Following a lackluster stroll on Khofar, compelling action sequences and a darker tone in Night help overcome The Acolyte‘s twin-related problems.
Night is another short affair on Khofar. However, Night’s laser-like focus on action and lightsaber battles improves upon the last episode’s meandering affair. All the action sequences are great and stand far above the live-action Star Wars shows thus far.
The other standout in Night is Manny Jacinto‘s terrifying performance as Qimir. The combination of physical and psychological ferocity throws the Jedi for a loop. Matching Jacinto’s performance is Dafne Keen as Jecki. While the fight is avoidable, her showdown with Mae is incredible. Yord’s (Charlie Bennet) best moments in The Acolyte also occur in Night. Rather than being stoic and bland, Bennett presents more of an honorable side to Yord.
Mae and Osha are the most significant problems for The Acolyte. In the words of Darth Vader himself, Mae and Osha lack conviction. Mae reverses course from the last episode. Osha’s emotional detachment when she reunites with her sister is underwhelming. I also find it hard to believe the parent-trap-style ending working on Sol, but there is positive potential. Qimir is incredible, but his identity as the Sith is predictable.
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In Han Solo’s words, I have a bad feeling about doubling down on the twin story direction by shedding this many characters. However, for one episode, The Acolyte‘s action sequences work well enough to make Night the best episode.
After the overview and ranking NIght 7.5 out of 10 (Very Good), let’s dive into the Sol-Qimir battle, Mae’s lack of commitment, and a lackluster reunion. The Acolyte is streaming on Disney Plus.
Jedi vs Sith
The masked man from the last episode lays waste to the Jedi. Only Sol, Jecki, and, to a lesser extent, Yord can match his strength. Yord points out the challenge of facing the mystery man. He doesn’t follow the established patterns of combat.
The mystery man chases after Osha. It’s clear he doesn’t want to kill her, but he nonchalantly tosses his lightsaber at Osha. Fortunately, Sol shows up to deflect the saber. An incredible fight ensues between the mystery man and Sol. The mix of lightsabers and martial arts works well in the fight.
Throughout the fight, the masked man taunts Sol. Sol questions how he can lead Mae while hiding his identity. The masked man believes Sol is also hiding behind a figurative mask.
Eventually, Jecki joins the fight, and another fantastic fight ensues. Jecki surprises him and knocks his helmet off, revealing the mystery man to be Qimir, although he claims to have no name.
After his mask is removed, he kills Jecki and Yord. An incensed Sol nearly kills him until Osha steps in to prevent Sol from falling prey to the dark side. Osha ends the battle by drawing the bulbous creatures from the last episode to Qimir.
Mae flip flops in Night
In the last episode, Mae turns herself in to the Wookie Jedi Kelnacca after discovering her sister Osha is still alive. However, she discovers Kelnacca’s dead baby to end the episode.
In Night, Mae changes her mind again. During the initial lightsaber duels, Mae stays in Kelnacca’s hut. Jecki arrives and places her under arrest. Instead of confessing or explaining herself, she just fights Jecki and even comes close to killing her.
When Mae’s not fighting Jecki, she’s running through the forest trying to avoid Kimir’s saber and ripped arms. Meanwhile, Osha is also avoiding fighting with the help of Yord. Eventually, she convinces him to rejoin the fight.
Then, after the fighting, she reunites with her sister and Sol. She immediately tries to recruit Osha to join up with Qimir and continues to spout hate toward the Jedi. Osha still wants nothing to do with Mae and tries to apprehend her.
Mae knocks out Osha, takes her clothes, cuts her hair to resemble Osha and replaces her at Sol’s side. After escaping the creatures, Qimir stumbles upon Osha’s body and takes her. Qimir knows he has Osha. It’s unclear whether Sol is aware of the switch.
My hope is Sol recognizes Mae and uses the switch to explain what happened. In any event, The Acolyte is simply a better show when focusing on other characters than the twins. There’s simply nothing interesting happening in their stories, which is unfortunate because Amandla Stenberg is talented.
Night Final Thoughts
The action sequences and the compelling performances by Jacinto, Lee Jung-jae, and Keen, especially in the lightsaber duels, help elevate The Acolyte. Unfortunately, the series still fails to provide Stenberg a direction to work with as Mae or Osha.
Hopefully, with Keen and Bennett no longer part of the show, the series can create more value out of twins while continuing to reveal more about the Sith.
The Review
The Acolyte Episode 5: Night
PROS
- Amazing action sequences.
- Manny Jacinto is terrifying.
- Dark tone gives the series stakes for the first time.
CONS
- Mae and Osha's lack of direction and poor writing.
