought this was going to be the end of Osha when she came face-to-face with this masked stranger and ignited their red lightsaber. I still think Osha is going to be killed by this masked stranger as a sort of punishment for Mae disobeying him. Either that or Sol will sacrifice himself to save everyone (he said he’d explain everything later. Death flag triggered).
But aside from guessing who they’re going to kill, who is under the mask? My first guess would be Qimir. Throughout this episode, he seems a little too keen to kill Kelnacca, and he dodges every question Mae asks him about her master. I was already suspicious of him, but what convinced me was the masked stranger's hand movements. When Osha was flicked away with the Force, the stranger flicked his hand in a similar way to how Qimir had been this entire time. Is this theory based mostly on that hand flick? Yeah, but it makes enough sense to me that I’m fairly confident. It could also be someone new or another Marrok situation where they end up as a green fart cloud.
Episode 4 of The Acolyte has been my favourite episode so far. While it’s still not anything amazing, the series appears to be finally heading in an exciting direction. While the plot lacked major character moments, the story progression made up for it. I’m interested to see how the plot and characters develop moving forward and find out who was under the mask (it’s 100% Qimir). I’m still not entirely sold on the series, and this could easily be the one episode I really liked. But I’m hopeful that the series is now hitting its stride. Keep it locked to Couch Soup for more Star Wars content to feed your hungry nerd soul.
Have you seen Episode 4 of The Acolyte? What did you think? Who’s under the mask? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about how Ki-Adi Mundi looks excellent for his age in the prequels.
