'The Acolyte' Episode 4 Takeaway: Why Mae may be dangerously close to the Masked Sith than she knows
Contains spoilers and speculation
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Acolyte' Episode 4 premiered on Disney+ on June 18, 2024. The exciting Star Wars series puts Mae (Amandla Stenberg) against her twin sister Osha as she embarks on a vengeful quest to kill Jedi Masters.
The events of the show occur a century before 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' and offer a much-awaited look into the rise of the dark side. 'The Acolyte' has an intriguing subplot about the relationship between Mae and Osha and Episode 3 was dedicated entirely to exploring the origins of their relationship.
In the 4th episode, we see a distinct change in Mae's demeanor as she begins questioning her service to the Sith Lord. She then takes extreme action by trapping Qimir (Manny Jacinto). Here's a look at Mae's change in demeanor and how that might have prompted the Sith Lord to kill Kelnacca ( Joonas Suotamo) himself.
Osha's presence changed Mae's heart
Mae has a discussion with Qimir in the episode where she asks him what Osha is like. It seems like her reluctance to kill Kelnacca comes from the knowledge that Osha is alive.
Mae had been under the impression that Osha died because the Jedi Masters wanted to take her but knowing that Osha is alive seems to have extinguished the fire we saw in Mae in the earlier episodes. Her motive for killing the Jedi Masters was all about getting vengeance for what they did to Osha but now that Osha is alive and involved with the Jedi, seems to have created an inner conflict in her
Osha on the other hand too believes that there is good still left in Mae and has a difference of opinion with Master Sol (Lee-Jung-jae). Mae tries to escape by trapping Qimir and runs into a dead Kelnacca who is killed by none other than her Sith lord.
This does raise questions about Qimir and whether he is the Sith Lord himself or if he has a way of communicating with the Sith Lord and if he communicated Mae's reluctance to the masked master promoting him/her to kill Kelnacca and show up at the Khofar.
Could Mae be the Jedi's trump card against the masked Sith?
If Mae does end up having a change of heart, she could be an important ally for the Jedi Masters as she knows the masked Sith better than anyone else.
The masked Sith is clearly too powerful for the Jedi as we see the Jedi losing in the early exchanges between the two. Mae, who has been quietly observing the action from a closed door may be the x-factor in this battle.
Mae and Osha together have the lineage of witches as well as the training of a Jedi. This could be a lethal combination for the Jedi going forward.
Episodes 1-4 of 'The Acolyte' are streaming on Disney+.
