Star Wars Acolyte: Qmir is the new Kylo Ren? (A Review So Far)

About half way though last weeks episode of Star Wars The Acolyte -- i had a thought. The titular Acloyte is the Gor The God Buther of this franchise. Christian Bale's perfomnace in Thor Love and Thunder was miles beyond any of the other characters in that film, pulling a tonal shift that made me feel like I was watching an entirely differently movie. The reveal of the Acolyte coincided with a pretty amazing fight sequence; a grandstanding lightsaber duel that lasted the entire length of the episode. But it didnt last, as the show regresseed back to its confusing chracters motivations, revels that make no sense -- and vibe that is tonally all over the place.

The discourse since the show started has gotten wildly out of control. There is something strangely politicizing about the show, like the groups defending political candidates, despite the other side having valid concerns. The Acolyte seems to have lit up a war of extremes on the internet. You can either love it, calling it the best thing that Star Wars has ever been, or you think its total space trash. Acolyte defenders are quick to latch on to the "you just hate it because of (fill in the blank) virtue signaling", while detractors are quick to point out cringe dialouge, poor pacing, and uneven writing and performances. This included a very cringe worthy music video released by lead actress Amandla Stenberg, and the results went over as well as you might exspect.

While many of the criticims of the show are fair, its major problem it is that is badly paced. Small events that should be explained, are given entire Flashbacks. Plot beats that should be deliverd in capivating performances are explained in tedious exposition. There are long stretches with no action -- and the action in the show has largely been kinda uninspried.

There is no better exmaple of this than the flat performance of the series' two twin sisters, played with Amandela Stenberg -- showing the emotional range of a 14 year old. Prior to a lengthy and unnecessary flashback episode, Mae (i.e. the "bad twin") declares she is going to turn herself into the Jedi, lementing on the fact that her sister is still alive -- a clear motivation for her revenge quest. The next time we see Mae she is actively engaged in trying to kill the aformentioned Jedi, even after she is being apprehended by Padawan Jedi Jeki (Logan's Defane Keen).

It is the reveal of the Acolyte himself that adds some needed stakes to the show. He is chilling, calulating and a total bad ass. While the reveal of his identity wasnt entirely unexspected, I have been really enjoying the perormance of Manny Jacinto. He is complex, and like any good villian -- feels justified in his motivations. However, just like any character in show, his motivations shift and change on a dime. However, unlike the others, it actually feels like it mkaes sense for his character. Its clear that he is looking for an apprentice -- and typical Sith fashion -- he actually doesn't care which sister it is.

As we close in on the show's final two episodes, the paralells between Qmir and Kylo Ren are quite obvious. Could he be heading towards a redemption arc --and the reveal that the true villian of The Acolyte was actually Osha all along? Showrunner Leslie Headland is quite known for doing shocking twists in her projects. So time will tell, even if the breadcrumbs we are getting here have taken entirely too long. If this is true is could be the punch in the arm the show needs, but in a Star Wars show where is feels like nothing happens over long stretches, it could be a case of too little, too late.