The worst part, if you can call it that, about The Acolyte episode 5 (a chapter so good that it sold some people on the show) was that it raised the bar too high, especially after a mixed first half of the season. By cutting through two major characters, trimming down the investigation plot, and letting the main players' emotions come to the surface, it seemed like the series had finally found its true identity. This week, while things are much calmer, it sure does feel like the story is in a better place after that Jedi massacre.
Perhaps it was always the plan to play a longer game with the setups and misdirections in order to knock it out of the park with the second half of the season, with inverted roles and twisted morals. But such an approach doesn't instantly justify the more mechanical shortcomings of episodes 1 through 4. As the live-action debut of the High Republic era and a first crack at a murder mystery, The Acolyte could've been so much better. At this point, however, we'll be happy to embrace the show as a good-enough Star Wars win if it sticks the landing in the two remaining episodes.
