The weekly appointment with the live action series is back The Acolyteand does so with a sensationally titled fifth episode “Night”. One episode full of emotion, meaning and above all action which I’ll tell you about below, as always first without and then with spoilers!
The Acolyte 1×05 – “Night”
The title contrasts with that of the previous episode and anticipates us a real dead night for the jediThe episode doesn’t even give us a moment to breathe, catapulting us into a frenzied and pressing action in which the Force user of the Dark Side reigns supreme. Her debut in 1×04 not only lives up to expectations, but it surpasses them. We discover an extremely powerful and charismatic character; and the even more sensational thing is that his charisma increases after the revelation of his identity.
All this thanks to dialogues with profound meaning, which introduce us to his actions, his goals and even his past which is linked to that of the other protagonists. As mentioned, his skill also leaves you speechless: the lightsaber fights are nothing short of splendid and well choreographed, and his fighting style is vigorous and powerful as well as very particular.
From the Jedi side, the encounter/clash with this character represents a strong peak of tragedywhich shows us all the courage that permeates this series. But it’s impossible to talk about it without spoilers, so Don’t continue reading if you haven’t seen 1×05!
Clashes on all fronts
As mentioned, the episode does not disappoint expectations and begins by immersing us already in the action. The dark Force user is fighting with the jedi, who though they can do nothing against his power. He eliminates them one after the other, showing us a fighting style without rules but decidedly effective. I found it brilliant that he could block lightsaber blows even with his helmet; in general, as mentioned, the elimination of these jedi represents an appetizer for its main course. In fact, he will then turn his attention to Solwho orders Yord to rescue Osha.
As the two go to the ship, Sol and the Force user engage in a duel. Simultaneously, Jecki Lon clashes with Mae and tries to arrest her. The editing expertly takes us from one situation to another until the moment the characters meet and Jecki’s fate is also sealed. His death shocked me a lotand it also matches the antagonist’s face reveal. We therefore discover that behind the mask Qimir himself is hidden: despite the fact that it is a rather phonetic revelation (the previous episode gave us so many clues, so much so that it seemed like a misdirection) it does not disappoint expectations about the character, also and above all for the great interpretation of Manny Jacinto.
The Secrets of Qimir
In fact, the actor manages to give crazy charisma to the character even without a helmet, and everything is supported above all by clever dialogues in which he hints at a past where Sol was guilty of a certain darkness. At this juncture he calls himself Sith, according to what the Jedi would have called him. In my opinion, however, this aspect needs to be clarified well, given that at the moment he claims he doesn’t have a name yet. It is therefore probable that he is still a budding apprentice towards a possible Master hidden in the shadows. I will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the issue in the Easter egg analysis.
He explains his nature to Sol, also anticipating what we know well: no one had to discover his identity and above all his presence as a dark Force user. Qimir’s prerogatives are based on his quest for freedom, oppressed by an institution that he didn’t allow people like him to use their powers. But there is also much more underneath, which we will surely discover in the second part of the flashback from Mae’s point of view.
The Acolyte 1×05 – new narrative structures
Meanwhile Osha convinces Yord to go back, using the umbramoths as a diversion to keep Qimir at bay. This, however, not before he also eliminates Yord; as mentioned, the series is showing great courage in letting the co-protagonists leave the scene. At this juncture, while Qimir is busy with the creatures, Mae stuns Sol and the sisters come face to face. She tries to convince Osha to follow her, but the latter, despite a moment of relenting, reiterates that she wants to arrest her.
This is where Mae makes another choice of her own: she cuts her hair and pretends to be Osha, following Sol to the spaceship. We don’t know why he did it, but we’ll find out in the next episodes. Just as Sol himself will surely do at the moment he is still shocked from what happened but he will certainly notice the exchange.
The episode ends with Qimir preparing to take Osha with him; this too is an action that could have interesting future repercussions. What do you think of this fifth episode of The Acolyte? Tell us as always in the comments! And continue to follow us also on Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram And Twitter to stay updated on all the Star Wars news.
