‘The Acolyte’ Episode 6 Review: Capitalizing on Easy Momentum
Now that we’re officially on the downturn with ‘The Acolyte’ with only two episodes to go following this one, it feels like the show has settled into a place of relative predictability and, honestly, it’s for the better.
After an extremely up-and-down first four weeks, week five provided the promise of a proper landing, and week six safely follows up on that promise, even if it sacrifices some flare in exchange.
After last week’s plot twist in which our two lead twin sisters switched places, the latest instalment plays like a conversational follow-up that outlines the aftermath. The lines of good and bad are blurred even more than they were last week; ideals are pitted against one another. Words replace lightsabers, yet stab all the same. The show is much more palatable when seen through this lens, as there’s far more fresh content here than in any of the recycled, albeit impressive aesthetics, or occasionally impressive combat sequences.
Manny Jacinto as Qimir, who’s now revealed to be a Sith Lord, continues to be the standout. He was unnamed in last week’s review to avoid spoilers, but now that the gate is open, it’s a worthy thing to revisit just how strong he’s been since that switch.
Before the reveal, Qimir was fun enough, if not slightly compelling, but now, he’s become a legitimately memorable villain in a franchise packed with memorable evils. Jacinto’s performance is crucial to that, just like all those great aforementioned presences before him. No matter how the show ends, he’s going down as an immovable highlight.
Amandla Stenberg continues to impress, too. She plays both her characters to such a tee, differentiating them distinctly whilst also clearly valuing the silver lining that connects them. She’s weathered, and brings a history to the characters that, given their pasts, is much needed. She and Jacinto have become the driving engines of the show, and it wouldn’t work any other way.
This is far from a flawless endeavor, still. The Acolyte continues to suffer in the pacing department, struggling to divvy information across episodes in a way that maintains fascination yet moves things along, too. The balance is all out of whack, with the show either holding obvious information back as if it’s some sort of revelation, or dumping everything out at once in messy, chaotic fashion. This has been better given the series’ biggest plot twist (so far) being divulged, but even in its wake, the problem remains to a certain extent.
Further, at the risk of sounding like a parrot, the show just doesn’t look great. There are occasional flashes of heat in the camera work, but especially after a really strong first two episodes in this regard, the last four have looked mundane, for the most part. This has become a persistent problem for Star Wars television, and even with what seems to be a little more creative freedom for the creator here, it strikes The Acolyte all the same. It strikes back, if you will.
At this point, if The Acolyte is for you, you’re already tuned in. It does enough for Star Wars fans to warrant the watch, even if just barely, at times. If you’ve made it this far in, either way, you may as well finish it. We’ll see you next week as this thing rounds the last corner and approaches the finish line.