The Acolyte S1.E2: Revenge/ Justice
Entry 01 · The Acolyte · Episode 2
2024 · Series · Episode 2 — “Revenge/Justice” · 45 min · Manny Jacinto walked in and stole the whole show.
A tighter episode than the premiere. The twin structure is still there but it’s less distracting when the show gives you Qimir to focus on. This is the episode where The Acolyte figured out what it wanted to be.
The Take
Manny Jacinto is doing something genuinely special with Qimir. The character is funny in a way that feels accidental — like he’s the only person in the scene who doesn’t realize how absurd everything is. When he’s surrounded by Jedi and just… plays it completely loose, it lands because it’s not written as a joke. It’s written as a guy who isn’t afraid. That’s a different kind of comedy than the forced quips in the Prequels and Sequels, and it works every time.
The fight between Mae and Sol is the second major confrontation in two episodes where nobody pulls a lightsaber. Sol goes full defense — patient, reactive, reading her completely. It’s a quiet flex. He already knows more than he’s letting on, and the moment where he clocks that Osha missed on purpose is doing a lot of heavy lifting for where this show is going. I love that it’s not stated out loud. He just knows.
This is my third watch of the series and something clicked this time — it’s more cohesive than I remembered. Knowing the context of everything makes the early episodes feel intentional rather than slow. The music helps too. This show has a genuinely excellent score that doesn’t get enough credit.
Galaxy Brain Moment
🧠 The Jedi in the High Republic are written to be completely blind to the Dark Side — and I don’t think that’s an accident. Mae walks into a Jedi temple, masked, with intent to kill, and not one of them senses anything off. Lucas always said Star Wars is like poetry. The Prequels showed the Jedi Order at its most arrogant and blind — and the High Republic era is the setup for that fall. The Rule of Two was already active during this period. Plagueis and Sidious were already operating. The Jedi just couldn’t see it. This episode makes that feel less like a plot hole and more like the whole point.
One More Thing
Quick hits from my notes: Torbin’s forehead — absolutely unhinged, more please. The Barash Vow raises genuine logistical questions I need answered, specifically around bathroom breaks. I’ve always remembered the faction as CorSec from Star Wars Galaxies — the show calls it CorpSec and I spent ten minutes convinced I was misremembering my own childhood. I was not. Also Kelnacca is objectively one of the best character names in Star Wars history and I will not be taking questions.
Gut Check
8/10 — One of the best episodes of the series. Qimir makes everything better and Sol is quietly becoming my favorite character in the show. Roll on Episode 3.
