Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 4 Recap (Spoilers)

Star Wars: The Acolyte had a lot to do. Episode 3 took a sharp turn into the backstory of Mae, Osha (Amandla Stenberg), and their ill-fated encounter with the Jedi that ended with their coven destroyed, and their mothers dead. 

However, Episode 2 left the present-day action on a major cliffhanger, as Osha and Mae found each other again for just a moment. Now Mae and her handler Qimir are headed off to face their most dangerous target yet: the Wookie Jedi Kelnacca. Meanwhile, Osha Sol, and the rest of the Jedi have a lot catching up to do…

The Acolyte Episode 4 Recap (Spoilers)

Welcome to Khofar – Episode 2 ended by revealing Kelnacca’s woodland lair on the planet Khofar. Episode 4 opens with a wider view of that planet. We find Kelnacca once again returning home, undisturbed this time (Episode 2 had him scaring off scavengers). Kelnaccaca is cooking a meal, but we also see that he has the symbols of Mother Aniseya’s coven decorating his living space, seemingly in memorial to the witches of Brendok. 

 Back to School – Osha watches Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) in a lightsaber training session with other padawans. Osha is saying goodbye to Jecki for helping her clear her name and find Mae, but the stoic Jecki claims it’s just duty. Jecki is surprised that Osha is abandoning the search for Mae, but Osha isn’t emotionally ready and says it’s up to the Jedi. Osha also skips on saying goodbye to Sol, claiming it’s because she’s caused him enough trouble. 

In the Woods – Mae and Qimir set out to search for Kelnacca in the woods of Khofar. Qimir claims that Khofar is so uncharted that some bounty hunters won’t venture into it; Mae is skeptical about how he was able to survive it and find Kelnacca, and Qimir claims it was for her, not their master. He also reminds her that Osha’s return doesn’t change the deal she made and that she owes The Master the deaths of the other two Jedi. Mae wants to get moving before dark. 

[Opening Credits]

Who is The Master? – At the Jedi Temple the Knights and Masters discuss Mae and gauge her level of power – but more importantly, they want to know who trained her. Master Vernestra Rwoh orders that Kelnacca be extracted from Khofar and brought in. Sol and Rwoh argue outside the chambers, with Rwoh angry at Sol for not revealing Mae’s existence sooner. Sol defends himself by saying he had no idea she was still alive. Rwoh can sense that Mae is just a small part of her Master’s larger plan – to achieve some kind of shift in the balance of the Force. They strategize on how to catch Mae, with Rwoh asking if they have something that could draw Mae out. Obviously, they do: Osha. 

Servants of Master – Mae questions why Qimir serves The Master as they walk into the forest on Khofar. Qimir claims he “owes him” and that The Master collects people for his use. Mae asks about what Osha was like when Qimir met her, and Qimir describes her, noting Osha’s attachment to Sol. Mae doesn’t seem to like that. 

Back in the Order – Sol catches Osha trying to catch a transport off of Coruscant. Sol says they need Osha, which Osha mistakes for meaning she can rejoin the Jedi Order. At first, Osha claims to be emotionally unable to try to reconnect with Mae, but Sol talks her into it, saying Mae is still her family. Osha has one stipulation: no civilian-issue Jedi robes.

Mission on Khofar –  Cut to Osha on the Jedi ship, in those drab robes, where she meets a hedgehog-like alien who can’t stop sniffing around. Jecki informs Osha that the creature is “Bazzle,” and they are scolded by Yord for talking during his briefing to the team of Jedi going on the mission. On Khofar, the team starts searching for Kelnacca in a local camp; Yord starts bothering Osha about keeping her blaster, but Jecki interrupts saying they have no leads on Kelnacca. Sol can sense his general direction inside the deep woods, and Yord reveals that Bazzle is a tracker; he gives the creature an object with Kelnacca’s scent on it, and it takes off in a trot, leading the party to the Wookie’s location. Osha and Yord talk about Yord learning Bazzle’s language; Osha makes Yord promise to stop Mae if it comes to it, because she’s not sure she can. Yord softly refuses, countering that Osha’s test in all this may be facing Mae, to face her own past. 

Know the Terrain – Mae and Qimir run up to a massive tree, that Qimir leads them through. Meanwhile, Osha and the party of Jedi wander into a peculiar section of trees that are covered in large bumps. Bazzle sense something “rotten” among them, but Sol urges to keep it moving. Osha touches one of the trees for a second; when she walks away, one of the “bumps” unravels and is revealed to be a large insect. The creature takes flight and comes swooping in for an attack, but Sol cuts it down with his lightsaber. They realize the bugs are attracted to light – and soon it will be dark, and they’ll all awaken. The party gets moving even faster. Osha is upset she caused the bug to die, but Jecki thinks “joining the Force” is an honor. Osha reveals the emotional backstory that she couldn’t finish her Jedi training due to her inability to deal with death and grief, but Jecki argues surviving dire times is what defines us. 

Pit Stop – Mae makes Qimir stop for a rest, as she needs to converse strength to fight Kelnacca. Mae questions her assignment, fighting a Wookie Jedi with no weapon, claiming it’s not a “test” but a “lesson.” She claims Qimir doesn’t care but he argues he does, going off to find water for them. Mae surveys the terrain and pulls a rope from her bag, seemingly with some plot in mind. 

No Friends on the Dark Side – The Jedi party loses track of Bazzle, but hears screams coming from the distance. Qimir hears them too as he’s filling the canteens, and runs back to find Mae. Qimir ends up getting snared in Mae’s rope trap; Mae informs him that now that she knows Osha is alive she’s abandoning her deal with The Master. She plans to surrender to Kelnacca and inform the Jedi of everything she knows, earning her redemption, leaving Qimir hanging as she heads for the Wookie’s hut. 

A Darker Presence – Sol is suddenly unnerved by a feeling in the Force, but Osha distracts him with her doubts about facing Mae. Sol reassures her, while Mae ends up running into Bazzle, who starts howling to the Jedi party with his location. Mae runs for Kelnacca’s hut but finds the Wookie already dead, cut across his chest with a lightsaber burn that’s still fresh. As the sun sets, Mae realizes that The Master is there. The Jedi surround the hut, while Mae hides inside; Sol senses too late that The Master has flanked them, flying down behind Osha. The Jedi don’t recognize a Sith, having not seen one in so long; The Master ignites a red lightsaber, flicks Osha aside with a Force-push, and then unleashes an even more powerful Force-push that sends the entire team of Jedi flying back, with one body hitting the camera. 

[Cut to End Credits]

Star Wars: The Acolyte is streaming new episodes Tuesdays on Disney+.