‘The Acolyte’ Episode 2 Recap & Review: Osha Has an Unsafe Work Environment

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Acolyte Episode 2 “Revenge / Justice.”

It was an incredibly smart decision to drop two episodes of The Acolyte at the same time, as they pair together beautifully. The first is a fast-paced adventure that introduces a brand-new world and a plethora of new characters. The second installment is a nice wine that perfectly enhances the meal from the first. However, with only eight episodes in the series, there is a potential reason to worry there won’t be enough time spent with all the wonderful characters.

Twins who have been separated at birth are nothing new to Star Wars. Nevertheless, Osha and Mae’s (Amandla Stenberg) story is still a breath of fresh air that feels entirely their own. They likely won’t have many parallels to Luke and Leia other than being twins, as their story uniquely features one on the light side of the Force while the other is trained in the darkness.

The mystery behind their origin and the excellent new characters make the debut episodes of the series a massive success. Read on for all the details from the newest Star Wars series in our recap of The Acolyte Episode 2, “Revenge / Justice.”

The Jedi Order Is Hiding Dark Secrets in ‘The Acolyte’ Episode 2

One of the largest criticisms from recent Star Wars projects is that an incredibly large galaxy can feel small. Stories continuously visit the same barren planets rather than exploring new corners of the universe. However, both episodes of The Acolyte premiere visit brand new planets in Star Wars television. Mae’s next target is Jedi Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman), who resides in a Jedi Temple on the planet Olega.

She finds Torbin meditating and is unable to penetrate a force field he has formed while in his trance. Mae demands the same of Torbin as she did of Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) in the previous episode, that he attacks her with all his strength. Unfortunately for Mae, the Jedi in the temple are aware there is a break-in, and she is forced to flee before they find her.

Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Osha is still stuck in limbo as a murder suspect. Despite her former master Sol’s (Lee Jung-jae) assurance, her old friend Jedi Knight Yord (Charlie Barnett) still doesn’t trust her. However, after the Jedi Order conducts its own investigation that proves Osha’s innocence, the crew heads off to investigate the break-in at the Jedi Temple on Olega. Osha, Sol, Yord, and Padawan learner Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) don’t have much team chemistry but are all motivated to find the truth.

The Mysterious Qimir Aids Mae With Her Quest in “Revenge / Justice”

Unfortunately for the Jedi, Mae is able to complete her task before they arrive. She consults with her associate Qimir (Manny Jacinto) to make a poison since she isn’t able to penetrate Torbin’s force field with physical attacks. Although she can’t force him to take the poison, she’s confident she can get through to him and make him let down his walls. Together, they concoct a poison made with plants from Mae’s homeworld, and she departs to take down the Jedi.

Qimir’s relationship with Mae and their master is still unclear, but something is unsettling about his presence in The Acolyte Episode 2. Could Qimir potentially be the secret Sith Lord hiding in the shadows? It wouldn’t be the first time Star Wars has had their mysterious villain hiding in plain sight.

With Qimir’s aid, Mae sneaks back into the Jedi Temple and confronts Master Torbin. She tells him she knows why he has taken the Barash Vow and won’t speak to anyone. Torbin lets down his force field and speaks for the first time in over 10 years.

He reveals he has not been able to live with his grief for what he has done to Mae. Torbin shares with Mae that he believed, at the time, that what he and the other Jedi did to her was right. He willingly takes the poison, and Mae escapes before Osha and the Jedi arrive. The mystery of what happened to Mae and Osha as children continues to grow.

Osha and the Jedi Prepare a Sting Operation in ‘The Acolyte’ Episode 2

Upon their arrival on the planet, Sol gives Osha a weapon to join them despite Yord’s pleas to the contrary. They search the Jedi Temple, and Osha is the first to locate the fallen Jedi Master Torbin in The Acolyte Episode 2. While the evidence makes it look as though Osha committed the murder once again, Yord following her corroborates her story.

Their search for evidence leads them to an apothecary, where a Jedi spots a worker he doesn’t recognize, Qimir. Although Yord suggests he confronts Qimir with Force, the team decides to utilize Jecki’s more subtle plan: having Osha pretend to be Mae. Yord may be the Jedi, but Jecki clearly is the superior strategist despite only being a Padawan learner.

Osha enters the apothecary pretending to be Mae and tries to get information from Qimir, but it’s obvious he knows more than he’s letting on. When Qimir hints that he knows Osha’s true identity, the rest of the Jedi enter the building to finish the interrogation. He reveals that Mae is alive and seeking revenge on four different Jedi while not mentioning anything about their master behind the scenes.

They all wait together in secret to ambush Mae, but Osha has different plans. She tries to convince Sol that she needs to be the one to confront Mae as she feels vengeful that her sister caused the fire that killed their family as children. However, Sol reassures her he can handle the situation and decides he will be the one to face Mae; he feels responsible for not rescuing her as a child.

‘The Acolyte’ Grows More Mysterious by the Minute

When Mae finally comes face-to-face with Sol, she’s unable to put up much of a fight against the Jedi Master. While Yord has been eager to unsheath his lightsaber throughout the series, Sol confronts Mae without drawing his weapon. Mae continuously tries to swipe for his lightsaber — similar to how she did against Indara — but doesn’t succeed. Her Master has yet to provide her with a lightsaber, trying to teach her the lesson that an acolyte doesn’t kill with a weapon (something Qimir tries to emphasize while making Mae the poison).

Mae has interpreted his words literally, thinking she must face a Jedi and defeat them without weapons. However, the Sith Lord’s intent may be to teach her that head-to-head combat with the Jedi isn’t the way forward — ulterior methods must be used to succeed in taking them down.

Upon their fight’s conclusion, Sol uses the Force to read Mae’s mind. He finds out that someone has been training Mae in the ways of the dark side and that she doesn’t know her sister Osha is alive. Sol tries to convince her that Osha is living, but Mae doesn’t believe him and escapes before they can complete their arrest.

As Mae escapes in The Acolyte Episode 2, she comes face-to-face with her twin Osha for the first time since their childhood. Osha quickly attempts to stun Mae with a blaster before they can speak but misses badly, and potentially purposefully. Mae escapes Olega and despite Sol’s best efforts, the Jedi Order decides he must return home instead of following her. The group’s ineptitude clearly spans long before the fall of Anakin Skywalker, allowing Mae and Qimir to escape their grasp.

“Revenge / Justice” Sets Up an Exciting Future for the Series

Before the episode concludes, Qimir shares intel with Mae on where they can find the next Jedi on her list. However, she hasn’t faced anyone near as powerful as Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo) so far in her travels. The Wookie lives in solitude on the planet Khofar and is a force to be reckoned with.

“Revenge / Justice” maintains the fast pace from The Acolyte Episode 1 with well-choreographed action and wonderful storytelling. As the mysteries unravel throughout the first two episodes, new exciting questions develop as rapidly as the answers are revealed. The Acolyte is top-tier Star Wars through two episodes, and the only potential qualm of the series is that eight episodes may not be enough.

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