The Acolyte Episodes 1 and 2 - Sisters of the Force
Journey Joe Mitchell dives into the first two episodes of The Acolyte, a new Star Wars series set in the High Republic era. We meet twin sisters Osha and Mae (both played by Amandla Stenberg), whose paths have diverged since a tragic event in their...
Journey Joe Mitchell dives into the first two episodes of The Acolyte, a new Star Wars series set in the High Republic era. We meet twin sisters Osha and Mae (both played by Amandla Stenberg), whose paths have diverged since a tragic event in their past. As Mae's Jedi-killing spree kicks off a galactic mystery, Osha must confront her own history with the Force and reconnect with her former master, Sol (Lee Jung-jae). Joe explores the show's stunning visuals, intriguing setup, and standout performances, while grappling with its pacing issues and the challenge of making us care about these new characters. Tune in to unpack the highs, lows, and lingering questions of The Acolyte's debut.
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Caalaroga Shark Media. All right,
folks, Journey Joe Mitchell here, and
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I'm diving into the first two episodes
of the latest Star Wars series, The
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Acolyte. Now. I know a
lot of you were excited for this one,
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a fresh story set in the High
Republic era, a whole century before
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the Skywalker saga. We were promised
something different, a peek into the Golden
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Age of the Jedi. But I
gotta be honest with you, based on
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these first two episodes, the Golden
Age is looking a little tarnished. Spoilers
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ahead. First off, let's talk
about the basic setup. We've got twin
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sisters, Osha and May, played
by the talented Amandla Stenberg. These two
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were separated as kids after their hometown
went up in flames. Osha ended up
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joining the Jedi Order before hanging up
her robes to become a mechneck, which
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is basically a fancy word for an
unlicensed mechanic. Meanwhile, May seemingly fell
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in with some shady dark side character
who taught her how to use the Force
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for not so nice purposes. Neither
sister knew the other survived until May started
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her Jedi killing spree and Osha got
arrested by mistake. This leads to Osha
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reuniting with her old Jedi master Saul, played by the always impressive Lee Jung
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Jay. Together, they start investigating
May's murder marathon. Now, on paper,
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this sounds like it could be an
intriguing mystery, and I got to
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give props to the world building and
character development. There's definitely some meat on
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those bones, but for some reason, it just doesn't quite click for me.
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I think my main issue is that
I'm not sure why I should be
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invested in any of this yet.
Like, Okay, May's got some mysterious
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dark side boss, but who cares
who's under that mask? Right now?
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They're just another big bat in a
galaxy far far away. And sure,
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Saul and OSHA's master apprentice relationship is
an interesting dynamic, but I haven't spent
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enough quality time with either of them
to really be hooked by their history.
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Maybe if we had gotten a full
episode just focused on OSHA's life before all
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this Jedi killing craziness started, her
journey would hit harder, But as it
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stands, I found myself struggling to
stay engaged, even with all the cool
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Force powers and lightsaber action. The
dialogue doesn't do the show any favors either.
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It's not bad per se, but
it feels a bit clunky and cliched
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at times. Thankfully, the cast
is bringing their a game, especially Lee
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Jung Jay as Sol and Manny Jacinto
as Camier, a former smuggler who aids
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May on her mission. They managed
to elevate the material and keep things interesting
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visually, though. The Acolyte is
a treat. The environments are stunning,
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the lighting is on point, and
the costumes are some of the best I've
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seen in a Star Wars series,
and I got to give a shout out
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to the fight scenes. They're well
choreographed and easy to follow, which is
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refreshing in a franchise known for its
acrobatic space wizards. But even with all
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those positives, I can't shake the
feeling of, well, not much at
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all. Really. I watched these
episodes. I was present, and then
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they were over, and I was
left wondering, Okay, what now.
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It's not often that a show leaves
me feeling so ambivalent, but The Acolyte
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managed to do just that. Now
I'm not writing it off completely. I'll
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stick around for a few more episodes
to see if it finds its footing.
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But if the rest of the season
is like this premiere, I might have
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to bid a fond farewell to the
High Republic era. Of course, this
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is just one Jedi's opinion. I'd
love to hear what you all think.
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Did The Acolyte's first two episodes captivate
you or did they leave you as lukewarm
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as a Taunton's belly. And remember, even if this Golden Age is a
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bit lackluster, the Force will be
with us always. This is journey Joe
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Mitchell signing off. May the Force
be with you, and may the next
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episode be a bit more forceful.
Peace out, Patawans.