Posted in: Disney+, Review, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: amandla stenberg, Hanelle Culpepper, Jason Micallef, Lee Jung-Jae, Leslye Headland, Manny Jacinto, Rebecca Henderson, Review, The Acolyte

The Acolyte Season 1 Finale Review: Wrapping a Shakespearean Tragedy

Showrunner Leslye Headland's The Acolyte season finale wrapped its dark "Star Wars" story with expected turns and a tragic fall from grace.

Published Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:37:09 -0500

by Tom Chang

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One thing you can say about The Acolyte is its consistent dark overtones. From the first episode on, it went beyond a simple murder mystery as we discover the tale of Osha and Mae (both played by Amandla Stenberg), twins separated from their home planet of Brendok, one thinking the other was dead. Osha is driven by guilt looking for a simpler life, and Mae is driven by her revenge against the Jedi who took her sister away and helped wipe out their coven. At the center of the conspiracy is Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), who was revealed to be consumed with guilt over how he affected the twins' lives while accidentally killing their mother, Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith), before Mae accidentally burned their village down. In the season finale, appropriately titled "The Acolyte," we see the mystery of the four Jedi at Brendok finally come to an end. The following contains minor spoilers.

The Acolyte: The Circle Is Complete on the Shakespearean Tragedy

When we last left everyone, Sol confined Mae to a medical bed to unload what's been burdening him. As Mae devises her escape, Sol pursues her. Meanwhile, Qimir, aka The Stranger, (Manny Jacinto) is looking to tap more into Osha's abilities and reveal the hard truth about the Jedi she's associated with while trying to seduce her to the Dark Side. Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) is trying to handle the Jedi matter internally, but the apprehensive Senator Rayencourt (David Harewood) grows suspicious of her actions, already showing his prejudice against the Jedi about what he feels is the lack of proper transparency with the Order.

Not to be a snob about how the events play out but given the nature of The Acolyte from the first episode, you shouldn't expect some happy ending. It is a tragedy, but there is a path to season two. Jung-jae does a wonderful job playing a sympathetic character trying to act above his guilt, but ultimately consumed by it. It almost feels like a Star Wars version of the sci-fi anthology series Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits but encapsulated within a season rather than a singular episode.

There may be some questions about how much Stenberg stood out dramatically, but she proved throughout the season her talents physically in her dual role. Jacinto exudes coolness when he looks like he can carry an action franchise by himself and plays the kind of villain that never needs to be over-the-top, unlike many of his contemporaries in the Star Wars villains class. It will be interesting to see what develops should season two materialize. That said, I would also be very happy to let it end here, with aspects of it picked up on by another Disney+ franchise series down the road to further expand this story. Directed by Hanelle Culpepper and written by Jason Micallef, The Acolyte closes the book on its season like a crime thriller with a twist – even if the ending is a bit predictable – and Leslye Headland deserves praise for pulling no punches in this dark Star Wars series.

The Acolyte Season 1 Finale Review: "The Acolyte"

Review by Tom Chang

7/10

The Acolyte season finale keeps to the familiar dark tones, pulling no punches when it comes to the politics and disturbing backstory hidden beneath what we thought we knew about the Jedi and the Sith. It will be interesting to see what develops should season two materialize. That said, I would also be very happy to let it end here, with aspects of it picked up on by another Disney+ franchise series down the road to further expand this story.

Credits

Director

Hanelle Culpepper

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