The Acolyte Season 1 Episode 5: The Sith's First Vengeance

The Acolyte leaves me with no option, even though I hate to be the person who suggests a streaming show that doesn't truly start excellent until Episode 5: Despite a less than stellar lead-up this week, "Night" is a must-see for any Star Wars enthusiast. The Acolyte has irrevocably changed the franchise, much like the coven tattoo on Mae's forehead, regardless of whether the show maintains its current momentum through next month's conclusion or takes a turn for the worse. "Night" maybe raises the bar for Star Wars action taking place on Earth.Along with the Jedi vs. Sith showdowns in The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith and the throne-room battle in The Last Jedi, it's a fighting tour de force that, at the very least, has to be included in any ranking of the most dynamic, acrobatic, physical combat in the history of live-action Star Wars.
"We want to top the Darth Maul fight," Jecki Lon actor Dafne Keen stated in an April interview with Entertainment Weekly. It doesn't take long for "Night," which was written and directed by Cameron Squires and Kor Adana, to reiterate that goal. Following the Force flick Mae's master administered at the conclusion of Episode 4, Osha soon awakens and trips across a dead Jedi. She then observes from a distance as his killer simultaneously defeats multiple still-standing fighters. The unidentified Jedi on this Star Wars away team weren't long for this life, as I mentioned last week, but I didn't anticipate that two of them would be made into Jedi kebabs. The episode begins with a devastating double kill by Qimir, which also significantly reduces the number of survivors. In under two minutes, Qimir has essentially reduced the number of Jedi characters to only those that are absolutely necessary, allowing for the two-on-one and one-on-one confrontations that take up the majority of the show. Apart from Sol, this isn't the Jedi A-Team, and the order as a whole hasn't been tried against the Sith.
"Night's" opening third plays out like the denouement of Return of the Jedi, alternating between three rivalries: Sol versus Qimir, Jecki versus Mae, and Osha versus Yord's strict adherence to the rules. Yord says Osha, "I will subdue you; I don't want to have to." Yord, any day now you can conquer me.) As the main fighters gather for crucial-and deadly-confrontations, the streams (and swords) eventually cross. When Mae summons Osha through the Force in a Luke and Leia-esque manner, it serves as a crucial link between the main event and supporting cast members. Like Jack and Kate, Osha says Yord, "We have to go back." Yord would have been better off following Sol's instructions; deviating from routine results in his death.
I bemoaned last week that Khofar's forest appeared staged from up close. This week's darker lighting and gloomier atmosphere make the scene look much more realistic and evocative. (As Dagobah showed, a small bit of fog makes a big difference.) The sabers stand out more because of the relative darkness. The episode's eerie atmosphere is further enhanced by Qimir's skill at making covert entries and exits. It makes sense why Mae spends the most of the episode evading the phantom she obeyed at the beginning of the season.