Mini Series The Acolyte 1.02 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

I enjoyed this second episode of Star Wars: Brave New Worlds.

 

The four Jedi seem guilt-ridden about whatever they did to Osha's people. It's really interesting how Headland shows that Jedi can feel trauma and guilt for past decisions. And the different ways they deal with it is very cool.

 

I’m enjoying the very NCIS feel to it. I’ve been doing a lot of writing on the series and what we knew going into it for my side hustle, so I’ve been enjoying the Stenberg performance and was not at all surprised by the twin thing. In fact, I mentioned it in a draft and it was cut for being too big a spoiler last week, but was allowed to be mentioned yesterday.

I was not at all surprised by the revelation that Mae thought Osha was dead. The Jedi mentioned Osha being brought to them in grief and that being a concern for them. Mae had grief and guilt and it made her a candidate for dark training. Saw that one coming in episode 1.

 

I liked this episode slightly more than the first. I’m glad they’re not lingering on Osha possibly being the killer and now I’m really intrigued by what this group of Jedi did 16 years ago. What did they do that was so bad that a Jedi would willingly kill himself out of guilt? Once again the set pieces, costumes and choreography was top notch.
8/10

 

That had a very Sherlock or V for Vendetta vibe to it for me, especially with the Barash Vow.

 

We will definitely be getting some flashbacks

 

The most intriguing part of the episode was the Torbin thing. I love that he’d been in that meditative state for ten years.

 

The Barash Vow usually means refraining from Jedi activities to commune with the Force. I’m interested in the story of him being allowed to live among the Jedi while imposing this penance on himself.

 

It’s been a thing in canon for like 5 years. Basically if a Jedi ducks up so bad they take a vow of silence. Or solitude. And do that until they think they have repented.

 

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Barash_Vow Some background.

 

I thought the most intriguing part was master Torbin’s hair. Or the BSG styled security droid.

I found Qimir to be a favorite this episode. Shady and sinister. Is he really helping Mae. Does he really care? Sounds likes he’s serving her master more.

waiting to see if that force dyad rumor holds true.

I hope Master Sol helps the other Jedi find the 13th colony…Earth. Wait a minute…

 

Hmmmmm... theory time

Spoiler

Mae doesn't even know who her "master" is, and they're definitely teasing it's a Sith. "Peace is a lie..."

Her supplier seems to be extraordinarily in the know... he develops poisons... he's found "sleeping..."

They all think Mae definitely died...

Do you all see where I'm going with this?

If it's not him, we have another secret acolyte who will win the spot of apprentice, for the master...

I'm also feeling echoes of

Spoiler

the Jedi Covenant (for those who read the KOTOR comics)... why is that one Jedi Master remorseful to the point of gladly committing suicide for atonement?

Anyways

Spoiler

Evil twin stuff, and wrongfully accused plotline... yuck. So I'm glad these Jedi are competent and figure it out within an episode.

 

Wow, seeing a lowtech stake out might be my favorite thing ever in Star Wars. Just a few guys hiding on a rooftop with binoculars.

It seems like there are multiple truths here. Perhaps peacekeeping that got so out of hand it resulted in a village burning. Imagine only being able to mercifully save one kid by adopting her into the Jedi Order and watching the other burn alive? Damn that will leave a mark on the soul. See what I did there Sol? It has to be an enormous mess up for a Jedi to take a vow of silence for 10 years and then just kill himself when faced with Mae. Like seeing the ghost of the kid you watched burn alive stare you in the face. Was Torbin another one of those on-the-nose Star Wars names? A play on "Torpor"? And has Kelnacca also taken a vow of Big Foot to banish himself after what happened? Was Indara really just drowning at the bar the last 10 years before she was murdered?

That's why Sol is automatically the favorite character in this show, so much of the mystery is going to center around him. What he saw. He's more open-minded and inclined to take action compared to what we're seeing from the Jedi Temple. He seemed to be starting to lose composure at the end of the interrogation scene.

The mystery of what happened to Osha and Mae is the hook of the series. Mae is actually the more compelling character of the two in this episode while Osha just seems like a Vehicle to carry some of the plot and for other characters to bounce off of. I'm not convinced it's going to matter who the actual Sith (if they are a Sith) is. It's just a role. It makes me wonder if the Jedi discussion things in the temple are worried about the wrong thing getting out. I guess info about a powerful Jedi Murder training more Jedi Murders is bad. But peacekeeping operations that went to hell sounds way worse for folks to read in the Space Newpaper.

 

LOL @ Dean Charles Chapman’s character killing himself yet again. Is that going to be that actor’s shtick going forward, a la Sean Bean?

 

Off to a great start with both episodes. It's like a murder mystery set in Star Wars world.
Show looks great.. for some reason it looked a bit cheap in the trailers but the actual episodes look really good! Cannot wait to see how the story unfolds...

 

Loved this more than the first one and that was already great. The mystery was definetely intriguing but I find it intresting that while Mae blames the Jedi and Torbin clearly feels a lot of remorse, Osha firmly blames Mae. And I can't really see Sol manipulating her memory of what went down, that would seem out of character. Will be intriguing to see what actually happened.

10/10 for me.

 

yeah I just hope they don’t go in the direction he was the bad guy all along!
From what we saw of Indara though I could see her as the one who covered up the mishap or some questionable discussion to erase the village because of “the greater good” and Sol not being on board or aware of that…

 

I really enjoyed both episodes good start to the season!

 

There’s a 0% chance that Sol is the bad guy. Right? At least, I hope they don’t go that route…

 

Hope so but not sure...I really like him!

 

Really liked it, Totally on board with where this seems to be going… and (as others have said) glad that the ‘wrong person’ trope hasn’t been overplayed. It makes me wonder if, given there’s so much misdirection here, whether the obvious thing will actually play out…

 

Is the Dafne Keen character the species that Darth Maul is?

 

No more like from the purple alien in Jabba's Palace. She is a Theelin and not Dathomirian.

 

Zabrak is the species of Maul, Dathomirian zabrak yes but Jecki is Theelin as said. Like Rystall Sant.

This episode had some things I really didn't like but overall it continued to be above average Disney Star Wars.

Subverting the expectations trope that was heavily used in the Last Jedi was here with this incredibly stupid crime scene idiotism. Never go to touch body and murder weapon and be caught looking like murderer.

Yet they subverted this expectation by making Yord to follow her. Osha continues to be dumb. Why is she made this dumb? She was supposedly jedi once and now she is so dumb she almost gets herself looking like guilty party. Before she was so nice she acted dumb by releasing the facehugger-guy. But now she is dumb for the sake of being dumb. And she also shoots like stormtrooper...

Okay I don't want her to be Mary Sue but having her basic level of intelligence wouldn't hurt. The point is her sister and emotions like anger and love make her act dumb but still too much is too much.

This meditation jedi was fun touch, unintentionally (?) bit comedic when Mae tried to kill him and he just meditated. But good concept and scenes were not bad either. But him drinking the poison was bit weird. I guess suicide is not accepted by the jedi unless sacrificing yourself for others, but by drinking the poison he still commits suicide. So it seems a bit odd that he changes his mind here. I dunno just seemed bit odd from character's point of view to change his mind without real clear reason. If he wanted to kill himself why he didn't do it before but does it now? Did seeing Mae cause the change of attitude? Maybe. But seems bit weird to me why guy who had spend 10 years like that suddenly wants to kill himself. If he wanted to punish himself I understand the meditation vow thing. But if he wanted just to die why not go for suicide mission or something, why drink the poison now?

Scene in which Osha tries to pretend she is Mae she acted bit too badly. I understand that she was meant to not act well so it's incredibly hard to act like you are acting and not acting well but I dunno it was a bit too bad. I think this too was director/writer wanting Osha to act very poorly more than Amandla not being able to act someone who is not very good at acting but tries. Anyway it had so many levels and it gets confusing to talk about that.

None of these scenes ruin the show but were something I didn't like. Overall it was still pretty good IMO. So far I am not disappointed by this show but we still have episodes that may be better or worse so about this show as whole I still withhold my judgment yet. It seems unlikely it will be as good as Andor but it can be the second best live action show as whole. Since Mandalorian pretty much lost it's touch in 3rd season...

It can still be ruined by poor story decisions like Ahsoka pretty much was so hard to say. But so far so good. Positively surprised a bit actually. Better than Kenobi and Boba already.