Well, we’re here at the end and it was a bit of a rocky road to get there. But The Acolyte has finished its first season and a lot of what I thought was going to happen, did come to pass over the course of the season. So the finale, aptly titled The Acolyte, wasn’t anything really shocking in that regard, but it featured another sweet lightsaber fight and raises some questions about a second season. In fact, for a season finale, it didn’t really feel like a finale at all, more like the start of something new, which is a bit frustrating as many questions were left unanswered, even some that got introduced in this very episode.

We open up exactly where we left off in episode six, with Osha wearing the helmet. Picking up here actually felt really jarring, as last week’s episode was a flashback and the transition back to where we left off really made last week’s episode feel like an insert. I’ll reiterate that parts three and seven should’ve been one episode and probably should’ve just been the premiere of the season for the sake of pacing. Osha sees Mae in a vision in the Force, holding a non-ignited lightsaber in front of Sol, to which Qimir says she’s seeing the future. It’s not long before he offers to train her, something she flatly refuses. But considering Mae is now wearing white robes and Osha black, you can see the foreshadowing a mile away. Oh, and Darth Plageuis is seemingly just chilling in a cave, watching events transpire. The show never follows up on this brief scene, leading to more frustration, especially for those not steeped in the lore. We never learn if Plageuis is a puppet master or operating on his own agenda, so including the reveal feels pointless. I was expecting some sort of payoff scene to close out the season, but instead, we got a non-verbal Yoda cameo instead

Back on Sol’s ship, Mae ends up escaping captivated because the Jedi didn’t remove any electronics from her person. Sometimes, Sol is an idiot, eh. Qimir and Osha end up on Brendok almost at the same time and Sol activates his beacon, alerting the Jedi Order of his whereabouts, so all parties converge at the same time. This leads to another sweet lightsaber fight between Qimir and Sol and credit where credit is due again, if there’s anything The Acolyte will be remembered for, it’ll be its action scenes. The stunt team definitely earned their bragging rights, with great choreography, including a lot of clever tactics and unique stunts, and tight camera work that made it all easy and fun to watch.

If there’s anything that the finale did do, it was bring Sol’s arc to a complete close, as Osha learns that her former Master did indeed kill her mother for selfish reasons (he thought he was doing the right thing) and Force chokes him to death. Considering her dark attire, this wasn’t exactly shocking, nor was Sol ultimately dying, as he heard the word “Sith” and therefore, had to be eliminated. It was also really cool to see a lightsaber bleed in real-time, With Osha turning Sol’s blue saber after the ignition. Great effect. I still take umbrage with the vendetta against Sol that said, as Mother Aniseya did look pretty scary as a smoke witch, so no wonder Sol killed her; he thought something terrible was happening at that moment, so it’s hard to sympathize with the not-twins. Did he have any right to try and take them away? Not really, but when it looks like there’s a threat on his life or the life of children, no wonder he did what he did.

Not only that, but the Jedi used Sol as a scapegoat for everything that’s happened this season, branding him a rogue Jedi who acted out of guilt for events that happened sixteen years ago. The show has seemingly gone out of its way to vilify the Jedi, and Vernestra straight up lying about Sol to cover up his lies is wildly out of character for anyone who has read the High Republic books, nevermind anyone who envisioned the Jedi as champions of light and justice. Oh, we also learn that Rwoh is Qimir’s former Master, but considering the scar on his back looks like a whip, I can’t say this was surprising at all. But we don’t learn why the scar is there or why he left the Jedi. She does have to faceoff with a Senator who wants the Jedi to be investigated, but again this feels like it should’ve been something that opened up a second season, not introduced in the finale.

After some hesitation, Osha joins Qimir as his new apprentice, with Mae encouraging her sister to take this path. Odd move, to encourage your sister to join a Dark Side cult, but okay. Mae’s memory is then wiped, preventing her from testifying about recent events (or the last sixteen years of her life, that sucks for her), and the duo head back to the Sith hideout. But what’s to become of Mae, is Osha committed to becoming a Sith, what happens now that there are two apprentices and one Master, considering Plageuis is in the cave; does Qimir even know he’s there? We also don’t know exactly what the Vergeance is still, only that the twins were made of it, but now Qimir knows about it so it’s only a matter of time before his Master learns of it as well and we all know where that one goes (have you ever heard of the tragedy of Darth Plageuis the Wise?). Also, where’s the Knights of Ren payoff showrunner Lesley Headland teased? In an interview, she stated on the subject of hearing Kylo’s theme in episode five that “”It [the music] is there on purpose, but I can’t tell you why, and I can’t go into what it is. But you shall see.” Well???

While the show has been review-bombed to death, a more realistic score would place it somewhere in the midzone, so the jury is out if we’ll even get a second season. Despite the show not living up to expectations and promises (more on that in a second), I would like to see a second season, but a drastic change in the writing department would be not only advised but more or less mandatory. Writing has been this show’s Achilles heel, with characters changing their minds on a dime, a plethora of conveniences and illogical decisions. So if they can revamp the writing on the show, it has a chance of being something really solid, but as it stands, the overall writing was some of the weakest Star Wars we’ve seen.

I also wasn’t a fan of the Twins, especially Mae, whose plotline and arc seemingly went nowhere in the end. She went from a seasoned assassin to an ashamed child in a matter of moments, seeking to be arrested to atone for her crimes, only to resist arrest moments later and ends the show basically as an eight-year-old in a 20-year-old body. Plus, both not-twins having the same haircut simply to dupe the audience in the first episode and to confuse Sol later felt incredibly contrived. I’ve said it before, but I think this show would’ve benefitted tremendously if it was focused on Sol and Qimir instead, as both Lee Jung-jae and Manny Jacinto, respectively, were the highlights of the show, both in terms of acting and characterization. The twins actually bogged the show down for me, as I didn’t get invested in their arcs, with Mae, in particular, being a sore spot for the season.

So if there is a second season, I would imagine it would be a very different show, as the investigation and Jedi like Sol will not be active characters. Instead, it’ll likely be something that focuses more on Osha and Qimir’s relationship, as she learns in secret while Rwoh hunts down her former Padawan. Will we ever see a second season? Unknown for now, as there’s no greenlight, but I’d rather not have this whole story left unfinished. But considering the show was pitched to fans as a Sith-focused show, I can’t help but feel let down, as The Acolyte ended up being more of a Jedi show, but one that didn’t paint the Jedi in a positive light. Perhaps a second season would finally be the Sith show we were promised.